Radar Studies of the Low- and Mid-Latitude Thermosphere

本研究利用秘鲁、阿雷西博和米尔斯通山的非相干散射雷达和夜间法布里-珀罗涉仪测量资料，研究和模拟了F区等离子体和中性大气从赤道到中高纬度的输送过程。PI早期的实验电离层扰动电场研究将得到使用最近升级的赖斯对流模型的数值模拟的补充。基本目标是了解电离层电场和中性风的短期和空间变异性及其影响的自洽经验模型，并测试全球对流和环流模型。将使用大型非相干散射雷达漂移测量数据库来模拟中低纬电离层扰动等离子体漂移的变异性及其时间常数，作为磁层和高纬度电离层参数的函数。使用来自阿雷基帕、阿雷西博和米尔斯通山的非常广泛的Fabry-Perot资料，将开发一个夜间热层中性风到高纬度强迫的与风暴时间相关的模式。这些全球等离子体漂移和中性风研究还将检查长期和短期高纬度强迫、UT和非常大的风暴效应的影响，以及与风暴时间相关的扰动风和等离子体漂移的耦合。赤道研究将包括利用Julia数据研究平静的白天等离子体漂移的变异性，以及对夜间F区中性温度的研究和经验模拟。

This research is to study and model the variability of F region plasma and neutral atmospheric transport processes from equatorial to upper mid-latitudes using incoherent scatter radar and nighttime Fabry-Perot interferometer measurements from Peru, Arecibo and Millstone Hill. The PI's earlier experimental ionospheric disturbance electric field studies will be complemented by numerical simulations using the recently upgraded Rice Convection Model. The basic objective is the understanding and self-consistent empirical modeling of the short-term and spatial variability and effects of ionospheric electric fields and neutral winds, as well as the testing of global convection and circulation models.Large new databases of incoherent scatter radar drift measurements will be used to model the variability of mid- and low-latitude ionospheric disturbance plasma drifts, and their time constants, as a function of magnetospheric and high latitude ionospheric parameters. A storm-time dependent model of the nighttime thermospheric neutral winds to high latitude forcing using very extensive Fabry-Perot data from Arequipa, Arecibo, and Millstone Hill will be developed. These global plasma drift and neutral wind studies will also examine the effects of long and short duration high latitude forcing, UT and very large storm effects, and also storm time dependent coupling of disturbance winds and plasma drifts. The equatorial studies will include the variability of the quiet time daytime plasma drifts using JULIA data, and the study and empirical modeling of nighttime F-region neutral temperatures.