Collaborative Research: Characterizing Secondary Gravity Waves and Influences on Momentum Transport

该项目将开展研究，主要目的是研究次级重力波的产生和影响。主要目的是了解破碎重力波是如何产生SGW的，然后评估SGW对中间层和低热层区域的后续影响。研究SGW的发展过程是必要的，因为这些波可能会将动量输送到比主要GW更高的高度。该项目的科学计划还将考虑其中一些SGW是否甚至可以通过临界层进行传播。这些都是不同大气层之间耦合过程的重要方面。大气层区域之间的能量转移问题是一个潜在的变革性研究领域，由于最近已经有了观测和模型，因此是大气研究中的一个活跃主题。该项目将帮助支持两名职业生涯早期的研究人员，其首席首席调查员(PI)是一名妇女，从而改善空间物理界的性别多样性。虽然理论和模拟证明了次级重力波的存在，但关于中间层和低热层(MLT)区域内SGW的产生和相关动量通量及其影响的观测性、统计性和综合模拟和观测研究很少。这项研究旨在回答以下问题：1)平流层和中层条件如何对进入MLT的重力波的演变和传播以及导致SGW产生的破裂条件的进展起到作用？2)重力波破裂和由此产生的二次重力波对MLT中的动量传输有什么影响？3)在北半球观测到的强烈地形重力波活动与MLT中不同重力波谱的观测之间有什么关联？该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，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 project would carry out research primarily aimed at the study of the production and effects of secondary gravity waves (SGWs). The main objective is to understand how breaking gravity waves produce SGWs and then to assess the subsequent effect of SGWs on the mesosphere and lower thermosphere region. Studying the process of developing SGWs is necessary because these waves would potentially transport momentum to higher altitudes than the primary GW. The science plan of this project would also consider whether some of these SGWs could propagate even through a critical layer. These are important aspects of the coupling processes between different atmospheric layers. This question of energy transfer between atmospheric regions is a potentially transformative area of research and is an active topic in atmospheric research now that observations and models have recently become available. This project would help support two early career researchers with the lead Principal Investigator (PI) being a woman thus improving the gender diversity within the space physics community.While theory and modeling demonstrate the presence of secondary gravity waves, there are few observational, statistical, and combined modeling and observational studies on SGW generation and associated momentum flux and influences within the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region. The research aims to answer the following questions: 1) How do stratospheric and mesospheric conditions play a role in the evolution and propagation of gravity waves into the MLT and the progression of breaking conditions leading to SGW generation? 2) What are the implications of gravity wave breaking and resulting secondary gravity waves on momentum transport in the MLT? 3) What is the correlation between strong orographic gravity wave activity observed in the Northern hemisphere and observations of different gravity wave spectra in the MLT?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.