Ion dynamics associated with Alfven wave in the near-Earth magnetotail: Two-dimensional global hybrid simulation

Ion dynamics in the near-Earth magnetotail region is examined during periods of fast Earthward flow with a two-dimensional (2-D) global-scale hybrid simulation. The simulation shows that shear Alfven waves are generated at x ∼ −10R_E, where the strong earthward flow is arrested by the dipole field, and propagate along field lines from the equator to both southern and northern polar ionosphere. Non-gyrotropic ion velocity distributions occur where the large-amplitude Alfven waves are dominant. The simulation indicates that the Alfven waves are generated by interaction of the fast earthward flow with the stationary near-Earth plasma. Beam ions are found to be pitch-angle scattered and trapped in the wave field, leading to the non-gyrotropic ion distributions in the high-latitude plasma sheet boundary. In addition, significant particle heating and acceleration are found to occur behind the dipolarization front due to the effect of wave turbulence.     

Ionospheric parameters in the European sector during the magnetic storm of August 25–26, 2018

Variations of ionospheric parameters Total Electron Content (TEC) by GNSS, critical frequency (foF2) by vertical sounding and electron density (Ne) by low-altitude satellite were studied at high, mid and low latitudes of the European sector during the magnetic storm of August 25–26, 2018. During the main phase of the storm the ionospheric F2-layer was under the positive disturbance at mid and low latitudes. Then the transition from the positive to negative ΔfoF2 values occurred at all latitudes. The recovery phase was characterized by negative ionospheric disturbance at all latitudes. This is due to the decrease of thermospheric O/N2 ratio during the recovery phase of the storm. The intense Es layers screened the reflections from the F2-layer on August 26th at high and at low latitudes but at different times. Some blackouts occurred due to the high absorption level at high latitudes. In general, foF2 and TEC data were highly correlated. The major Ne changes were at the low latitudes. In general, Ne data confirmed the ionospheric dynamics revealed with foF2 and TEC.     

Multi-station observation of ionospheric disturbance of March 9 2012 and comparison with IRI-model

The magnetic storm of 9 March 2012 is a single step intense storm (Dst = −143 nT) whose main phase begins around 0100 UT and lasted for almost 11 h. The increases in NmF2 recorded 33% and 67% incidence respectively during the main and the recovery phase of the storm at the stations considered. The increase in hmF2 occurred concurrently with the increase in thickness parameter B0 between 0000 and 1100 UT, and a simultaneous decrease in the shape parameter B1 for the entire mid-latitude stations. Generally, B1 responded to the storm with a decrease away from the quiet day average, and decreased simultaneously with the increase in NmF2. B0 displays higher variability magnitude during daytime than the nighttime period. The occasional differences in the response of the ionospheric parameters to the storm event are attributed to longitudinal differences. Variation in hmF2 and NmF2 is projected to change in B1, but the rationale behind this effect on B1 is still not known and therefore left open. The two IRI options over-estimate the observed values with that of URSI higher than CCIR. The over-estimation was higher during the nighttime than the daytime for NmF2 response for the mid-latitude stations and the reverse for the equatorial station. A fairer fit of the model with the observed for all parameters over Jicamarca suggests that equatorial regions are better represented on the model. Extensive study of B1 and B0 is recommended to arrive at a better performance of IRI.     

Performance assessment of real-time orbit determination for the Haiyang-2D using onboard BDS-3/GPS observations

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers equipped on the Haiyang-2D (HY-2D) satellite is capable of tracking the signals of both the third generation of BeiDou satellite navigation System (BDS-3) and the Global Positioning System (GPS), which make it feasible to assess the performance of real-time orbit determination (RTOD) for the HY-2D using onboard GNSS observations. In this study, the achievable accuracy and convergence time of RTOD for the HY-2D using onboard BDS-3 and GPS observations are analyzed. Benefiting from the binary-offset-carrier (BOC) modulation, the BDS-3 C1X signal includes less noise than the GPS C1C signal, which has the same signal frequency and chipping rate. The root mean squares (RMS) of the noises of C1X and C1C code measurements are 0.579 m and 1.636 m, respectively. Thanks to a ten-times higher chipping rate, the code measurements of BDS-3 C5P, GPS C1W and C2W are less noisy. The RMS of code noises of BDS-3 C5P, GPS C1W, and C2W are 0.044 m, 0.386 m, and 0.272 m, respectively. For the HY-2D orbit, the three-dimensional (3D) and radial accuracies can reach 31.8 cm and 7.5 cm with only BDS-3 observations, around 50 % better than the corresponding accuracies with GPS. Better performance of the BDS-3 in RTOD for the HY-2D is attributed to the high quality of its broadcast ephemeris. When random parameters are used to absorb ephemeris errors, substantial improvement is seen in the accuracy of HY-2D orbit with either BDS-3 or GPS. The 3D RMS of HY-2D orbit errors with BDS-3 and GPS are enhanced to 23.1 cm and 33.6 cm, and the RMS of the radial components are improved to 6.1 cm and 13.3 cm, respectively. The convergence time is 41.6 and 75.5 min for the RTOD with BDS-3 and GPS, while it is reduced to 39.2 and 27.4 min after the broadcast ephemeris errors are absorbed by random parameters. Overall, the achievable accuracy of RTOD with BDS-3 reaches decimeter level, which is even better than that with GPS, making real-time navigation using onboard BDS-3 observations a feasible choice for future remote sensing missions.     

Synergistic use of multitemporal RAMP,ICESat and GPS to construct an accurate DEM of the Larsemann Hills region,Antarctica

An enhanced digital elevation model (DEM) of the Larsemann Hills region, east Antarctica, is constructed synergistically by using highly accurate ground-based GPS measurements, satellite-derived laser altimetry (GLAS/ICESat) and Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Project (RAMPv2) DEM-based point elevation dataset. Our DEM has a vertical accuracy of about 1.5 times better than RAMPv2 DEM and seven times better than GLAS/ICESAT-based DEM. The accuracy is improved by validating the RAMPv2 DEM elevation by supplementing with GLAS/ICESat and DGPS survey data, when compared to that of DEM constructed by using GLAS/ICESat or RAMPv2 alone. With the use of accurate GPS data as ground control points reference elevations, the DEM extracted is much more accurate with least mean RMSE of 34.5 m than that constructed by using a combination of GLAS/ICESat and RAMPv2 as true reference. The newly constructed DEM 7 achieves highest accuracy with the least average elevation difference of 0.27 m calculated using 46 ground reference points. Available DEMs of Antarctic region generated by using radar altimetry and the Antarctic Digital Database indicate elevation variations in the range of 50–100 m, which necessitates the generation of local DEM and its validation by using ground truth. This is our first attempt of fusing multi-temporal, multi-sensor and multi-source elevation data to generate a DEM of any part of Antarctica, in order to address the ice elevation change to infer the ice mass balance. Our approach focuses on the strengths of each elevation data source to produce an accurate DEM.     

Tightly closed ecological systems reveal atmospheric subtleties – experience from Biosphere 2

Processes which produce slow changes in air composition in a closed ecological system (CES) may not be noticed if the leak rate of the CES is significant. Dilution of the system’s air with outside air can mask these processes. A tightly closed CES provides the opportunity for slow changes to accumulate over time and be observed and measured. Biosphere 2 (volume 200,000 m³) had a low leak rate of less than 10 percent per year. Oxygen declined slowly at varying rates reflecting seasonal influences, which averaged to about 140 ppm per day during the first 16 months of the two-year closure. Computer simulations of the observed rate of oxygen loss combined with other hypothetical leak rates suggest that the decline would have been hidden by a leak rate as low as one percent per day. Sealing Biosphere 2 involved rigorous design specifications and inclusion of two expansion chambers (called “lungs”) to accommodate expansion/contraction of the atmosphere, which enabled limiting the pressure difference between inside and outside atmospheres to the range of ±8 Pa (0.08 mBar). Measurement of leak rate was by two methods: the first, measuring the rate of deflation of the lungs while holding a constant elevated pressure differential enabled calculation of an estimated leak rate within the usual operating pressure differential range; the second was to measure the progressive dilution of trace gases spiked into the atmosphere. Both methods confirmed leakage to be less than 10 percent per year. Operational data from the 40 m³ Laboratory Biosphere is used to illustrate how normal variations of temperature, humidity and barometric pressure would combine to force leakage and rapidly dilute the internal atmosphere if it were not equipped with a lung. It is demonstrated that very high degrees of closure for a CES enable experimental observation of small imbalances in atmospheric cycles or slow accumulation of trace gases that could otherwise be masked by dilution with atmosphere external to the CES.     

Design and analysis of an extended mission of CE-2: From lunar orbit to Sun–Earth L2 region

Chang’E-2 (CE-2) has firstly successfully achieved the exploring mission from lunar orbit to Sun–Earth L2 region. In this paper, we discuss the design problem of transfer trajectory and at the same time analyze the visible segment of Tracking, Telemetry & Control (TT&C) system for this mission. Firstly, the four-body problem of Sun–Earth–Moon and Spacecraft can be decoupled in two different three-body problems (Sun–Earth + Moon Restricted Three-Body Problems (RTBPs) and Earth–Moon ephemeris model). Then, the transfer trajectory segments in different model are computed, respectively, and patched by Poincaré sections. The full-flight trajectory including transfer trajectory from lunar orbit to Sun–Earth L2 region and target Lissajous orbit is obtained by the differential correction method. Finally, the visibility of TT&C system at the key time is analyzed. Actual execution of CE-2 extended mission shows that the trajectory design of CE-2 mission is feasible.     

低纬电离层f0F2夜间增强的模拟研究

以太阳活动低年冬季为代表,利用二维中低纬电离层理论模式模拟低纬电离层ｆ０Ｆ２夜间增强现象,探索在赤道异常驼峰纬度附近形成该现象的可能因素或物理机制,模式在给定磁子午面内解等离子体输运方程,给出电子及各离子的浓度,速度的时空分布。在所考察条件下,低纬驼峰纬度附近ｆ０Ｆ２模式值夜间出现了明显的增强特征。