A New Era in Ground-Based Optical Aeronomy at Millstone Hill

Trustees Of Boston University, Boston

Investigators

Abstract

The investigators will study the dynamics of the mesosphere and thermosphere using advanced optical instrumentation at the Millstone Hill Observatory in Massachusetts. This is a multi-institution collaborative effort involving Boston University (BU), the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Scientific Solutions Incorporated (SSI), and the MIT staff at Millstone Hill. The combined imaging, intensity, temperature and wind measurements will yield important new insights in several areas: how gravity wave propagation characteristics governs energy and momentum deposition rates in the region, the formation mechanisms and behavior of the large-scale density gradients and traveling atmospheric disturbances observed within the ionosphere/thermosphere system, and their relationship to geomagnetic storms and space weather. In addition, the upward coupling processes and mechanisms responsible for energy and momentum transport between the mesosphere and thermosphere will be a central area of study. Several thermospheric emissions at three different height regimes in the ~95-300 km region will, for the first time, be measured during both the night and daytime to provide a continuous 24-hour series of measurements. The measurements will be obtained with a new multi-wavelength daytime echelle spectrograph designed and built at Boston University. The continuous measurements will provide uninterrupted time histories of several large-scale dynamical processes, such as gravity wave activity, tides, planetary waves, traveling atmospheric disturbances, Stable Auroral Red arcs, and aurora, over the entire altitude range of the mesosphere and thermosphere. The new spectrograph is a prelude to a future daytime imaging Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) which will yield 24-hour coverage of neutral temperatures and winds. In addition, a major refurbishment of the two existing Fabry-Perot Interferometers, will provide optical wind and temperature measurements from three altitude regions (87 km, 96 km, and 250 km) in the mesosphere and thermosphere. The datasets obtained from this work will be made available at www.buimaging.com in the form of quick-look images, movies, and temperature data. They will also be submitted to the CEDAR and MADRIGAL databases. In an effort to involve the wider aeronomy community, the investigators will host guest observing and/or instrument programs at Millstone during each season and will provide assistance to interested users. As part of the public observing nights program at the Boston University roof observatory, the investigators will present several talks on the Earth's upper atmosphere, its composition, dynamics, and daily and seasonal variations, and how the Earth relates to the other planets in the solar system.