Collaborative Research: Characterizing High-latitude Ionospheric Fluid Turbulence and Radio Scintillation with New Observations and Data-Driven Modeling

这一合作奖是为了表彰对地球极地电离层等离子体所表现出的复杂空间结构的研究。小规模等离子体结构改变了跨电离层无线电信号的相位和幅度，产生了显著的闪烁活动。这些影响对通信和导航系统不利，但可用作遥感诊断，以帮助辨别导致电离层结构的基本小规模等离子体过程的特征。这项研究将增进对造成电离层闪烁的两个主要过程的理解：梯度漂移和开尔文·赫姆霍尔兹不稳定性。该研究计划直接关系到美国国家科学基金会大气学和Cedar计划研究电离层-热层-磁层系统中的跨尺度耦合的目标，并将适用于等离子体物理学中的其他学科。该团队将开发和应用Resolute Bay非相干散射雷达(RISR)很少使用的功能，扩大社区可以从该设施轻松要求的测量范围，同时还提高了建模能力。该项目由两名职业生涯早期的科学家共同领导，其中包括一名首次参加NSF PI的科学家。该奖项加强了ERAU的空间物理项目，为一名本科生和一名研究生提供了支持。在磁层强迫和电离层内部过程的影响下，电离层等离子体中的空间不规则性经历了动态演化，产生了通常从大尺度向中、小尺度结构移动的能量级联。这些尺度被认为是由各种不稳定机制和结构过程产生的，但这种等离子体结构随时间演变的细节很难受到约束，特别是对于非线性方面。研究计划将侧重于详细的数据模型合成，以确定预计有助于电离层不规则性演变的物理参数(即大尺度密度结构、背景速度场、梯度和切变以及降水区)。该方法包括根据RISR现有的和新的观测数据对无线电波传播(使用SIGMA)和极帽电离层进行建模，利用全球定位系统(L波段)和超高频/甚高频无线电信标描述大中型和闪烁活动。结果将通过与以双子座模型为代表的基于物理的不稳定模型的预测进行比较来解释，以描述在许多理想情况下电离层不稳定的可观察影响，以及基于数据驱动模型输入的特定案例研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This collaborative award is for a study of the complex spatial structure exhibited by ionosphere plasma in Earth's polar regions. Small-scale plasma structuring modifies the phase and amplitude of trans-ionospheric radio signals, producing significant scintillation activity. These effects are detrimental to communication and navigation systems but can be used as a remote-sensing diagnostic to help discern the characteristics of fundamental small-scale plasma processes that result in ionospheric structure. This research will improve understanding of the two major processes contributing to ionospheric scintillation: gradient drift and Kelvin Helmholz instabilities. The research plan directly relate to goals of NSF Aeronomy and CEDAR programs to investigate cross-scale coupling in the ionosphere-thermosphere-magnetosphere system, and would be applicable to other disciplines within plasma physics. The team will develop and apply rarely utilized capabilities of the Resolute Bay incoherent scatter radar (RISR), expanding the range of measurements the community can easily request from this facility while also advancing modeling capabilities. The project is co-led by two early-career scientists including a first-time NSF PI. The award enhances the space physics program at ERAU with support provided for one undergraduate student and one graduate student. Spatial irregularities within ionospheric plasma undergo dynamical evolution under the influence of magnetospheric forcing and internal ionospheric processes, producing a cascade of energy moving generally from large scales into intermediate and small scale structures. These scales are believed to be generated by a variety of instability mechanisms and structuring processes, but the details of the evolution of this plasma structuring over time are poorly constrained, especially for the non-linear aspects. The research plan will focus upon detailed data-model synthesis to characterize physical parameters expected to contribute to irregularity evolution in the ionosphere (i.e., large-scale density structures, background velocity fields, gradients and shears, and precipitation regions). The approach include modeling of radio wave propagation (using SIGMA) and polar cap ionosphere based upon the ingestion of existing and new observations from RISR, characterizing large-to-medium scales and scintillation activity using GPS (L-band) and UHF/VHF radio beacons. Results will be interpreted through comparisons with the predictions of a physics-based instability model as represented by the GEMINI model to characterize observable effects of ionospheric instability in many idealized situations and for select case studies based on data-driven model inputs.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.