Collaborative Research: New Directions in Optical-Instrument-Driven Aeronomy at Arecibo Observatory

研究人员将使用阿雷西博天文台(AO)的增强型仪表组，对空间-大气相互作用区(SAIR)的复杂性质获得新的见解。配有ISR(非相干散射雷达)和其他仪器的新高频(HF)加热设施为研究与加热相关的空气动力学和等离子体物理问题提供了一个独特的机会。这包括在电离层“加热”运动期间对557.7 nm、630.0 nm和427.8 nm的气辉进行快速成像观测，以了解高频加热在产生等离子体气泡方面的作用，或在已存在的情况下对其进行调制，并了解次级超热电子在产生不同波长的气辉方面的作用。这项研究还将深入了解加热过程，包括确定电离层“热点”的位置，提供电子碰撞过程的细节，阐明朗缪尔波和离子声波在强加热区的作用，以及研究零星E的加热效应。后一项研究将包括555.7 nm成像进一步界定的钙金属激光雷达观测，以及国际空间研究和高频雷达的结果。电离层的高频加热为以受控(实验)方式研究等离子体加热过程及其对中性体的影响提供了一个独特的机会。在供暖活动之外，将协作汇编来自其他地点的630纳米全天相机图像的数据库，以调查无处不在的~1小时周期电离层波的全球背景和相关的动力学，最初是由AO ISR确定的。这项工作将利用其他声光仪器，包括共振和瑞利激光雷达，来研究来自低层大气区域的波耦合的作用。此外，拟议中的一种新的CCD相机将允许高速成像，以更好地了解HF加热效应，并将光学流星和雷达流星联系起来，研究流星体的空气动力学。将通过协作使用多种仪器来探索SAIR对供暖引起的环境突然变化的反应，从而为许多地球物理研究领域提供信息。这项工作的多学科性质将有助于与等离子体物理学家、建模人员和空间气象科学家建立合作关系。它还将通过在目前的成像仪上增加一个用户拥有的、公共接入(UOPA)的高帧频电荷耦合器件来提高AO集群的能力，并帮助建立国际合作。将鼓励波多黎各当地大学代表少数族裔的学生参与观察和数据分析。他们将参与改进光学系统，包括关于声光仪器的培训，以及将这些仪器应用于研究Sair的大气学。

The investigators will use the enhanced instrument cluster at Arecibo Observatory (AO) to gain new insight into the complex nature of the space-atmosphere interaction region (SAIR). The new High Frequency (HF) heating facility with the ISR (Incoherent Scatter Radar) and other instruments provides a unique opportunity to study heating-related aeronomic and plasma physics problems. This includes the rapidly-imaged observation of airglow at 557.7 nm, 630.0 nm and 427.8 nm during ionospheric "heating" campaigns to understand the role of HF-heating in generating plasma bubbles, or modulating them if already present, and to understand the role of secondary suprathermal electrons in producing airglow at different wavelengths. This research will also yield insight to the heating process, including locating ionospheric "hot-spots", yielding details of the electron collision process, elucidating the role of Langmuir and ion-acoustic waves in the strongly heated regions, and study of heating effects in Sporadic E. The latter study will include Ca+ metal-lidar observations as further defined by 555.7 nm imaging as well as ISR and HF radar results. HF heating of the ionosphere offers a unique opportunity to investigate the plasma heating process and its effects on the neutrals in a controlled (experimental) fashion. Outside of the heating campaigns, a database of 630 nm all-sky camera images from other locations will be assembled collaboratively to investigate the global context of the omnipresent ~1 hr period ionospheric waves, and associated dynamics, first identified with the AO ISR. This work will utilize other AO instruments, including the resonance and Rayleigh lidars, to investigate the role of wave coupling from lower atmospheric regions. Also, a proposed new CCD camera will allow high speed imaging to better understand HF heating effects and linking optical and radar meteors to study meteoroid aeronomy. The response of the SAIR to sudden changes in the environment caused by heating will be explored with the collaborative use of multiple instruments, thus informing numerous geophysical research areas. The multidisciplinary nature of this work will help to establish collaborations with plasma physicists, modelers, and space weather scientists. It will also advance the AO cluster capabilities with the addition of a User-Owned, Public Access (UOPA) high frame rate CCD to the current imager and help in establishing international collaborations. Students representing minorities from local universities in Puerto Rico will be encouraged to participate in observations and data analysis. They will be involved in the improvements of the optical systems including training on AO instrumentation and the application of these instruments to study aeronomy of the SAIR.