Investigation of the Ionospheric Dynamics and MI Coupling in Antarctica

该提案寻求资金，以便在南极洲的南极站建造高频科学雷达，从而提高部署在世界各地的22部雷达SuperDARN网络的研究能力（superdarn.jhuapl.edu）。南极雷达将填补南极上空极光物理学研究方面的空白，帮助建立对南半球整个极光椭圆的完全覆盖，并增加其他南极空间物理学仪器的财富。该雷达将研究：（a）太阳风等离子体进入和离开南极极冠以及电离等离子体斑块穿过极冠的运动，（B）全球电离层和磁层对流对太阳风和行星际磁场变化的响应，（c）磁层对太阳风突变和地磁暴和亚磁暴的响应，以及（d）等离子体斑块与中间层风和热层重力波的相互作用。此外，通过扩大南半球全球范围的覆盖范围，可以解决全球磁暴和亚磁暴的地磁共轭问题以及两个半球太阳光照不对称造成的电离层等离子体对流差异问题。SuperDARN网络能够以出色的时间和空间分辨率观测全球范围的对流，已证明是地面研究可用的最强大的工具，使科学家能够解决空间物理学最基本和最重要的问题。SuperDARN的国际社区为许多博士后研究员、研究生和本科生的教育做出了重大贡献，从而帮助培养了空间物理学和高层大气物理学领域的一代年轻研究人员。拟议项目还将提供与空间气象研究等重要社会问题有关的数据，并提高其他仪器数据的实用性。

This proposal seeks funding to build the high-frequency scientific radar at the South Pole Station in Antarctica, thus enhancing research capabilities of the 22-radars SuperDARN network deployed around the world (http://superdarn.jhuapl.edu). The South Pole radar will fill a gap in the studies of auroral physics over the Antarctic, helping to establish complete coverage of the entire auroral oval in the Southern hemisphere and adding to the wealth of other Antarctic space physics instruments. This radar will be studying: (a) solar wind plasma entry into and exit from the Southern polar cap and motions of ionized plasma patches through the cap, (b) responses of the global ionospheric and magnetospheric convection to solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field changes, (c) magnetospheric responses to abrupt solar wind changes and geomagnetic storms and substorms, and (d) the plasma patches interactions with mesospheric winds and thermospheric gravity waves. In addition, by extending the global-scale coverage in the Southern hemisphere, questions about geomagnetic conjugacy of global magnetic storms and substorms and differences in the ionospheric plasma convection caused by the asymmetry of solar illumination in both hemispheres can be addressed. The SuperDARN network, with its ability to observe global-scale convection with excellent temporal and spatial resolution, has proven to be the most powerful tool available for the ground-based research, allowing scientists to address the most fundamental and important questions of space physics. The SuperDARN's international community contributed significantly to the education of many postdoctoral fellows, graduate, and undergraduate students, thus helping to grow a generation of young researchers in the field of space physics and aeronomy. The proposed project will also provide data relevant to important societal issues such as space weather studies and enhance the usefulness of data from other instruments.