CEDAR: The Climatology and Causal Mechanisms of the Early Morning Upward Plasma Drift at Equatorial Latitudes

这项研究的目的是为了更好地了解日出前电离层中赤道电动力学的机制。在最近的太阳活动极小期，卫星和雷达在赤道纬度的清晨观察到强烈的向上等离子体漂移。调查人员将分析C/NOFS卫星和Jicamara雷达的测量结果，以推断清晨垂直漂移的形态(当地时间、经度和季节变化)。将使用综合物理模型、全大气模型(WAM)、全球电离层和等离子体层模型(GIP)和热层-电离层-中间层电动力大气环流模型(TIME-GCM)来解释观测结果，并研究清晨向上漂移的原因机制。还将估计清晨上升漂移对黎明前和白天热层和电离层的影响。这项研究结合了观测、理论和模型，以更好地了解高层大气的动力学和导致清晨向上漂移的物理过程。这一结果将有助于改进对电离层不规则性的预测，这些不规则性会导致GPS闪烁和赤道电离层无线电通信中断。

The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of equatorial electrodynamics in the pre-sunrise ionosphere. Strong upward plasma drifts have been observed by satellites and radars in the early morning hours at equatorial latitudes during the recent solar minimum. The investigators will analyze measurements from the C/NOFS satellite and the Jicamarca radar to infer the morphology (local time, longitudinal, and seasonal variations) of the early morning vertical drift. Comprehensive physical models, the Whole Atmosphere Model (WAM), the Global Ionosphere and Plasmasphere model (GIP) and the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Electrodynamic General Circulation Model (TIME-GCM) will be used to interpret the observations and to investigate the causal mechanisms of the early morning upward drift. The influence of the early morning upward drift on the thermosphere and ionosphere near dawn and in the daytime will also be estimated. The study combines observations, theory and modeling to achieve a better understanding of the dynamics of the upper atmosphere and the physical processes leading to the early morning upward drifts. The results will help improve the prediction of ionospheric irregularities, which cause GPS scintillation and radio communication outages in the equatorial ionosphere.