强震前异常电场激发声重波对电离层的影响

震前地震孕育期地表异常增强的电场,通过大气电导率传输到电离层高度.该异常电场通过非稳态局部加热,可以在电离层高度激发声重波.基于该理论,利用一维时变中纬电离层物理模型,模拟了该扰动源对电离层电子密度的影响.结果表明,重力波引起的中性风速度扰动对电离层电子密度分布影响甚微,该机理无法解释震前电离层异常扰动现象.      

The propagation features of LF radio waves at topside ionosphere and their variations possibly related to Wenchuan earthquake in 2008

The artificial low frequency (LF) signals recorded at topside ionosphere from DEMETER satellite were analyzed in this paper, and the typical diurnal and seasonal variations were illustrated around 162?kHz in electric field spectra. The larger power spectrum density (PSD) values in electric field at local nighttime and in winter season all demonstrate the correlation feature of lower plasma content to higher penetration of LF waves into ionosphere. Around Wenchuan earthquake, the comparison of signal-noise-ratio (SNR) values in electric field with each half month during January to May in 2008 and the same half month in May from 2005 to 2007 revealed their lowest values and small covering area around the preparation region of Wenchuan earthquake in 2008. Combined with other researches in VLF radio waves and geochemical observations from satellite, the interaction of ion accumulation and upward movement from gas-water release at surface might be a key factor to disturb the ionospheric plasma density, and then possibly leading to the decrease of low energy penetration of LF radio waves from the artificial transmitted source at ground.     

VLF波从大气层到低电离层的传输特性分析

基于传播矩阵法计算了均匀半空间电离层的反透射系数, 同时解Booker复系数四次方程得到电离层的复折射指数, 分别研究了电离层反射透射系数及折射指数随VLF频段入射电波频率、入射角和地磁倾角、电离层电子浓度及碰撞频率的变化规律. 计算结果表明, 在VLF频段, 垂直电偶极子辐射的横磁(Traverse Magnetic)波更易透射进入电离层, 而水平电偶极子辐射的横电(Traverse Electric) 波易被限制在地-电离层波导内来回反射. 电离层电子密度较低时 (如夜间), 在高纬度地区, 观测到地震电离层VLF异常的概率更大. 当考虑地磁场 的影响时, 电离层将允许地震辐射的超低频(Ultra Low Frequency ,ULF)/甚低频 (Very Low Frequency, VLF)部分的电磁波透射进入电离层, 这一点已有很多卫星观测事实为证, 但其进一步的物理机制尚需深入研究.      

The Venus ionosphere

Physical properties of the Venus ionosphere obtained by experiments on the US Pioneer Venus and the Soviet Venera missions are presented in the form of models suitable for inclusion in the Venus International Reference Atmosphere. The models comprise electron density (from 120 km), electron and ion temperatures, and relative ion abundance in the altitude range from 150 km to 1000 km for solar zenith angles from 0° to 180°. In addition, information on ion transport velocities, ionopause altitudes, and magnetic field characteristics of the Venus ionosphere, are presented in tabular or graphical form. Also discussed is the solar control of the physical properties of the Venus ionosphere.     

Effects of large-scale magnetic fields in the Venus ionosphere

Theoretical models of the ionosphere of Venus have been constructed in the past without due consideration of the fact that the ionosphere is sometimes magnetized. This paper examines some differences between the magnetized and unmagnetized dayside Venus ionosphere using the Pioneer Venus Orbiter Langmuir probe and magnetometer data. Particular attention is given to the evaluation of the altitude profiles of the thermal electron heating and comparison of the magnitude of the magnetic force(¯vׯB) ׯB with other forces in the ionosphere. Several examples illustrate how heating profiles are different in the magnetized ionosphere with effective heating below ～200 km altitude reduced by orders of magnitude compared to the field-free ionosphere. The force associated with the magnetic field is comparable to other forces in the magnetized ionosphere. The measured plasma density, electron temperature and magnetic field thus suggest that large-scale magnetic fields should be included in future ionosphere models.     

Electron densities and temperatures in the Venus ionosphere: Effects of solar EUV,solar wind pressure and magnetic field

The Venus ionosphere is influenced by variations in both solar EUV flux and solar wind conditions. On the dayside the location of the topside of the ionosphere, the ionopause, is controlled by solar wind dynamic pressure. Within the dayside ionosphere, however, electron density is affected mainly by solar EUV variations, and is relatively unaffected by solar wind variations and associated magnetic fields induced within the ionosphere. The existence of a substantial nightside ionosphere of Venus is thought to be due to the rapid nightward transport of dayside ionospheric plasma across the terminator. Typical solar wind conditions do not strongly affect this transport and consequently have little direct influence on nightside ionospheric conditions, except on occasions of extremely high solar wind dynamic pressure. However, both nightside electron density and temperature are affected by the presence of magnetic field, as in the case of ionospheric holes.     

Solar wind governing the response of Venusian atmosphere and ionosphere

The ionosphere of Venus is primarily formed by photoionization of a gaseous blanket around Venus. The impact ionization by energetic solar charged particles also plays an important role in the variability of Venusian ionospheric ion, electron density and their temperature profiles. The microscopic variations in the solar wind velocity, particle flux and orientations of frozen-in interplanetary magnetic field determine the solar wind interaction with the Venusian ionosphere. The ion and electron density profiles obtained by Pioneer Venus Orbiter and Pioneer Venus Entry Probes have been analysed in the light of simultaneous solar wind velocity and particle flux. Marked changes in height profiles of ion, electron densities and their temperatures have been found to correlate with the simultaneous changes in the solar wind velocity and particle flux. It is shown that the solar wind plays a more important role in controlling the physical properties and behavior of daytime as well as nighttime ionosphere of Venus, whereas the solar xuv sustains the primary ionization process.     

Analysis of NASA’s DSN Venus Express radio occultation data for year 2014

The Venus Express Radio Science Experiment (VeRa) was part of the scientific payload of the Venus Express (VEX) spacecraft and was targeted at the investigation of Venus’ atmosphere, surface, and gravity field as well as the interplanetary medium. This paper describes the methods and the required calibrations applied to VEX-VeRa raw radio occultation data used to retrieve vertical profiles of Venus’ ionosphere and neutral atmosphere. In this work we perform an independent analysis of a set of 25 VEX, single-frequency (X-band), occultations carried out in 2014, recorded in open-loop at the NASA Deep Space Network. Our temperature, pressure and electron density vertical profiles are in agreement with previous studies available in the literature. Furthermore, our analysis shows that Venus’ ionosphere is more influenced by the day/night condition than the latitude variations, while the neutral atmosphere experiences the opposite. Our scientific interpretation of these results is based on two major responsible effects: Venus’ high thermal inertia and the zonal winds. Their presence within Venus’ neutral atmosphere determine why in these regions a latitude dependence is predominant on the day/night condition. On the contrary, at higher altitudes the two aforementioned effects are less important or null, and Venus’ ionosphere shows higher electron density peaks in the probed day-time occultations, regardless of the latitude.     

Current-driven plasma instabilities and auroral-type particle acceleration at Venus

Above the ionosphere of Venus, several instruments on the Pioneer Orbiter detect correlated wave, field and particle phenomena suggestive of current-driven anomalous resistivity and auroral-type particle acceleration. In localized regions the plasma wave instrument measures intense mid-frequency turbulence levels together with strong field-aligned currents. Here the local parameters indicate that there is marginal stability for ion acoustic waves, and the electron temperature probe finds evidence that energetic primaries are present. This suggests an auroral-type energy deposition into the upper atmosphere of Venus. These results appear to be consistent with the direct measurements of auroral emissions from the Pioneer-Venus ultraviolet imaging spectrometer.     

The ionospheric effect of atmospheric gravity waves excited prior to strong earthquake

We have computed perturbations in the nighttime mid-latitude F2 region ionosphere that could be produced by internal atmospheric gravity waves generated before strong earthquakes through ionospheric Joule heating due to the seismogenic electric field of short duration. There is a strong anisotropy of the atmospheric gravity wave effect with respect to the imminent earthquake epicentre, the electron density changes being maximum poleward and equatorward of the epicentre and being minimum eastward and westward of it. It should be noted that the duration of the electron density perturbation in the F2 region ionosphere is much longer than the duration of the primary precursor of an earthquake – the enhancement of the vertical electric field at the Earth’s surface, which initiates the atmospheric gravity wave generation. This fact is important from the practical point of view of predicting catastrophic earthquakes.     

An overview of radar soundings of the martian ionosphere from the Mars Express spacecraft

The Mars Express spacecraft carries a low-frequency radar called MARSIS (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding) that is designed to study the subsurface and ionosphere of Mars. In this paper, we give an overview of the ionospheric sounding results after approximately one year of operation in orbit around Mars. Several types of ionospheric echoes are commonly observed. These include vertical echoes caused by specular reflection from the horizontally stratified ionosphere; echoes from a second layer in the topside ionosphere, possibly associated with O⁺ ions; oblique echoes from upward bulges in the ionosphere; and a variety of other echoes that are poorly understood. The vertical echoes provide electron density profiles that are in reasonable agreement with the Chapman photo-equilibrium model of planetary ionospheres. On the dayside of Mars the maximum electron density is approximately 2 × 10⁵ cm⁻³. On the nightside the echoes are often very diffuse and highly irregular, with maximum electron densities less than 10⁴ cm⁻³. Surface reflections are sometimes observed in the same frequency range as the diffuse echoes, suggesting that small isolated holes exist in the nightside ionosphere, possibly similar to those that occur on the nightside of Venus. The oblique echoes arise from upward bulges in the ionosphere in regions where the crustal magnetic field of Mars is strong and nearly vertical. The bulges tend to be elongated in the horizontal direction and located in regions between oppositely directed arch-like structures in the crustal magnetic field. The nearly vertical magnetic field lines in the region between the arches are thought to connect into the solar wind, thereby allowing solar wind electrons to heat the lower levels of the ionosphere, with an attendant increase in the scale height and electron density.     

Lightning on Venus

On the night side of Venus, the plasma wave instrument on the Pioneer-Venus Orbiter frequently detects strong and impulsive low-frequency noise bursts when the local magnetic field is strong and steady and when the field is oriented to point down to the ionosphere. The signals have characteristics of lightning whistlers and we have tried to identify the sources by tracing rays along the B-field from the Orbiter down toward the surface. An extensive data set strongly indicates a clustering of lightning sources near the Beta and Phoebe Regios, with additional significant clustering near the Atla Regio at the eastern edge of Aphrodite Terra. These results suggest that there are localized lightning sources at or near the planetary surface.     

Model for the VLF/LF radio signal anomalies formation associated with earthquakes

The influence of quasi-static electric field of seismic origin on the characteristics of the internal gravity waves (IGWs) in the Earth’s ionosphere is considered. The electric field in the ionosphere arises due to the injection of charged aerosols into the atmosphere, formation of an EMF in the near Earth atmosphere and perturbation of the conductive electric current in the global electric circuit. Amplification of the electric current in seismic zone is accompanied by the formation of perturbation of the lower ionosphere that affects the amplitude and phase of VLF/LF signals. The action of the electric field on the IGWs is connected with the appearance of the Ampere’s force in the ionosphere. In the spectral range of these waves the latter acts on the neutral component of the ionosphere plasma. As the result of this interaction the ionosphere starts to support the discrete spectrum of oscillations. Periods of their maximums increase as numbers of natural sequence. The existence of such peculiarities of the waves in the ionosphere is confirmed by observations.     

Consequences of the application of the streamer fluid model to the study of the sprite inception mechanism

We present the results of a streamer-fluid model used to investigate the electrodynamical coupling between the troposphere and upper atmosphere due to the penetration of lightning electric fields into the mesosphere and the lower ionosphere, generating sprites. The model solves the continuity equation for electrons and ions coupled to Poisson equation. The dominant physical response of the atmosphere is the formation of a screening-ionization wave. The wave shields the atmosphere above it from the action of the lightning field and, together with the conductivity reduction below it due to attachment, the wave amplifies the total field below it, allowing for the penetration of intense electric fields in the mesosphere as it propagates downwards into regions of higher density that compress the wave. This is the key physical mechanism for sprite inception. We evaluated the effects of the thundercloud charge geometry, lightning current waveshape, atmospheric conductivity, via different electron density profiles, and the effect of ionization, attachment and electron mobility coefficients in the electrical breakdown process, related to halo production, and sprite streamer initiation. The results showed that electrons with higher mobility are more efficient in shielding the lightning electric field before breakdown, causing delay, and they contribute to the formation of the streamer seed after breakdown, anticipating the sprite streamer inception. Similarly, a higher effective ionization rate, produced by modifications in the attachment and ionization coefficients, anticipates sprite inception. The simulations with 6 different electron density profiles, and therefore conductivities, spanning 4 orders of magnitude, showed that the altitude of breakdown and sprite initiation, as well as their time delays from the lightning discharge are directly related to atmospheric conductivity: higher conductivities produce halo and sprite inception at lower altitudes with longer delays and may hinder sprite formation. We document that variations of 30 times in the lightning current leads to sprite initiation altitudes in the range 66.0–73.5 km, with delays between 1.550 and 34.500 ms, while variations of 4 orders of magnitude in the conductivity profile lead to initiation altitudes 61.0–70.6 km, with delays in the range 3.825–9.825 ms. Consequently, we suggest that lightning characteristics dominate over atmospheric parameters in determining sprites’ initiation altitude and delay. The simulation of a −CG, with a constant current of 30 kA, did not produce a sprite seed, confirming an asymmetry in the response of the atmosphere to positive and negative lightning. This is due to the free electron drift direction that is away from the screening ionization wave, preventing the formation of the streamer seed for the great majority of −CGs. The same does not apply to halos, which depend on the occurrence of breakdown and can be produced by discharges of both polarities.     

非相干雷达探测低电离层的结果分析

位于波多黎各的Arecibo非相干雷达可以获得低电离层电子和离子密度, 利用此非相干雷达数据对中纬度低电离层的运动特征进行研究. 得到了电子密度随时间和高度的变化 情况, 结果显著呈现出周日变化特征, 并分析了电子密度随高度的变化规律. 进一步对数据进行频谱分析, 深入研究低电离层电子密度的周日变化效应. 得到电子密度的高度剖面, 发现从F层底部到E层有明显的等离子体沉降. 低电离层的层结构特征及电子密度变化表明, 在该区域还存在不同程度的等离子体扰动, 由此对低电离层的作用因素 进行分析, 认为大气潮汐或声重波可能对低电离层产生扰动, 即低电离层与大气存在一定程度的耦合作用.      

雷暴云准静电场和夜间低电离层的电离

用点电荷模型计算雷暴云突然放电后形成的准静电后形成的准静电场随高度的分布，以E/N（E的电场大小，N为大气密度）为输入参量，在一定条件下，对Boltzmann方程数值求解，计算电离层电子数密度的扰动。计算结果表明，在约70-90km之间，在约放电后的10ms内，准静电场大于中性大气的击穿电场，将引起大气的雪崩电离，从而引起夜间低电离层电子密度的显著增加，但这种电子密度的增加是暂的，在很短的时期内就恢复到平静时的水平，恢复时间随高度的变化而不同。     

New possibilities for mesospheric electricity diagnostics

A possible cause of large variations in the electron collision frequency could be the effect of strong external electric fields of atmospheric origin. This provides a new opportunity to take measurements of electric fields in the lower ionosphere using remote sensing instruments employing radio wave techniques. It has been proposed the technique for making estimates of strong mesospheric electric field intensities on the lower edge of the ionosphere using MF radar data on the effective electron collision frequency, and the data has been presented. The technique described permits a real-time derivation from MF radar data of changes in mesospheric electric field intensities, and estimates of electric current densities. Our results give proof that the source of strong mesospheric electricity is very likely to be a current source.     

Variations of quasi-electrostatic fields and ionosphere potential above lightning discharge at equatorial latitudes

Lightning discharges by thunderstorms cause generation of electromagnetic pulses and of quasi-electrostatic fields (QESF) in the atmosphere above, which occur in different time-scales. QESF penetrate into the mesosphere and the lower ionosphere where they are big enough to generate considerable electric charge transfer there and, in some cases, to cause red sprites. These processes may have an important contribution to the global atmospheric electric circuit. Significant transient variations of the ionospheric potential above the thunderstorm take place as well. QESF depend on the atmospheric conductivity and in the ionosphere they are affected also by its anisotropy determined by geomagnetic field orientation. QESF after a lightning discharge are investigated theoretically in this work in the case of equatorial latitudes (by horizontal geomagnetic field), where thunderstorms are important contributors to the global circuit. Results for DC electric fields in the lower equatorial ionosphere above a thundercloud obtained by earlier models demonstrate some specific features of the spatial distribution of these fields, which appear due to geomagnetic field orientation. Thus, the electric fields can be shifted by tens or more kilometers to east of the cloud charge region; also their horizontal scale is much bigger than in the case of middle latitudes. Here, a presence of similar specific features of quasi-electrostatic field distributions and ionospheric potential variations caused by a lightning stroke is studied. A situation when no secondary ionization is generated is considered. A model based on the Maxwell equations for potential electric fields is proposed. Computations of QESF in the middle atmosphere and of the ionospheric potential variations are provided as dependent on conductivity and its anisotropy in D-region. The obtained results for the ionosphere show that the electric fields in the equatorial lower ionosphere are comparable to these formed in the case of middle latitudes. However, their horizontal scales are much bigger and depend on conductivity profiles. Similar features are valid also for the ionospheric potential variations and for their horizontal scales.     

On high-altitude electric fields in the auroral downward current region and their coupling to ionospheric electric fields

The downward field-aligned current region plays an active role in magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling processes associated with aurora. A quasi-static electric field structure with a downward parallel electric field forms at altitudes between 800 km and 5000 km, accelerating ionospheric electrons upward, away from the auroral ionosphere. Other phenomena including energetic ion conics, electron solitary waves, low-frequency wave activity, and plasma density cavities occur in this region, which also acts as a source region for VLF saucers. Results are presented from high-altitude Cluster observations with particular emphasis on the characteristics and dynamics of quasi-static electric field structures. These, extending up to altitudes of at least 4–5 Earth radii, appear commonly as monopolar or bipolar electric fields. The former occur at sharp boundaries, such as the polar cap boundary whereas the bipolar fields occur at softer boundaries within the plasma sheet. The temporal evolution of quasi-static electric field structures, as captured by the pearls-on-a-string configuration of the Cluster spacecraft, indicates that the formation of electric field structures and of ionospheric plasma density cavities are closely coupled processes. A related feature of the downward current is a broadening of the current sheet with time, possibly related to the depletion process. Preliminary studies of the coupling of electric fields in the downward current region, show that small-scale structures are typically decoupled from the ionosphere, similar to what has been found for the upward current region. However, exceptions are also found where small-scale electric fields couple perfectly between the ionosphere and Cluster altitudes. Recent FAST results indicate that the degree of coupling differs between sheet-like and curved structures, and that it is typically partial. The electric field coupling further depends on the current–voltage relationship, which is highly non-linear in the downward current region, and still unrevealed, as to its specific form.     

ULF/ELF ionospheric electric field and plasma perturbations related to Chile earthquakes

ULF/ELF electric field perturbations in the ionosphere have been widely observed by the satellites. In this paper, we develop a method of Logarithm Electric Field Intensity (LEFI) to automatically distinguish this kind of disturbances based on the spectrum intensity and its damping exponent with frequency in electromagnetic signals. This method is applied to DEMETER data processing around Chile earthquakes with magnitude larger than 6.0. It is found that 2/3 earthquakes have shown obvious ULF/ELF electric field perturbations in this region. The temporal and spatial distributions of electron density and temperature were compared with that of electric field, which proved the existence of irregularities above epicentral area. Finally, the coupling mechanism of earthquake-ionosphere is discussed based on multi-parameter analysis.