An Integrated Project on Arecibo Incoherent Scatter Radar Data Processing, Archiving and Investigation of Ionosphere Dynamics, Energetics and Composition

该奖项支持收集和重新分析三十年来阿雷西博非相干散射（IS）雷达数据的工作，以研究70至1000公里地球空间区域中性大气和电离层的动力学、能量学和组成。在与世界日模式无关的各种专门观测计划中收集的原始信息系统原始数据将首先进行处理，以消除天线仪器的影响，然后进行分析，生成等离子体密度、离子和电子温度以及离子漂移等数据产品。这些结果将用于三项调查研究。第一个是表征70至110公里和200至400公里之间的大气波扰动，以研究它们如何受到背景风和温度变化的影响。第二项研究将通过对离子和电子温度以及等离子体密度的精确测量，检查80至100公里区域内等离子体与250公里以上等离子体之间耦合中的电子能量平衡。该奖项的第三个重点领域是研究250公里以上的大气波与大气潮汐和极地地区的大尺度波的可能耦合，这些波与冬季可能偶尔发生的平流层突然预警事件有关。该研究计划将从处理、归档和记录过去三十年中收集的阿雷西博IS雷达数据开始，重点关注这三个目标。这些结果将在迈阿密大学的网站和麻省理工学院的牧歌网站上以完整的文档提供给航空学界。该奖项将资助16名本科生和一名研究生，为期四年。在研究低层和高层大气区域的这些大气波（重力波，GW）时，该奖项支持的分析将提供在几分钟到几小时内几乎整个GW频谱中观测到的波包的高度-时间-频率特性的实质性细节。高分辨率d区测量允许确定GW活动对盛行风和温度变化以及导管波条件的依赖。此外，该奖项将支持对低纬度热层活动与极地地区发生的平流层突然变暖事件之间关系的调查。高精度测量电子密度、电子/离子温度、等离子体速度和分子离子将用于确定在不同条件下控制电子能量收支的竞争过程。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 award supports the effort of collecting and re-analyzing three decades of Arecibo incoherent scatter (IS) radar data to study the dynamics, energetics and composition of the neutral atmosphere and the ionosphere in the geospace region between 70 and 1000 km. The original IS raw data collected in a variety of specialized observing plans not associated with the World Day mode would first be treated to remove antenna instrumental effects and then analyzed to generate data products such as plasma density, ion and electron temperatures, and ion drifts. These results would be used in three investigative studies. The first is the characterization of atmospheric wave disturbances between 70 to 110 km and between 200 to 400 km to study how they are being affected by background wind and temperature variations. The second study would examine the electron energy balance in the coupling between plasma in the 80 to 100 km region and plasma located above 250 km using accurate measurements of the ion and electron temperatures as well as plasma density. The third focus area in this award is to study the possible coupling of atmospheric waves above 250 km with atmospheric tides and large scale waves in the polar region that are associated with sudden stratospheric warning events that may occasionally occur during the winter. The research program focused upon these three objectives would begin by processing, archiving, and documenting the Arecibo IS radar data taken in the last three decades. These results would be made available to the aeronomy community with complete documentation using a web site at Miami University and the Madrigal web site at MIT. The award would support a total of 16 undergraduate students over four years as well as a graduate student. In studying these atmospheric waves (gravity waves, GWs) in the lower and upper atmospheric regions, the analysis supported by this award would yield substantive detail on the altitude-time-frequency characteristics of the wave packets observed in practically the entire GW spectrum from several minutes to several hours. High resolution D-region measurements allow the determination of the dependence of GW activities on prevailing wind and temperature variations and the conditions for ducted waves. In addition, the award would support the investigation of the connection between the low-latitude thermosphere activity and sudden stratospheric warming events occurring in the polar region. Highly accurate measurements of electron density, electron/ion temperature, plasma velocity and molecular ions would be used to achieve the determination of the competing processes controlling the electron energy budget under different conditions.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.