电离层LBH日辉辐射大视场计算方法

LBH日辉辐射是由光电子与氮气分子碰撞激发而产生的,是电离层在远紫外辐射波段中最强的分子辐射信号.从空间对电离层LBH日辉辐射进行成像观测为高层大气状态的监测提供了一种强有力的方法.本文分析了LBH辐射的谱带特征,采用电子碰撞直接激发理论,使用球几何大气模型,针对大视场观测模式,给出了一种改进的LBH日辉柱辐射率计算方法RAURIC.RAURIC针对AURIC辐射算法的局限性主要有两点改进：一是增加了观测方位角;二是考虑了沿观测视线LOS方向上太阳天顶角的变化.我们使用RAURIC计算了140~180 nm波段的LBH日辉辐射,并与AURIC进行了比较,结果表明：在天底方向上,二者具有非常好的一致性;在其他观测方向上,尤其在大视场观测模式下,则需要使用RAURIC进行计算.本文工作为电离层LBH日辉图像模拟技术与数据反演技术的研制奠定了基础.     

国际参考电离层用于中国地区时的修正计算方法

在充分利用中国电离层台站长期观测资料的基础上,阐述了国际参考电离层用于中国地区时的一种修正计算方法．它采用“亚大地区Ｆ２电离层预测方法”计算ｆ０Ｆ２和Ｍ（３０００）Ｆ２,合理地描述Ｆ１层的出现和提高Ｅ层的峰值高度．与实测的电离层数据的系统比较说明,该方法在中国地区使用时,其精度比国际参考电离层有明显提高．     

国际参考电离层用于中国地区时的修正计算方法

在充分利用中国电离层台站长期观测资料的基础上，阐述了国际参考电离层用于中国地区时的一种修正计算方法．它采用“亚大地区Ｆ_２电离层预测方法”计算ｆ_０Ｆ_２和Ｍ（３０００）Ｆ_２，合理地描述Ｆ_１层的出现和提高Ｅ层的峰值高度．与实测的电离层数据的系统比较说明，该方法在中国地区使用时，其精度比国际参考电离层有明显提高．     

中国高层大气与电离层耦合研究进展

近年来,地球高层大气与电离层之间的耦合研究为众多学者所关注.在回顾这一领域国际上若干研究方向进展的基础上,着重介绍了中国学者的近期研究工作与贡献.首先,扼要介绍了中国高层大气观测的新发展,包括激光雷达、FP干涉仪、全天空气辉成像仪等光学探测,MST雷达、全天空流星雷达等无线电探测手段.在高层大气变化特性研究中,介绍了高层大气的气候学及各种大气波动的研究进展.在高层大气与低电离层的耦合研究方面,介绍了突发钠层及低热层钠层的观测研究和钠层模式的研究进展,以及突发E层与大气行星波之间的耦合研究工作.在高层大气波动过程与电离层F2层耦合研究中,着重介绍了电离层四波经度结构与高层大气非迁移潮汐之间的耦合特性与机理研究.在热层与电离层耦合的研究方向上,介绍了热层背景大气风场和重力波对电离层的作用、带电粒子对赤道热层的影响与热层赤道异常的形成机理研究等热层电离层相互耦合工作.综合认为,近年来中国学者在高层大气与电离层耦合的研究领域进行了大量工作,包括实验观测及数据分析、模式化与理论研究等.中国学者取得的研究成果为这一领域近年来的进展与突破做出了重要贡献.     

电离层人工调制激发的下行ELF/VLF波辐射

通过大功率ELF/VLF调幅高频波对电离层进行加热,形成电离层虚拟天线,可以作为发射ELF/VLF波的一种有效手段.本文使用汪枫(2009)的调制加热模型,计算高频加热电离层产生的低频辐射源强度,采用全波解算法分析辐射的低频波向下传播过程中的衰减和反射问题,并采用HAARP实验参数,模拟出在海面上接收到的低频信号强度为PT量级,与实验数据一致.模拟结果表明,加热泵波功率、低频调制波频率、以及加热纬度位置是影响ELF/VLF波辐射和传播的三个主要因素.     

中国区域电离层扩展F发生率特征研究

本文利用2011年富克、厦门、南宁、克州、格尔木、西安、北京和漠河等电离层垂测站的电离层扩展F数据,统计了中国区域电离层扩展F发生率的日变化、季节变化和区域变化特征.除了漠河外,中国区域电离层扩展F发生率的日变化、季节变化特征比较一致,扩展F出现在夜间(18～08 LT),且午夜后多于午夜前,以6月为中心的夏季月份扩展F发生率高.电离层扩展F发生率的最大值随着纬度的增加而减少,发生率最大值出现的时间也随着纬度增加而延迟,具有明显的"纬度效应".漠河电离层扩展F与中国区域中其他地方相比较,在发生时间段、发生率数值和季节变化特征方面都具有明显的不同特征,这些情况表明漠河电离层扩展F的产生机制和影响因素可能是不同的.     

太阳活动中低年厦门电离层扩展F发生率研究

本文利用2008年至2013年厦门电离层垂测仪的观测数据,分析了太阳活动中低年厦门电离层扩展F发生率的日变化、季节变化特征和太阳活动对厦门电离层扩展F发生率的影响,结果显示:(1)厦门电离层扩展F主要出现在地方时18时至次日8时的时间段内,扩展F发生率最大值出现在午夜后;(2)厦门电离层扩展F主要出现在5—8月的夏季月份,扩展F发生率最大值一般出现在6月份(2009年出现在5月份);(3)厦门电离层扩展F发生率的日变化、季节变化中存在明显的逐年变化;(4)厦门电离层扩展F年出现次数与太阳10.7 cm射电流量年平均值在2008年到2011年正向相关,而在2012年、2013年却负向相关;在每一年中(除了2012年外),厦门电离层扩展F月发生率与太阳10.7 cm射电流量月平均值负向相关.太阳活动和厦门电离层扩展F发生率之间的复杂关系表明,太阳活动可能通过赤道电离层扩展F和中纬电离层扩展F两种机制影响了厦门电离层扩展F发生.     

高纬日侧电离层离子上行的地磁活动依赖性研究

本文对比分析了太阳活动高、低年期间高纬日侧顶部电离层离子上行随地磁活动水平的变化特征.按地磁活动水平, 将DMSP卫星在太阳活动高年(2000-2002年, F13和F15)及太阳活动低年(2007-2009年, F13;2007-2010年, F15)期间的SSIES离子漂移速度观测数据分为三组:地磁平静期(Kp < 3), 中等地磁扰动期(3 ≤ Kp < 5)和强地磁活动期(Kp ≥ 5), 分别统计分析了高纬日侧顶部电离层离子上行特征的时空分布.对比分析发现:(1)太阳活动低年期间, 高纬日侧电离层离子上行发生率以及上行速度峰值均是太阳活动高年的2倍多, 而离子上行通量峰值只有高年的1/6-1/4;(2)在相同太阳活动条件下, 地磁活动水平对日侧电离层离子上行发生率峰值的影响并不明显, 但对离子上行发生率的空间分布有着显著的控制作用:电离层离子上行高发区随地磁活动向低纬度扩展, 并在强地磁活动期间呈现饱和的趋势; (3)日侧顶部电离层等离子体似乎存在两个效率相当的上行区域, 一个位于极尖/极隙区纬度附近, 离子可沿开放磁力线上行进入磁尾; 另一个位于晨侧亚极光区附近, 离子沿闭合磁力线上行, 有可能进入日侧等离子体层边界层.

     

青藏高原地区气溶胶的时空分布特征及其辐射强迫和气候效应的数值模拟

利用美国的SAGEⅡ全球月平均格点卫星资料, 对青藏高原地区的大气气溶胶状况进行了分析. 分析表明高原上空平流层大气气溶胶的光学厚度在冬季最大, 春、秋季次之, 夏季最小, 存在明显的季节振荡现象. 然后利用MM 5模拟了气溶胶的辐射强迫状况, 结果表明, 相对于设置均一的背景气溶胶而言, 青藏高原地区的辐射强迫均为正值. 高原上地面土壤温度和地面气温均有所增加, 增加的量级相当, 但增幅略小. 高原上500 hPa处的气温也有所增加, 增幅比地面气温的增幅更小, 但仍处于同一个量级.     

地基GNSS VTEC约束的大气掩星电离层误差修正方法

介绍了一种考虑电离层沿GNSS掩星射线路径分布不对称且兼顾一阶和二阶项的大气掩星电离层误差修正新方法,它综合地基GNSS VTEC的水平变化信息和电离层模式的垂直变化信息,在沿"入射线"与"出射线"双边局部球对称假设下,估算GNSS掩星射线路径上的电子密度;进而计算一阶和二阶项弯曲角电离层误差廓线.采用太阳活动低年的2008年7月15日和太阳活动较高年的2013年7月15日两天的MetOp-A和GRACE掩星观测资料和IGS的GNSS VTEC数据,计算了GNSS大气掩星弯曲角一阶和二阶项电离层误差廓线.对比分析表明：新方法经验模型和理论模型的二阶项弯曲角电离层残差,以及经验模型与实测数据的一阶和二阶项弯曲角电离层误差均具有良好的一致性,因此该方法可用于L2信号数据质量较差或L2信号中断的掩星事件,同时修正大气掩星一阶和二阶电离层误差,从而提高弯曲角精度和掩星观测资料的利用率.     

High resolution 2-D maps of OI 630.0 nm thermospheric dayglow from equatorial latitudes

The first-ever high resolution 2-D maps of OI 630.0 nm dayglow obtained from equatorial latitudes clearly reveal the movement as a large-scale feature of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). These also show the presence of wave-like features classified as gravity waves presumably originating at the crest of the EIA, similar to the equatorial electrojet acting as a source of these waves. These results are presented and discussed.     

震前电离层TEC异常探测新方法

本文提出一种利用时间序列法(ARIMA模型)进行震前电离层异常探测的新方法.首先,对比分析了该方法与传统探测方法(四分位距法、滑动时窗法)预测TEC背景值的精度.结果表明,时间序列法预测背景值的精度要明显高于传统方法,且预报背景值的平均偏差要比传统方法小2倍左右,说明传统探测方法预测的背景值具有较大系统偏差.为更准确地探测震前电离层扰动,除了得到准确的参考背景值,还需得到更加合理的探测限值,由此本文提出一种更为合理的限差确定策略.最后,以2012年1月10日苏门答腊岛7.2级地震为例,利用该方法分析了其震前电离层的异常扰动情况,并验证了该方法的有效性,实验结果表明:在震前第13天、第8~9天、第1~2天和地震当天电离层均会发生较为明显的异常.而且,其正异常(观测值高于正常值)一般发生在震中以北,距发震时间相对较远;负异常(观测值低于正常值)则在震中各方向均会出现,且距发震时间较近.同时,通过对异常结果分时段统计,发现在发震时刻前,距发震时刻越近的时段发生异常的频率越高,此规律将会对未来更为准确的预报发震时段提供重要参考.     

Analysis of the positive ionospheric response to a moderate geomagnetic storm using a global numerical model

Current theories of F-layer storms are discussed using numerical simulations with the Upper Atmosphere Model, a global self-consistent, time dependent numerical model of the thermosphere-ionosphere-plasmasphere-magnetosphere system including electrodynamical coupling effects. A case study of a moderate geomagnetic storm at low solar activity during the northern winter solstice exemplifies the complex storm phenomena. The study focuses on positive ionospheric storm effects in relation to thermospheric disturbances in general and thermospheric composition changes in particular. It investigates the dynamical effects of both neutral meridional winds and electric fields caused by the disturbance dynamo effect. The penetration of short-time electric fields of magnetospheric origin during storm intensification phases is shown for the first time in this model study. Comparisons of the calculated thermospheric composition changes with satellite observations of AE-C and ESRO-4 during storm time show a good agreement. The empirical MSISE90 model, however, is less consistent with the simulations. It does not show the equatorward propagation of the disturbances and predicts that they have a gentler latitudinal gradient. Both theoretical and experimental data reveal that although the ratio of [O]/[N₂] at high latitudes decreases significantly during the magnetic storm compared with the quiet time level, at mid to low latitudes it does not increase (at fixed altitudes) above the quiet reference level. Meanwhile, the ionospheric storm is positive there. We conclude that the positive phase of the ionospheric storm is mainly due to uplifting of ionospheric F2-region plasma at mid latitudes and its equatorward movement at low latitudes along geomagnetic field lines caused by large-scale neutral wind circulation and the passage of travelling atmospheric disturbances (TADs). The calculated zonal electric field disturbances also help to create the positive ionospheric disturbances both at middle and low latitudes. Minor contributions arise from the general density enhancement of all constituents during geomagnetic storms, which favours ion production processes above ion losses at fixed height under day-light conditions.     

Physical mechanism of strong negative storm effects in the daytime ionospheric F2 region observed with EISCAT

A self-consistent method for daytime F-region modelling was applied to EISCAT observations during two periods comprising the very disturbed days 3 April 1992 and 10 April 1990. The observed strong N_e decrease at F2-layer heights originated from different physical mechanisms in the two cases. The negative F2-layer storm effect with an N_mF2 decrease by a factor of 6.4 on 3 April 1992 was produced by enhanced electric fields (E 85 mV/m) and strong downward plasma drifts, but without any noticeable changes in thermos-pheric parameters. The increase of the O⁺ + N₂ reaction rate resulted in a strong enrichment of the ionosphere with molecular ions even at F2-layer heights. The enhanced electric field produced a wide mid-latitude daytime trough on 03 April 1992 not usually observed during similar polarization jet events. The other strong negative storm effect on 10 April 1990 with a complete disappearance of the F2-layer maximum at the usual heights was attributed mainly to changes in neutral composition and temperature. A small value for the shape parameter S in the neutral temperature profile and a low neutral temperature at 120 km indicate strong cooling of the lower thermosphere. We propose that this cooling is due to increased nitric oxide concentration usually observed at these heights during geomagnetic storms.     

Semiannual and annual variations in the height of the ionospheric F2-peak

Ionosonde data from sixteen stations are used to study the semiannual and annual variations in the height of the ionospheric F2-peak, hmF2. The semiannual variation, which peaks shortly after equinox, has an amplitude of about 8 km at an average level of solar activity (10.7 cm flux = 140 units), both at noon and midnight. The annual variation has an amplitude of about 11 km at northern midlatitudes, peaking in early summer; and is larger at southern stations, where it peaks in late summer. Both annual and semiannual amplitudes increase with increasing solar activity by day, but not at night. The semiannual variation in hmF2 is unrelated to the semiannual variation of the peak electron density NmF2, and is not reproduced by the CTIP and TIME-GCM computational models of the quiet-day thermosphere and ionosphere. The semiannual variation in hmF2 is approximately isobaric, in that its amplitude corresponds quite well to the semiannual variation in the height of fixed pressure-levels in the thermosphere, as represented by the MSIS empirical model. The annual variation is not isobaric. The annual mean of hmF2 increases with solar 10.7 cm flux, both by night and by day, on average by about 0.45 km/flux unit, rather smaller than the corresponding increase of height of constant pressure-levels in the MSIS model. The discrepancy may be due to solar-cycle variations of thermospheric winds. Although geomagnetic activity, which affects thermospheric density and temperature and therefore hmF2 also, is greatest at the equinoxes, this seems to account for less than half the semiannual variation of hmF2. The rest may be due to a semiannual variation of tidal and wave energy transmitted to the thermosphere from lower levels in the atmosphere.     

Annual and semiannual variations in the ionospheric F2-layer. I. Modelling

Annual, seasonal and semiannual variations of F2-layer electron density (NmF2) and height (hmF2) have been compared with the coupled thermosphere-ionosphere-plasmasphere computational model (CTIP), for geomagnetically quiet conditions. Compared with results from ionosonde data from midlatitudes, CTIP reproduces quite well many observed features of NmF2, such as the dominant winter maxima at high midlatitudes in longitude sectors near the magnetic poles, the equinox maxima in sectors remote from the magnetic poles and at lower latitudes generally, and the form of the month-to-month variations at latitudes between about 60°N and 50°S. CTIP also reproduces the seasonal behaviour of NmF2 at midnight and the summer-winter changes of hmF2. Some features of the F2-layer, not reproduced by the present version of CTIP, are attributed to processes not included in the modelling. Examples are the increased prevalence of the winter maxima of noon NmF2 at higher solar activity, which may be a consequence of the increase of F2-layer loss rate in summer by vibrationally excited molecular nitrogen, and the semiannual variation in hmF2, which may be due to tidal effects. An unexpected feature of the computed distributions of NmF2 is an east-west hemisphere difference, which seems to be linked to the geomagnetic field configuration. Physical discussion is reserved to the companion paper by Rishbeth et al.     

Annual and semiannual variations in the ionospheric F2-layer: II. Physical discussion

The companion paper by Zou et al. shows that the annual and semiannual variations in the peak F2-layer electron density (NmF2) at midlatitudes can be reproduced by a coupled thermosphere-ionosphere computational model (CTIP), without recourse to external influences such as the solar wind, or waves and tides originating in the lower atmosphere. The present work discusses the physics in greater detail. It shows that noon NmF2 is closely related to the ambient atomic/molecular concentration ratio, and suggests that the variations of NmF2 with geographic and magnetic longitude are largely due to the geometry of the auroral ovals. It also concludes that electric fields play no important part in the dynamics of the midlatitude thermosphere. Our modelling leads to the following picture of the global three-dimensional thermospheric circulation which, as envisaged by Duncan, is the key to explaining the F2-layer variations. At solstice, the almost continuous solar input at high summer latitudes drives a prevailing summer-to-winter wind, with upwelling at low latitudes and throughout most of the summer hemisphere, and a zone of downwelling in the winter hemisphere, just equatorward of the auroral oval. These motions affect thermospheric composition more than do the alternating day/night (up-and-down) motions at equinox. As a result, the thermosphere as a whole is more molecular at solstice than at equinox. Taken in conjunction with the well-known relation of F2-layer electron density to the atomic/molecular ratio in the neutral air, this explains the F2-layer semiannual effect in NmF2 that prevails at low and middle latitudes. At higher midlatitudes, the seasonal behaviour depends on the geographic latitude of the winter downwelling zone, though the effect of the composition changes is modified by the large solar zenith angle at midwinter. The zenith angle effect is especially important in longitudes far from the magnetic poles. Here, the downwelling occurs at high geographic latitudes, where the zenith angle effect becomes overwhelming and causes a midwinter depression of electron density, despite the enhanced atomic/molecular ratio. This leads to a semiannual variation of NmF2. A different situation exists in winter at longitudes near the magnetic poles, where the downwelling occurs at relatively low geographic latitudes so that solar radiation is strong enough to produce large values of NmF2. This circulation-driven mechanism provides a reasonably complete explanation of the observed pattern of F2 layer annual and semiannual quiet-day variations.