NSWP: Understanding Ionospheric Response to Storm-induced Thermospheric Neutral Composition Change

调查人员将研究热层成分在造成F区电离层变化方面的作用。在F-区产生O+密度增加（正电离层暴）或减少（负电离层暴）的机制还不清楚。热层和电离层的许多信息要么局限于某一点的垂直剖面，要么局限于柱积分量。 在这项研究中，研究人员将使用顶侧电离层的垂直剖面，同时确定中性成分的共同体积，以及现场测量，以测试对确定F区电子密度的过程的理解。将使用简单的模型计算来指导调查并帮助解释结果。将对若干精心挑选的事件进行地面和空间测量。通过将测量结果与计算模型的输出相结合，研究人员将对中低纬F区热层成分和电离层等离子体密度产生暴时扰动的机制有所了解。 其结果对于改进空间气象风暴对社会影响的范围和严重性的预测将很有价值。 韩国天文学和空间科学研究所的两名女研究员将参加该项目。韩国空间气象研究所管理着韩国新创建的国家空间气象计划。除了对来自代表性不足的性别和种族背景的年轻研究人员进行教学和培训外，该项目还促进在调查全球空间气象现象方面开展必要的国际合作。

The investigators will study the role of thermospheric composition in producing changes in the F-region ionosphere. The mechanism for producing an increase in the O+ density in the F-region (a positive ionospheric storm) or a decrease (a negative ionospheric storm) is not well understood. Much of the information of thermosphere and ionosphere is either confined to vertical profiles at a particular point or column integrated quantities. For this study, the investigators will use vertical profiles of the topside ionosphere, simultaneous common-volume determinations of neutral composition, and in situ measurements to test understanding of the processes that determine F region electron density. Simple model calculations will be used to guide the investigation and aid in the interpretation of the results. The ground-based and space-based measurements will be obtained for several carefully selected events. By combining the measurements with the output of computation models, the investigators will the understanding of the mechanisms that create stormtime disturbances in thermospheric composition and ionospheric plasma density in low-middle latitude F region. The results will be valuable in improving the prediction of the extent and severity of space weather storm impacts to society. Two female researchers at the Korea Astronomy and Space science Institute (KASI) will participate in the project. KASI manages a newly created national space weather program in Korea. As well as teaching and training young researchers from an under-represented gender and ethnic background, this project promotes essential international collaboration in the investigation of global space weather phenomena.