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: 2412296
• 负责人: Naomi Maruyama
• 金额: $ 13.5万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 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=2412296&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.

日食是一种独特的天体现象，为探索太阳通量减少对电离层的影响提供了绝佳的机会。当月球的阴影扫过美国本土时，它为研究电离层（大气层的部分电离区域）提供了一个天然的实验室。在日食期间，太阳辐射的减少会导致电离的减少，这在无线电通信、导航和太空天气中发挥着至关重要的作用。通过协调多仪器对电离层参数的观测，拟议的工作将加深我们对电离层-热层 (IT) 系统中化学和动力学过程的理解，这些事件会影响等离子体密度，从而对高频 (HF) 产生不利影响。 ：3-30 MHz）传播和通信信号虽然对 IT 响应的宏观影响已得到充分了解，但控制电离层密度（包括 F 区域中的传输）的详细特征。该项目将加强与公民科学界的合作，支持两名职业生涯早期的科学家和一名暑期本科生。该项目通过提高通信可靠性、增强空间天气预报以及支持 STEM 的教育和多样性来造福社会。该提案的主要目标之一是了解和量化外力对高频探测观测到的 2023 年 10 月和 2024 年 4 月日食的电离层密度响应的相对重要性，并比较结果该提案将重点关注以下科学主题： 1. 日食驱动的电离层变化的量化：该项目旨在了解日食如何影响电离层的电子密度。区域高度 (HmF2) 和电离层 G 条件的出现 (其中 NmF1≥NmF2), (2) 识别控制因素：通过分析地面高频设施的数据，研究人员将量化确定电离层响应的各种因素的相对重要性，包括减少的 EUV 通量、热层风、光电子传输和加热。拟议的科学调查涉及使用。 SuperDARN、Millstone Hill 非相干散射雷达 (MHISR) 和 HamSCI HF 观测这项工作鼓励年轻一代的培训和教育，并通过早期职业科学家的参与促进能力建设。授予 NSF 的法定使命，并通过评估反映使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准，被认为值得支持。