Ionospheric response of equatorial and low latitude F-region during the intense geomagnetic storm on 24–25 August 2005

In this investigation, we present and discuss the response of the ionospheric F-region in the South American and East Asian sectors during an intense geomagnetic storm in August 2005. The geomagnetic storm studied reached a minimum Dst of −216 nT at 12:00 UT on 24 August. In this work ionospheric sounding data obtained of 24, 25, and 26 August 2005 at Palmas (PAL; 10.2° S, 48.2° W; dip latitude 6.6° S), São José dos Campos (SJC, 23.2° S, 45.9° W; dip latitude 17.6° S), Brazil, Ho Chi Minh City, (HCM; 10.5° N, 106.3° E; dip latitude 2.9° N), Vietnam, Okinawa (OKI; 26.3° N, 127.8° E; dip latitude 21.2° N), Japan, are presented. Also, the GPS observations obtained at different stations in the equatorial and low-latitude regions in the Brazilian sector are presented. On the night of 24–25 August 2005, the h′F variations show traveling ionospheric disturbances associated with Joule heating in the auroral zone from SJC to PAL. The foF2 variations show a positive storm phase on the night of 24–25 August at PAL and SJC during the recovery phase. Also, the GPS-VTEC observations at several stations in the Brazilian sector show a fairly similar positive storm phase on 24 August. During the fast decrease of Dst (between 10:00 and 11:00 UT) on 24 August, there is a prompt penetration of electric field of magnetospheric origin that result in abrupt increase (∼12:00 UT) in foF2 at PAL, SJC (Brazil) and OKI (Japan) and in VTEC at IMPZ, BOMJ, PARA and SMAR (Brazil). OKI showed strong oscillations of the F-region on the night 24 August resulted to the propagation of traveling atmospheric disturbances (TADs) by Joule heating in the auroral region. These effects result a strong positive observed at OKI station. During the daytime on 25 August, in the recovery phase, the foF2 observations showed positive ionospheric storm at HCM station. Some differences in the latitudinal response of the F-region is also observed in the South American and East Asian sectors.     

Day-to-day variability of equatorial anomaly in GPS-TEC during low solar activity period

The ionospheric total electron content (TEC) in the northern hemispheric equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) crest region is investigated by using dual-frequency signals of the Global Positioning System (GPS) acquired from Rajkot (Geog. Lat. 22.29°N, Geog. Long. 70.74°E; Geom. Lat. 14.21°N, Geom. Long. 144.90°E), India. The day-to-day variability of EIA characteristics is examined during low solar activity period (F10.7∼83 sfu). It is found that the daily maximum TEC at EIA crest exhibits a day-to-day and strong semi-annual variability. The seasonal anomaly and equinoctial asymmetry in TEC at EIA is found non-existent and weaker, respectively. We found a moderate and positive correlation of daily magnitude of crest, Ic with daily F10.7 and EUV fluxes with a correlation coefficient of 0.43 and 0.33, respectively indicating an existence of a short-term relation between TEC at EIA and the solar radiation even during low solar activity period. The correlation of daily Ic with Dst index is also moderate (r = −0.35), whereas no correlation is found with the daily Kp index (r = 0.14) respectively. We found that the magnitude of EIA crest is moderately correlated with solar flux in all seasons except winter where it is weakly related (0.27). The magnitude of EIA crest is also found highly related with EEJ strength in spring (r = 0.69) and summer (r = 0.65) than autumn (0.5) and winter (r = 0.47), though EEJ is stronger in autumn than spring.     

Relativistic electron fluxes and dose rate variations during April–May 2010 geomagnetic disturbances in the R3DR data on ISS

Space radiation has been monitored successfully using the Radiation Risks Radiometer-Dosimeter (R3D) installed at the ESA EXPOSE-R (R3DR) facility outside of the Russian Zvezda module of the International Space Station (ISS) between March 2009 and January 2011. R3DR is a Liulin type spectrometer–dosimeter with a single Si PIN detector 2 cm² of area and 0.3 mm thick. The R3DR instrument accumulated about 2 million measurements of the absorbed dose rate and flux of 10 s resolution. The total external and internal shielding before the detector of R3DR device is 0.41 g cm⁻². The calculated stopping energy of normally incident particles to the detector is 0.78 MeV for electrons and 15.8 MeV for protons. After the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) at 09:54 UTC on 3 April 2010, a shock was observed at the ACE spacecraft at 0756 UTC on 5 April, which led to a sudden impulse on Earth at 08:26 UTC. Nevertheless, while the magnetic substorms on 5 and 6 of April were moderate; the second largest in history of GOES fluence of electrons with energy >2 MeV was measured. The R3DR data show a relatively small amount of relativistic electrons on 5 April. The maximum dose rate of 2323 μGy day⁻¹ was reached on 7 April; by 9 April, a dose of 6600 μGy was accumulated. By the end of the period on 7 May 2010 a total dose of 11,587 μGy was absorbed. Our data were compared with AE-8 MIN, CRESS and ESA-SEE1 models using SPENVIS and with similar observations on American, Japanese and Russian satellites.     

Comparison of ionosphere characteristic parameters obtained by ionosonde with IRI-2007 model over Southeast Asia

In this work, the foF2 and hmF2 parameters at the conjugate points near the magnetic equator of Southeast Asia are studied and compared with the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model. Three ionosondes are installed nearly along the magnetic meridian of 100°E; one at the magnetic equator, namely Chumphon (10.72°N, 99.37°E, dip angle 3.0°N), and the other two at the magnetic conjugate points, namely Chiang Mai (18.76°N, 98.93°E, dip angle 12.7°N) and Kototabang (0.2°S, 100.30°E, dip angle 10.1°S). The monthly hourly medians of the foF2 and hmF2 parameters are calculated and compared with the predictions obtained from the IRI-2007 model from January 2004 to February 2007. Our results show that: the variations of foF2 and hmF2 predicted by the IRI-2007 model generally show the similar feature to the observed data. Both parameters generally show better agreement with the IRI predictions during daytime than during nighttime. For foF2, most of the results show that the IRI model overestimates the observed foF2 at the magnetic equator (Chumphon), underestimates at the northern crest (Chiang Mai) and is close to the measured ones at the southern crest of the EIA (Kototabang). For hmF2, the predicted hmF2 values are close to the hmF2(M3000F2_OBS) during daytime. During nighttime, the IRI model gives the underestimation at the magnetic equator and the overestimation at both EIA crests. The results are important for the future improvements of the IRI model for foF2 and hmF2 over Southeast Asia region.     

Digital signal processing and numerical analysis for radar in geophysical applications

Numerical solutions for signal processing are described in this work as a contribution to study of echo detection methods for ionospheric sounder design. The ionospheric sounder is a high frequency radar for geophysical applications. The main detection approach has been done by implementing the spread-spectrum techniques using coding methods to improve the radar’s range resolution by transmitting low power. Digital signal processing has been performed and the numerical methods were checked. An algorithm was proposed and its computational complexity was calculated.     

Seasonally steady planetary disturbances in the troposphere and stratosphere as seen in 30 years of NCEP reanalysis data

Zonal velocity and temperature daily global reanalysis data of 30 years are used to search seasonally steady planetary disturbances in the middle troposphere (400 hPa) and middle stratosphere (10 hPa). Significant wavenumber 1, 2 and 3 modes are found. Constant phase lines of zonal velocity 1 modes exhibit significant inclination angles with respect to the meridians. The winter hemisphere generally shows a more significant presence of structures. The Northern Hemisphere (NH) exhibits all over the year a larger amount of structures and more intense amplitudes than the Southern Hemisphere (SH). Middle latitudes exhibit the most significant cases and low latitudes the least significant ones. Longitudinally oriented land–sea transitions at ±$\pm$65° and −35° latitudes appear to play a significant role for the presence of steady planetary modes. The stratosphere exhibits a much simpler picture than the troposphere. Large scale structures with respectively NE–SW (NH) and NW–SE (SH) tilts in the observed temperature and zonal velocity constant phase lines recall the quasi-stationary Rossby wave trains that favor the poleward transport of angular momentum.     

太阳活动与全球气候变化

太阳不断向地球辐射电磁波和粒子, 太阳辐射是地球气候系统最主要的能量来源. 地球气候系统对太阳活动的响应是一个复杂的过程, 包括辐射过程、动力学过程以及微观物理过程等. 根据太阳辐射的卫星观测结果和重建结果, 例举了古气候、温度、大气环流和云量等方面太阳影响气候的观测证据, 论述了太阳影响气候的三种可能机制, 即太阳总辐射变化可以影响地表温度, 并通过海-气耦合改变大气环流; 太阳紫外辐射通过调制平流层的温度和风场影响下面的对流层; 太阳通过行星际磁场调制银河宇宙线, 而银河宇宙线通过电离大气影响云量, 进而改变地球的能量收支.      

In situ analysis of Europa ices by short-range melting probes

A key aspect for understanding the astrobiological potential of planets and moons in the Solar system is the analysis of material embedded in or underneath icy layers on the surface. In particular in case of the icy crust of Jupiters moon Europa such investigation would be of greatest interest. For a Europa lander to be launched in the 2020–2030 timeframe, we propose to use a simplified instrumented melting probe which is able to access and sample depths of a few meters without the necessity of heavy and complicated drilling equipment.     

Spatial variation of the supersonic thermal plasma flow downstream of the termination shock

In this paper we start from the most recently observed fact that the solar wind plasma after passage over the termination shock is still supersonic with a Mach number of about 2. To explain this unexpected phenomenon and to predict the evolution of properties of the downstream plasma flow we here consider a two-fluid proton plasma with pick-up protons as a separate suprathermal, second proton fluid. We then formulate a self-consistent system of hydrodynamical conservation equations coupling the two fluids by dynamical and thermodynamical coupling terms and taking into account the effects of newly incorporated protons due to charge exchange with the H-atoms in the heliosheath. This then allows us to predict that in the most probable case the solar wind protons will become subsonic over a distance of about 30 AU downstream of the shock. As we can also show, it may, however, happen that the plasma mixture later again reconverts to a supersonic signature and has to undergo a second shock before meeting the heliopause.