考虑电子吸附效应的低电离层加热研究

基于低电离层自洽加热模型,综合考虑了低电离层中电子的复合效应及典型吸附效应,本文数值仿真了大功率高频无线电波持续加热低电离层所产生的电子温度、电子密度的扰动,并且首次模拟分析了由于电子温度扰动造成的加热电波自吸收效应.结果表明：电子吸收大功率加热电波能量导致了电子温度的增加,同时改变了电离层的吸收指数,引起了加热电波的自吸收效应.加热电波的自吸收效应对低电离层较高区域的电子温度扰动有重要的抑制作用.因此,随着加热频率的减小或有效辐射功率的增大,低电离层较低区域的电子温度增量明显增大而在高度100 km以上区域的电子温度增量始终较小.另一方面,随着电子温度的增加,电子的复合系数减小而电子的吸附系数增加,导致了电子密度在低电离层中较高区域出现正扰动而在较低区域出现负扰动.当饱和电子温度较大时,继续减小加热频率或增大有效辐射功率对电子密度扰动所造成的改变较小,尤其当电子温度超出复合系数和吸附系数的温度敏感区间.此外,电子温度与电子密度的饱和时间相差较大,电子温度的饱和时间为微秒量级而电子密度的饱和时间为秒量级.     

南京地区低电离层加热效应的初步模拟

从电子能量方程和连续性方程出发,利用国际参考电离层(IRI-2007)和中性大气模型(NRLMSISE-00)得出背景参数,数值计算了大功率无线电波加热南京地区低电离层的电子温度和电子密度扰动幅度,并对比了不同加热条件下的电离层扰动效应.结果表明,大功率无线电波入射到电离层后,与等离子体相互作用,能够有效造成电子温度的升高而产生电子温度扰动;由于电子温度升高,等离子体碰撞频率增加且电子的复合系数减小,导致电子密度扰动;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,即扰动逐渐趋于饱和;电子温度扰动的弛豫时间尺度为微秒量级,电子密度扰动的弛豫时间尺度为毫秒量级;在欠密加热条件下,X波模比O波模更容易吸收.     

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.     

大功率高频电波加热电离层的非线性物理过程

地基大功率电波加热电离层是通过地基大功率短波发射机向电离层发射无线电波,通过波-粒和波-波的相互作用将无线电波的能量注入电离层.通过这种有目的可操控的方式改变电离层电子密度和温度的分布,可以深入研究电离层中等离子体能量和物质的非线性演化过程,特别是电离层电子的非平衡态分布和加速问题.本文通过对电离层加热中几个比较重要物理过程的评述,对过去20年来我国研究学者在这一研究方向上取得的重要进展进行了介绍.     

电离层加热实验中超强电子密度增强特征

2011年11月利用欧洲非相干散射雷达协会(EISCAT)的大功率加热设备和诊断设施开展了挪威高纬度地区电离层加热实验. 在此次加热实验中, UHF雷达探测到了十分明显的电子密度增强现象, 反射高度附近电子密度最大增幅可达269.3%, 而在远离谐振区的300~500 km及以上高度的增幅也可达30%~50%. 通过对加热前后离子线谱和数据残差的对比分析, 表明300~500 km的电子密度增强是真实可信的, 在如此大的空间范围出现增幅如此大的电子密度增强特征实属罕见. 另外通过对等离子体线谱的分析, 得到了等离子体线双谐振峰结构, 本文利用电子的速度分布函数和等离子体线谱之间的关系, 对加热实验中观测到的等离子体线谱进行了仿真, 提出了超热电子是引起本次电子密度增强的可能机制. 并利用仿真中所使用的超热电子速度参数对超热电子的电离能力、横向和纵向自由程进行了计算, 最终验证了所提出的物理机制的合理性.     

大功率电波加热电离层中热自聚焦不稳定性的理论研究和数值模拟

本文首先从电子密度及电子温度的输运方程和考虑自作用时的电磁波波动方程出发,利用简正模展开的方法推导出泵波在反射区域激发出热自聚焦不稳定性(thermal self-focusing instabilities,TSFI)所需电场阈值以及其增长率的完整数学表达式,并估算了TSFI激发阈值及所对应的有效辐射功率(ERP)的量级.随后利用三维垂直加热的理论模型,结合国际参考电离层(IRI-2012)和中性大气模型(MSIS-E-00)给出的背景参数,数值模拟了大功率高频泵波加热电离层时泵波反射区域电子密度及电子温度因TSFI而产生的变化及发展的过程,并对比分析了不同背景参数对较热效果的影响.结果表明:当高频泵波的加热阈值达到或超过百毫伏每米的量级时,即可激发TSFI,发展出大尺度电子密度及温度不均匀体,这些不均匀体内的密度耗空约为4%~10%,而电子温度剧烈增长,到达背景温度值的1.6~2.1倍;且在相当的加热条件下,背景电子温度越低、电子密度越小,加热效果越显著;电子密度及电子温度的扰动幅度随着加热时间的推移而逐渐减小,即扰动逐渐趋于饱和,且电子温度要快于电子密度达到饱和状态.本文还对泵波反射高度处的电子密度及电子温度变化率进行采样并求得其功率谱密度,分析结果表明:TSFI发展出的大尺度不均匀体满足幂律谱结构,谱指数随着加热的进行逐渐趋于稳定,白天与夜间的幂律谱指数区别不大,但电子密度与电子温度的幂律谱有所区别.     

我国极区冬季电离层加热实验研究

通过对非相干散射雷达观测数据的处理分析,研究了2008年1月我国在挪威Troms进行的冬季电离层加热实验效应.研究结果表明,电离层临界频率大于泵波频率的O波加热事件扰动效应明显,电子温度存在60%~120%的增强,扰动范围从150 km一直延伸到400 km,电子密度扰动不显著,最大可以观察到12%的密度衰减.受加热影响,离子声波频率有1~2 kHz的增加,离子线谱峰谷比增加,有时伴随有高阶谐振线出现.离子线和等离子线功率存在过冲现象,等离子线的功率剖面存在单峰、双峰和三峰结构,等离子线的功率增强幅度随频率负指数衰减.     

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.     

大功率高频X波欠密加热电离层的理论与数值模拟

基于电离层中电子的加热物理机制,构建了左旋圆极化(X波)欠密加热理论仿真模型,通过对已知实验的模拟验证了模型的正确性.并利用此模型分析和研究了不同加热参数和背景参数对X波欠密加热效果的影响,结果表明,在X波欠密加热中,加热效果随加热功率增加而增强,随加热频率增加而减弱,在相当的加热条件下,背景电子温度越低、电子密度越小,加热效果越强.最后简单分析了X波欠密加热的一些应用.     

低纬地区电离层电流的人工调制数值模拟

利用高频泵波能对低电离层进行有效的人工扰动.采用ELF/VLF调幅高频电波对电离层进行加热,电子温度会随着调制频率振荡,并引起电导率周期性变化,从而使加热区内电离层电流周期性变化,形成等效的ELF/VLF电离层虚拟天线,辐射调制频率范围内的无线电波.早期的电离层人工调制研究主要集中在高纬和极区,本文讨论低纬地区电离层人工调制的可能性.本文的理论研究和数值模拟结果表明,低纬地区低电离层电导率在周期性加热的条件下能有效地被调制,使加热区域形成ELF/VLF波的电流辐射源,并分析了不同加热参数和入射条件对调制效果的影响.     

大震前后电离层的扰动

本文主要分析、讨论了大震前后电离层峰以下的总电子含量、200km 高度处电子浓度以及最大电子浓度所在高度等几个主要电离层参数的变化.对其他电离层直观形态的变化也进行了初步分析.作者认为,地震前的电离层扰动是存在的,并提出了一些可能与地震有关的定性的指标.      

First incoherent scatter radar observations of ionospheric heating on the second electron gyro-harmonic

We report first results from a unique experiment performed at the HIPAS ionospheric modification facility in conjunction with the Poker Flat incoherent scatter radar in Alaska. High-power radio waves at 2.85 MHz, which corresponds to the second electron gyro-harmonic at ~245 km altitude, were transmitted into the nighttime ionosphere. Clear evidence of F-region ionospheric electron temperature enhancements were found, for the first time at this pump frequency, maximizing when the pump frequency is close to the second gyro-harmonic and double resonance. This is consistent with previous pump-enhanced artificial optical observations. We estimate the plasma heating efficiency to be approximately double that for higher pump frequencies.     

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.     

Ionospheric response to the partial solar eclipse of March 29, 2006, according to the observations at Nizhni Novgorod and Murmansk

The results of observations of the solar eclipse ionospheric effects on March 29, 2006, are presented. The observations were conducted using the partial reflection method near Nizhni Novgorod and the vertical sounding method at the automatic ionospheric station near Murmansk. It has been obtained that the electron density at altitudes of 77 and 91 km decreases by a factor of more than 4; in this case the response of the ionosphere at an altitude of 91 km lags behind the eclipse maximum phase on the Earth by approximately 20 min. It has been established that the eclipse in the E and F1 regions of the polar ionosphere causes a change in the electron density by 15–20%. The delay time of this effect varies from 12 to 24 min depending on the altitude. It has been registered that the reflection virtual altitude at altitudes of the ionospheric F region increases in Murmansk and Nizhni Novgorod.     

Wave-like processes in the ionosphere under quiet and disturbed conditions. 2. Analysis of observations and simulation

The amplitudes and relative amplitudes of electron density wave-like disturbances (WDs) with periods of 30–120 min at altitudes of 125–500 km (100–1000 km in individual experiments) under the conditions of a quiet ionosphere during magnetic and ionospheric storms and two solar eclipses are analyzed. The observations of the WD amplitudes and their altitude variations corresponded to the data of theoretical simulation in a number of cases. On the whole, the altitude variations in the WD amplitudes are more complicated than such variations derived from a simple theoretical model presented here.     

Disturbances of the ionospheric conductivity owing to the generation of magnetic pulsations in the Pc1 frequency range by means of the heating of electrons by a ground-based high-power high-frequency transmitter

Experiments on the generation of artificial electromagnetic pulsations constitute an important part of investigations of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system with the use of an active action. The investigation of the generation of magnetic pulsations in the Pc1 frequency range has shown that the response of the ionosphere to heating is detected only in a few experiments. Although the primary perturbed parameter is the electron temperature, the efficiency of the generation of pulsations is determined by the perturbations of the ionospheric conductivity. The magnitude of these hertz perturbations depends complexly on the electron density profile and the parameters of a pump wave. The numerical experiment demonstrates the determining effect of the electron density in the D region on the magnitude of perturbations of the ionospheric conductivity. Under conditions of a low electron density, it is impossible to create a large perturbation of the conductivity in the Pc1 frequency range, although perturbations of the electron temperature can be large in this case. In view of a large number of electrons at altitudes of 70–90 km, which absorb a considerable fraction of the energy of a high-frequency wave, the electron temperature in the E region of the ionosphere cannot be sharply increased, but the amplitude of the variations of the ionospheric conductivity in this case is larger than that for the profiles with a low electron density. In the presence of the developed D region, the efficiency of the modification of the conductivity in the indicated frequency range can be increased by choosing the optimal frequency and polarization of the pump wave. A low efficiency of the experiments on the generation of artificial magnetic pulsations in the Pc1 frequency range is apparently explained by the fact that they were performed in winter in the absence of a well-developed D region of the ionosphere.