Waves and coupling in the Earth's upper atmosphere

该提议支持对中层和高层大气（50至~250公里）的物理学进行研究。这些高度包括大气过渡到地球空间的区域。它的特点是从低层大气向上传播到这些高度的巨浪（潮汐、行星波和重力波），以及通过太阳风、地球磁场和大气运动之间的相互作用产生的电离层电流系统。确定导致成分和能量通过该区域向上和向下流动的机制对于理解太阳/地球系统至关重要。考虑到我们对卫星技术的依赖性越来越大，以及人类活动对大气层的组成及其对太阳能量的反应所产生的全球影响，这样的理解至关重要。拟议的研究有三个组成部分：开发世界一流的独特光学仪器，用于对风进行成像;在加拿大北极高地建立和支持地面仪器，探测高层大气的动态并分析其观测结果;分析来自模型和卫星的全球数据集，以调查中层和高层大气的动态。* 我们最近生成了有史以来第一张95公里高度的风的图像，使用干涉仪测量气辉中自然发生的光的多普勒频移。拟议研究的一个组成部分是优化和实地测试这些仪器，然后用它们来远程“观察”风，并调查高层大气中存在的波的特性。* 我目前在努纳武特尤里卡的极地环境大气研究实验室有一台风干涉仪和一台全天空成像仪，提供85至100公里高度的风和气辉亮度。已经与负责尤里卡和Resolute Bay其他仪器的同事建立了合作关系，这些仪器进行测量以补充这些测量。拟议研究的另一个组成部分是维持和扩大这一网络，并分析观测结果，以便了解这些高度的动态。为了从全球角度了解过渡区的物理情况，需要卫星观测和全球大气环流模型的输出。自20世纪90年代以来，一系列卫星（其中几颗是加拿大卫星）对这一大气层区域的动态进行了观测。第三个研究组成部分是利用我们在处理这些数据集方面的经验来描述全球动态并寻找长期大气趋势 **

This proposal supports research into the physics of the middle and upper atmosphere (between 50 and ~250 km). These heights encompass the region where the atmosphere transitions to geospace. It is characterized by large waves (tides, planetary waves and gravity waves) which propagate upward from the lower atmosphere into these heights and ionospheric current systems generated through interactions between the solar wind, Earth's magnetic field and atmospheric motions. Determining the mechanisms which cause the upward and downward flow of constituents and energy through this region is essential to understanding the Sun/Earth system. Given our growing dependence on satellite technologies and the global impact human activities are having on the composition of the atmosphere and its response to the Sun's energy, such an understanding is vital.***The proposed research has three components: the development of world class, unique optical instruments to image winds; the establishment and support of ground-based instruments in the Canadian High Arctic which probe the dynamics of the upper atmosphere and the analysis of their observations; the analysis of global data sets from models and satellites to investigate the dynamics of the middle and upper atmosphere. ***We have recently generated the first images ever of winds at a height of 95 km using interferometers to measure Doppler shifts of naturally occurring light from airglow. One component of the proposed research is to optimize and field test these instruments and then use them to remotely “see” winds and investigate the properties of waves present in the upper atmosphere. ***I currently have a wind interferometer and an all sky imager located at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) at Eureka, Nunavut which provide wind and airglow brightness at heights between 85 and 100 km. Collaborations have been set up with colleagues responsible for other instruments at Eureka and Resolute Bay which take measurements complementing these measurements. Another component of the proposed research is the maintenance and expansion of this network and the analysis of the observations so that the dynamics at these heights becomes known.***For a global perspective on the physics of the transition region, satellite observations and output from global general circulation models are needed. Observations of the dynamics of this region of the atmosphere from a sequence of satellites (several of which are Canadian) have been made since the 1990's Output from a Canadian General Circulation model covering the years from 1990 to 2010 is available. A third research component is to use our experience in working with these data sets to characterize the global dynamics and look for long term atmospheric trends**