On the application of Exploratory Data Analysis for characterization of space weather data sets

This paper presents an overview of the mathematical foundations for techniques in Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) for the purpose of investigating the relationships among the numerous variables in large sets of multivariate space weather data. Specifically, we cover techniques in Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Common Factor Analysis (CFA). These techniques are illustrated using space weather activity indices collected during the year 2002 and the corresponding noon-time hmF2 data from the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI). A CFA is used to categorize the activity indices, and a PCA is used to derive two macro-indices of activity to ascertain the strength of solar and geomagnetic activity. These macro-indices are then used to compare and contrast IRI’s noon-time hmF2 values at six different geographic stations. It was found that the correlation between hmF2 and the macro-indices more accurately represented the variation of this correlation with latitude found in previous studies than if we used an isolated conventional index, such as SSN and AE. We also found that the daily maximum value of the Polar Cap Index was dependent on both solar and geomagnetic activity, but the closely-related cross-Polar Cap Potential was solely associated with elevated levels of geomagnetic activity, which is a unique result compared to previous studies. We argue that the discrepancy can be explained by the difference in experiment designs between the two studies. This paper demonstrates the usefulness of EDA in space weather studies of large multivariate data sets.     

台风天气条件下的签派放行和运行控制

台风不仅极大地影响着航空公司的航班正点率和经济效益,而且具有潜在的安全隐患。从签派放行和运行控制的角度,通过实例分析讨论受台风影响时放行的潜在危险,放行和运行决策需考虑的各方面,并探讨应对解决方案。     

Modelling of Solar Wind, CME Initiation and CME Propagation

Simulations of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) evolving in the interplanetary (IP) space from the Sun up to 1 AU are performed in the framework of ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) by the means of a finite-volume, explicit solver. The aim is to quantify the effect of the background solar wind and of the CME initiation parameters, such as the initial magnetic polarity, on the evolution and on the geo-effectiveness of CMEs. First, three different solar wind models are reconstructed using the same numerical grid and the same numerical scheme. Then, different CME initiation models are considered: Magnetic foot point shearing and magnetic flux emergence. For the fast CME evolution studies, a very simple CME model is considered: A high-density and high-pressure magnetized plasma blob is superposed on a background steady state solar wind model with an initial velocity and launch direction. The simulations show that the initial magnetic polarity substantially affects the IP evolution of the CMEs influencing the propagation velocity, the shape, the trajectory (and thus, the geo-effectiveness).     

航班改航路径规划研究综述

航班改航飞行是空中交通流量管理的重要组成部分,在发生危险天气时可安全有效地为航班选择一条临时航路,提高了空域的利用率,具有广阔的应用前景。针对航班改航路径规划的研究现状做了系统、全面的分析,按改航实施时间的不同将改航路径规划方法分为两类,即飞行前改航路径规划和实时改航路径规划,并分别予以分析和总结。最后,指出了当前研究中存在的问题和未来改航研究领域的发展方向。     

Development of a campaign to study equatorial ionospheric phenomena over Guam

The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is in the process of developing a series of ground-based and space-based experiments to investigate the equatorial ionosphere over Guam and the southern crest of the Equatorial Appleton Anomaly over New Guinea. On the ground the Digital Ionospheric Sounder (University of Massachusetts, Lowell DPS-4 unit) and a dual-frequency GPS TEC/scintillation monitor will be used to investigate ionospheric phenomena in both campaign and long-term survey modes. In campaign mode, we will combine these observations with those collected from space during USAFA’s FalconSAT-3 and FalconSAT-5 low Earth orbit satellite missions, which will be active over a period of several years beginning in the first quarter of the 2007 calendar year. Additionally, we will investigate the long-term morphology of key ionospheric characteristics useful for driving the International Reference Ionosphere, such as critical frequencies (f_oE, f_oF1, f_oF2, etc.), the M(3000) F2 parameter (the maximum useable frequency for a signal refracted within the F2 layer and received on the ground at a distance of 3000 km away), and a variety of other characteristics. Specific targets of investigation include: (a) a comparison of TEC observed by the GPS receiver with those calculated by IRI driven by DPS-4 observations, (b) a comparison of plasma turbulence observed on-orbit with ionospheric conditions as measured from the ground, and (c) a comparison between topside ionospheric satellite in situ measurements of plasma density during an overpass of a Digisonde versus the calculated value based on extrapolation of the electron density profiles using Digisonde data and a topside α-Chapman function. This last area of investigation is discussed in detail in this paper.     

大型客机气候实验室试验研究

为确保飞机在各种极端气象条件下飞行的安全性,验证设计运行环境包线内各系统的功能与性能,需开展相应的试验试飞活动,极端自然环境有时间窗口难以捕捉、持续时间短、等待周期长的特点,但气候实验室可人工模拟高温、低温、冰雾、冻雨、吹雪等极端气象条件,不受自然环境的限制,可有效提升试验效率,缩短试飞周期,是现代大型客机进行极端气候试验的有效手段。介绍了气候实验室的意义与作用、全球气候实验室的情况,重点介绍了麦肯利气候实验室的试验条件及试验型号情况,并基于某型号实际经验,详细阐述了典型气候实验室试验的目的、内容与方法、风险及风险降低措施,为后续大型客机极端气候试验提供了参考。     

基于合作目标和视觉的无人飞行器全天候自动着陆导引关键技术

 GPS受他国控制和易受干扰对基于该导航系统的无人飞行器导航和着陆具有潜在危险,为了使其安全自动着陆,提出通过在着陆跑道(广场或公路)上预设具有受控发射红外光的地面合作目标,实现无人飞行器的视觉全天候自动精确着陆新技术。首先研究得到切实可行的工作过程;然后研制了合作目标,通过理论分析和实验得出,无论能见度高低,8~12 μm中远红外视觉系统探测到的合作目标图像质量远优于可见光视觉系统,研究得到合作目标和背景的温差在170~200 ℃时,成像效果最好。在识别研究中发现,基于传统的不变矩算法对合作目标的识别可靠性稍差,为了进一步准确地识别合作目标,又提出了基于方向链码的合作目标识别算法,该方法的耗时为不变距的96%,但是识别的可靠性比前者有显著提高。     

A statistical study of solar radio Type III bursts and space weather implication

Solar radio bursts (SRBs) are the signatures of various phenomenon that happen in the solar corona and interplanetary medium (IPM). In this article, we have studied occurrence of Type III bursts and their association with the Sunspot number. This study confirms that occurrence of Type III bursts correlate well with Sunspot number. Further, using the data obtained using e-CALLISTO network, we have investigated drift rates of isolated Type III bursts and duration of the group of Type III bursts. Since Type II, Type III and Type IV bursts are signatures of solar flares and/or CMEs, we can use the radio observations to predict space weather hazards. In this article, we have discussed two events that have caused near Earth radio blackouts. Since e-CALLISTO comprises more than 152 stations at different longitudes, we can use it to monitor the radio emissions from the solar corona 24 h a day. Such observations play a crucial role in monitoring and predicting space weather hazards within few minutes to hours of time.     

Fostering research aptitude among high school students through space weather competition

Cultivating research culture at an early stage is important for capacity building in a community. The high school level is the appropriate stage for research to be introduced because of students’ competitive nature. Participation in the space weather competition is one of the ways in which research aptitude can be fostered in high school students in Malaysia. Accordingly, this paper presents how research elements were introduced to the students at the high school level through their participation in the space weather competition. The competition required the students to build a system to detect the presence of solar flares by utilizing VLF signals reflected from the ionosphere. The space weather competition started off with proposal writing for the space weather related project where the students were required to execute extensive literature review on the given topic. Additionally, the students were also required to conduct the experiments and analyse the data. Results obtained from data analysis were then validated by the students through various other observations that they had to carry out. At the end of the competition, students were expected to write a comprehensive technical report. Through this competition, the students learnt how to conduct research in accordance to the guidelines provided through the step by step approach exposed to them. Ultimately, this project revealed that the students were able to conduct research on their own with minimal guidance and that participation in the competition not only generated enjoyment in learning but also their interest in science and research.     

The impact of coronal mass ejection on the horizontal geomagnetic fields and the induced geoelectric fields

This work investigates the influence of coronal mass ejection (CME) on the time derivatives of horizontal geomagnetic and geoelectric fields, proxy parameters for identifying GICs. 16 events were identified for the year 2003 from the CORONAS-PHOTON spacecraft. Five of the events (May 29, June 9, October 28, October 29, and November 4) were extensively discussed over four magnetic observatories, were analyzed using the time derivatives of the horizontal geomagnetic (dH/dt) and geoelectric (E_H) fields obtained from data of the INTERMAGNET network. It was observed that energy distributions of the wavelet power spectrum of the horizontal geoelectric field are noticed at the nighttime on both 29 May and 9 June 2003 across the stations. Daytime and nighttime intensification of energy distribution of the wavelet power spectrum of the horizontal geoelectric field are observed on both 28 and 29 October 2003 due to strong westward electrojet. The 4 November 2003 event depicts daytime amplification of energy distributions of the wavelet power spectrum across the stations. The highest correlation magnitude is obtained in the event of 4 November 2003 between dH/dt and E_H relationships during the intense solar flare of class X 17.4. We observed that the correlation magnitude between dH/dt and E_H increases with increase in CME activity. We concluded that the response of the surface impedance model for different stations plays a key role in determining the surface electric field strength, due to large electric field changes at different stations.