Radar investigations of the auroral and polar cap ionosphere

我的研究兴趣涉及地球电离层的高纬度E区(海拔约100公里)和F区(海拔200至1000公里)。电离层是大气中的一部分，在这些E区和F区高度，在已经很低的中性大气浓度内，自由电子和离子(电离或带电粒子)相对较少，尽管物理上足够。这些带电粒子极大地影响了这些区域的行为，并形成了我们的中性地球环境和外层空间环境之间的过渡区域，即近地空间环境。E区具有低浓度的电离粒子，由于流动的电流，这些粒子可以被设置成振荡结构。这些结构被称为等离子体波，可以用雷达探测到这个区域。类似的等离子体结构也出现在F区，那里的电离浓度较大，但总体上仍然相对较小。我的研究使用雷达来探测和描述E区和F区的等离子体环境。一种类型的雷达从等离子体波散射无线电波，以提供等离子体波强度和运动等细节。另一种类型的雷达反射来自电离粒子的无线电波，以提供有关粒子密度和运动的信息。使用这些雷达和其他测量不同重要电离层参数的仪器，使研究人员能够更好地了解电离层及其内部的过程。这反过来又将加强我们对“空间天气”的理解和预测能力。空间天气在几个方面影响着我们的现代日常生活，例如：1)我们依赖现在大量用于通信、电视、银行等的地球卫星，这些卫星直接暴露在可能具有破坏性的空间环境中；2)最近商业航空公司飞越极地的飞行路线呈指数级增长，严重依赖这些高纬度地区的可靠通信。由于加拿大是一个北纬高的国家，拥有广阔的北方大陆，我们有理想的条件来研究和支持基础空间气象研究和预报，以造福全人类。

My research interests involve the ionospheric high-latitude E- (altitude about 100 km) and F- regions (altitude of 200 to 1000 km) of the Earth's ionosphere. The ionosphere is the portion of the atmosphere where there are relatively few, although physically sufficient, free electrons and ions (ionised or charged particles) present within the already very low neutral atmosphere concentration at these E- and F-region altitudes. These charged particles significantly influence the behaviour in these regions and form the transition region, or near-Earth space environment, between our neutral Earth environment and the outer space environment. The E-region has a low concentration of ionised particles which can be setup into oscillating structures due to flowing currents. These structures are know as plasma waves and can be detected with radars looking into this region. Similar plasma structures occur in the F-region where the ionisation concentration is larger, but still relatively small overall. My research uses radars to probe and characterise the plasma environment of the E- and F-regions. One type of radar scatters radio waves from plasma waves to give details such as plasma wave strength and motions. Another type of radar reflects radio waves from the ionised particles to give information about particle density and motions. Working with these radars, and other instruments which measure different important ionospheric parameters, allows researchers to better understand the ionosphere and the processes within it. This, in turn, will enhance our understanding and ability to predict `space weather.' Space weather affects our modern daily lives in a number of ways, such as: 1) our dependence on the now large number of Earth satellites used for communication, television, banking, etc. and the direct exposure of these satellites to the potentially damaging space environment; 2) the very recent exponential increase in commercial airline flight paths over the pole and their critical dependence on reliable communications at these high latitudes. As Canada is a high northern latitude country with extensive northern landmass, we are in the ideal situation to study and support fundamental space weather research and predictions for the benefit of all humankind.