DASI Track 2: Low-latitude Ionospheric Sensor Network (LISN) Investigations of Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances and Plasma Irregularities

该项目由地球空间设施的小型仪器分布式阵列（DASI）支持，旨在提供低纬度电离层传感器网络（LISN）的操作和维护。这个分布阵列遍布南美洲，测量电离层的动态。这与地球空间设施在南美洲的其他投资（如Jicamarca射电天文台）是协同增效的。它提供了重要的地理覆盖。在2015年国家空间天气行动计划的几项基准建议中，呼吁对电离层进行检查。对电离层的监测与对地球表面日常天气的监测一样重要，因为电离层的活动会对无线电通信产生重大影响。该项目将运行LISN分布式观测站三年，将对行进电离层扰动（TIDs）的起源、动力学、耦合和绘图进行详细的观测和调查，并在低纬度和中纬度电离层中进行等离子体不规则性的形成和演变。LISN包含用于确定总电子含量的全球定位系统和全球导航卫星系统接收器，以及用于测量TIDs的离子探空仪。这些同时进行的测量可以帮助我们了解低纬度地区的多尺度TIDs是如何在中纬度地区产生等离子体现象的，例如赤道等离子体气泡。等离子体动力学的复杂性需要从多个角度来研究自然系统。该奖项还支持服务器和数据产品的升级，以供公众传播。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project supported by the Geospace Facility's Distributed Arrays of Small Instruments (DASI) is to provide the operations and maintenance of the Low-Latitude Ionospheric Sensor Network (LISN). This distributed array is spread across South American and measures dynamics of the ionosphere. This is synergistic with other Geospace Facility's investments in South America such as Jicamarca Radio Observatory. It provides important geographic coverage. Examination of the ionosphere is called out in several of the benchmark recommendations in the 2015 National Space Weather Action Plan. Monitoring of the ionosphere as daily weather is monitored on the surface of Earth is important because radio communications can be significantly impacted by ionospheric activity.This project to operate LISN distributed observatory for the three years will allow detailed observations and investigations of the origin, dynamics, coupling, and mapping of traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) and the formation and evolution of plasma irregularities in the low- and mid-latitude ionospheres to be carried out. LISN contains Global Positioning System and Global Navigation Satellite System receivers for determining total electron content and ionosondes for measuring TIDs. These simultaneous measurements may provide insight into how multi-scale TIDs at low latitudes seed plasma phenomena, such as equatorial plasma bubbles, at mid latitudes. The complexity of the plasma dynamics requires multiple perspectives on the natural system. This award also supports an upgrade to the servers and data products for public dissemination.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.