CEDAR: Interactions of Short-Period Gravity Waves with the Horizontally-Inhomogeneous Structure of the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT) Region

该项目的目标是研究短周期、小尺度重力波的动力学效应，这些重力波受到地球中层和低热层区域的动态和水平不均匀结构的调制。 虽然这种波的结构和变化的MLT的显着贡献，目前的理解重力波的产生，传播和耗散没有考虑到当地的结构的影响，因此可能会遭受观测偏差。 与多尺度重力波相互作用相关的具体科学问题将在研究工作中通过三维数值建模来解决，使用作为该项目一部分获得的计算集群硬件，以及通过多个设施的气辉成像仪，雷达和激光雷达对MLT的观测。 这些数据将用于约束模型模拟以及验证其结果。 该项目还将为今后对波浪引起的气辉和温度扰动的层析成像研究提供理论基础，以便于更准确地评估重力波通量和多尺度结构。

The goal of this project is to investigate the dynamical effects of short-period, small-scale gravity waves as modulated by the dynamic and horizontally inhomogeneous structure of the terrestrial mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region. Although such waves contribute significantly to the structure and variability of the MLT, the present understanding of gravity wave generation, propagation, and dissipation has not taken the effects of local structure into account and thus may suffer from observational bias. Specific science questions related to multi-scale gravity wave interaction will be addressed in the research work through both 3-D numerical modeling, using computing cluster hardware acquired as part of this project, as well as observations of the MLT by airglow imagers, radars, and lidars at multiple facilities. The data will be used to constrain the model simulations as well as validate its results. The project will also provide a theoretical foundation for future tomographic imaging studies of wave induced airglow and temperature perturbations in order to facilitate more accurate assessments of gravity wave fluxes and multi-scale structure.