Collaborative Studies of the Antarctic Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere

中间层和低热层位于地球表面上方80至120公里的高度，是一个高度动态的区域，它将低层地球大气（对流层和平流层）与高层大气近地空间环境（热层和电离层）耦合在一起。在这一地区特别重要的是向上传播的热强迫大气潮汐和全球尺度的行星波。这两种现象都将热量和动量从低层大气传输到高层大气。近年来的研究表明，南北极MLT具有丰富的谱波动，可能比低层大气对全球变化更敏感。这项研究的主要目标是观察，量化，建模，并进一步了解南极洲上空MLT环流的时空结构和变化及其与北极的共性。第二个目标是量化和了解通过流星烧蚀进入高层大气的物质沉积及其对当地和区域空气动力学过程的影响。这包括流星流量、温度和动力学对南极上空钠的季节性分布的影响。流星雷达安装在南极阿蒙森-斯科特站，自2002年1月以来一直在持续运行。将在南极安装一台新的钠夜光成像仪，以推断MLT中的钠丰度。这一仪器的观测结果将与南极法布里-珀罗干涉仪温度测量结果以及流星雷达风和流星通量测量结果相结合，以增进我们对钠化学和动力学的了解。这些观测结果将使用复杂的数值模型进行解释，并与北极测量结果沿着当前的线性和非线性大气模型一起进行解释，以促进对MLT区域重要过程的当前理解。这项研究也有助于研究生和本科生的培训和教育，博士后和早期职业终身教职。

The mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT), at an altitude between 80 and 120 km above the Earth's surface, is a highly dynamic region that couples the lower terrestrial atmosphere (troposphere and stratosphere) with the upper atmosphere near-Earth space environment (thermosphere and ionosphere). Of particular importance in this region are both the upward propagating thermally forced atmospheric tides and global scale planetary waves. Both of these phenomena transport heat and momentum from the lower atmosphere into the upper atmosphere. Studies in recent years have indicated that the Arctic and Antarctic MLT possess a rich spectrum waves and may be more sensitive to global change than the lower atmosphere. The primary goal of this research is to observe, quantify, model, and further understand the spatial-temporal structure and variability of the MLT circulation above Antarctica and its commonalities with the Arctic. A secondary goal is to quantify and understand the deposition of mass into the upper atmosphere through the ablation of meteors and the resulting effect on local and regional aeronomic processes. This includes the effect of meteor flux, temperature and dynamics on the seasonal distribution of sodium over the South Pole. Meteor radar was installed at the South Pole Amundsen-Scott station and has been running continuously since January 2002. A new sodium nightglow imager will be installed at the South Pole to infer the sodium abundance in the MLT. Observations from this instrument will be combined with the South Pole Fabry-Perot interferometer temperature measurements and the meteor radar wind and meteor flux measurements to improve our understanding of the sodium chemistry and dynamics. These observations will be interpreted using sophisticated numerical models and interpreted in conjunction with Arctic measurements along with current linear and nonlinear atmospheric models to advance the current understanding of processes important to the MLT region. This research also contributes to the training and education of the graduate and undergraduate students, a postdoc and early career tenure track faculty.