Lower-mesospheric inversion layers over brazilian equatorial region using TIMED/SABER temperature profiles

Lower-mesospheric inversion layers (MILs) were studied using the temperature profiles observed by TIMED/SABER over Cariri (7.5°S, 36.5°W), Brazil, in 2005. A total 175 MILs were identified with the maximum occurrence in April and October and the minimum in January and July. The lower MIL is located in a height region from 70 to 90 km, with the peak at around 83 ± 4 km with the temperature of 205 ± 5 K, and the thickness of 4–10 km. The results show large amplitudes of MILs during equinoxes and minimum in solstices, with a clear semiannual variation. A general feature of lower MIL in monthly mean profile was observed twice a year, one from February to May, and the other from August to October with a downward shift of the top level. These results suggest that formation and long persistence of MIL is an important factor to investigate propagation of atmospheric gravity waves in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) region.     

武汉中层大气中频雷达及其初步探测结果

首先简要地讨论了武汉中频雷达观测原理和设备的组成，该雷达测量60-100km高度的大气风场和电子密度，风场采用分布天线测量技术和全相关分析方法得到，电子密度通过微分吸收和微分相位技术获得，初步观测结果表明：（1）武汉上空冬季60-100km高度的纬向风多为西风，风速为30-50m/s，经向风速为10-20m/s，垂直风速较小，一般在5m/s以内，（2）60-100km高度范围的大气风场和电子密度均有明显的日变化，风场在某些时段和高度区间有较强的风剪切出现。（3）80km以上高度大气的风场和电子密度存在较明显的扰动现象，它可能与大气波动过程有关。     

Studies of polar mesosphere summer echoes with the EISCAT VHF and UHF radars: Information contained in the spectral shape

The nature of PMSE in the VHF and UHF frequency range is considered taking into account the shape of corresponding Doppler spectra. Assuming a turbulence-based model of PMSE it is argued that for cases where a VHF radar detects strong PMSE, the UHF radar could either detect enhanced coherent scattering caused by the same physical process as in the VHF (i.e., turbulence with large charged ice particles), there could be incoherent scattering modified by the charged ice particles, or there could be a mixture of both. In order to distinguish these cases a simple but robust method is introduced to characterize the shape of the Doppler spectra derived from observations at both frequencies. Spectral shapes are quantified with one simple fitting parameter of a generalized fit to the autocorrelation function (=Fourier transform of the Doppler spectrum). This parameter takes a value of 1 for a Lorentzian spectrum indicative of pure incoherent scatter from the D-region, a value of 2 for coherent scatter owing to turbulence, and a value of less than 1 for incoherent scatter modified by the presence of charged aerosol particles. This method is applicable to observations at altitudes between ∼70 and ∼90 km. Simultaneous observations with the EISCAT VHF and UHF radar are presented in which all three cases mentioned above are identified. For the case of incoherent scatter modified by the presence of charged aerosol particles we quantify the radius of the involved ice particles to exceed ∼5 nm. Most importantly, however, for the case where the UHF-signal exceeded the incoherent scatter signal significantly, the spectrum revealed a clear Gaussian shape indicative of a coherent scattering process with identical spectral width as for the VHF-observations. This finding gives strong support that both echoes are created by the same turbulence-based mechanism and not by different mechanisms as speculated by several previous authors.     

Sporadic sodium layers and the average vertical distribution of atmospheric sodium: Comparison of different Nas layer strengths

In an earlier study of sporadic sodium layers (Na_s) [Simonich, D.M., Clemesha B.R., Batista, P.P. Sporadic layers and the vertical distribution of atmospheric sodium. Adv. Space Res. 35, 1976–1980, 2005], observed by lidar at São José do Campos (23°S, 46°W) we found that, although individual profiles give the impression that Na_s layers involve sodium additional to the normal background layer, there is very little difference between the long-term averages of profiles with and without the presence of Na_s. This led us to conclude that Na_s layers result from the redistribution of an omnipresent source, rather than an additional source mechanism. We have now extended this study to investigate whether or not the relative magnitude of Na_s layers influences this conclusion. To this end we manually characterized all the profiles obtained in the time interval from 1900 to 2200 LT for the years 1993–2004. This involved registering the upper and lower limits to each Na_s layer observed, the height of the peak and the sodium concentration at each of these three points. We then computed average profiles for Na_s layers of differing strengths, with strength defined as the concentration at the peak divided by the mean of the concentrations at the upper and lower boundaries. For strengths up to 4 the results confirmed our earlier conclusion but for Na_s layer strengths greater than 4 we found a significant difference between the average profiles with and without Na_s. For the strong Na_s layers both the average abundance and the average peak sodium concentration were about 10% greater than for layers without Na_s. This leads to the possibility that a different mechanism might be responsible for very stronger sporadic layers although we do not think this very likely.     

A new narrow beam Doppler radar at 3 MHz for studies of the high-latitude middle atmosphere

A Doppler radar at 3.17 MHz has been installed at Saura close to the Andøya Rocket Range as part of the ALOMAR observatory at Andenes, Norway in summer 2002 to improve the ground based capabilities for measurements of small scale features and turbulence in the mesosphere. The main feature of the new Saura MF radar is the transmitting/receiving antenna which is arranged as a Mills Cross of 29 crossed half-wave dipoles with a minimum beam width of about 7°. Each dipole is fed by its own transceiver, and the individual phase control of the 58 transceiver modules on transmission and reception provides high flexibility in beam forming and pointing as well as transmission switching between ordinary and extraordinary mode circular polarisation. In addition, beams with different widths at the same pointing angle can be formed. For multiple receiver applications (spaced antenna wind measurements, all-sky meteor detections) four independent receiving channels are available.     

日全食期间中间层大气臭氧光化过程试验

利用包括活O_x、HO_x、和NO_x等成份在内的一维时变光化模式,研究了日全食时上中层大气臭氧和O₂(1△g)的变化特性,并通过与观测资料的比较进行了光化模式的试验.结果表明,日全食时太阳辐照变化对1.27μm气晖影响的高度比曙暮期间明显偏低,利用1.27μm气晖光度计测量大气臭氧的高度范围约为52-67km.1997年3月9日漠河日全食时测量的大气臭氧含量变化幅度为50％.这与考虑O_x、HO_x、和NO_x等成份的光化模式理论模拟结果基本一致.它表明在52-67km高度范围不存在臭氧亏损现象.      

中层小尺度风切变的观测

十个中层大气风剖面于1988年夏季在北欧的Andφya(69°N)上空用装有铝箔的火箭测得。使用了一种新型铝箔,使其测量的高度范围覆盖103-85km,测量的高度分辨率为25m.观测的风切变剖面显示了一多层结构,一般由3-9个切变层组成,切变层厚度通常小于200m.观测到高达40-90m/s/km的强风切变,且如此大的切变存在于所测区间内不同高度上。在一个连续测量的五个风切变剖面中,有寿命至少2.5小时,相位向下运动速度为0.4m/s,以及最大切变振幅为180m/s/km的强风切变,显示了稳定和持续特性。      

夏季极区中层大气运动功率谱分析

本文分析了１９８７年６月２３日至２９日ＭＡＣ／ＳＩＮＥ国际联合观测期间ＳＯＵＳＹＶＨＦ雷达在Ａｎｄφｙａ探测中层大气风场起伏的功率谱．结果显示，垂直速度谱与重力波谱理论有较大差异．引入背景风场Ｄｏｐｐｌｅｒ漂移并不能完全解释垂直运动谱与重力波谱理论的偏差，背景风场的影响明显小于理论预测的结果，说明大气运动功率谱成分中除了重力波外可能还有其它因素．