Wave-like processes in the ionosphere under quiet and disturbed conditions. 1. Kharkov incoherent scatter radar observations

Wave-like disturbances (WDs) with periods of 30–120 min at altitudes of 125–500 km (100–1000 km in individual experiments) have been studied. The measurements of total duration more than 400 h have been performed under the conditions of a quiet ionosphere as well as during magnetic and ionospheric storms and two solar eclipses. It has been indicated that WDs exist almost permanently in the ionosphere. The effect of powerful energy sources leads to a change in the WD character and to variations in the WD spectral composition and amplitudes. The latter substantially vary during a day and depending on the disturbance of the ionosphere. The WD relative amplitudes vary from several percent to several tens of percent.     

Propagation of Stationary Planetary Waves in the Upper Atmosphere under Different Solar Activity

Numerical modeling of changes in the zonal circulation and amplitudes of stationary planetary waves are performed with an accounting for the impact of solar activity variations on the thermosphere. A thermospheric version of the Middle/Upper Atmosphere Model (MUAM) is used to calculate the circulation in the middle and upper atmosphere at altitudes up to 300 km from the Earth’s surface. Different values of the solar radio emission flux in the thermosphere are specified at a wavelength of 10.7 cm to take into account the solar activity variations. The ionospheric conductivities and their variations in latitude, longitude, and time are taken into account. The calculations are done for the January–February period and the conditions of low, medium, and high solar activity. It was shown that, during high-activity periods, the zonal wind velocities increases at altitudes exceeding 150 km and decreases in the lower layers. The amplitudes of planetary waves at high solar activity with respect to the altitude above 120 km or below 100 km, respectively, are smaller or larger than those at low activity. These differences correspond to the calculated changes in the refractive index of the atmosphere for stationary planetary waves and the Eliassen–Palm flux. Changes in the conditions for the propagation and reflection of stationary planetary waves in the thermosphere may influence the variations in their amplitudes and the atmospheric circulation, including the lower altitudes of the middle atmosphere.     

Geomagnetic field effects of the Chelyabinsk meteoroid

An analysis was conducted of time variations in geomagnetic field components on the day of the Chelyabinsk meteorite event (February 15, 2013) and on control days (February 12 and 16, 2013). The analysis uses the data collected by magnetic observatories in Novosibirsk, Almaty, Kyiv, and Lviv. The distance R from the explosion site to the observatories varies in the range 1200–2700 km. The flyby and explosion of the Chelyabinsk cosmic body is found to have been accompanied by variations mainly in the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field. The variations are quasi-periodic with a period of 30–40 min, an amplitude of 0.5–2 nT for R ≈ 2700?1200 km, respectively, and a duration of 2–3 h. The horizontal velocity of the geomagnetic field disturbances is close to 260–370 m/s. A theoretical model of wave disturbances is proposed. According to the model, wave disturbances in the geomagnetic field are caused (a) by the motion of the gravity wave generated in the atmosphere by the falling space body and (b) by traveling ionospheric disturbances, which modulate the ionospheric current at dynamo altitudes. The calculated amplitudes of the wave disturbances are 0.6–1.8 nT for R ≈ 2700?1200 km, respectively. The estimates are in good agreement with the observational data. Disturbances in the geomagnetic field level (geomagnetic pulsations) in the period range 1–1000 s are negligible (less than 1 nT).     

Global distribution of electron temperature and density fluctuations measured by AEROS-B

Abstract

Between July 1974 and September 1975 aboard AEROS-B the electron temperature and the electron density have been measured by the Retarding Potential Analyses and the Impedance Probe respectively in the altitude range 200–870 km. Temperature and density fluctuations along satellite paths have been analysed by digital filtering. The large amount of data allows the mean fluctuations at different heights and latitude intervals to be evaluated. The resulting two-dimensional arrays are presented for some time periods. The global distributions show different patterns in the polar and equatorial regions, and seasonal variations. Mean temperature fluctuations and fluctuations of electron density in general occur simultaneously though with different amplitudes. At high latitudes a seasonal dependence in the strength of the fluctuations of both quantities was observed.     

Common-volume measurements of mesospheric winds using radar and optical instruments: 1. Comparison of observations

The Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar (42.6°N, 71.5°W) and the nearby Durham meteor wind radar (43.1°N, 70.9°W) have been used to study the structure of the winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere and to investigate the propagation of tidal components from the mesosphere into the lower thermosphere. In general, good agreement is found between the tidal wind amplitudes and phases determined by the two radars, but occasionally, some discontinuities have been observed in the vertical structure of the tidal components in the 90–110 km region. In order to validate the accuracy of the two techniques and the methodologies used in determining neutral winds, two common-volume experiments were conducted in 1996 and 1997 in which the two radar beams were overlayed at an altitude of 100 km. The horizontal components of the measured radar line-of-sight velocities during day-time periods were then compared at the overlapping altitudes of 95–100 km. Night-time measurements were also made using a Fabry–Perot Interferometer co-located with the radar at Millstone Hill which observed the Doppler shift of the atomic oxygen green line emission in the mesosphere. Good overall agreement is found between the instruments within the statistical uncertainties of the measurement techniques, although some differences have been found that are explained by consideration of the data statistics, the exact overlap of common volume within the different beam sizes, and the presence of altitude gradients and small scale irregularities in the sampled volumes of the atmosphere.     

Lunar tidal winds in the upper atmosphere over Collm

The lunar semidiurnal tide in winds measured at around 90 km altitude has been isolated with amplitudes observed up to 4 m s^–1. There is a marked amplitude maximum in October and also a considerable phase variation with season. The average variation of phase with height indicated a vertical wavelength of more than 80 km but this, and other results, needs to be viewed in the light of the considerable averaging required to obtain statistical significance. Large year-to-year variations in both amplitude and phase were also found. Some phase comparisons with the GSWM model gave reasonable agreement but the model amplitudes above a height of 100 km were much larger than those measured. An attempt to make a comparison with the lunar geomagnetic tide did not yield a statistically significant result.     

Velocity constraints for the inner core inferred from long-period PKP amplitudes

Long-period PKP amplitudes from 16 earthquakes in the distance range 110– 170° are compared with theoretical amplitudes which are derived from synthetic seismograms calculated for 56 systematic modifications of Earth model 1066B in the inner core. A suitable normalization procedure allows for the common representation of all observed amplitudes as a function of epicentral distance. Using the theoretical amplitude distributions it can be shown that the parameters of a regression line through the logarithmic and normalized amplitudes between 110 and 134° are related to the velocity and density jump at the inner-core boundary (ICB). The analysis shows that the dominant influence on the PKP amplitudes is the P-velocity jump which can be restricted to 0.64 ± 0.05 km s^?1. There exists a trade-off between the S-velocity jump and the density jump. Restricting the latter to the reasonable range 0–1.2 g cm^?3 the S-velocity jump at the ICB can be inferred to be 2.5–3.0 km s^?1. A rather strong S-velocity gradient below the ICB follows from the condition that the S-wave travel-time through the inner core agrees with that implied by free oscillation observations. This leads to central S-velocities between 3.81 and 4.15 km s^?1, assuming a parabolic velocity law.     

Latitude variability of acoustic-gravity waves in the upper atmosphere based on satellite data

Based on satellite measurements, we investigated the properties of acoustic-gravity waves in different geographical areas of the Earth’s upper atmosphere. To study wave activity at high latitudes, we used the concentration of neutral particles measured by the low-altitude polar satellite Dynamic Explorer 2 and measurements from the equatorial satellite Atmosphere Explorer-E for analysis of waves at low latitudes. In the range of heights 250–400 km, there are observed latitudinal variations of amplitudes, together with variations in the morphological and spectral properties of acoustic-gravity waves. In the polar regions of thermosphere, the wave amplitudes amount to 3–10% in terms of relative variations of density and do not exceed 3% at low and middle latitudes. At low latitudes, regular fluctuations induced by the solar terminator are clearly seen with a predominant wave mode moving synchronously with terminator. Moreover, at low and middle latitudes, there are observed sporadic local wave packets of small amplitudes (1–2%) that can have origins of various natures. We also investigated the relation between some of the observed wave trains and the earthquakes.     

The JB2006 empirical thermospheric density model

A new empirical atmospheric density model is developed using the CIRA72 (Jacchia 71) model as the basis for the diffusion equations. New solar indices based on orbit-based sensor data are used for the solar irradiances in the extreme and far ultraviolet wavelengths. New exospheric temperature and semiannual density equations are employed to represent the major thermospheric density variations. Temperature correction equations are also developed for diurnal and latitudinal effects, and finally density correction factors are used for model corrections required at high altitude (1500–4000 km). The new model, Jacchia–Bowman 2006, is validated through comparisons of accurate daily density drag data previously computed for numerous satellites. For 400 km altitude the standard deviation of 16% for the standard Jacchia model is reduced to 10% for the new JB2006 model for periods of low geomagnetic storm activity.     

Evidence for scattering of seismic PKP waves near the mantle-core boundary

The hypothesis of scattering of PKP waves near the mantle-core boundary provides a comprehensive interpretation of the observed precursors to PKIKP, certain features of which have not been adequately accounted for by any alternative interpretation. These features include the variation with distance of the times and slownesses of precursor onsets, and the variations in amplitude, azimuth and slowness observed in precursor wavetrains.The observed times and slownesses of the earliest precursor onsets are in close agreement with the theoretical least time curve for singly scattered waves.Amplitudes and slownesses of scattered waves have been calculated for earth models which are spherically symmetrical except for random variations in density and elastic parameters in a layer 200 km thick at the base of the mantle. The calculations show that observed precursor amplitudes and slownesses can be accounted for by random variations of about one percent having a correlation distance of about 30 km in this layer. In particular, it is shown that scattering structures up to 900 km above the mantle-core boundary inferred by Doornbos and Vlaar (1973) are not required by their data. There is a suggestion that the main scattering may actually occur inside a layer much less than 200 km thick at the base of the mantle.     

Comparison of ground-based and satellite measurements of atmospheric temperature in the mesopause region in high-latitude eastern Siberia

The mesopause kinetic temperature at an altitude of 87 km measured with a SABER broadband radiometer installed on the TIMED satellite and the hydroxyl molecule rotational temperature measured with a ground-spectrograph installed in high-latitude eastern Siberia (Maimaga optical station; φ = 63°N, λ = 129.5°E) are compared. The data of the observations performed from 2002 to 2006 have been analyzed. The temperatures measured during the satellite passes at distances not larger than 300 km from the intersection of the spectrograph sighting line with the hydroxyl emitting layer (∼87 km) have been compared. An analysis of 130 cases of coincident measurements indicated that the average hydroxyl molecule rotational temperatures are systematically lower than the average kinetic temperature at an altitude of the hydroxyl layer measured with SABER by 4.4 K (with a standard deviation of 11.4 K). A seasonal dependence is observed regarding the difference between the ground-based and satellite measurements. The difference decreases from 10 K in January to zero towards March. However, the time variations in the temperature obtained with the ground-based device and on the satellite are similar. Based on the performed analysis, it has been concluded that a series of hydroxyl rotational temperatures can be used to study temperature variations on different time scales, including long-term trends at the temperature emission altitude (∼87 km).     

Partial solar eclipse of January 4, 2011 above Kharkiv: Observation and simulations results

Incoherent scatter radar observation results of the geospace response to the partial solar eclipse (SE) of January 4, 2011 (magnitude 0.78) above Kharkiv are described. The response to the SE was observed in variations in the electron concentration, electron and ion temperatures, and the vertical component of the plasma motion velocity in a wide altitude range (190–420 km). Parameters of thermal and dynamic processes in the ionosphere are theoretically calculated for the SE. It is shown that the SE resulted in significant changes in the dynamic and thermal conditions in geospace. The results show good agreement with results of an analysis of the geospace plasma responses to SEs occurring above Kharkiv in 1999–2008.     

Complex diagnostics of disturbances in the ionospheric plasma parameters far from the trajectories of launched rockets

Large-scale disturbances in the ionospheric plasma, caused by the spacecraft launches from the Baikonur site, have been analyzed based on the incoherent scatter radar measurements. The altitude-time dependences of the main plasma parameters (electron density and electron and ion temperatures at altitudes of ～100–600 km) have been analyzed. It has been indicated that spacecraft launches and flights are accompanied by the generation of wave-like disturbances in all considered parameters. It has been obtained that the relative amplitudes of these wave-like disturbances were usually 0.03–0.10, and the variation period was 20–60 min. The variations were shifted in phase relative to each other. The propagation velocities of wave-like disturbances were ～0.5–0.6 and 1.5–2 km/s. The up-to-date methods of spectral analysis, including the wavelet analysis, were used to estimate the parameters of the wave-like disturbances.     

Dependence of the ionospheric response on the solar flare parameters based on the theoretical modeling and GPS data

The measurements of an increase in the total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere during solar flares, obtained based on the GPS data, indicated that up to 30% of TEC increments corresponded to the ionospheric regions above 300 km altitude in some cases, and TEC increased mainly below altitudes of 300 km in other cases. The theoretical model of the ionosphere and plasmasphere was used to study the obtained effects. The altitude-time variations in the charged particle density in the ionospheric region from 100 to 1000 km were used depending on the solar flare spectrum. An analysis of the modeling results indicated that an intensification of the flare UV emission in the 55–65 and 85–95 nm spectral ranges results in a pronounced increase in the electron density in the topside ionosphere (above 300 km). The experimental dependences of the ionospheric TEC response amplitude on the localization and peak power of flares on the Sun in the X-ray range, obtained based on the GPS data, are also presented in the work.     

Recombination rates of small ions and their attachment to aerosol particles

It could be shown by measurements of the air conductivity and using a mean profile for the ionization rate that experimental and theoretical values of the recombination rate of small ions based on a three body recombination process (Thomson) are in very good agreement up to 20 km altitude. The divergency of the experimental and theoretical curves above 20 km can be interpreted by assuming that there exists in this altitude region a crossover from the three body recombination to a two body recombination process. The value of the recombination coefficient is about 4·10^–7 cm³ s^–1 in 25 km altitude, compared with 1.4·10^–6 cm³ s^–1 at ground level. Furtheron it was possible for the first time to get some experimental data of attachment coefficients up to 13 km from simultaneous measurements of the air conductivity and Aitken nuclei concentration. These values are in good agreement with those obtained by theoretical considerations.     

Spatial and temporal variations in infrared emissions of the upper atmosphere. 1. Atomic oxygen (λ 63 μm) emission

Rocket and balloon measurement data on atomic-oxygen (λ 63 µm) emission in the upper atmosphere are presented. The data from the longest (1989–2003) period of measurements of the atomic-oxygen (λ 63 µm) emission intensity obtained by spectral instruments on sounding balloons at an altitude of 38 km at midlatitudes have been systematized and analyzed. Regularities in diurnal and seasonal variations in the intensity of this emission, as well as in its relation with solar activity, have been revealed.     

Semidiurnal tides from the extended Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model (CMAM) and comparisons with TIMED Doppler interferometer (TIDI) and meteor radar observations

The extended Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model (extended CMAM) is a general circulation model, which extends from the surface to about 210 km. Spatial complex spectral analysis is applied to horizontal winds simulated by the extended CMAM to obtain semidiurnal tidal amplitudes and phases (from e5 to w5) in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region. The dominant w2 migrating component and the presence of eight nonmigrating tides (w3, w4, w5, e1, e2, e3, e4 and e5) in the mid-latitudes are identified. Components w1 and s0, which tend to maximize at high latitudes, will be discussed separately in a later paper. The migrating semidiurnal tide (w2) has amplitudes reaching over 20 m s⁻¹ for both zonal and meridional winds in the mid-latitude region. Its form compares well to the published results. The amplitudes of nonmigrating semidiurnal tides are non-negligible compared with the migrating semidiurnal tides. The amplitudes for w3 and e2 exceed 12 and 8 m s⁻¹, respectively.Comparisons are made with four nonmigrating semidiurnal components (w3, w4, e1 and e2) derived from the TIMED Doppler interferometer (TIDI) wind measurements between 85 and 105 km altitude and between 45°S and 45°N latitude. Overall, the basic CMAM and TIDI latitudinal structures of the amplitudes agree well and the agreement between the annual mean amplitudes varies with component. Relative to the TIDI results, the CMAM seasonal variations of w4 are in good agreement, of e2 are in reasonable agreement, of w3 are in partial agreement and of e1 are in poor agreement.The 11 semidiurnal components from the model are superimposed to generate the total semidiurnal winds at Jakarta (6°S, 106°E) and Kototabang (0°, 100°E) and are compared with measurements from two equatorial meteor radar stations at these sites. The relative contributions of components to the reconstructed amplitude vary from month to month. The CMAM reconstructions are generally larger than the radar results by a factor varying between one and two. The phases in the radar data are typically stationary with respect to height, whereas they generally decrease with height in the CMAM reconstruction.     

Fast meridional transport in the lower thermosphere by planetary-scale waves

Observations showed that the main engine water exhaust plumes from space shuttles released at ～110 km altitude from Florida could be transported over thousands of kilometers northward or southward, reaching the Arctic after a day or so, and in one case Antarctica after three days (Stevens et al., 2003, Stevens et al., 2005). In this work, we study the meridional transport associated with the quasi-two-day wave (QTDW) and migrating tides. Diagnostic calculations are performed to trace the particle trajectories using winds from the Thermosphere–Ionosphere–Mesosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIME-GCM) simulations for January, when the amplitude of the QTDW usually peaks. The calculations demonstrate that the mean meridional circulation, a QTDW or a migrating tide cannot individually sustain planetary-scale meridional transport for one to three days, but the combined effects of a QTDW and a tide can. In particular, when the QTDW and the tides are scaled according to the observed amplitudes, particles released at ～110 km and appropriate longitudes/local times can undergo transport fast enough to reach Antarctica within three days as observed. The magnitude and direction of the transport depend on the amplitudes and phases of the tides and the QTDW. These simulations thus suggest that the observed rapid planetary-scale meridional transport of the shuttle main engine plume can be driven by planetary waves and tides.     

Effects of lateral velocity heterogeneity under the Nevada Test Site on short-periodP wave amplitudes and travel times

Short-period teleseismicP waves from the Nevada Test Site (NTS) show systematic variations in amplitudes and travel times, with low amplitudes corresponding to fast travel times, suggesting elastic focussing-defocussing effects. Also, the azimuthal amplitude and travel time patterns for events at the Pahute Mesa subsite are systematically different from those at the Yucca Flat subsite, indicating the presence of a near-source component in both the amplitude and travel-time variations. This component is isolated by removing the mean station pattern for all of NTS from the observations. A very-near-source component in the Pahute Mesa observations is also isolated by removing subsite station means from the measurements, whereas the Yucca Flat observations exhibited no coherent very-near-source component. These anomalies are back-projected through laterally homogeneous structure to form thin lens models at various depths. Travel-time delays are predicted from the amplitude variations using the equation for wavefront curvature. The long-wavelength components of the predicted and observed time delays correlate well, at depths of 25 km for the very-near-source component under Pahute Mesa and 160 km for the regional component under NTS. The time delay surfaces predicted by the amplitudes at these depths are mapped into warped velocity discontinuities suitable for the calculation of synthetic seismograms using the Kirchhoff-Helmholtz integral formulation. Both the intersite (near-source) and intrasite (very-near-source) differences in amplitudes are qualitatively predicted very well, although the range of variation is somewhat underpredicted. This deficiency is likely due to the destructive interference of anomalies inherent in back-projection to a single layer.     

Dynamics of the midlatitude ionospheric <Emphasis Type="Italic">F</Emphasis> region at sunrise

The behavior of the F2 layer at sunrise has been studied based on vertical-incidence ionospheric sounding data in Almaty (76°55′E, 43°15′N). Records with small amplitudes of electron density background fluctuations were selected in order to exactly estimate the onsets of a pronounced increase in the electron density at different altitudes. It has been indicated that the electron density growth rate is a function of altitude; in this case, the growth rate at the F2 layer maximum is much lower than such values at fixed altitudes of ～30–55 km below the layer maximum. The solar zenith angle (χ) and the blanketing layer thickness (h ₀) at the beginning of a pronounced increase in the electron density at altitude h are linearly related to the h value, and these quantities vary within ～90° < χ < 100° and 180 km < h ₀ < 260 km, respectively.