Micrometeoroid Mass Flux Influences on Space Weather and Middle Atmosphere Aeronomy Studied Using the Six NSF Radars and Modeling

使用六台 NSF 雷达和建模研究微流星体质量通量对空间天气和中层大气航空学的影响

• 批准号: 1202019
• 负责人: John Mathews
• 金额: $ 54万
• 依托单位: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-15 至 2016-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1202019&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Micrometeoroid; Mass; Flux; Influences; Space

The investigators will conduct observational and theoretical studies of meteoroid-related processes in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). The study will utilize observations at the six NSF radars (and associated lidars), as a diversity of frequencies, viewing angles relative to the geomagnetic field, and latitudes/seasons is required to determine the whole earth meteoroid mass flux, explore the head/trail-echo scattering mechanisms, and to reveal details of the meteoroid interaction with the atmosphere including fragmentation, ablation, sputtering, and the resultant plasma physics and aeronomic effects. The complex role of the meteoroid mass flux to the Mesosphere & Lower-Thermosphere (MLT) on the aeronomy and electrodynamics of this region as represented by, e.g., sporadic-E, sporadic metal layers, and Polar Mesospheric Summer Echoes (PMSE), remains an illusive and even unrecognized component of space weather. Detailed understanding of the radio science of the radar head/trail-echo radar scattering processes is required to correctly interpret how the plasma surrounding the meteoroid--and that then forms the meteor trail--is generated and evolves, thus revealing important insights into sputtering, fragmentation, and terminal processes. Details of these processes remain a source of controversy. The investigators will also study how the meteoroid metals arrive in tidal ion, sporadic-E layers, noctilucent clouds, and PMSE. Modern high-power, large-aperture (HPLA) radar meteor observations have greatly stimulated the entire field of meteor physics and associated aeronomy. Observational and modeling/simulation studies of the radar meteor head/trail-echo scattering processes provide unique insight into meteoroid interaction with the atmosphere and also into the contribution of meteoric ions and "smoke" to the ionospheric D- and E-regions. The observations will provide details on how the meteoroid plasma trail evolves into geomagnetic field aligned plasma structures and will explore the surprising and instructive meteoroid flare generated plasma waves that produce non-thermal radar scattering. Together with radar observations, Rayleigh and metal lidar results provide a new dimension to meteoroid flux aeronomic studies. The meteoroid flux into the MLT is linked to solar system and local galactic processes. These are "systems of systems" space weather issues where meteoroid energy dissipation heating of the upper atmosphere is of the same order as Joule and particle heating of the auroral zones--an apparently unrecognized property of the meteoroid flux. This study will also lead to the development of new radar imaging techniques and help address issues such as the role of the meteoroid mass flux in many lower atmospheric processes such as cloud formation and stratospheric chemistry. Exploration of meteor-related electrodynamics and non-equilibrium plasma physics may stimulate other areas of research in, for example, the ionospheric heating community. This research will involve both graduate and undergraduate researchers, featuring discovery and learning to communicate knowledge concerning the meteoroid processes, related spaceweather and systems issues, and associated aeronomy.

研究人员将对中层和较低热层（MLT）中与麦克体相关的过程进行观察和理论研究。 The study will utilize observations at the six NSF radars (and associated lidars), as a diversity of frequencies, viewing angles relative to the geomagnetic field, and latitudes/seasons is required to determine the whole earth meteoroid mass flux, explore the head/trail-echo scattering mechanisms, and to reveal details of the meteoroid interaction with the atmosphere including fragmentation, ablation, sputtering, and the由此产生的等离子体物理学和空气效应。 Meteoroid质量通量对中层和低压层（MLT）的复杂作用在该区域的气体动力学和电动力学上，例如，例如，散发性金属层，散发性金属层和极性的中层夏季回声（PMSE），仍然是一种简化的且甚至是空间的空间构成构成的构成。 需要详细了解雷达头/径向回声雷达散射过程的无线电科学，以正确解释生成和演变的流星围绕流星的血浆（然后形成流星径），从而揭示了对溅射，碎片和终极过程的重要见解。 这些过程的详细信息仍然是争议的根源。研究人员还将研究流星金属如何到达潮汐离子，零星层，夜光云和PMSE中。 现代的高功率大繁殖（HPLA）雷达流星观察结果极大地刺激了流星物理和相关空气的整个领域。雷达流星头/径向回波散射过程的观察和建模/模拟研究为与大气的相互作用以及流星离子和“烟雾”对电离层D和电子区的贡献提供了独特的见解。这些观察结果将提供有关如何演变成地磁场的流星等离子体结构的细节，并将探索产生非热雷达散射的令人惊讶和启发性的子积光耀斑产生的血浆波。加上雷达观测，雷利和金属激光雷达的结果为气象体通量航空学研究提供了新的维度。进入MLT的酿酒液通量与太阳系和局部银河过程有关。 这些是“系统系统”的空间天气问题，在这些问题上，上层大气的流星能量耗散加热与焦耳和极光区的颗粒加热相同，这显然是流星通量的不认识的特性。 这项研究还将导致新的雷达成像技术的发展，并有助于解决诸如流星质量通量在许多较低大气过程​​中的作用，例如云形成和平流层化学。探索与流星相关的电动力学和非平衡等离子体物理学的探索可能会刺激其他研究领域，例如电离层加热社区。 这项研究将涉及研究生和本科研究人员，其中包括发现和学习，以传达有关流星过程，相关太空气氛和系统问题以及相关的空气学的知识。