The possibility of using all-sky meteor radar to observe ionospheric E-region field-aligned irregularities  

作　　者：XIE HaiYong LI GuoZhu NING BaiQi REID Iain HU LianHuan WU BaoYuan YU You YANG SiPeng 

机构地区：[1]Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China [2]Beijing National Observatory' of Space Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China [3]College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100029, China [4]ATmospheric RAD ar (ATRAD) Pty Ltd, Thebarton 5031, Australia [5]School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia

出　　处：《Science China(Technological Sciences)》2019年第8期1431-1437,共7页中国科学（技术科学英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41727803,41574149,41621063)

摘　　要：All-sky meteor radars are primarily used for meteor observations. This paper reports the first observations of ionospheric Eregion field-aligned irregularities(FAIs) from a conventional all-sky meteor radar located at Wuhan(31°N, 114°E) for the period of March–June 2018. E-region FAI echoes evident in range-time intensity(RTI) maps show quasiperiodic striations with positive and negative slopes, which are consistent with multiple FAI structures moving across the wide beam of the meteor radar. A statistical analysis shows that out of a total of 111 d, there are 73 d with E-region FAI echoes detected by the meteor radar. The FAI events correspond well with the presence of sporadic-E layers which provide the necessary plasma density gradient for the development of gradient drift instability producing FAIs. The results demonstrate the capability of conventional meteor radars to make simultaneous routine observations of meteors and ionospheric E-region FAIs through incorporating RTI and spectral analysis into the online realtime data processing. Meteor radar observations could potentially address the limitations of ionospheric radars, which cannot provide simultaneous measurements of neutral winds and irregularity structures, and thereby contribute to better understanding of the dynamical processes producing E-region irregularities.All-sky meteor radars are primarily used for meteor observations. This paper reports the first observations of ionospheric Eregion field-aligned irregularities(FAIs) from a conventional all-sky meteor radar located at Wuhan(31°N, 114°E) for the period of March–June 2018. E-region FAI echoes evident in range-time intensity(RTI) maps show quasiperiodic striations with positive and negative slopes, which are consistent with multiple FAI structures moving across the wide beam of the meteor radar. A statistical analysis shows that out of a total of 111 d, there are 73 d with E-region FAI echoes detected by the meteor radar. The FAI events correspond well with the presence of sporadic-E layers which provide the necessary plasma density gradient for the development of gradient drift instability producing FAIs. The results demonstrate the capability of conventional meteor radars to make simultaneous routine observations of meteors and ionospheric E-region FAIs through incorporating RTI and spectral analysis into the online realtime data processing. Meteor radar observations could potentially address the limitations of ionospheric radars, which cannot provide simultaneous measurements of neutral winds and irregularity structures, and thereby contribute to better understanding of the dynamical processes producing E-region irregularities.

关 键 词：METEOR radar IONOSPHERIC IRREGULARITIES SPORADIC E layer 

分 类 号：TH[机械工程]