Investigation of natural and artificial stimulation of the ionospheric Alfvén resonator at high latitude

A brief review is provided of recent progress in understanding the ionospheric Alfvén resonator (IAR) at high latitude. Firstly, naturally occurring resonances of the IAR as detected by pulsation magnetometers in the auroral zone at Sodankylä and in the polar cap at Barentsburg are considered. The characteristics of the IAR in the two regions are broadly similar, although the effects of solar illumination are less clear at the higher latitudes. Secondly we review recent attempts to stimulate the IAR through high-power radio frequency experiments both in the auroral zone at Tromsø with the European Incoherent SCATter (EISCAT) heater, and within the polar cap at Longyearbyen with the Space Plasma Exploration by Active Radar (SPEAR) facility. In the auroral zone at, Tromsø the stimulated IAR has been observed by ground-based magnetometers, and through electron acceleration observed on the FAST spacecraft. At SPEAR in the polar cap, the stimulated IAR has been investigated, with ground magnetometers, with the first results indicative of a positive detection.     

Vertical shear at the equatorial F-region ionosphere during post-sunset hours

The characteristics of the equatorial F-region zonal plasma drift during post-sunset period have been investigated using the multi-frequency HF Doppler radar. The pattern of the zonal plasma drift is such that it starts with a westward drift during the pre-sunset hours, followed by an eastward drift shortly after the E-region sunset. The zonal plasma drift is characterized by the presence of a positive vertical shear around the post-sunset period and maximum shear is observed at the time of the peak of the pre-reversal enhancement in the vertical drift. The presence of vertical shear in the zonal drift is associated with the post-sunset velocity vortex existing at the equatorial F-region.     

磁暴对海南地区电离层扩展F的影响

利用2002年2月至2007年12月海南地区DPS-4测高仪观测数据, 用统计分析方法研究了磁暴对电离层扩展F的影响. 结果认为磁暴从整体上抑制了扩展F现象的发生. 但若把扩展F分为不同类型, 则结果却有所不同. 对于频率型(FSF), 在2002年和2003年磁暴对其有促发作用, 在2004---2007年有抑制作用; 对于区域型(RSF), 在2002---2005年磁暴对其有抑制作用, 在2006年和2007年, 对其有弱促发作用; 对于混合型(MSF), 在2002年磁暴对其有抑制作用, 在2003年和2004年有促发作用, 从2005年开始, 磁暴对其有抑制作用; 对于强区域型 (SSF), 在2002---2004年磁暴对其有抑制作用, 在2005年和2006年有促发作用, 2007年有弱抑制作用.     

我国空间电力线谐波辐射现象分析

研究了利用DEMETER卫星电磁场探测数据辨识电力线谐波辐射(PLHR,Power Line Harmonic Radiation)事件的方法,探讨了我国空间中PLHR事件的特点.通过采用时频分析和Welch功率谱估计法分析了2005-2010年6年我国空间中的全部卫星电场强度探测数据,共发现151例PLHR事件,给出了PLHR事件的统计分析和典型实例.结果表明我国空间PLHR事件的频率分布在1 000~4 500 Hz之间,多为50 Hz的奇数倍,间隔为50/100 Hz.PLHR事件与我国电网发展和变化有密切关系,与地磁活动水平无关,呈现出昼夜差异和季节差异.最后给出了影响PLHR事件探测的可能因素.     

基于MARSIS的火星低纬度电离层统计特性研究

在对欧空局火星快车探测器搭载的MARSIS雷达的浅表层探测数据进行校准过程中,获得了火星电离层的总电子含量(total electron content,TEC)观测数据。利用该数据,计算火星低纬度地区电离层的峰值电子密度和标高;并对其进行统计分析发现,在低纬度地区,火星冬季电离层的标高和峰值电子密度均较夏季高,即冬季电离层较夏季更显著,且春季电离层的电子密度梯度最大。     

E10.7指数在软X射线谱段的修正应用

表征EUV辐射通量的E10.7指数在越来越多的研究和应用中被用来代替传统的F10.7指数.X射线对地球D层和E层的电离起着重要作用,但由于D层观测数据的不足和E层电离源的多样性,难以被用来考虑X射线对电离层的影响.火星电离层下层的电离源几乎是单一的软X射线,这为研究X射线对电离层的作用提供了可能性.通过研究火星电离层下层的峰值电子浓度对E10.7的依赖关系,发现即便经过必要的修正,这种关系对不同的观测时段并不具备一致性.通过理论推导和数据分析,得到了一种特别用于描述太阳软X射线辐射通量的新指数,即Xs指数,用来替代E10.7指数.Xs指数在描述火星电离层下层对太阳辐射的依赖关系时,不同的观测时段有很好的一致性,表明Xs指数在表征太阳软X射线辐射强度方面比E10.7指数更加合适.     

Variation in the ionospheric propagating factor M(3000)F2 at Ouagadougou,Burkina Faso

We use hourly monthly median values of propagation factor M(3000)F2 data observed at Ouagadougou Ionospheric Observatory (geographic12.4°N, 1.5°W; 5.9^o dip), Burkina Faso (West Africa) during the years Januar1987–December1988 (average F10.7 < 130 × 10⁻²² W/m²/Hz, representative of low solar flux conditions) and for January 1989–December1990 (average F10.7 ? 130 × 10⁻²² W/m²/Hz, representative of high solar epoch) for magnetically quiet conditions to describe local time, seasonal and solar cycle variations of equatorial ionospheric propagation factor M(3000)F2 in the African region. We show that that seasonal trend between solar maximum and solar minimum curves display simple patterns for all seasons and exhibits reasonable disparity with root mean square error (RMSE) of about 0.31, 0.29 and 0.26 for December solstice, June solstice and equinox, respectively. Variability Σ defined by the percentage ratio of the absolute standard deviation to the mean indicates significant dissimilarity for the two solar flux levels. Solar maximum day (10–14 LT) and night (22–02 LT) values show considerable variations than the solar minimum day and night values. We compare our observations with those of the IRI 2007 to validate the prediction capacity of the empirical model. We find that the IRI model tends to underestimate and overestimate the observed values of M(3000)F2, in particular, during June solstice season. There are large discrepancies, mainly during high solar flux equinox and December solstice between dawn and local midnight. On the other hand, IRI provides a slightly better predictions for M(3000)F2 between 0900 and 1500 LT during equinox low and high solar activity and equinox high sunspot number. Our data are of great importance in the area of short-wave telecommunication and ionospheric modeling.     

A comparative sporadic-E layer study between two mid-latitude ionospheric stations

Hourly systematic measurements of the highest frequency reflected by the sporadic-E layer (foEs) recorded from January 1976 to June 2009 at the ionospheric stations of Rome (Italy, 41.8°N, 12.5°E) and Gibilmanna (Italy, 37.9°N, 14.0°E) were considered to carry out a comparative study between the sporadic E layer (Es) over Rome and Gibilmanna. Different statistical analysis were performed taking into account foEs observations near the periods of minimum and maximum solar activity. The results reveal that: (1) independently from the solar activity, Es develops concurrently over extended regions in space, instead of being a spatially limited layer which is transported horizontally by neutral winds over a larger area; especially during summer months, when an Es layer is present at Rome, there is a high probability that an Es layer is also present over Gibilmanna, and vice versa; (2) Es layer lifetimes of 1–5 h were found; in particular, Es layers with lifetimes of 5 h both over Gibilmanna and Rome are observed with highest percentages of occurrence in summer ranging between 80% and 90%, independently from the solar activity; (3) latitudinal effects on Es layer occurrence emerge mostly for low solar activity during winter, equinoctial, and summer months, when Es layers are detected more frequently over Gibilmanna rather than Rome; (4) when the presence of an Es layer over Rome and Gibilmanna is not simultaneous, Es layer appearance both over Rome and Gibilmanna confirms to be a locally confined event, because drifting phenomena from Rome to Gibilmanna or vice versa have not been emphasized.