Simultaneous Na Doppler and Fe Boltzmann Lidar Observations and Modeling of the Middle and Upper Atmosphere at McMurdo, Antarctica

这个提议是在南极洲麦克默多部署钠激光雷达，除了之前安装的Fe-Boltzmann激光雷达，也由NSF资助。像雷达一样，激光雷达（光探测和测距）是一种可以从很远的距离和不同的高度检查高层大气的各种特性的设备。从一个单一的位置，这些设备可以扫描环境，并在覆盖数千平方英里的广阔区域内观察80-200公里高度的极地大气和电离层。他们监测大气的化学成分、温度和其他特征，分析大气重力波，测量垂直风以及等离子体和中性风之间的相互作用。激光雷达还可以研究大气各层的特征和不规则性，并监测其动态。许多科学家已经在使用先前安装的仪器的数据，而新的激光雷达将带来另一种具有高时空分辨率的气辉测量。许多大气参数的同时监测丰富了我们对大气动力学的总体认识以及对研究区域的重力波、混合和垂直输送的认识。通过充分表征由重力波和湍流引起的中层顶区域的垂直成分运输，以及确定Na和Fe的差异烧蚀，将大大减少目前对宇宙尘埃流入地球大气层的估计中的巨大不确定性。对这些基本参数的准确观测将提供极地大气条件和动力学的重要数据集，并允许为许多科学家和许多领域获得新的关键信息，包括天气研究、大气和电离层研究等。这项研究工作将继续发展美国国家科学基金会资助的仪器网络，以帮助解决尚未彻底检查的地球空间研究的基本问题。

This proposal is to deploy a sodium lidar at McMurdo, Antarctica, in addition to the previously installed Fe-Boltzmann lidar also funded by NSF. Like radars, the LIDARs (LIght Detection And Ranging) are the devices that can examine various properties of the upper atmosphere from a large distance and at various altitudes. From a single location, these devices can scan the environments and observe polar atmosphere and ionosphere at the 80-200 km altitude within a wide sector covering thousands of square miles. They monitor an atmospheric chemical composition, temperature and other features, analyze atmospheric gravity waves, and measure vertical winds and interaction between plasma and neutral winds. The lidars also can study features and irregularities of various layers of the atmosphere, and monitor their dynamics. Many scientists are already using the data of the previously installed instrument, and the new lidar will bring another kind of measurements of airglow with high temporal and spatial resolution. Simultaneous monitoring of many atmospheric parameters enriches our understanding of atmospheric dynamics in general and gravity waves, mixing, and vertical transport in the studied region. By fully characterizing vertical constituent transport in the mesopause region caused by gravity waves and turbulence, as well as determining the differential ablation of Na and Fe, will substantially reduce the large uncertainties in current estimates of cosmic dust influx into the Earth's atmosphere. Accurate observation of these essential parameters will provide important data sets of polar atmosphere conditions and dynamics and allow obtaining new crucial information for many scientists and many areas, including weather studies, atmospheric and ionospheric studies, and others. This research effort will continue to develop the NSF-funded instrumentation network to help addressing fundamental questions of the Geospace research that have not yet thoroughly examined.