VLF Remoting Sensing of Thunderstorm and Radiation Belt Coupling to the Ionosphere

这个项目测量由高能磁层电子的沉淀引起的亚层甚低频（VLF）无线电信号的扰动。被捕获的电子被大气闪电放电产生的哨声波散射到大气损耗锥中。下层电离层的突然加热和电离导致VLF信号的振幅和相位发生变化。这项拨款支持的测量是在南极洲的帕尔默站进行的，它们补充了由同一位研究人员在北半球的三个地点进行的类似测量，但由另一个NSF项目支持。通过从几个地点观察几个VLF发射机，有可能“成像”电离层扰动。

This project measures perturbations to subionospheric very low frequency (VLF) radio signals caused by the precipitation of energetic magnetospheric electrons. The trapped electrons are scattered into the atmospheric loss cone by whistler waves produced by atmospheric lightning discharges. The sudden heating and ionization of the lower ionosphere causes changes in the amplitude and phase of the VLF signal. The measurement supported by this grant are made at Palmer Station, Antarctica, and they complement similar measurement made at three northern hemisphere sites by the same investigators, but supported by another NSF program. By observing several VLF transmitters from several sites it is possible to "image" the ionospheric disturbances.