Generation of electrostatic emissions by lightning-induced whistler-mode radiation above thunderstorms

Data from two separate thunderstorm sounding rocket experiments – Thunderstorm-II (T-II), which involved two rockets, and Thunderstorm-III (T-III) – are compared. In both cases, the sounding rockets over-flew active storm cells, but the bottomside of the ionosphere had a lower density and was much more structured for the first experiment than for the second. Electric field measurements on the flight through a structured ionosphere (T-II) show a triggered emission that has a height variation with altitude that seems to track the lower hybrid resonance frequency (LHR). Theories and other experimental data are presented supporting the concept that LH waves can be stimulated by intense whistlers when density gradients are present, and we interpret these T-II data in just such a context. We believe these emissions may be responsible for the irregularities causing the remote-sensing phenomenon called explosive spread F. The T-III flight had no such height-dependent emissions, which we attribute to the smoothness of the medium during that flight. Curiously, long-lasting emissions also occurred during T-III, but at frequencies that were constants with height and harmonics of the cut-off frequency for the earth-ionosphere wave guide. To our knowledge, there is no existing theory against which to test the T-III emissions.     

Configuration of the upper boundary of the ionosphere

Variations of the upper boundary of the ionosphere (UBI) are investigated based on three sources of information: (i) ionosonde-derived parameters: critical frequency foF2, propagation factor M3000F2, and sub-peak thickness of the bottomside electron density profile; (ii) total electron content (TEC) observations from signals of the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites; (iii) model electron densities of the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI^*) extended towards the plasmasphere. The ionospheric slab thickness is calculated as ratio of TEC to the F2 layer peak electron density, NmF2, representing a measure of thickness of electron density profile in the bottomside and topside ionosphere eliminating the plasmaspheric slab thickness of GPS-TEC with the IRI^* code. The ratio of slab thickness to the real thickness in the topside ionosphere is deduced making use of a similar ratio in the bottomside ionosphere with a weight Rw. Model weight Rw is represented as a superposition of the base-functions of local time, geomagnetic latitude, solar and magnetic activity. The time-space variations of domain of convergence of the ionosphere and plasmasphere differ from an average value of UBI at ∼1000 km over the earth. Analysis for quiet monthly average conditions and during the storms (September 2002, October–November 2003, November 2004) has shown shrinking UBI altitude at daytime to 400 km. The upper ionosphere height is increased by night with an ‘ionospheric tail’ which expands from 1000 km to more than 2000 km over the earth under quiet and disturbed space weather. These effects are interposed on a trend of increasing UBI height with solar activity when both the critical frequency foF2 and the peak height hmF2 are growing during the solar cycle.     

Disturbances of the ionosphere of blast and acoustic waves generated at ionospheric heights by rockets

In this paper we present a model, which describes the propagation of acoustic impulses produced by flight of rockets through a model terrestrial atmosphere, and effect of these impulses onto the ionosphere above a rocket. We show, that experimentally observed ionospheric disturbances with duration about 300 s cannot be explained by effect of acoustic impulses onto the ionosphere. We have calculated parameters of a blast wave produced by launch vehicle on the ionospheric heights. It was shown that the blast wave is intense and this wave can generate great disturbance of electron density. The disturbance of electron density can exceed the ambient electron density in 2.6 times. We supposed that the observed ionospheric disturbances might be produced by propagation of delayed magnetoacoustic wave, which, in turn, was produced by the blast wave.     

化学物质释放激发中低纬扩展F的数值模拟

利用离子和电子动量方程、连续性方程以及电流连续性方程建立了适合描述中低纬spread-F发展的物理模型,并对模型进行了数值求解,讨论了利用H₂O释放来激发电离层Rayleigh-Taylor不稳定性的可能性. 结果表明,电离层处于不稳定状态时,H₂O在电离层底部释放后,造成电子的大量消耗,增强了峰值高度以下电子的密度梯度,有利于spread-F的发展,在spread-F发展的过程中,释放中心附近会形成电子密度的消耗区,两侧出现密度的增强区;而电离层比较稳定时,初始扰动会逐渐稳定下来,但化学物质释放仍能造成电子较长时间、较大范围的扰动.     

电磁卫星和地震预测

地震前几周、几天、几小时甚至几分钟,电磁场的强度、相位或者谱密度等将发生异常变化,电离层的电子、离子浓度和温度等会发生异常扰动,这些现象的出现向人们发出地震即将来临的信号.这些现象不仅在地面可观测到,在卫星上也能观测到,它们在确定异常现象发生的地点和时间等方面具有各自的优势,把两种观测相结合,对异常信号进行立体监测,是实现地震预测预报的发展趋势.至今,对地面观测已经进行了大量的研究和实践,利用卫星进行观测近几年刚刚开始,但已经显示了它监测地震异常的独特能力,引起各方面的高度重视,成为各国建立立体预警系统不可缺少的组成部分.本文重点介绍利用卫星等观测空间电磁异常现象的研究结果.     

Variations of the electromagnetic fields and ionospheric parameters in the Baikal Rift Zone

Variations in the geomagnetic and electric fields and variations of the total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere recorded in the Baikal Rift Zone (BRZ) during the expeditions in 2009 and 2010 are analyzed. Synchronous bursts in the geomagnetic field on the ground and in the ionosphere, which are caused by propagation of electromagnetic disturbances (spherics) generated by the remote lightning discharges, are revealed. The analysis of the occurrence frequency of the electromagnetic disturbances at an altitude of ∼700 km shows that there is a preferred region of predominant propagation of these disturbances from the Earth-ionosphere waveguide to the upper ionosphere. When the ionospheric penetration point moves through this preferred region, the frequency spectrum of TEC variations changes, and the northern boundary of the region of spectral alteration is located at ∼54°N. The bursts in TEC that map on the zones of the main faults in the Tunka valley are identified. The results probably suggest a relation between the electromagnetic phenomena in the ionosphere and the structures in the lithosphere.     

几次大震前的地面和空间电磁场变化

本文应用非线性谱估计方法(MEM方法)、电/磁场脉冲能量统计方法,处理了四川汶川MS8.0 (2008)、新疆于田MS7.3 (2008)和青海玉树MS7.1 (2010) 地震及强余震附近的地面电/磁场和Demeter卫星电离层磁场观测数据,研究了地震电/磁场变化,得到:在震中附近及周围出现了震前地电/地磁场极低频成...     

Dynamics of large-scale ionospheric inhomogeneities caused by a powerful radio emission of the Sura facility from the data collected onto ground-based GNSS network

The measurements of variations in the total electron content of the Earth’s ionosphere along the GPS satellite signal propagation path are described. The signal parameters were measured at a network of receivers at three distant sites: Sura (Vasilsursk), Zelenodolsk, and Kazan. They are arranged along the geomagnetic latitude of the Sura Facility under short-wave radio irradiation of the ionosphere. One feature of the experiment is the crossing of a disturbed region by the radio path between a GPS satellite and Vasilsursk. This resulted from the angular sizes of the Sura array pattern; the radio paths between a GPS satellite and Zelenodolsk and a GPS satellite and Kazan did not cross. Variations in the total electron content of up to 0.15?0.3 TECU were revealed at all three sites during four experimental campaigns (March 2010, March 2013, May 2013, and November 2013). The lateral scale of an ionospheric disturbance stimulated by a high-power radio wave and the velocity of its west-to-east propagation along the geomagnetic latitude were 30–60 km and 270–350 m/s, respectively. A decrease in the total electron content (down to 0.55 TECU) was recorded along the Kazan–Zelenodolsk–Vasilsurks line, which is connected with the solar terminator transit; the lateral scale of the related ionospheric inhomogeneities was ~65–80 km.     

Wave emission during a plasma density jump in the auroral zone of the topside ionosphere according to the APEX satellite data

The intensity of the wave emission in the 0.1–10 MHz band measured in the ionosphere (the APEX satellite experiment) has been presented. A jump of the plasma density and an increase in the emission intensity at a plasma frequency have been registered at altitudes of ～1300 km in the topside auroral ionosphere. The emission intensity in the whistler-mode band nonmonotonically increased along the satellite trajectory near the plasma jump wall. It has been indicated that waveguides could be formed near the wall during damping of electrostatic oscillations generated by precipitating electron fluxes. A spatially nonmonotonous separation of waveguides from the plasma inhomogeneity stretched along geomagnetic field lines is possible in this case.     

Variations in ionospheric parameters during solar flares

Results of studying the ionospheric response to solar flares, obtained based on the incoherent scatter radar observations of the GPS signals and as a result of the model simulations, are presented. The method, based on the effect of partial “shadowing” of the atmosphere by the globe, has been used to analyze the GPS data. This method made it possible to estimate the value of a change in the electron content in the upper ionosphere during the solar flare of July 14, 2000. It has been shown that a flare can cause a decrease in the electron content at heights of the upper ionosphere (h > 300 km) according to the GPS data. Similar effects in the formation of a negative disturbance in the ionospheric F region were also observed during the solar flares of May 21 and 23, 1967, at the Arecibo incoherent scatter radar. The mechanism by which negative disturbances are formed in the upper ionosphere during solar flares has been studied based on the theoretical model of the ionosphere-plasmasphere coupling. It has been shown that an intense ejection of O⁺ ions into the above located plasmasphere under the action of a sharp increase in the ion production rate and the thermal expansion of the ionospheric plasma cause the formation of a negative disturbance in the electron concentration in the upper ionosphere.     

NeQuick bottomside analysis at low latitudes

NeQuick ionospheric electron density model produces the full electron density profile in the ionosphere using the F2 layer peak values (foF2 and hmF2) as anchor points. Each part of the profile is modeled using Epstein layer formalism. Simple empirical relations are used to compute the thicknesses of each semi-Epstein layer. It has been observed that when NeQuick model is used to estimate total electron content at low latitudes the modeled values tend to underestimate the observed ones. Beside the F2 peak values, the most important profile parameter is the thickness of the F2 layer bottomside. The present study focuses on NeQuick model behavior at low latitudes comparing modeled profiles parameters with the ones extracted from experimental data mostly from African and Indian sector at different levels of solar activity and different time of the day. Possible model improvements are discussed.     

基于SAMI2模式的电离层加热模拟

通过在SAMI2模式的电子能量方程中添加人工加热项,数值模拟了在加热条件下磁场线上电子温度与电子密度的扰动情况,并对比了不同加热条件下的扰动效应.结果表明,入射到电离层中的大功率无线电波与等离子体相互作用,能够有效造成整条磁场线上电子温度的升高而产生电子温度扰动,尤其是加热点处,温度可增加3倍多;由于电子温度升高,压力平衡受到破坏,引发等离子体扩散进而导致电子密度扰动;电子密度扰动使得垂直于磁场线的电子密度梯度发生变化,这有可能形成电离层管(Ionosphere duct);电子温度和电子密度的扰动幅度随着加热时间的推移而减小,即扰动逐渐趋于稳定.电子温度与密度的扰动与加热率存在一种非线性关系.     

智利地震前DEMETER卫星对空间高能粒子的观测

在地震的孕育或发生期间,地球内部岩石圈的活动可能会发出电磁辐射,引起空间电磁扰动,并通过波粒相互作用引起高能电子的投掷角散射,导致高能电子的沉降.本文基于法国DEMETER卫星的观测数据,研究了智利周围区域在智利地震期间空间高能电子的通量、能谱的分布及演化,发现在智利地震发生前第11天和12天,在以震中为中心,经度跨度10°,在DEMETER卫星轨道高度上L跨度0.1的区域内,有超出背景4到6倍的高能带电粒子暴的出现,期间在其北半球磁镜像区域也观测到了显著的电子通量涨高.粒子暴对应的能谱与2010年前三个月的平均能谱存在较大差异.同时观测到在出现粒子暴的两条轨道上VLF(Very Low Frequency,甚低频)电场频谱分别在300 Hz以下以及13~20 kHz的频段存在显著增强,此扰动在时间和地理位置上与高能粒子暴是一致的.基于回旋共振耦合作用的准线性扩散理论,本文对所观测事例的电子能量与电磁场扰动频率做了分析计算.观测数据和理论计算有较好的一致性,表明该粒子暴源自ICE(Instrument Champ Electrique,电磁探测器)观测到的空间电磁扰动,这是典型的空间波粒耦合事例.进一步分析排除了可能引起粒子暴和VLF电场扰动的环境因素,本文认为本次粒子暴和电场扰动的观测可能与智利地震的震前地壳活动存在一定关联.     

Disturbances in the topside ionosphere during solar flares

The results of studying the ionospheric response to solar flares, obtained from the data of the GPS signal observations and incoherent scatter radars and as a result of the model calculations, are presented. It is shown that, according to the GPS data, a flare can cause a decrease in the electron content at altitudes of the topside ionosphere (h > 300 km). Similar effects of formation of a negative disturbance in the ionospheric F region were also observed during the solar flares of May 21 and 23, 1967, with the Arecibo incoherent scatter radar. The mechanism by which negative disturbances appear in the topside ionosphere during solar flares has been studied in this work based on the theoretical model of the ionosphere-plasmasphere coupling. It has been indicated that the formation of the electron density negative disturbance in the topside ionosphere is caused by an intense removal of O⁺ ions into the overlying plasmasphere under the action of an abrupt increase in the ion production rate and thermal expansion of the ionospheric plasma.     

Interaction between plasma structures in an unstable ionospheric plasma

A vortex structure renders additional stability to plasma irregularities stretched along magnetic field lines. Plasma irregularities extended over several tens of kilometers are registered with rocket and satellite equipment in the topside ionosphere. The registered scale of irregularities depends on the spatial and time resolution of the equipment used. Irregular structures were registered in the ionosphere during experiments with barium clouds and jets, when a plasma irregularity separated into strata extended over several meters and several kilometers across the geomagnetic field. It has been indicated that plasma vortices can be generated in an unstable plasma in a situation when its quasi-neutrality is disturbed. Local geomagnetic field disturbances will be caused by the appearance of a proper vortex magnetic field. Plasma vortices can interact in an inhomogeneous plasma with an unstable electron component. Such interactions are related to the transformation of the phase volume of free electrostatic oscillations in the frequency-wave vector space.     

Electromagnetic waves in the auroral and subauroral regions of the topside ionosphere

The density and temperature of the plasma electron component and wave emission intensity in the topside ionosphere were measured by the INTERCOSMOS-19 satellite. In the subauroral ionosphere, a decrease in the plasma density correlates with an increase in the plasma electron component temperature. In this case, the additional increase in the electron component temperature was measured in regions with increased plasma density gradients during the substorm recovery phase. In a linear approximation, the electromagnetic wave growth increments are small on electron fluxes precipitating in the auroral zone. It has been indicated that Bernstein electromagnetic waves propagating in the subauroral topside ionosphere can intensify in regions with increased plasma density gradients on electron fluxes orthogonal to the geomagnetic field, which are formed when plasma is heated by decaying electrostatic oscillations of the plasma electron component. This can be one of the most important factors responsible for the intensification of auroral kilometric radiation.     

Physical mechanism and mathematical modeling of earthquake ionospheric precursors registered in total electron content

The physical mechanism by which the regions with increased or decreased total electron content, registered by measuring delays of GPS satellite signals before strong earthquakes, originate in the ionosphere has been proposed. Vertical plasma transfer in the ionospheric F ₂ region under the action of the zonal electric field is the main disturbance formation factor. This field should be eastward, generating the upward component of plasma electromagnetic drift, in the cases of increased total electron content at midlatitudes and deepened minimum of the F ₂ layer equatorial anomaly. Upward plasma drift increases electron density due to a decrease in the O⁺ ion loss rate at midlatitudes and decreases this density above the equator due to an enhancement of the fountain effect (plasma discharge into the equatorial anomaly crests). The pattern of the spatial distribution of the seismogenic electric field potential has been proposed. The eastward electric field can exist in the epicentral region only if positive and negative electric charges are located at the western and eastern boundaries of this region, respectively. The effectiveness of the proposed mechanism was studied by modeling the ionospheric response to the action of the electric field generated by such a charge configuration. The results of the numerical computations indicated that the total electron content before strong earthquakes at middle and low latitudes is in good agreement with the observations.     

从空间飞行器注入电离层的调制电子束产生的电磁波辐射

调制电子束入射进电离层等离子体中会激发电磁波辐射,根据不同试验条件和等离子体状态,激发电磁波的机制也不一样.本文主要讨论半无界稀薄调制电子束沿地球磁场力线从空间飞行器入射到电离层等离子体产生的电磁波辐射,其相应的辐射机理是由于束的纵向约束而产生的电磁波辐射.理论分析和数值计算结果显示,在满足切伦柯夫（Cerenkov）共振条件时,哨声波前向辐射方向图有一个尖锐的峰值,且随着电子束弛豫长度的增加,辐射功率值也相应增大,表明可以通过对电子束的适当调制增强电子束激发的电磁波辐射强度.     

Variations in the horizontal correlation radius of the ionosphere during a magnetospheric substorm

A change in the correlation radius of the ionosphere during the magnetospheric substorm of February 14, 2011, which is considered to be 500 km at midlatitudes, has been estimated. The vertical sounding (VS) data from the St. Petersburg and Sodankyla (Finland) observatories, as well as the data of oblique incidence sounding (OIS) at the Sodankyla-St. Petersburg path with a length of 790 km, have been analyzed. A specific feature of the experiment consisted in that the signals of a VS transmitter from Sodankyla were synchronously received at the receiving point on the OIS path in St. Petersburg. The OIS path reflection point is located at a distance of ～400 km from the VS reflection point. Ionograms typical of the VS and OIS signal reflection points in the ionosphere, the distance between which was slightly smaller than the correlation radius of the ionosphere (500 km), and the data of the Sodankyla and St. Petersburg ionosondes have been compared. It has been indicated that a horizontal correlation radius of 400 km can only be considered acceptable during three disturbance phases: the initial phase before the reconfiguration of the ionosphere; the explosion phase (the disturbance maximum), when only the sporadic Es layer is the reflecting ionospheric layer; and the recovery phase, when a disturbance already ceases and the ionosphere returns to its initial undisturbed state. During other disturbance phases, the correlation radius (if it exists) is much smaller than 400 km.