Ionospheric corrections of MARSIS subsurface sounding signals with filters including collision frequency

Ionospheric corrections of Mars advanced radar for subsurface and ionosphere sounding (MARSIS) subsurface sounding signals are necessary before they can be further analyzed. Usually the ionosphere correction only considers the phase dispersion owing to the electron densities. In this paper we show that if the electron-neutral collision frequency is included in the correction filter, the signal-to-noise ratio of the processed signal can be further maximized and the spatial resolution of the signal be improved. Three different models of the ionosphere profile have been studied, and it is shown that a uniform slab model, of both densities and collisions, is feasible and probably the best choice when implementing the correction filter including collisions. The physical significance of the parameters obtained with the uniform model (equivalent parameters) is discussed, and it is shown that they are useful for the estimation of the real physical parameters of the ionosphere. We developed a recursive, random search algorithm to facilitate the realization of the correction process with the filter including collision frequency.     

区域短波通信台网选频的研究

河南省地震局短波通信台网的工作频率被限制在短波的低频段，受干扰严重，中心台又位于市中心，环境噪声电平很高，加之，局网内可用的电台大部分发射功率小、抗干扰性能差。这些因素给通信台网的工作频率选择带来困难。为提高区域通信的质量，在对短波电离层信道传播特性进行分析的基础上，结合本地大气噪声和环境噪声的实际情况，对河南省地震局通信网的选频问题进行了研究，给出了选频的原则和方法，介绍了选频试验的结果和体会。     

The influence of the interplanetary medium on SuperDARN radar scattering occurrence

The effects of the characteristics of the interplanetary medium on the radar scattering occurrence, related to the whole array of SuperDARN radars installed in the Northern Hemisphere, have been studied over a two-year period. Statistically significant correlations of the variation of the scattering occurrence are found with the merging electric field and with the negative B_z component of the interplanetary magnetic field, independent of the seasonal period considered. This result demonstrates that the merging rate (and in particular the reconnection process) between the interplanetary magnetic field and the magnetosphere is a relevant factor affecting the occurrence of scattering. For comparison, we note that no statistically significant correlations are obtained when the interplanetary ion density or the solar wind speed are considered, although also these variables affect to a small degree the scattering occurrence variation. The study of the latitudinal and magnetic local time dependence of the observations shows an association between the considered correlation and the location of the auroral oval and the cusp/cleft region.     

Travelling ionospheric disturbance properties deduced from Super Dual Auroral Radar measurements

Based on modeling of the perturbations in power and elevation angle produced by travelling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs), and observed by the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network, procedures for determining the TID properties are suggested. These procedures are shown to produce reasonable agreement with those properties of the TIDs that can be measured from simultaneous ionosonde measurements. The modeling shows that measurements of angle-of-elevation perturbations by SuperDARN allows for better determination of the TID properties than using only the perturbations of power as is commonly done.On sabbatical from Department Electrical Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada     

Long term ionospheric electron content variations over Delhi

Ionospheric electron content (IEC) observed at Delhi (geographic co-ordinates: 28.63°N, 77.22°E; geomagnetic co-ordinates: 19.08°N, 148.91E; dip Latitude 24.8°N), India, for the period 1975/80 and 1986/89 belonging to an ascending phase of solar activity during first halves of solar cycles 21 and 22 respectively have been used to study the diurnal, seasonal, solar and magnetic activity variations. The diurnal variation of seasonal mean of IEC on quiet days shows a secondary peak comparable to the daytime peak in equinox and winter in high solar activity. IEC_max (daytime maximum value of IEC, one per day) shows winter anomaly only during high solar activity at Delhi. Further, IEC_max shows positive correlation with F_10.7 up to about 200 flux units at equinox and 240 units both in winter and summer; for greater F_10.7 values, IEC_max is substantially constant in all the seasons. IECmax and magnetic activity (A_p) are found to be positively correlated in summer in high solar activity. Winter IEC_max shows positive correlation with A_p in low solar activity and negative correlation in high solar activity in both the solar cycles. In equinox IEC_max is independent of A_p in both solar cycles in low solar activity. A study of day-to-day variations in IEC_max shows single day and alternate day abnormalities, semi-annual and annual variations controlled by the equatorial electrojet strength, and 27-day periodicity attributable to the solar rotation.     

东亚赤道异常区电离层CT诊断──实验及初步结果

国际上第一个低纬电离层层析（ＣＴ）探测台链于１９９３年１１月建成，并开始数据采集．该ＣＴ台链沿１２０°Ｅ子午圈由６个卫星信标差分多普勒接收站组成，北起我国上海，南至菲律宾的马尼拉，纬度覆盖范围约２０°．该台链专为电高层赤道异常区电子密度大尺度结构ＣＴ成像而设计，其目的是监测研究赤道异常形态与动力学、电离层等离子体泡、行优以及暴时磁层－电离层－热层耦合过程等重要的赤道与低纬区电离层现象．本文介绍该低纬电离层ＣＴ实验的有关技术问题，包括接收台站布设、实验设备、数据采集软件和数据预处理方法．文中还给出利用ＣＴ技术，由实测斜电子含量数据反演电离层电子密度二维分布图像的几个实例．结果表明，利用低纬电离层ＣＴ台链可以有效地监测电离层赤道异常及其它低纬电高层电子密度大尺度结构的时空变化．     

Multi-instrument observations of the electric and magnetic field structure of omega bands

High time resolution data from the CUTLASS Finland radar during the interval 01:30–03:30 UT on 11 May, 1998, are employed to characterise the ionospheric electric field due to a series of omega bands extending 5° in latitude at a resolution of 45 km in the meridional direction and 50 km in the azimuthal direction. E-region observations from the STARE Norway VHF radar operating at a resolution of 15 km over a comparable region are also incorporated. These data are combined with ground magnetometer observations from several stations. This allows the study of the ionospheric equivalent current signatures and height integrated ionospheric conductances associated with omega bands as they propagate through the field-of-view of the CUTLASS and STARE radars. The high-time resolution and multi-point nature of the observations leads to a refinement of the previous models of omega band structure. The omega bands observed during this interval have scale sizes 500 km and an eastward propagation velocity 0.75 km s^–1. They occur in the morning sector (05 MLT), simultaneously with the onset/intensification of a substorm to the west during the recovery phase of a previous substorm in the Scandinavian sector. A possible mechanism for omega band formation and their relationship to the substorm phase is discussed.     

Meridian-scanning photometer, coherent HF radar, and magnetometer observations of the cusp: a case study

The dynamics of the cusp region and post-noon sector for an interval of predominantly IMF B_y, B_z < 0 nT are studied with the CUTLASS Finland coherent HF radar, a meridian-scanning photometer located at Ny Ålesund, Svalbard, and a meridional network of magnetometers. The scanning mode of the radar is such that one beam is sampled every 14 s, and a 30° azimuthal sweep is completed every 2 minutes, all at 15 km range resolution. Both the radar backscatter and red line (630 nm) optical observations are closely co-located, especially at their equatorward boundary. The optical and radar aurora reveal three different behaviours which can interchange on the scale of minutes, and which are believed to be related to the dynamic nature of energy and momentum transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere through transient dayside reconnection. Two interpretations of the observations are presented, based upon the assumed location of the open/closed field line boundary (OCFLB). In the first, the OCFLB is co-located with equatorward boundary of the optical and radar aurora, placing most of the observations on open field lines. In the second, the observed aurora are interpreted as the ionospheric footprint of the region 1 current system, and the OCFLB is placed near the poleward edge of the radar backscatter and visible aurora; in this interpretation, most of the observations are placed on closed field lines, though transient brightenings of the optical aurora occur on open field lines. The observations reveal several transient features, including poleward and equatorward steps in the observed boundaries, braiding of the backscatter power, and 2 minute quasi-periodic enhancements of the plasma drift and optical intensity, predominantly on closed field lines.     

Morphological aspects of a new type of counter electrojet event

The study describes the time and space morphologies of a rather new type of counter electrojet event on the basis of data from the excellent chain of magnetic and ionospheric observatories along the Indo-Russian longitude sector. Abnormally large westward currents are observed during almost the whole of the daytime hours on a series of days. These events do not form any vortices in the current system and do not apparently seem to be associated with tidal effects or any solar magnetosphere events or geomagnetic disturbances. The existence of a westward electric field over the equatorial ionosphere has been confirmed by the absence of an equatorial type of sporadic E in the ionograms at Thumba precisely during the periods when H at Trivandrum minus H at Alibag is negative. The equatorial F region anomaly was also absent on the counter electrojet day. Such counter electrojet events during the northern winter months of low solar activity years are suggested to be the result of the modified wind system in the ionosphere associated with stratospheric warming events.     

地磁台链的观测与研究

简要介绍了地磁台链观测在极光带电集流、赤道电集流、中低纬度大尺度电流体系、太阳风-磁层-电离层-高层大气能量耦合、高-中-低纬的扰动传输、磁层中磁流体波的传播、主磁常荚期变化等研究中的应用,综述了地磁台链观测在地磁与空间物理研究中的物理基础和研究现状,着重回顾了IMS 期间6个高纬子午台链的观测研究,总结了中国地磁台链研究的初步结果.中国所处的独特地理位置和广阔的经纬度展布提供了建立全球唯一的闭合子午圈台链的可能性.中国台链向北与俄罗斯东西伯利亚地磁台相连,一直延伸到北极光带,向南与菲律宾、印尼、澳大利亚台站相连直达南极区中山站,通过南极与对面子午线上的长城站相连,并与南美、北美台站构成一条闭合的子午圈台链.可以预料,这条台链的观测资料将为地磁与高空物理研究提供宝贵的资料,对研究日地整体行为将会有重要意义.