Inter-hemispheric comparisons of geospace environment in the polar regions—A proposed cooperative research program between China and Norway

The Chinese Zhongshan Station in Antarctica and the stations in Svalbard (Auroral station at Longyearbyen and NP station at Ny lesund) are closely magnetic conjugate. All of them are equipped similar measurement instruments dealing with upper atmospheric physics. Therefore, there is a good reason to conduct a cooperative research program between China and Norway to do the inter hemispheric comparisons of geospace environment in the polar regions. It will make significant contribution to further understanding of the coupled magnetosphere ionsphere system. The scientific aims of the cooperative project are: to experimentally verify the modeled complicated conjugate relationship between Zhongshan Station in the Antarctic and Svalbard in the Arctic. To derive knowledge from the conjugate characteristics of auroral formations, ionospheric features and space plasma waves in the polar regions, which in turn will lead to better understanding of the solar wind magnetosphere ionosphere coupling processes. The proposed research contents, research methods and experimental techniques are discussed, and the manners of the cooperative research are suggested in the paper.