Japan Medium-term Visit: Ionosphere Studies with the Middle and Upper Atmosphere (MU) Radar

该奖项将支持波士顿大学的William L. Oliver博士与日本京都大学射电大气科学中心的Susumu Kato教授及其同事进行为期三个月的合作。他们将使用位于日本茂垣的中高层大气雷达（MU），特别是其电离层非相干散射研究的能力，以1)通过增加可用数据库来提高电动力学模型的统计准确性；2)建立平行于磁场的速度运动模型，研究中性风模式；3)利用多普勒速度和多波束密度测量研究电离层行波；4)将当前和过去的MU雷达实验结果与其他地方进行的类似实验结果相关联。了解高层大气对太阳和粒子输入的响应行为是模拟全球大气变化的整体问题的一部分。非相干散射雷达技术提供了有关高层大气中电子、离子和中性密度的数据，以及这些数量如何随不同类型的能量输入而变化。该项目将允许奥利弗博士继续研究来自茂垣大学雷达的非相干散射雷达数据。这些研究将利用增加的数据库来调查电离层电动力学与当前模式的季节和太阳周期的依赖关系；研究中性风对垂直离子运动的影响；寻找地磁活动对电离层的影响；并将该站的数据与世界各地同一时期的其他数据进行比较。由这位首席研究员发起的先前的合作项目已经增加了日本和世界其他地区的非相干散射雷达科学界之间的互动，而当前的项目将加强和增加这一活动。

This award will support Dr. William L. Oliver of Boston University in a collaboration for three months with Prof. Susumu Kato and co- workers at the Radio Atmospheric Science Center of Kyoto University, Japan. They will use the Middle and Upper Atmosphere (MU) Radar at Shigaraki, Japan, and in particular its capability for ionospheric incoherent scatter studies, to 1) improve the statistical accuracy of the electrodynamics model by increasing the available data base; 2) develop a new model for velocity motion parallel to the magnetic field to study neutral-wind patterns; 3) use Doppler velocity as well as multi-beam density measurements to study ionospheric traveling waves; and 4) correlate current and past MU radar experiments with results of similar experiments conducted elsewhere. Understanding the behavior of the upper atmosphere in response to solar and particle inputs is one part of the overall problem of modeling changes in the total global atmosphere. The incoherent scatter radar technique provides data on the electrons, ions and neutral densities of the upper atmosphere and how these quantities change with various types of energy inputs. This project will permit Dr. Oliver to continue a study of the incoherent scatter radar data from the MU Radar at Shigaraki. The studies will take advantage of the increased data base to investigate seasonal and solar-cycle dependence of the electrodynamics of the ionosphere in relation to current models; study the vertical ion motions due to neutral winds; look for the influence of geomagnetic activity on the ionosphere; and compare the data from this station with other data taken throughout the world over the same time periods. The previous collaborative program initiated by this principal investigator has already increased the interaction between the Japanese and the rest of the world's incoherent scatter radar scientific community and this current project will strengthen and increase this activity.