Interhemispheric and longitudinal differences in the ionosphere-thermosphere coupling process during the May 2024 superstorm

Geomagnetic storm events have a strong influence on the ionosphere–thermosphere(I-T)coupling system.Analyzing the regional response process of the I-T system and its differences across the northern and southern hemispheres is an important but challenging task.In this study,we used a combination of multiple observations and a model simulation to examine the north–south hemispheric difference in the I-T coupling system in the American and Asian sectors during the geomagnetic superstorm that occurred in May 2024.Observations of the total electron content(TEC)showed that the Asian sector had negative storms in the northern hemisphere and positive storms in the southern hemisphere,a process that exacerbated the hemispheric differences in the TEC.However,both hemispheres of the American sector showed negative storms.The thermospheric composition changes also differed between the two sectors,and their variation could partially explain the hemispheric differences caused by positive and negative storms.Moreover,the influence of the thermospheric density change was less than that of the thermospheric composition.Finally,the dynamic effect of the thermospheric wind and the plasma transport processes strongly modulated the north–south differences in the TEC at nighttime in the American and Asian sectors,respectively,during this superstorm.

The dawn−dusk asymmetry in mesosphere and lower thermosphere temperature disturbances during geomagnetic storms at high latitude

Utilizing observations by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry(SABER)instrument,we quantitatively assessed the dawn-dusk asymmetry in temperature disturbances within the high-latitude mesosphere and lower thermosphere(MLT)during the main phase of geomagnetic storms in this study.An analysis of five geomagnetic superstorm events indicated that during the main phase,negative temperature disturbances were more prevalent on the dawn side than on the dusk side in the high-latitude MLT region.Results of a statistical analysis of 54 geomagnetic storm events also revealed a notable disparity in temperature disturbances between the dawn and dusk sides.At high latitudes,38.2%of the observational points on the dawn side exhibited negative temperature disturbances(less than−5 K),whereas on the dusk side,this percentage was only 29.5%.In contrast,at mid-latitudes,these proportions were 34.1%and 36.5%,respectively,showing no significant difference.We also conducted a statistical analysis of temperature disturbances at different altitudes,which revealed an increase in the proportion of warming disturbances with altitude.Conversely,the proportion of cooling disturbances initially rose with altitude,reaching a peak around 105 km,and subsequently decreased.These temperature disturbance differences could be explained by the day-night asymmetry in vertical wind disturbances during storm conditions.

An Introduction to Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Coupling Small Satellite Constellation

A future Chinese mission is introduced to study the coupling between magnetosphere,ionosphere and thermosphere,i.e.the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Coupling Small Satellite Constellation(MIT).The scientific objective of the mission is to focus on the outflow ions from the ionosphere to the magnetosphere.The constellation is planning to be composed of four small satellites;each small satellite has its own orbit and crosses the polar region at nearly the same time but at different altitude.The payloads onboard include particle detectors,electromagnetic payloads,auroral imagers and neutral atom imagers.With these payloads,the mission will be able to investigate acceleration mechanism of the upflow ions at different altitudes.Currently the orbits have been determined and prototypes of some have also been completed.Competition for next phase selection is scheduled in late 2015.

Variations of Thermosphere Density Based on Joint Analysis of In-Situ Measurement Data From Shenzhou Spacecrafts

Based on the measurements made by Atmospheric Density Detectors(ADDs) onboard Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou 2-4,the variations of thermosphere density are revealed.During the quiet period,the density at spacecraft altitude of 330~410 km exhibited a dominant diurnal variation,with high value on dayside and low value on nightside.The ratio of the diurnal maximum density to the minimum ranged from 1.7 to 2.0.The ratio shows a positive correlation with the level of solar activity and a negative correlation with the level of geomagnetic activity.When a geomagnetic disturbance comes,the atmospheric density at the altitude of 330～410 km displayed a global enhancement.For a strong geomagnetic disturbance,the atmospheric density increased by about 56%,and reached its maximum about 6～7 hours after the geomagnetic disturbance peak. The density asymmetry was also observed both in the southern and northern hemisphere during the geomagnetic disturbance peak.

Thermospheric mass density measurement from precise orbit ephemeris

Atmospheric drag, which can be inferred from orbit information of low-Earth orbiting （LEO） satellites, provides a direct means of measuring mass density. The temporal resolution of derived mass density could be in the range from minutes to days, depending on the pre- cision of the satellite orbit data. This paper presents two methods potentially being able to estimate thermosphere mass density from precise obit ephemeris with high temporal resolution. One method is based on the drag perturbation equation of the semi-major axis and the temporal resolution of retrieved density could be ~lB0 s for CHAMP satellite. Another method generates corrections to densities computed from a baseline density model through a Kalman filter orbit drag coefficient determination （KFOD） process and the temporal resolution of derived density could be as high as 30 s for CHAMP satellite. The densities estimated from these two methods are compared with densities obtained from accelerometer data of CHAMP satellite. When the accelerometer data based densities are used as reference values, the mean relative accuracy of the densities derived from precision orbit data using the two methods is within approximately 10%. An application of the derived densities shows that the derived densities can reduce orbit predication errors.

Prediction of the thermospheric and ionospheric responses to the 21 June 2020 annular solar eclipse

On 21 June 2020,an annular solar eclipse will traverse the low latitudes from Africa to Southeast Asia.The highest latitude of the maximum eclipse obscuration is approximately 30°.This low-latitude solar eclipse provides a unique and unprecedented opportunity to explore the impact of the eclipse on the low-latitude ionosphere–thermosphere(I–T)system,especially in the equatorial ionization anomaly region.In this study,we describe a quantitative prediction of the impact of this upcoming solar eclipse on the I–T system by using Thermosphere–Ionosphere–Electrodynamics General Circulation Model simulations.A prominent total electron content(TEC)enhancement of around 2 TEC units occurs in the equatorial ionization anomaly region even when this region is still in the shadow of the eclipse.This TEC enhancement lasts for nearly 4.5 hours,long after the solar eclipse has ended.Further model control simulations indicate that the TEC increase is mainly caused by the eclipse-induced transequatorial plasma transport associated with northward neutral wind perturbations,which result from eclipse-induced pressure gradient changes.The results illustrate that the effect of the solar eclipse on the I–T system is not transient and linear but should be considered a dynamically and energetically coupled system.

Roles of thermospheric neutral wind and equatorial electrojet in pre-reversal enhancement,deduced from observations in Southeast Asia

Previous studies have proposed that both the thermospheric neutral wind and the equatorial electrojet(EEJ)near sunset play important roles in the pre-reversal enhancement(PRE)mechanism.In this study,we have used observations made in the equatorial region of Southeast Asia during March–April and September–October in 2010–2013 to investigate influences of the eastward neutral wind and the EEJ on the PRE’s strength.Our analysis employs data collected by the Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer(GOCE)satellite to determine the zonal(east-west direction)neutral wind at an altitude of~250 km(bottomside F region)at longitudes of 90°–130°E in the dusk sector.Three ionosondes,at Chumphon(dip lat.:3.0°N)in Thailand,at Bac Lieu(dip lat.:1.7°N)in Vietnam,and at Cebu(dip lat.:3.0°N)in Philippines,provided the data we have used to derive the PRE strength.Data from two magnetometers—at Phuket(dip lat.:0.1°S)in Thailand and at Kototabang(dip lat.:10.3°S)in Indonesia—were used to estimate the EEJ strength.Our study is focused particularly on days with magnetically quiet conditions.We have found that the eastward neutral wind and the EEJ are both closely correlated with the PRE;their cross-correlation coefficients with it are,respectively,0.42 and 0.47.Their relationship with each other is weaker:the cross-correlation coefficient between the eastward neutral wind and the EEJ is just 0.26.Our findings suggest that both the eastward neutral wind and the EEJ near sunset are involved in the PRE mechanism.Based on the weak relationship between these two parameters,however,they appear to be significantly independent of each other.Thus,the wind and the EEJ are likely to be influencing the PRE magnitude independently,their effects balancing each other.

Thermospheric Density Anomaly in the Polar Cap Region During Geomagnetic Storms

The heating of the ionosphere-thermosphere system at high latitudes is a rather common phenomenon in the space climate.During geomagnetic storm time, Joule-heating enhances at high altitudes.The heating generates atmospheric upwelling causing large changes in thermospheric composition and hence in the total mass density.The CHAMP satellite with its complementary payload and long-duration mission provides an excellent dataset for studying the storm-related heating of the upper atmosphere.Based on the four-year accelerometer measurements,density enhancements in polar cap region are observed

Thermospheric density responses to Martian dust storm in autumn based on MAVEN data

The unique seasonal surface dust storms on Mars have a significant impact on the Martian atmosphere.However,due to the lack of observations,semi-empirical models are difficult to simulate the density changes in the thermosphere with the existence of dust storms in detail.Data from multiple Mars probes now offer new opportunities to study the detailed response of Martian dust storms to the upper atmosphere.In this paper,we use MAVEN accelerometer and mass spectrometer to study the variations of the Martian thermosphere density in autumn between MY32 and MY34(The corresponding Earth dates:February 11,2015 to February 28,2019),and use the seasonal model with dust storm index to fit the annual data of the above three Martian years.The results show that the thermosphere density has a clear response to the surface dust storm activity.Furthermore,the spatial distribution of measured data in autumn(northern hemisphere)is compared with the atmospheric density distribution simulated by the general circulation model(GCM)under specific initial conditions.The model simulation results agree well with the thermospheric density distribution characteristics of each Martian year under the initial strong dust storm conditions.It proves the important role of global dust storm in changing the structure of the Martian thermospheric atmosphere.

基于中国中东部多站流星雷达的二维风场观测研究

全天空流星雷达广泛应用于中间层-低热层大气水平风场的观测,为研究该区域大气风场的变化特征提供了重要数据支持.目前流星雷达主要采用单站观测模式,没有水平分辨率,并且只能探测流星区域的大气平均水平风场.为了得到更加丰富且精准的中间层-低热层大气风场信息,本研究介绍了建设在中国安徽地区的多站流星雷达系统,该系统包括安装在蒙城(33.36°N,116.49°E)的一台单站流星雷达和长丰(31.98°N,117.22°E)的一台远程接收机,两地直线距离约为167 km.相比于单站流星雷达,多站流星雷达系统探测到的前向散射流星数目增加了约70%,并且一般可以提供400 km×400 km以上的水平观测区域.除此之外,多站流星雷达系统还可以提供更加丰富的流星观测角度.新多站系统可以实现中间层-低热层大气二维水平风场的观测,在获取平均水平风场以及风场水平梯度的同时,还可以估计水平风场的散度、相对涡度和拉伸、剪切形变信息.多站流星雷达能够提供更多的水平风场参数,对进一步研究中间层-低热层区域的大气动力学过程具有重要意义.不仅如此,未来即将建成的多站流星雷达观测网将会实现中国中东部地区上空的中间层-低热层大气高时空分辨率的三维风场观测,这将有利于促进我们对中间层-低热层区域内的各类波动过程的理解.

基于TLE数据的大气密度反演与校正

用于航天器轨道预报的热层密度模型普遍存在30%左右的误差,影响LEO卫星的精密轨道确定和载荷控制。基于低轨航天器平运动变化与大气密度的关系,使用GRACE(gravity recovery and climate experiment)卫星TLE数据反演2003、2007年沿轨大气密度,通过比较反演值、模型值和实测值的关系分析误差产生原因,使用对数正态分布拟合密度比值。通过分析太阳辐射、地磁指数对大气密度变化的影响,提出一种基于空间环境指数的热层大气密度模型校正与预报方式。使用该方法对2003、2004、2007、2008年的MSIS86模型计算密度进行修正,将模型平均相对误差从33.33%~59.62%降低到11.55%~15.13%,太阳活动低年改进量是高年的1.5~2倍。对2009年经验模型结果进行预报校正,将预报误差降低36.49%,提高了模型精度。

浅谈极区空间物理学的科学革命

极区空间物理学重要的研究方向之一是剖析南北两极的热层、电离层和磁层的耦合问题。本文简明扼要地描述了极区空间物理学的一场革命——即理论框架的革新。这场科学革命是用磁流体力学理论取代电机工程理论,目前进行得比较缓慢,但将在今后的30~50年彻底改变人们对于热层-电离层-磁层的认知。

临近空间大气环境研究现状

临近空间指高度位于(20～100)km之间的地球大气层.简要综述临近空间的已有了解和研究前沿,包括基本状态、主要过程与控制因子.介绍了基于已有探测资料的经验模式的建立和基于基本物理定量规律和数值模拟方法的中层大气环流和化学气候数值模拟.最后从临近空间大气环境保障应用角度提出研究的新建议.

武汉中层、低热层大气角谱中频雷达观测

武汉中频雷达是利用中层、低热层中电子密度不均匀体的散射来测量大气的水平风场和电子密度剖面。雷达在计算风场的过程中可得到一些该层大气中电子密度不均匀体的寿命和空间尺度等参量值。结合这些参量和大气风场值可计算得到大气的角谱。其计算方法包括全相关分析技术的谱宽法和空间相关法。前者计算的值被认为是大气角谱的上限值。应用这两种方法,利用2001年2月9日武汉中频雷达的观测数据,对武昌上空中层、低热层大气的角谱进行了计算。结果得到大气角谱随高度增加略微增加,如在68km为6°,90km达最大为11°,其平均值为9.2°。利用2001年2月4—10日86km高度上的数据,得到一个7天平均的日变化曲线,发现大气角谱值在本地夜晚最小。

基于GRACE星载加速度计数据的热层密度反演

本文主要研究了利用GRACE星载加速度计数据反演热层密度.首先联合采用GRACE卫星2007—2009年星载加速度计数据和星载GPS数据进行动力学定轨并同时估计加速度计校正参数,依此对加速度计数据进行了校正.根据Sentman稀薄空气动力学方程计算卫星空气动力系数,对校正后的加速度计数据进行处理,反演得到了该时期沿轨热层大气密度.为分析反演密度的精度,将本文反演得到的GRACE-A卫星沿轨密度与Doornbos的解算结果,以及经验密度模型NRLMSISE00,HASDM模型进行比较分析.统计结果表明,本文反演结果比Doornbos系统性偏大约5%-8%,二者间的标准差（STD,standard deviation）在10%以内,具有较好的符合性.其差异主要是由于采用了不同的加速度标校以及空气动力系数计算策略.本文反演得到的热层密度较HASDM模型表现为正的系统性偏差且幅度在4%以内,而Doornbos的结果较HASDM模型约系统性偏小4%-7%,二者与HASDM模型的标准差均为30%左右.另外,本文反演密度与NRLMSISE00模型之间存在约30%-40%的系统性bias,其STD也在30%左右.

热层风场的理论模拟与分析

通过求解中性大气Navier Stokes动量方程建立了一个时变的三维风场理论模式 ,利用目前新版的中性大气模式NRLMSISE 0 0及国际电离层参考模式IRI2 0 0 0作为输入参数给出热层风场 .基于该模式 ,计算得到中等太阳活动年磁静日风场的变化形态及其受电场和离子曳力的影响 .同时 ,将Navier Stokes动量方程作不同形式的简化 ,并利用简化模式与本文的模式计算结果的对比 ,分析中性大气Navier Stokes动量方程中黏性项以及非线性项(U·Δ )U的作用 .结果表明 ,本文所建立伪三维风场模式给出的结果更为合理 ,而简化模式在某些地区尤其在低纬和赤道区不适用 ,黏性项及非线性项的作用不可忽略 .本文所建立的风场模式将对研究电离层动力学过程、电离层与热层的耦合过程以及空间天气学研究都有着重要意义 .

基于全天空F-P干涉仪反演热层垂直中性风

由于测量与计算的难度,对热层垂直中性风的观测还很不够,这影响了人们对热层及热层-电离层耦合的认识.本文基于全天空法布里-珀罗干涉仪(FPI)对热层风场的观测,提出了一种反演垂直中性风的方法.利用该方法,对北极黄河站全天空FPI观测数据进行了垂直中性风的反演计算,结果表明,高热层与低热层的垂直风平均幅值分别在40m·s-1和15m·s-1,且垂直风日变化表现出明显的时间演变特性,且与地磁ap指数的变化有一定的相关性,在地磁活动强烈时,低热层垂直风会出现高达100m·s-1的扰动,高热层甚至会达到300m·s-1的扰动,这些特征与其他学者的观测结果相一致.本文方法不需要假设垂直风均值为零,也不用限制FPI的观测方位,可用于垂直风的反演.

2003年11月超强磁暴热层大气密度扰动及其与焦耳加热和环电流指数的关系——CHAMP卫星观测

本文利用CHAMP卫星加速度仪测量数据,计算和分析2003年11月20～21日大磁暴期间大气质量密度扰动的全球分布特征;研究暴时变化与极区大尺度对流引起的全球焦耳加热总功率及环电流指数SYM-H之间的关系.结果表明,磁暴期间400km高度上热层大气质量密度大幅度上升,NRLMSISE-00模式预测值与此相比有很大差别;暴时大气密度的增大存在昼/夜半球不对称性:白天强于夜晚,且白天随纬度的分布呈现出比较复杂的图像,在赤道附近和南半球中低纬区(10°N～50°S)大气密度增大较强,并呈双峰分布,两个峰分别位于0°和45°S,另外在极区也出现大气密度扰动的局部极大,而在夜晚,大气密度变化南北半球比较对称,在赤道低纬区大气密度增大较强;互相关分析表明,中低纬区大气密度变化滞后于全球焦耳加热总功率3～7h,滞后于环电流指数(SYM-H)0～3h,与二者存在很强的相关,表明极区焦耳加热和赤道环电流过程对暴时热层大气密度扰动有重要影响.

TIMED卫星探测的全球大气温度分布及其与经验模式的比较

利用TIMED卫星遥感探测的全球温度分布与NRLMSISE-00大气经验模式进行了对比研究．研究表明,在中间层下部以下的高度范围内,经验模式与卫星探测的大气温度分布有很好的一致性．但是比较发现,在中层顶区域,经验模式的计算结果与实测结果有较大的差异．卫星探测表明,在春分季节的低纬地区中层顶区存在稳定的逆温层,但是经验模式不能给出低纬地区春分季节中间层逆温层的分布特征．卫星观测表明在全球范围内中层顶有两个非常不同的高度,一个处于100km附近,另一个处于85km附近,但是经验模式不能给出这一中层顶高度的分布特征．同时在低热层,经验模式计算的温度分布与卫星遥感的探测结果有很大的差异．

磁暴期间热层中性大气受热抬升的观测例证

采用AE-D卫星上中性大气数密度的观测资料 ,分析了 1 975年 1 1月内多次磁暴期间热层大气中氦和原子氧与氮分子之数密度比值的变化 .结果表明 ,磁暴对中性大气加热的理论是符合实际情况的 .低热层大气受热抬升使较高高度上的大气中质量较轻成分的数密度相对比例有明显下降 ,而较重成分的百分比则有增加 .与地磁宁静期间相比 ,在 1 40—1 6 0km高度上n(He) /n(N2 )之比值降低了一个数量级 ,而n(Ar) /n(N2 )的增幅则略大于一个数量级 .此比值的变化幅度大小随高度而变 ,但各高度上暴时变化的发展趋势是基本一致的 .