Dayside Auroral Imaging at South Pole

这项提议是在南极站操作两台地面成像仪，并将它们的观测与图像航天器同时进行的全球极光观测结合起来，调查磁层顶重联过程对电离层的时间和空间影响。南极的位置有利于极光成像，因为冬季几个月的持续黑暗可以进行24小时光学观测，而理想的磁纬度可以观测到白天的极光。磁层的重联(合并)区域为太阳风等离子体提供了最重要的入口点。现在人们普遍认为，白天区域包含了参与与行星际磁场重新连接过程的场线的足迹。虽然有相当多的文献从地面观测到的日侧重联区域的极光足迹，但不可能将这些结果与同时拍摄的全球极光图像联系起来。从图像航天器对质子极光的全球观测提供了重联区域足迹的直接图像，表明重联连续发生，降水的空间分布遵循作为行星际磁场函数的理论预测行为。图像航天器轨道的远地点正在缓慢地向南漂移，在该项目的时间范围内(2004年南半球冬季)，图像的远地点将在南半球。因此，将有可能通过南极站的两个地面成像仪(电子极光和质子极光)获得极光和高纬度日边地区的同时全球图像。该项目的主要目标是利用这一独特的机会，将图像卫星用作这些观测的“望远镜”，将地面成像仪用作“显微镜”。总之，拟议的项目将利用IMAGE和南极质子-电子数据提供的新机会，回答几个关键问题，以便更好地了解亚暴和相关现象。了解地球的电磁环境是预测空间天气和了解地球活动磁暴的关键要求之一。该项目将继续让学生参与项目的每个阶段，这似乎是对一些人开始上层大气研究事业的很好鼓励。

This proposal is to operate two ground-based imagers at South Pole station and combine their observations with simultaneous global auroral observations by the IMAGE spacecraft investigating temporal and spatial effects in the ionosphere from the reconnection processes at the magnetopause. The location of South Pole has advantages for auroral imaging because the continuous darkness over the winter months allows 24 hours optical observations and the ideal magnetic latitude permits observation of the dayside aurora. The reconnection (merging) region of the magnetosphere provides the most significant entry point for solar wind plasma. It is now widely accepted that the dayside region contains the footprint of field lines that participate in reconnection processes with the interplanetary field. Although there is quite a body of literature about the auroral footprints of the dayside reconnection region from ground based observations, it has not been possible to relate those results to simultaneous global auroral images. Global observations of proton auroras from the IMAGE spacecraft provided direct images of the footprint of the reconnection region showing that reconnection occurs continuously and that the spatial distribution of the precipitation follows the theoretically predicted behavior as a function of the interplanetary field. The apogee of the IMAGE spacecraft orbit is slowly drifting south and in the time frame of this project (austral winter of 2004), IMAGE apogee will be over the Southern hemisphere. Thus, it will be possible to obtain simultaneous global images of the aurora by IMAGE and of the high latitude dayside region by two ground-based imagers (electron and protons auroras) at South Pole Station. The main project goal is to capitalize on this unique opportunity and use the IMAGE satellite as the "telescope" and the ground-based imagers as the "microscope" for these observations. In summary, the proposed project will use new opportunities provided by IMAGE and the South Pole proton-electron data answering several key questions for better understanding of substorms and related phenomena. Understanding the Earth's electromagnetic environment is one of the key requirements to predict space weather and to understand how geoactive magnetic storms are. The project will continue the involvement of students in every phase of the program, which appears to be a good encouragement for some to start a career in upper atmospheric research.