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ROMFORSK-Program for romforskning

Characterization and Assessment of Structuring Connected to Auroral Dynamics using EISCAT_3D

Alternative title: Karakterisering av ionosfæriske irregulariteter koblet til nordlysdynamikk ved hjelp av EISCAT_3D

Awarded: NOK 7.9 mill.

Turbulent motion generally exhibits highly “irregular” structures, and exists in all types of fluids around us. It can for example be observed within rivers, in the neutral atmosphere, and also in the ionosphere, the ionized part of our atmosphere. In the ionosphere in particular, irregular structures in plasma density can have negative effects on our technological infrastructure, as they can for instance impact Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals. Our key scientific motivation is to understand the creation and behavior of ionospheric irregularities in the auroral regions, where they are known to be strongest. To address this challenging topic, we will take advantage of the new EISCAT_3D, a cutting-edge radar system currently under development in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. We will develop novel techniques applicable to the radar measurements to monitor the ionosphere in 3D and allowing to resolve how density structures evolve both in space and time. Radar observations will be coordinated with national and international research infrastructures, including high-resolution cameras, GNSS receivers, and sounding rockets from the Grand Challenge Initiative mesosphere lower thermosphere (MLT). Finally, numerical simulations will be conducted to validate and understand the observations, as well as to constrain the plausible physical mechanisms taking place. Altogether, the novel methods developed combined with multi-instrument observations and modelling work will allow to resolve outstanding questions about the formation and characteristics of ionospheric turbulence in the auroral regions.

Turbulent media exhibit a spatio-temporal randomness, or “irregular” character, and, in the ionosphere, the irregular structures in plasma density with scales shorter than a few kilometers are of particular interest for space weather applications. They can for instance disturb High Frequency (HF) radio communication, and degrade Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals. Our key scientific motivation is understand how these density structures occur and to identify the dominant mechanisms responsible for their creation in the auroral region, where they are known to be strongest. Our main objective is thus to characterize plasma density structuring in the auroral region. To address this challenging topic, we will take advantage of the new EISCAT_3D, a three-dimensional (3D) phased-array system currently under development capable of volumetric imaging, and of providing 3D vector measurements at unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution. We will develop novel measurement techniques allowing to resolve the spatio-temporal evolution of density structures, and to monitor the meso-scale electromagnetic conditions in the ionosphere. EISCAT_3D observations will be coordinated with national and international research infrastructures, including high-resolution cameras, GNSS receivers, and sounding rockets from the Grand Challenge Initiative mesosphere lower thermosphere (MLT), a large-scale international collaboration dedicated to study the physics and chemistry of the MLT system. Additionally, theoretical work and numerical simulations will be conducted to validate and understand the observations, as well as to predict and constrain the plausible physical mechanisms taking place. Altogether, the novel methods developed combined with multi-instrument multi-scale observations and modelling work will allow to resolve outstanding issues about the spatio-temporal characteristics of turbulence with space weather impacts on technology.

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ROMFORSK-Program for romforskning