Collaborative Research: CEDAR--Experimental and Modeling Study of Mesoscale Ion-Neutral Coupling in the Auroral Thermosphere

Clemson University, Clemson SC

Investigators

Abstract

The coupling of ions and neutrals in the auroral thermosphere, during both active and quite auroral conditions is studied using three Fabry-Perot interferometers and the AMISR incoherent scatter radar. Three components (zonal, meridional, and vertical) of the thermospheric neutral wind are isolated in a mesoscale cell approximately 50km - 75km in size, within the AMISR coverage pattern. The goal is to quantify the mesoscale response to joule heating in the auroral thermosphere, and to evaluate ion-neutral coupling in the vicinity of auroral arcs. The measurements also provide the divergence and vorticity of the neutral wind. The physics-based Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (GTIM) is applied with enhanced spatial resolution and measurement constraint to evaluate the importance of various forcing functions, including Lorentz drag, particle precipitation energy deposition, and Joule heating.