An Integrated Project on Arecibo Incoherent Scatter Radar Data Processing, Archiving and Investigation of Ionosphere Dynamics, Energetics and Composition

Miami University, Oxford OH

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the effort of collecting and re-analyzing three decades of Arecibo incoherent scatter (IS) radar data to study the dynamics, energetics and composition of the neutral atmosphere and the ionosphere in the geospace region between 70 and 1000 km. The original IS raw data collected in a variety of specialized observing plans not associated with the World Day mode would first be treated to remove antenna instrumental effects and then analyzed to generate data products such as plasma density, ion and electron temperatures, and ion drifts. These results would be used in three investigative studies. The first is the characterization of atmospheric wave disturbances between 70 to 110 km and between 200 to 400 km to study how they are being affected by background wind and temperature variations. The second study would examine the electron energy balance in the coupling between plasma in the 80 to 100 km region and plasma located above 250 km using accurate measurements of the ion and electron temperatures as well as plasma density. The third focus area in this award is to study the possible coupling of atmospheric waves above 250 km with atmospheric tides and large scale waves in the polar region that are associated with sudden stratospheric warning events that may occasionally occur during the winter. The research program focused upon these three objectives would begin by processing, archiving, and documenting the Arecibo IS radar data taken in the last three decades. These results would be made available to the aeronomy community with complete documentation using a web site at Miami University and the Madrigal web site at MIT. The award would support a total of 16 undergraduate students over four years as well as a graduate student. In studying these atmospheric waves (gravity waves, GWs) in the lower and upper atmospheric regions, the analysis supported by this award would yield substantive detail on the altitude-time-frequency characteristics of the wave packets observed in practically the entire GW spectrum from several minutes to several hours. High resolution D-region measurements allow the determination of the dependence of GW activities on prevailing wind and temperature variations and the conditions for ducted waves. In addition, the award would support the investigation of the connection between the low-latitude thermosphere activity and sudden stratospheric warming events occurring in the polar region. Highly accurate measurements of electron density, electron/ion temperature, plasma velocity and molecular ions would be used to achieve the determination of the competing processes controlling the electron energy budget under different conditions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.