Equator and High-Latitude Ionosphere-to-Magnetosphere Research; Scientific rept. no. 1, 25 Aug 2006-25 Aug 2007

摘要

This research contributes in critical areas toward the goals of (1) ionospheric effects on DoD systems research and (2) ionospheric research technology. Based on the proposal submitted to the Air Force, this year's efforts, as described in this report, involve support to the ionospheric specification objectives of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Atmospheric Research (UMLCAR) has taken an approach that addresses the specification of ionospheric parameters on a global scale; a goal that is particularly facilitated using the digisonde system pioneered by UMLCAR. Global ionospheric modeling is a major part of space weather forecasting and global communications progress, and our support for these goals is presented here. Use of the ubiquitous digisonde offers the best tool for real time ionospheric assimilative modeling as well as support to other systems that require verification and validation. A significant part of our research effort was providing the necessary validation of other methods of ionospheric specification by using the digisonde measurements as the 'truth' against which the performance of other systems was compared. These include cooperation with groups making ionospheric radio occultation and tomography, and UV measurements (Sections 2, 4, and 10). The Center is also evaluating the digisonde drift measurements against incoherent scatter radar plasma drift measurements (Section 6). The second major research concentration in this report involves the development of techniques that expand global ionospheric specification (Sections 3, 5, and 8). These cover the areas of digisonde profile uncertainty, improved ionogram virtual height measurements, and using digisondes to carry out routine measurements of the absorption of HF radio waves with the aim of predicting system outages with improved sensitivity.