Collaborative Research: Ionospheric Density Response to American Solar Eclipses Using Coordinated Radio Observations with Modeling Support

合作研究：利用协调射电观测和建模支持对美国日食的电离层密度响应

• 批准号: 2412294
• 负责人: Shibaji Chakraborty
• 金额: $ 23.48万
• 依托单位: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-04-15 至 2027-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2412294&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Ionospheric; Density; Response

Solar eclipses are unique celestial phenomena that offer excellent opportunity to explore the impacts of reduced solar flux on the ionosphere. As the moon’s shadow sweeps across the contiguous United States, it provides a natural laboratory to study the ionosphere—a partially ionized region of our atmosphere that plays a crucial role in radio communication, navigation, and space weather. During a solar eclipse, the reduction in solar radiation leads to a decrease in ionization. The investigators plan to take advantage of the upcoming solar eclipse in 2024 through coordinated multi-instruments observations of ionospheric parameters. The proposed work will deepen our understanding of the chemical and dynamical processes in the ionosphere-thermosphere (IT) system. Such events impact the plasma density, which adversely affects High Frequency (HF: 3-30 MHz) propagation and communication signals. While the macroscopic effects on the IT response are well understood, the detailed features controlling the ionospheric density including the transport in the F-region and topside ionosphere remain unclear. The project will strengthen collaborations with the citizen science community, support two early-career scientists and an undergraduate summer student. This project benefits society by improving communication reliability, enhancing space weather predictions, and supporting education and diversity in STEM fields.One of the main objectives of the proposal is to understand and quantify the relative importance of external forces on the ionospheric density responses to the October 2023 and April 2024 solar eclipses as observed by HF sounding and compare the findings with the August 2017 solar eclipse. The proposal will focus on the following scientific topics: 1. Quantification of Eclipse-Driven Ionospheric Changes: the project seeks to understand how solar eclipses impact the ionosphere's electron density. It plans to investigate variations in the F-region height (HmF2) and the occurrence of the ionospheric G-condition (where NmF1≥NmF2), (2) Identification of Controlling Factors: By analyzing data from ground-based HF facilities, the researchers will quantify the relative importance of various factors in determining the ionospheric responses, including reduced EUV Flux, thermospheric winds, photoelectron transport and heating. The proposed scientific investigation involves the use of the SuperDARN, the Millstone Hill Incoherent Scatter Radar (MHISR), and HamSCI HF observations. This work encourages training and education of the younger generation and facilitates capacity building through the involvement of early career scientists.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.

太阳日食是独特的天体现象，它为探索降低太阳能对电离层的影响提供了绝佳的机会。随着月亮的阴影在整个连续的美国席卷时，它提供了一个自然实验室来研究电离层的自然实验室，这是我们大气的部分电离区域，在无线电通信，导航和太空天气中起着至关重要的作用。在日食期间，太阳辐射的减少导致电离减少。研究人员计划通过Ionosphere参数的协调多启动观测来利用2024年即将到来的日食。拟议的工作将加深我们对电离层 - 热球（IT）系统中化学和动态过程的理解。这些事件会影响血浆密度，这会对高频（HF：3-30 MHz）的传播和通信信号产生不利影响。虽然对IT响应的宏观影响有充分的理解，但控制电离层密度的详细特征，包括F-Region和Topside Ionosphere中的运输，尚不清楚。该项目将加强与公民科学界的合作，支持两名早期职业科学家和一名本科夏季学生。该项目通过提高沟通可靠性，增强太空天气的预测以及支持STEM领域的教育和多样性来使社会受益。该提案的主要目标是理解和量化外部力量对2023年10月和2024年4月的离子层密度响应的相对重要性，如2024年4月，Solar Eclipses通过HF响起并与2017年8月相比，与HF Soundings一起观察到。该提案将重点关注以下科学主题：1。量化日食驱动的电离层的变化：该项目试图了解太阳能蚀如何影响电离层的电子密度。 It plans to investigate variations in the F-region height (HmF2) and the occurrence of the ionosphere G-condition (where NmF1≥NmF2), (2) Identification of Controlling Factors: By analyzed data from ground-based HF facilities, the researchers will quantify the relative importance of various factors in determining the ionosphere responses, including reduced EUV Flux, thermospheric winds, photoelectron transport and heating.拟议的科学研究涉及使用Superdarn，Millstone Hill不一致的散射雷达（MHISR）和HAMSCI HF观察。这项工作通过早期职业科学家的参与来鼓励对年轻一代和设施能力建设的培训和教育。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准来评估被认为是宝贵的支持。