Observations of thermospheric neutral winds within the polar cusp and the auroral oval using a Doppler imaging system (DIS)

Two Doppler imaging systems (DIS) or wide-field imaging Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPI), have recently been commissioned, one at the Auroral Station, Adventdalen, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, and the second at the IRF, Kiruna, Sweden. These instruments can provide wide-field (600 * 800 km) images of neutral wind flows in the upper thermosphere, by measuring the Doppler shift of the atomic oxygen forbidden near 630 nm, which is emitted from an altitude of approximately 240 km. From the instrument in Svalbard, at mid-winter, it is possible to observe the dayside polar cusp and the polar cap throughout the entire day, whereas from Kiruna, the night-time auroral oval is observable during the hours of darkness. Measurements of thermospheric dynamics from the DIS can be used in conjunction with observations of ionospheric plasma flows and thermal plasma densities by the EISCAT-Svalbard radar (ESR) and by EISCAT, along with other complementary observations by co-located instruments such as the auroral large-scale imaging system (ALIS). Such combined data sets will allow a wide range of scientific studies to be performed concerning the dynamical response of the thermosphere and ionosphere, and the important energetic and momentum exchange processes resulting from their complex interactions. These processes are particularly important in the immediate vicinity of the polar cusp and within the auroral oval. Early results from Svalbard in late 1995 will be discussed. The DIS in Kiruna observed two interesting geomagnetic disturbances in early 1997, the minor geomagnetic storm of 10, 11 January, and the disturbed period from 7–10 February. During these events, the thermospheric wind response showed some interesting departures from the average behaviour, which we attribute to the result of strong and variable Lorenz forcing (ion drag) and Joule and particle heating during these geomagnetic disturbances.     

基于全天空F-P干涉仪反演热层垂直中性风

由于测量与计算的难度,对热层垂直中性风的观测还很不够,这影响了人们对热层及热层-电离层耦合的认识.本文基于全天空法布里-珀罗干涉仪(FPI)对热层风场的观测,提出了一种反演垂直中性风的方法.利用该方法,对北极黄河站全天空FPI观测数据进行了垂直中性风的反演计算,结果表明,高热层与低热层的垂直风平均幅值分别在40 m·s-1和15 m·s-1,且垂直风日变化表现出明显的时间演变特性,且与地磁ap指数的变化有一定的相关性,在地磁活动强烈时,低热层垂直风会出现高达100 m·s-1的扰动,高热层甚至会达到300 m·s-1的扰动,这些特征与其他学者的观测结果相一致.本文方法不需要假设垂直风均值为零,也不用限制FPI的观测方位,可用于垂直风的反演.     

极点热层密度变化特征及其受太阳风扇形结构调制

本文基于2002年至2010年的GRACE卫星的观测密度统计分析南北极点的热层大气密度的世界时（即磁地方时）变化.研究发现：在9—11月份地球处于行星际磁场为背向太阳的扇区内（背向扇区）时,南极点热层密度在约17:00 UT（13:30 MLT）达到最大值,比日平均值高约22%;而在6—8月份,当地球处于行星际磁场为面向太阳的扇区内（面向扇区）时,北极点热层密度在06:00 UT（12:30 MLT）达到最大值,比日平均值高约13%.南极点的磁纬是-74°,其在15:30 UT处于磁地方时正午,恰与极尖区位置重合.北极点在5:30 UT处于磁地方时正午,此时北极点与极尖区位置最靠近.因此,极点热层大气密度的磁地方时变化可能是其周期性靠近极尖区的结果.南北极点热层密度的磁地方时变化分别在背向和面向扇区内更明显,这可能与行星际磁场B_y分量对南北半球密度的不同影响有关.统计结果还表明,极点热层大气密度的磁地方时变化在冬季半球内不明显.这可能是由于在冬季半球,沉降于极尖区的粒子相比夏季半球少、沉降高度低,因而能量沉降所引起的热层上部的密度增强较小.

     

Influence of seasonal variation of neutral winds on the coupling between North and South Hemispheres in a realistic Earth main field

The neutral wind dynamo contributes significantly to the ionospheric electrodynamics, and the variation of the neutral winds thus affects the ionosphere. Here we study the effects of the seasonal variation of the winds in a realistic Earth main field. The two-dimensional ionospheric dynamo equation is expressed in the framework of a revision of the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) under the assumptions of equipotential field lines and conservation of current. A revision of IGRF and typical u...     

利用卫星温度资料计算风场的方法分析与比较

本文分析和比较了利用卫星温度资料计算水平风场的方法,包括地转风、梯度风和平衡风的计算方法.以DAAC提供的MLS/UARS 1992年12月份的大气温度数据为例,计算了20～55 km高度范围的地转风、梯度风和平衡风,并与ECMWF提供的ERA-40再分析风场资料作了对比和分析,包括12月16日以及12月月平均风场随纬度-高度的变化、风场随经度-纬度的变化、纬圈平均风场随纬度-高度的变化特征和规律.计算结果表明,利用卫星温度观测数据计算的风场与再分析资料的特征和规律基本一致.计算的地转风在高纬地区比梯度风和平衡风大,在中低纬地区三者的差别较小,随着纬度的增大,曲率项的影响也逐渐增大,在高纬地区不可忽略.平衡风在梯度风的基础上还考虑了大气平流项的影响,能更好地反映风场的变化特征,尤其是高纬地区经向风的变化规律.利用平衡风场的计算结果,文章首次定量地计算了平衡方程中各项的大小和比值,分析了各项的贡献和相对重要性.结果表明,重力位势梯度项的贡献最大,并且随着纬度的增大有升高的趋势;曲率项的贡献随着纬度的增大也有增大的趋势,在高纬度地区的比值超过10%;平流项占有一定的比值,其变化范围相对较大,变化规律比较复杂.     

First-order asymptotic theory of the polar phase shift of Rayleigh waves

The precision of measurement of surface-wave phase velocities at very long periods has reached a point where the exact, rather than asymptotic, form of the spherical harmonics must be considered in order to compute theoretical phase velocities or phase delays. The zeroth-order (i.e. constant) polar phase shift afterBrune et al. (1961) applies only between stations antipodal to each other. Everywhere else a correction for incomplete polar phase shift must be applied even if the waves do not cross a pole between the stations. The correction can exceed one percent of the total phase delay and thus be of the same order as the expected regional anomalies. It depends on the epicentral distance on the signal period and on the focal mechanism; the latter dependence can make the practical application cumbersome. We derive first-order asymptotic formulae for the correction of local phase velocities and total phase travel times of Rayleigh waves.Contribution No. 247 of the Institute of Geophysics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich.     

极区中层尘埃等离子体中的尘埃声波研究

基于统计方法的自洽场理论,考虑了带电粒子与中性分子的碰撞以及对尘埃粒子的充电过程,建立了弱电离尘埃等离子体的纵波色散关系.分析了极区中层大气80~90 km高度范围内的尘埃声波的不稳定性.研究表明,极区中层大气中的尘埃声波有不稳定的模式,不稳定的波模对进一步解释极区中层尘埃等离子体的分层结构可能有重要意义.     

2020年4月20日磁暴恢复相期间舌状中性结构的垂直变化

在发生于2020年4月20日的地磁暴恢复相阶段, GOLD(Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk)成像仪在第112天(day of year, DOY 112)中低纬地区观测到氧原子(O)和氮气分子(N₂)的柱密度比(ΣO/N₂)的舌状中性结构(TON).TON结构一般指发生于中高纬且形成于两个ΣO/N₂暴时衰减结构之间的ΣO/N₂增强结构.热层-电离层电动力学大气环流模式(Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model, TIEGCM)定性地模拟再现了在本次磁暴恢复相期间观测到的ΣO/N₂增强结构, 并且发现这个结构在前一天(DOY 111)当地下午形成, 通过中性风的输运被逐渐耗散.模拟结果呈现了不同高度O/N₂的TON结构的垂直变化, 其强度和纬度范围有明显的高度依赖性, 并且随磁暴演化不断变化.诊断分析表明: 下沉流(downwelling)驱动的垂直输运首先导致较低纬(约30°N—70°N)O/N₂的增强, 然后通过极向风驱动的水平输运将其向更高纬地区输运.在中低热层(约120~300 km高度), 主导O/N₂的TON结构演化的中低纬极向风主要是由气压梯度力导致的, 同时科里奥利力对极向风也有一定的正贡献.而在约300 km高度以上的高热层, 极向风主要由气压梯度力和与其作用相反的垂直黏性力两项控制.

     

不同能谱沉降电子对极区电离层的影响

利用极区电离层自洽模型,考虑沉降电子引起的电离,计算了极区电离层的高度积分电导率和F层电子浓度,模拟了不同能谱分布的沉降电子对极区电离层的影响.研究发现不同能谱分布沉降电子对电离层电导率的影响不大,在能通量一定的情况下,平均能量是影响电导率大小的决定因素.而能谱对F层电子密度影响较大,随着平均能量的增加,能谱对电子浓度的影响越显著.在平均能量大于1 keV（甚至更低）时,修正的麦克斯韦分布谱能明显地增强F层电子浓度.     

Structure and collapse of three-dimensional magnetic neutral points

Abstract

The structure and collapse of linear three-dimensional magnetic neutral points is studied by varying the four parameters (p, q,j_|,j_⊥ ) that define, in general, the linear field of a neutral point. The effect of these parameters on both the skeleton structure (i.e. the fan and spine) and the actual field line structure of the null is considered. It is found that one current component (j_⊥ ) causes the skeleton structure of the null to fold up from its potential state, whereas the other current component (j _|;) causes the field lines to bend. The two other parameters (p,q) determine the potential structure of the null and cause the null to transform from a three-dimensional null to a two-dimensional null and from a positive (type B) null to a negative (type A) null.

To investigate the collapse of three-dimensional nulls, solutions to the linear, low-β ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations are found. It is found that three-dimensional null points can collapse if the field line foot-points are free and energy can propagate into the system.     

数值模拟日侧磁场重联对极盖等离子体云块形成的影响

极盖等离子体云块是极区空间天气重要现象之一,其形成过程是当前重要研究课题.观测表明,日侧磁场重联对应的极区电离层高速流可能对舌状等离子体(TOI)形成"切割"作用,最终形成极盖等离子体云块.伴随磁场重联,同时存在极光粒子沉降,会引起F层等离子体密度的增大,阻碍"切割"效应.本文利用耦合极区电离层模型,模拟研究电场和软电子沉降共同作用下F层等离子体密度的演化.结果表明,在局部电离层电场大于一定数值(80 mV)的情况下,"切割"效应能有效发生.并详细分析了"切割"效应发生时等离子体各参量的演化过程,对"切割"效应的内在物理过程进行了探讨.     

南半球平流层极涡崩溃早晚年环流异常特征

极涡崩溃是平流层大气环流一个重要的变化过程,本文利用31年的再分析资料研究了南半球平流层极涡崩溃早晚年的异常特征.研究结果表明,南半球平流层极涡崩溃偏早年极涡崩溃前后平流层环流场异常表现为整层一致的变化,即都为正温度异常、正位势高度异常和负纬向风异常;而南半球平流层极涡崩溃偏晚年极涡崩溃前后平流层环流场异常的整层一致性的变化不典型,而在符号上与极涡崩溃偏早年的异常相反.与北半球平流层极涡崩溃前后环流异常相反明显不同,南半球平流层极涡崩溃偏早或偏晚年在极涡崩溃前后的环流异常保持相同的性质.进一步分析表明行星波活动在南极极涡的崩溃过程中起到了重要作用,极涡崩溃早年上传行星波比极涡崩溃晚年强,并且持续时间长.通过波流相互作用,行星波的异常使得极涡崩溃早年和晚年10月的平流层高纬地区分别为位势高度正异常和负异常,环流异常持续保持可能最终影响了南半球平流层极涡的崩溃时间.分析显示南半球极涡崩溃偏晚与La Niña事件之间可能存在一定的联系,但在极涡崩溃偏早年与赤道太平洋海表温度异常(SSTA)并无明显关系.     

Fabry-Perot interferometer measurements of neutral winds and F2 layer variations at the magnetic equator

This letter presents some night-time observations of neutral wind variations at F2 layer levels near the dip equator, measured by the Fabry-Perot interferometer set up in 1994 at Korhogo (Ivory Coast, geographic latitude 9.25°N, longitude 355°E, dip latitude -2.5°). Our instrument uses the 630 nm (O¹D) line to determine radial Doppler velocities of the oxygen atoms between 200 and 400 km altitude. First results for November 1994 to March 1995 reveal persistent eastward flows, and frequent intervals of southward winds of larger than 50 ms^–1 velocity. Compared with the simultaneous ionospheric patterns deduced from the three West African equatorial ionosondes at Korhogo, Ouagadougou (Burkina-Faso, dip latitude +1.5°) and Dakar (Sénégal, dip latitude + 5°), they illustrate various impacts of the thermospheric winds on F2 layer density: (1) on the mesoscale evolution (a few 10³ km and a few 100 minutes scales) and (2) on local fluctuations (hundreds of km and tens of minutes characteristic times). We report on these fluctuations and discuss the opportunity to improve the time-resolution of the Fabry-Perot interferometer at Korhogo.     

Running safety analysis of a train on the Tsing Ma Bridge under turbulent winds

The dynamic responses of the Tsing Ma suspension bridge and the running behaviors of trains on the bridge under turbulent wind actions are analyzed by a three-dimensional wind-train-bridge interaction model. This model consists of a spatial finite element bridge model, a train model composed of eight 4-axle identical coaches of 27 degrees-of-freedom, and a turbulent wind model. The fluctuating wind forces, including the buffeting forces and the self-excited forces, act on the bridge only, since the train runs inside the bridge deck. The dynamic responses of the bridge are calculated and some results are compared with data measured from Typhoon York. The runnability of the train passing through the Tsing Ma suspension bridge at different speeds is researched under turbulent winds with different wind velocities. Then, the threshold curve of wind velocity for ensuring the running safety of the train in the bridge deck is proposed, from which the allowable train speed at different wind velocities can be determined. The numerical results show that rail traffic on the Tsing Ma suspension bridge should be closed as the mean wind velocity reaches 30 m/s.     

极区电离层闪烁指数和对流速度关系的建模研究

电离层对流速度会显著影响电离层闪烁的发生,尤其是在具有较大对流速度的高纬极区,且其对相位闪烁指数和幅度闪烁指数影响各不相同.本文基于弱散射条件下电离层闪烁理论,初步构建了极区电离层闪烁指数与对流速度的显式关系模型,模型结果表明当相位谱指数取定值3时,相位闪烁指数和幅度闪烁指数的比值与对流速度存在线性关系;进而,利用加拿大Hall Beach台站的观测数据,验证了由电离层闪烁指数比值推断电离层对流速度这一方法在极区的适用性.这不仅提升我们对电离层闪烁机理的认识,也提供了一种获取极区电离层对流速度的新途径,将有助于改善和提高我国北斗全球导航系统的服务精度.

     

Temporal evolution of the vertical content of metallic ion and neutral species

Temporal changes in the vertical column contents of the meteoric metals Mg⁺, Mg, Fe⁺, and Fe have been measured at ∼1030 LT for all longitudes in the latitude zone of 10°N–30°N during November 1996, encompassing the period of the Leonid meteor shower. The column contents were obtained using UV radiances measured by the GOME instrument on the ERS-2 satellite. Throughout the month there are several interesting prominent content enhancements of all species. After the Leonid shower peak on 17 November the ion species contents increase before the contents of the neutrals. However, it is difficult to confirm that this is a shower effect given the other similar variations seen earlier in the contents and in the sporadic meteor flux enhancements. The peaks in visual meteors on 17 November are not observed in the total metal column amounts. The GOME instrument has been in continuous operation since April 1995 and is an excellent resource for studying the temporal behavior of meteoric metals on a global scale.     

Loss of soil and PM10 from agricultural fields associated with high winds on the Columbia Plateau

Winter wheat–summer fallow is the conventional cropping system employed on >1·5 million ha within the Columbia Plateau of eastern Washington and northern Oregon. Wind erosion contributes to poor air quality in the region, yet little is known concerning the magnitude of soil and PM10 (particulate matter of ≤10 µm in aerodynamic diameter) loss from agricultural lands. Therefore, loss of soil and PM10 was assessed from a silt loam in eastern Washington during 2003 and 2004. Field sites were maintained in fallow using conventional tillage practices in 2003 (9 ha field) and 2004 (16 ha field) and instrumented to assess horizontal soil flux and PM10 concentrations at the windward and leeward positions in the field during high‐wind events. Soil flux was measured using creep and airborne sediment collectors while PM10 concentrations were measured using high‐volume PM10 samplers. Aggregate size distribution of parent soil and eroded sediment was characterized by rotary and sonic sieving. Six high‐wind events occurred over the two year period, with soil loss ranging from 43 kg ha^?1 for the 12–22 September 2003 event to 2320 kg ha^?1 for the 27–29 October 2003 event. Suspension‐sized particulates (<100 µm in diameter) comprised ≥90 per cent of the eroded sediment, indicating that direct suspension may be an important process by which the silt loam eroded. The corresponding loss of PM10 for these two events ranged from 5 to 210 kg ha^?1. Loss of PM10 comprised 9–12 per cent of the total soil loss for the six events. This study suggests that the relatively small loss of PM10 from eroding agricultural fields maintained in summer fallow can affect air quality in the Columbia Plateau. Therefore, alternative tillage practices or cropping systems are needed for minimizing PM10 emissions and improving air quality in the region. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A study on three-dimensional structures of the ionospheric dynamo currents induced by the neutral winds simulated by the Kyushu-GCM

Three-dimensional structures of the ionospheric dynamo currents are examined using the neutral winds in a general circulation model of the middle atmosphere at Kyushu University. A quasi-three-dimensional ionospheric dynamo model is constructed assuming an infinite parallel conductivity in the ionosphere. This model is able to simulate both the equatorial electrojet and the global Sq current system successfully. The simulated results reveal that the equatorial electrojet is confined in quite narrow latitudes around the equator accompanied with meridional current circulations and satisfies a non-divergent structure mainly within the E region. A vertically stratified double layered structure is seen in the east–west current density near the focus latitude of the global Sq current system. It is shown that the stratified structure mainly consists of the east–west Hall current associated with the eastward wind of zonal wavenumbers 1 and 2 in the lower altitudes and the westward wind of zonal wavenumber 2 in the upper altitudes. The day-to-day variation of the neutral winds can significantly vary the induced ionospheric dynamo current system, which is recognized as changes of the focus latitude and/or the maximum value of the equatorial electrojet.     

Drivers of Australian dust: a case study of frontal winds and dust dynamics in the lower lake Eyre basin

The roles of pre‐frontal, frontal and post‐frontal winds as the primary wind systems for dust entrainment and transport in Australia are well established. While the relevance of each system has been observed across different wind erosion events in central Australia, the entrainment of dust by all three winds during the passage of an individual front has not been demonstrated until now. Synoptic information, satellite aerosol and imagery, meteorological and dust concentration data are presented for a single case study erosion event in the lower Lake Eyre Basin. This event demonstrates variable dust transport in three different directions from one of the southern Hemisphere's most significant source regions, and the changing nature of the active dust pathways during the passage of a frontal system. While only a single dust event is considered, the findings show the complexity of mineral aerosol emission and transport patterns even within an individual dust outbreak. For the lower Lake Eyre Basin, this appreciation of pathway behaviour is significant for better understanding the role of aeolian inputs from the dominant Australian source to surrounding marine systems. In a wider context, the findings exhibit the detailed insights into major dust source dynamics that can be obtained from high resolution spatial and particularly temporal data, as used in combination. This work highlights the importance of adequately resolved data for the accurate determination of dust entrainment and transport patterns of major dust sources. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of atmospheric oscillations on the field-aligned ion motions in the polar F-region

The field-aligned neutral oscillations in the F-region (altitudes between 165 and 275 km) were compared using data obtained simultaneously with two independent instruments: the European Incoherent Scatter (EISCAT) UHF radar and a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI). During the night of February 8, 1997, simultaneous observations with these instruments were conducted at Tromsø, Norway. Theoretically, the field-aligned neutral wind velocity can be obtained from the field-aligned ion velocity and by diffusion and ambipolar diffusion velocities. We thus derived field-aligned neutral wind velocities from the plasma velocities in EISCAT radar data. They were compared with those observed with the FPI (=630.0 nm), which are assumed to be weighted height averages of the actual neutral wind. The weighting function is the normalized height dependent emission rate. We used two model weighting functions to derive the neutral wind from EISCAT data. One was that the neutral wind velocity observed with the FPI is velocity integrated over the entire emission layer and multiplied by the theoretical normalized emission rate. The other was that the neutral wind velocity observed with the FPI corresponds to the velocity only around an altitude where the emission rate has a peak. Differences between the two methods were identified, but not completely clarified. However, the neutral wind velocities from both instruments had peak-to-peak correspondences at oscillation periods of about 10–40 min, shorter than that for the momentum transfer from ions to neutrals, but longer than from neutrals to ions. The synchronizing motions in the neutral wind velocities suggest that the momentum transfer from neutrals to ions was thought to be dominant for the observed field-aligned oscillations rather than the transfer from ions to neutrals. It is concluded that during the observation, the plasma oscillations observed with the EISCAT radar at different altitudes in the F-region are thought to be due to the motion of neutrals.