African Space Weather Workshop

非洲空间天气研讨会

• 批准号: ST/R002932/1
• 负责人: Mark Lester
• 金额: $ 3.08万
• 依托单位: University of Leicester
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2018 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FR002932%2F1
• 关键词: African; Space; Weather; Workshop

We seek funding to support an African Space Weather Workshop aimed at developing an international team to enhance capacity in space weather monitoring in low income countries. The proposal seeks to utilise the world-leading capability of the UK in the field of space weather monitoring to investigate and address a specific issue impacting on countries on the DAC list.Space weather is a term used to describe the how solar-driven variations in the Earth's magnetosphere-ionosphere system can impact modern technology and thus human activity. To date space weather has primarily been studied over the polar regions. However, new emerging economies necessitates the elucidation of space weather in the equatorial regions. The most serious space weather threat to modern technological infrastructure is posed by geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) at the Earth's surface. GIC are driven by solar-wind/magnetosphere interactions which driven varying electric and magnetic field in space which again induce currents on the ground. Particularly powerful solar storms have resulted in power and communication failure. GIC can also result in currents being induced in oil and gas pipelines, leading to their degradation, of particular concern to oil-producing nations like Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Further, changes in space weather will affect radio communication, as varying ionospheric conditions result in scintillation of radio signals. This can result in GPS and HF radio signals being absorbed, and significant GPS position and timing error. A particular challenge in the equatorial regions are high-density equatorial plasma bubbles which may span the horizon during severe space weather events. Unique to equatorial region there is an ionospheric current system called the equatorial electrojet which may amplify space weather effects. Disruption of radio communication will adversely affect both everyday life, commerce and disaster relief in equatorial regions.The University of Leicester are world-leading experts in space weather monitoring, using both ground-based and space-based instruments to probe space weather in the polar regions. The research they produce is of an international excellent standard. In this proposal we aim to utilise the University of Leicester's expertise in this area to bring together an international team of scientists and engineers for a one week African Space Weather Workshop at the University of Leicester. The aim of the workshop is to form an international team focussed on increasing capacity for space weather monitoring, instrumentation, education and research in Africa. The workshop will enable international networking, communication and knowledge exchange. The workshop will identify the key challenges associated with African Space Weather Monitoring and develop a road-map for further collaborations. The workshop will discuss how adverse space weather affects the African equatorial region, funding requirements, instrument development and deployment, and the steps needed mitigate serious space weather situation over the African equatorial region. There will be a strong focus on identifying the training and education needs of scientists and engineers in the physics and engineering requirements associated with space weather monitoring. This could involve planning and seeking funding for joint PhD projects between African and UK universities, academic exchanges, lecture tours of African and UK scientists, identifying instrument requirements associated with the monitoring of space weather, and engaging with local populations in building and deploying such instruments. There will also plans for talks and activities to engage local schools and the general population in order to engage and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

我们寻求资金来支持非洲太空天气研讨会，旨在开发国际团队，以增强低收入国家的太空天气监测能力。该提案旨在利用英国在太空天气监测领域的世界领先能力，以调查和解决影响DAC列表上国家 /地区的特定问题。空间天气是一种用来描述地球磁层层层系统中太阳能驱动的变化的术语，该术语如何影响现代技术和人类活动。迄今为止，太空天气主要是在极地地区研究的。但是，新的新兴经济体需要阐明赤道区域的太空天气。对现代技术基础设施的最严重的太空天气威胁是由地球表面的地向磁性电流（GIC）构成的。 GIC是由太阳能/磁层相互作用驱动的，这些相互作用驱动了空间中的电气和磁场的变化，这再次诱导地面上的电流。特别强大的太阳风暴导致了权力和沟通故障。 GIC还可能导致油和天然气管道中的水流导致其降解，特别关注塞拉利昂和尼日利亚等石油生产国家。此外，空间天气的变化会影响无线电通信，因为不同的电离层条件会导致无线电信号的闪烁。这可能会导致GPS和HF无线电信号被吸收，以及明显的GPS位置和时机误差。赤道区域中的一个特殊挑战是高密度赤道等离子体气泡，在严重的太空天气事件中可能跨越地平线。赤道区域独有的是一个称为赤道电流的电离层电流系统，可以扩大空间天气影响。无线电通信的破坏将对赤道区域的日常生活，商业和救灾都产生不利影响。莱斯特大学是空间天气监测的世界领先专家，使用基于地面和空间的工具来探测极地地区的空间天气。他们产生的研究是国际出色的标准。在这项建议中，我们旨在利用莱斯特大学在该领域的专业知识，将一支国际科学家和工程师团队汇集在一起​​，为莱斯特大学的非洲太空天气车间举行了一周。该研讨会的目的是组建一支致力于提高非洲太空天气监测，仪器，教育和研究能力的国际团队。研讨会将使国际网络，沟通和知识交流。研讨会将确定与非洲太空天气监测相关的关键挑战，并开发道路图以进行进一步的合作。研讨会将讨论不利的空间天气如何影响非洲赤道区域，资金要求，仪器开发和部署以及所需的步骤减轻非洲赤道区域的严重太空天气情况。在与太空天气监测相关的物理和工程要求下，将重点放在确定科学家和工程师的培训和教育需求上。这可能涉及计划和寻求对非洲和英国大学之间的联合博士学位项目的资金，学术交流，非洲和英国科学家的演讲之旅，确定与监测太空天气有关的工具要求，并与当地人口进行建设和部署此类工具。还将计划进行谈判和活动，以吸引当地学校和一般人群，以吸引和启发下一代科学家和工程师。

项目成果

A Ray Tracing Simulation of HF Ionospheric Radar Performance at African Equatorial Latitudes

非洲赤道纬度高频电离层雷达性能的射线追踪模拟

• DOI: 10.1029/2019rs006936
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Radio Science
• 影响因子: 1.6
• 作者: Michael C

Understanding the global dynamics of the equatorial ionosphere in Africa for space weather capabilities: A science case for AfrequaMARN

了解非洲赤道电离层的全球动态以提高空间天气能力：AfrequaMARN 的科学案例

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2018.01.008
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics
• 影响因子: 1.9
• 作者: Lawal H