Recent results and future plans of atmospheric study using CRL all-sky imagers

摘要

As part of an international cooperative research project between Communications Research Laboratory and Geophysical Institute of University of Alaska, we developed two all-sky imagers (CRL-ASI). We had conducted pilot observations in Japan, and developed some new observation techniques for atmospheric waves. We installed the CRL-ASI at Poker Flat (magnetic lat 65.6N), Alaska, and started aurora/airglow observations from October 2000. CRL-ASI can be operated automatically, and controlled from CRL, Japan, Realtime summary data are opened to the public with WWW. Using these instruments, we successfully observed some new phenomena: simultaneous appearance of gravity waves and aurora, co-rotating aurora in the evening sector. These results show the advantage of sensitivity and spatial resolution of the CRL-ASI. Observation data by CRL-ASI will contribute to a study on the magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere coupling.