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Immel TJ, England SL, Harding BJ, Wu YJ, Maute A, Cullens C, Englert CR, Mende SB, Heelis RA, Frey HU, Korpela EJ, Stephan AW, Frey S, Stevens MH, Makela JJ, Kamalabadi F, Triplett CC, Forbes JM, McGinness E, Gasque LC, Harlander JM, Gérard JC, Hubert B, Huba JD, Meier RR, Roberts B. The Ionospheric Connection Explorer - Prime Mission Review. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2023; 219:41. [PMID: 37469439 PMCID: PMC10352447 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-023-00975-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
The two-year prime mission of the NASA Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) is complete. The baseline operational and scientific objectives have been met and exceeded, as detailed in this report. In October of 2019, ICON was launched into an orbit that provides its instruments the capability to deliver near-continuous measurements of the densest plasma in Earth's space environment. Through collection of a key set of in-situ and remote sensing measurements that are, by virtue of a detailed mission design, uniquely synergistic, ICON enables completely new investigations of the mechanisms that control the behavior of the ionosphere-thermosphere system under both geomagnetically quiet and active conditions. In a two-year period that included a deep solar minimum, ICON has elucidated a number of remarkable effects in the ionosphere attributable to energetic inputs from the lower and middle atmosphere, and shown how these are transmitted from the edge of space to the peak of plasma density above. The observatory operated in a period of low activity for 2 years and then for a year with increasing solar activity, observing the changing balance of the impacts of lower and upper atmospheric drivers on the ionosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J. Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, 94720-7450 CA USA
| | - Scott L. England
- Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA
| | - Brian J. Harding
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, 94720-7450 CA USA
| | - Yen-Jung Wu
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, 94720-7450 CA USA
| | - Astrid Maute
- CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
| | - Chihoko Cullens
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, TX 80309 USA
| | - Christoph R. Englert
- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave S.W., Washington, DC 20375 USA
| | - Stephen B. Mende
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, 94720-7450 CA USA
| | - Roderick A. Heelis
- William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, University of Texas, Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080 USA
| | - Harald U. Frey
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, 94720-7450 CA USA
| | - Eric J. Korpela
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, 94720-7450 CA USA
| | - Andrew W. Stephan
- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave S.W., Washington, DC 20375 USA
| | - Sabine Frey
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, 94720-7450 CA USA
| | - Michael H. Stevens
- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave S.W., Washington, DC 20375 USA
| | - Jonathan J. Makela
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Farzad Kamalabadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Colin C. Triplett
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, 94720-7450 CA USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Forbes
- Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303 USA
| | - Emma McGinness
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, 94720-7450 CA USA
| | - L. Claire Gasque
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, 94720-7450 CA USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Bryce Roberts
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, 94720-7450 CA USA
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2
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Englert CR, Harlander JM, Marr KD, Harding BJ, Makela JJ, Fae T, Brown CM, Ratnam MV, Rao SVB, Immel TJ. Michelson Interferometer for Global High-Resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) On-Orbit Wind Observations: Data Analysis and Instrument Performance. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2023; 219:27. [PMID: 37038438 PMCID: PMC10079725 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-023-00971-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The design, principles of operation, calibration, and data analysis approaches of the Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) on the NASA Ionospheric Connection (ICON) satellite have been documented prior to the ICON launch. Here we update and expand on the MIGHTI wind data analysis and discuss the on-orbit instrument performance. In particular, we show typical raw data and we describe key processing steps, including the correction of a "signal-intensity dependent phase shift," which is necessitated by unexpected detector behavior. We describe a new zero-wind calibration approach that is preferred over the originally planned approach due to its higher precision. Similar to the original approach, the new approach is independent of any a priori data. A detailed update on the wind uncertainties is provided and compared to the mission requirements, showing that MIGHTI has met the ICON mission requirements. While MIGHTI observations are not required to produce absolute airglow brightness profiles, we describe a relative brightness profile product, which is included in the published data. We briefly review the spatial resolution of the MIGHTI wind data in addition to the data coverage and data gaps that occurred during the nominal mission. Finally, we include comparisons of the MIGHTI wind data with ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometer observations and meteor radar observations, updating previous studies with more recent data, again showing good agreement. The data processing steps covered in this work and all the derived wind data correspond to the MIGHTI data release Version 5 (v05).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph R. Englert
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 USA
| | | | - Kenneth D. Marr
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 USA
| | - Brian J. Harding
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Jonathan J. Makela
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Tori Fae
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Charles M. Brown
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 USA
| | - M. Venkat Ratnam
- National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, Gadanki, Pakala, Andhra Pradesh 517112 India
| | | | - Thomas J. Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
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3
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Korpela EJ, Sirk MM, Edelstein J, McPhate JB, Tuminello RM, Stephan AW, England SL, Immel TJ. In-Flight Performance of the ICON EUV Spectrograph. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2023; 219:24. [PMID: 37007703 PMCID: PMC10050024 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-023-00963-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
We present in-flight performance measurements of the Ionospheric Connection Explorer EUV spectrometer, ICON EUV, a wide field ( 17 ∘ × 12 ∘ ) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imaging spectrograph designed to observe the lower ionosphere at tangent altitudes between 100 and 500 km. The primary targets of the spectrometer, which has a spectral range of 54-88 nm, are the Oii emission lines at 61.6 nmand 83.4 nm. In flight calibration and performance measurement has shown that the instrument has met all of the science performance requirements. We discuss the observed and expected changes in the instrument performance due to microchannel plate charge depletion, and how these changes were tracked over the first two years of flight. This paper shows raw data products from this instrument. A parallel paper (Stephan et al. in Space Sci. Rev. 218:63, 2022) in this volume discusses the use of these raw products to determine O+ density profiles versus altitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J. Korpela
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Martin M. Sirk
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Jerry Edelstein
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Jason B. McPhate
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Richard M. Tuminello
- Aerospace & Ocean Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington D.C., USA
| | | | - Scott L. England
- Aerospace & Ocean Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
| | - Thomas J. Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
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4
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Frey HU, Mende SB, Meier RR, Kamaci U, Urco JM, Kamalabadi F, England SL, Immel TJ. In Flight Performance of the Far Ultraviolet Instrument (FUV) on ICON. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2023; 219:23. [PMID: 37007704 PMCID: PMC10049961 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-023-00969-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The NASA Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) was launched in October 2019 and has been observing the upper atmosphere and ionosphere to understand the sources of their strong variability, to understand the energy and momentum transfer, and to determine how the solar wind and magnetospheric effects modify the internally-driven atmosphere-space system. The Far Ultraviolet Instrument (FUV) supports these goals by observing the ultraviolet airglow in day and night, determining the atmospheric and ionospheric composition and density distribution. Based on the combination of ground calibration and flight data, this paper describes how major instrument parameters have been verified or refined since launch, how science data are collected, and how the instrument has performed over the first 3 years of the science mission. It also provides a brief summary of science results obtained so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. U. Frey
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - S. B. Mende
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - R. R. Meier
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA USA
| | - U. Kamaci
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA
| | - J. M. Urco
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA
- Present Address: Leibniz-Institute for Atmospheric Physics, Kühlungsborn, Germany
| | - F. Kamalabadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA
| | - S. L. England
- Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA USA
| | - T. J. Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
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5
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Wu C, Ridley AJ. Comparison of TIDI Line of Sight Winds With ICON-MIGHTI Measurements. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2023; 128:e2022JA030910. [PMID: 37035845 PMCID: PMC10078375 DOI: 10.1029/2022ja030910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite has been making observations of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region for two decades. The TIMED Doppler Interferometer (TIDI) measures the neutral winds using four orthogonal telescopes. In this study, the line of sight (LOS) winds from individual telescopes are compared to the measurements from the Ionospheric Connection Explorer's (ICON's) Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) instrument from 90 to 100 km altitude during 2020. With the MIGHTI vector winds projected onto the LOS direction of each TIDI telescope, coincidences of the two data sets are found. The four telescopes perform differently and the performance depends on the satellite configuration and local solar zenith angle. Measurements from the coldside telescopes, Telescope 1 (Tel1) and Telescope 2 (Tel2), are better correlated with the MIGHTI winds in general with Tel2 having higher correlation coefficients across all conditions. The performance of Tel1 is comparable to that of Tel2 during backward flight while showing systematic errors larger than the average wind speeds during forward flight. The warmside LOS winds from Telescope 3 (Tel3) and Telescope 4 (Tel4) vary widely in magnitude, especially on the nightside. Compared with MIGHTI winds, the Tel4 measurements have the weakest correlation, while the Tel3 performance is comparable to that of the coldside telescopes during the ascending phase but deteriorates during the descending phase. Based on the TIDI/MIGHTI comparisons, figures of merit are generated to quantify the quality of measurements from individual telescopes in different configurations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wu
- Climate and Space Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Aaron J. Ridley
- Climate and Space Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
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Wei D, Gong Q, Chen Q, Zhu Y, Kaufmann M, Olschewski F, Knieling P, Dötzer F, Mantel K, Xu J, Koppmann R, Riese M. Modeling and correction of fringe patterns in Doppler asymmetric spatial heterodyne interferometry. APPLIED OPTICS 2022; 61:10528-10537. [PMID: 36607115 DOI: 10.1364/ao.473147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Doppler asymmetric spatial heterodyne (DASH) interferometry is a novel concept for observing atmospheric winds. This paper discusses a numerical model for the simulation of fringe patterns and a methodology to correct fringe images for extracting Doppler information from ground-based DASH measurements. Based on the propagation of optical waves, the fringe pattern was modeled considering different angular deviations and optical aberrations. A dislocation between two gratings can introduce an additional spatial modulation associated with the diffraction order, which was seen in laboratory measurements. A phase correction is proposed to remove phase differences between different row interferograms, which is the premise for calculating the average interferogram to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. Laboratory tests, simulation results, and Doppler velocity measurements indicate that a matrix determined in the laboratory can be applied to correct interferograms obtained from ground-based DASH measurements.
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7
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Tuminello RM, England SL, Sirk MM, Meier RR, Stephan AW, Korpela EJ, Immel TJ, Mende SB, Frey HU. Neutral Composition Information in ICON EUV Dayglow Observations. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2022; 127:e2022JA030592. [PMID: 36247324 PMCID: PMC9539490 DOI: 10.1029/2022ja030592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Since the earliest space-based observations of Earth's atmosphere, ultraviolet (UV) airglow has proven a useful resource for remote sensing of the ionosphere and thermosphere. The NASA Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) spacecraft, whose mission is to explore the connections between ionosphere and thermosphere utilizes UV airglow in the typical way: an extreme-UV (EUV) spectrometer uses dayglow between 54 and 88 nm to measure the density of O+, and a far-UV spectrograph uses the O 135.6 nm doublet and N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield band dayglow to measure the column ratio of O to N2 in the upper thermosphere. Two EUV emission features, O+ 61.6 and 83.4 nm, are used for the O+ retrieval; however, many other features are captured along the EUV instrument's spectral dimension. In this study, we examine the other dayglow features observed by ICON EUV and demonstrate that it measures a nitrogen feature around 87.8 nm which can be used to observe the neutral thermosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M. Tuminello
- Aerospace and Ocean EngineeringVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburgVAUSA
- US Naval Research LaboratoryWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Scott L. England
- Aerospace and Ocean EngineeringVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburgVAUSA
| | - Martin M. Sirk
- Space Sciences LaboratoryUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - R. R. Meier
- Physics and AstronomyGeorge Mason UniversityFairfaxVAUSA
- US Naval Research Laboratory (Emeritus)WashingtonDCUSA
| | | | - Eric J. Korpela
- Space Sciences LaboratoryUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Thomas J. Immel
- Space Sciences LaboratoryUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | | | - Harald U. Frey
- Space Sciences LaboratoryUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
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8
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Validation of MIGHTI/ICON Atmospheric Wind Observations over China Region Based on Meteor Radar and Horizontal Wind Model (HWM14). ATMOSPHERE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos13071078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) on board the ICON satellite provides effective measurement of horizontal winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region. In order to verify the measurement accuracy of the horizontal wind, this study uses the measurements of the meteor radar in Wuhan and the simulation results of a horizontal wind field model (HWM14) to compare and analyze the measurement results of MIGHTI/ICON in the whole year of 2020. The comparative analysis indicated that two datasets from MIGHTI/ICON and meteor radar are strongly correlated (r = 0.65, 0.76) with an RMS difference of 39.21 m/s (30.31 m/s). The consistency for meridional wind from MIGHTI/ICON, meteor radar, and HWM14 is worse than that of zonal wind. The accuracy of horizontal wind observations is influenced by altitude, diurnal, and seasonal patterns.
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Aa E, Zhang S, Wang W, Erickson PJ, Qian L, Eastes R, Harding BJ, Immel TJ, Karan DK, Daniell RE, Coster AJ, Goncharenko LP, Vierinen J, Cai X, Spicher A. Pronounced Suppression and X-Pattern Merging of Equatorial Ionization Anomalies After the 2022 Tonga Volcano Eruption. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2022; 127:e2022JA030527. [PMID: 35864906 PMCID: PMC9287055 DOI: 10.1029/2022ja030527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Following the 2022 Tonga Volcano eruption, dramatic suppression and deformation of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) crests occurred in the American sector ∼14,000 km away from the epicenter. The EIA crests variations and associated ionosphere-thermosphere disturbances were investigated using Global Navigation Satellite System total electron content data, Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk ultraviolet images, Ionospheric Connection Explorer wind data, and ionosonde observations. The main results are as follows: (a) Following the eastward passage of expected eruption-induced atmospheric disturbances, daytime EIA crests, especially the southern one, showed severe suppression of more than 10 TEC Unit and collapsed equatorward over 10° latitudes, forming a single band of enhanced density near the geomagnetic equator around 14-17 UT, (b) Evening EIA crests experienced a drastic deformation around 22 UT, forming a unique X-pattern in a limited longitudinal area between 20 and 40°W. (c) Thermospheric horizontal winds, especially the zonal winds, showed long-lasting quasi-periodic fluctuations between ±200 m/s for 7-8 hr after the passage of volcano-induced Lamb waves. The EIA suppression and X-pattern merging was consistent with a westward equatorial zonal dynamo electric field induced by the strong zonal wind oscillation with a westward reversal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ercha Aa
- Haystack ObservatoryMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyWestfordMAUSA
| | - Shun‐Rong Zhang
- Haystack ObservatoryMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyWestfordMAUSA
| | - Wenbin Wang
- High Altitude ObservatoryNational Center for Atmospheric ResearchBoulderCOUSA
| | | | - Liying Qian
- High Altitude ObservatoryNational Center for Atmospheric ResearchBoulderCOUSA
| | - Richard Eastes
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | | | - Thomas J. Immel
- Space Sciences LaboratoryUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Deepak K. Karan
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | | | - Anthea J. Coster
- Haystack ObservatoryMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyWestfordMAUSA
| | | | - Juha Vierinen
- Department of Physics and TechnologyThe Arctic University of NorwayTromsøNorway
| | - Xuguang Cai
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | - Andres Spicher
- Department of Physics and TechnologyThe Arctic University of NorwayTromsøNorway
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Park J, Evans JS, Eastes RW, Lumpe JD, van den Ijssel J, Englert CR, Stevens MH. Exospheric Temperature Measured by NASA-GOLD Under Low Solar Activity: Comparison With Other Data Sets. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2022; 127:e2021JA030041. [PMID: 35865741 PMCID: PMC9286447 DOI: 10.1029/2021ja030041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Exospheric temperature is one of the key parameters in constructing thermospheric models and has been extensively studied with in situ observations and remote sensing. The Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) at a geosynchronous vantage point provides dayglow limb images for two longitude sectors, from which we can estimate the terrestrial exospheric temperature since 2018. In this paper, we investigate climatological behavior of the exospheric temperature measured by GOLD. The temperature has positive correlations with solar and geomagnetic activity and exhibits a morning-afternoon asymmetry, both of which agree with previous studies. We have found that the arithmetic sum of F10.7 (solar) and Ap (geomagnetic) indices is highly correlated with the exospheric temperature, explaining ∼64% of the day-to-day variability. Furthermore, the exospheric temperature has good correlation with thermospheric parameters (e.g., neutral temperature, O2 density, and NO emission index) sampled at various heights above ∼130 km, in spite of the well-known thermal gradient below ∼200 km. However, thermospheric temperature at altitudes around 100 km is not well correlated with the GOLD exospheric temperature. The result implies that effects other than thermospheric heating by solar Extreme Ultraviolet and geomagnetic activity take control below a threshold altitude that exists between ∼100 and ∼130 km.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeheung Park
- Space Science DivisionKorea Astronomy and Space Science InstituteDaejeonSouth Korea
- Department of Astronomy and Space ScienceKorea University of Science and TechnologyDaejeonSouth Korea
| | | | - Richard W. Eastes
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | | | - Jose van den Ijssel
- Faculty of Aerospace EngineeringDelft University of TechnologyDelftThe Netherlands
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11
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Park J, Huang C, Eastes RW, Coster AJ. Temporal Evolution of Low-Latitude Plasma Blobs Identified From Multiple Measurements: ICON, GOLD, and Madrigal TEC. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2022; 127:e2021JA029992. [PMID: 35865742 PMCID: PMC9287003 DOI: 10.1029/2021ja029992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Low-latitude plasma blobs have been studied since their first being reported in 1986. However, investigations on temporal evolution of a blob or on continental scale (>2,000 km) ionospheric contexts around it are relatively rare. Overcoming these limitations can help elucidate the blob generation mechanisms. On 21 January 2021, the Ionospheric Connection Explorer satellite encountered a typical low-latitude blob near the northeastern coast of South America. The event was collocated with a local enhancement in 135.6 nm nightglow at the poleward edge of an equatorial plasma bubble (EPB), as observed by the Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) imager. Total electron content maps from the Global Navigation Satellite System confirm the GOLD observations. Unlike typical medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs), the blob had neither well-organized wavefronts nor moved in the southwest direction. Neither was the blob a monotonically decaying equatorial ionization anomaly crest past sunset. Rather, the blob varied following latitudinal expansion/contraction of EPBs at similar magnetic longitudes. The observational results support that mechanisms other than MSTIDs, such as EPBs, can also contribute to blob generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeheung Park
- Space Science DivisionKorea Astronomy and Space Science InstituteDaejeonSouth Korea
- Department of Astronomy and Space ScienceKorea University of Science and TechnologyDaejeonSouth Korea
| | - Chao‐Song Huang
- Air Force Research LaboratorySpace Vehicles DirectorateKirtland AFBAlbuquerqueNMUSA
| | - Richard W. Eastes
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Anthea J. Coster
- Haystack ObservatoryMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyWestfordMAUSA
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12
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Dhadly MS, Englert CR, Drob DP, Emmert JT, Niciejewski R, Zawdie KA. Comparison of ICON/MIGHTI and TIMED/TIDI Neutral Wind Measurements in the Lower Thermosphere. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2021; 126:e2021JA029904. [PMID: 35211368 PMCID: PMC8862121 DOI: 10.1029/2021ja029904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study cross-compares ICON/MIGHTI and Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics & Dynamics (TIMED)/TIMED Doppler Interferometer (TIDI) MLT region neutral winds from middle Northern Hemisphere to low Southern Hemisphere latitudes. We utilized MIGHTI level-2.2 (v4) and TIDI level-3 (v11) neutral winds from January 2020 to November 2020 and found their conjunctions using a space-time window of LST ± 15 min, latitude ± 4°, and longitude ± 4° around each TIDI wind measurement. Due to the nature of their orbital geometry, frequent conjunctions occurred between MIGHTI and TIDI. These conjunctions are spread in longitudes and they occur at approximately fixed LSTs and latitudes, which allows us to compare their observed diurnal variability. MIGHTI and TIDI wind observations agree well (except on the TIDI coldside during forward flight) and show similar large amplitude longitudinal variations that can reach more than 100 m/s. MIGHTI and TIDI zonal and meridional winds show moderate correlations of 0.60 and 0.55, respectively. The slopes of regression fits for zonal and meridional winds are 0.92 and 0.91, respectively. The root mean square differences in zonal and meridional winds are 56 and 66 m/s, respectively. We found that TIDI coldside measurements in forward flight show a systematic bias and this behavior is repetitive as the instrument pointing direction is changed by the periodic TIMED yaw maneuver. The nature of this systematic bias suggests that the TIDI zero-wind references (at least for the coldside telescopes) need revision. This investigation can provide guidance toward improving the TIDI data analysis. In addition, the results of this study act as a validation of MIGHTI MLT winds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manbharat S Dhadly
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Douglas P Drob
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - John T Emmert
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rick Niciejewski
- Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kate A Zawdie
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
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13
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Immel TJ, Harding BJ, Heelis RA, Maute A, Forbes JM, England SL, Mende SB, Englert CR, Stoneback RA, Marr K, Harlander JM, Makela JJ. Regulation of ionospheric plasma velocities by thermospheric winds. NATURE GEOSCIENCE 2021; 14:893-898. [PMID: 35003329 PMCID: PMC8740692 DOI: 10.1038/s41561-021-00848-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Earth's equatorial ionosphere exhibits substantial and unpredictable day-to-day variations in density and morphology. This presents challenges in preparing for adverse impacts on geopositioning systems and radio communications even 24 hours in advance. The variability is now theoretically understood as a manifestation of thermospheric weather, where winds in the upper atmosphere respond strongly to a spectrum of atmospheric waves that propagate into space from the lower and middle atmosphere. First-principles simulations predict related, large changes in the ionosphere, primarily through modification of wind-driven electromotive forces: the wind-driven dynamo. Here we show the first direct evidence of the action of a wind dynamo in space, using the coordinated, space-based observations of winds and plasma motion made by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ionospheric Connection Explorer. A clear relationship is found between vertical plasma velocities measured at the magnetic equator near 600 km and the thermospheric winds much farther below. Significant correlations are found between the plasma and wind velocities during several successive precession cycles of the Ionospheric Connection Explorer's orbit. Prediction of thermospheric winds in the 100-150 km altitude range emerges as the key to improved prediction of Earth's plasma environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J. Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Thomas J. Immel, Brian J. Harding
| | - Brian J. Harding
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Thomas J. Immel, Brian J. Harding
| | - Roderick A. Heelis
- High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Astrid Maute
- William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, University of Texas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Forbes
- Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Scott L. England
- Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Stephen B. Mende
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Christoph R. Englert
- Space Science Division, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
| | - Russell A. Stoneback
- High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Kenneth Marr
- Space Science Division, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA
| | | | - Jonathan J. Makela
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
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14
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Forbes JM, Heelis R, Zhang X, Englert CR, Harding BJ, He M, Chau JL, Stoneback R, Harlander JM, Marr KD, Makela JJ, Immel TJ. Q2DW-Tide and -Ionosphere Interactions as Observed From ICON and Ground-Based Radars. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2021; 126:e2021JA029961. [PMID: 35070616 PMCID: PMC8781115 DOI: 10.1029/2021ja029961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A quasi-2-day wave (Q2DW) event during January-February, 2020, is investigated in terms of its propagation from 96 to 250 km as a function of latitude (10°S to 30°N), its nonlinear interactions with migrating tides to produce 16 and 9.6-h secondary waves (SWs), and the plasma drift and density perturbations that it produces in the topside F-region (590-607 km) between magnetic latitudes 18°S and 18°N. This is accomplished through analysis of coincident Ionospheric Connections Explorer (ICON) measurements of neutral winds, plasma drifts and ion densities, and wind measurements from four low-latitude (±15°) specular meteor radars (SMRs). The Q2DW westward-propagating components that existed during this period consist of zonal wavenumbers s = 2 and s = 3, that is, Q2DW+2 and Q2DW+3 (e.g., He, Chau et al., 2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/93jd00380). SWs in the ICON measurements are inferred from Q2DW+2 and Q2DW+3 characteristics derived from traditional longitude-UT fits that potentially contain aliasing contributions from SWs ("apparent" Q2DWs), from fits to space-based zonal wavenumbers that each reflect the aggregate signature of either Q2DW+2 or Q2DW+3 and its SWs combined ("effective" Q2DWs), and based on information contained in published numerical simulations. The total Q2DW ionospheric responses consists of F-region field-aligned and meridional drifts of order ±25 ms-1 and ±5-7 ms-1, respectively, and total ion density perturbations of order (±10%-25%). It is shown that the SWs can sometimes make substantial contributions to the Q2DW winds, drifts, and plasma densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Forbes
- Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Roderick Heelis
- William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | - Brian J Harding
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Maosheng He
- Leibniz-Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Rostock University, Kühlungsborn, Germany
| | - Jorge L Chau
- Leibniz-Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Rostock University, Kühlungsborn, Germany
| | - Russell Stoneback
- William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | | | - Kenneth D Marr
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jonathan J Makela
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Thomas J Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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15
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Gravity Wave Breaking Associated with Mesospheric Inversion Layers as Measured by the Ship-Borne BEM Monge Lidar and ICON-MIGHTI. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12111386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During a recent 2020 campaign, the Rayleigh lidar aboard the Bâtiment d’Essais et de Mesures (BEM) Monge conducted high-resolution temperature measurements of the upper Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT). These measurements were used to conduct the first validation of ICON-MIGHTI temperatures by Rayleigh lidar. A double Mesospheric Inversion Layer (MIL) as well as shorter-period gravity waves was observed. Zonal and meridional wind speeds were obtained from locally launched radiosondes and the newly launched ICON satellite as well as from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF-ERA5) reanalysis. These three datasets allowed us to see the evolution of the winds in response to the forcing from the MIL and gravity waves. The wavelet analysis of a case study suggests that the wave energy was dissipated in small, intense, transient instabilities about a given wavenumber in addition to via a broad spectrum of breaking waves. This article will also detail the recent hardware advances of the Monge lidar that have allowed for the measurement of MILs and gravity waves at a resolution of 5 min with an effective vertical resolution of 926 m.
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16
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Park J, Huba JD, Heelis R, Englert C. Isolated Peak of Oxygen Ion Fraction in the Post-Noon Equatorial F-Region: ICON and SAMI3/WACCM-X. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2021; 126:e2021JA029217. [PMID: 34650900 PMCID: PMC8506983 DOI: 10.1029/2021ja029217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In the equatorial region, the fraction of oxygen ions (O+) in the topside ionosphere contains information on the source altitude of the plasma, which is controlled, in part, by the vertical plasma motion in the F-region. Previous studies on this topic are restricted by limited coverage of local time, latitude, and season, leaving a significant knowledge gap in the distribution of the topside ionospheric composition. In this study, we statistically investigate the O+ fraction measured by ICON/IVM over all the local time sectors and seasons at low/midlatitudes. For the first time, we have found that an isolated peak in the O+ fraction emerges in the post-noon equatorial region. The peak is most prominent during equinoxes, while during solstices it is connected to the O+ fraction bulges in the local summer midlatitudes. Simulations with SAMI3 coupled with thermospheric parameters from WACCM-X reproduce the peak of the O+ fraction. The post-noon equatorial peak can be explained by the net vertical motion of plasma consisting of transports either parallel or perpendicular to geomagnetic field lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeheung Park
- Space Science Division, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Daejeon, South Korea
- Department of Astronomy and Space Science, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - J D Huba
- Syntek Technologies, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Roderick Heelis
- William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Christoph Englert
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
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17
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England SL, Meier RR, Frey HU, Mende SB, Stephan AW, Krier CS, Cullens CY, Wu YJJ, Triplett CC, Sirk MM, Korpela EJ, Harding BJ, Englert CR, Immel TJ. First results from the retrieved column O/N 2 ratio from the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON): Evidence of the impacts of nonmigrating tides. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2021; 126:e2021JA029575. [PMID: 34650899 PMCID: PMC8506977 DOI: 10.1029/2021ja029575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In near-Earth space, variations in thermospheric composition have important implications for thermosphere-ionosphere coupling. The ratio of O to N2 is often measured using far-UV airglow observations. Taking such airglow observations from space, looking below the Earth's limb allows for the total column of O and N2 in the ionosphere to be determined. While these observations have enabled many previous studies, determining the impact of non-migrating tides on thermospheric composition has proved difficult, owing to a small contamination of the signal by recombination of ionospheric O+. New ICON observations of far UV are presented here, and their general characteristics are shown. Using these, along with other observations and a global circulation model we show that during the morning hours and at latitudes away from the peak of the equatorial ionospheric anomaly, the impact of non-migrating tides on thermospheric composition can be observed. During March - April 2020, the column O/N2 ratio was seen to vary by 3 - 4 % of the zonal mean. By comparing the amplitude of the variation observed with that in the model, both the utility of these observations and a pathway to enable future studies is shown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott L. England
- Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, United States
| | - R. R. Meier
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University, Fairfax, United States
- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Emeritus, Washington DC, United States
| | - Harald U. Frey
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Stephen B. Mende
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | | | - Christopher S. Krier
- Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, United States
| | - Chihoko Y. Cullens
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Yen-Jung J. Wu
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Colin C. Triplett
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Martin M. Sirk
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Eric J. Korpela
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Brian J. Harding
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | | | - Thomas J. Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
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18
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Yuan T, Stevens MH, Englert CR, Immel TJ. Temperature Tides Across the Mid-Latitude Summer Turbopause Measured by a Sodium Lidar and MIGHTI/ICON. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. ATMOSPHERES : JGR 2021; 126:e2021JD035321. [PMID: 34777927 PMCID: PMC8587882 DOI: 10.1029/2021jd035321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Local full diurnal coverage of temperature variations across the turbopause (~90-115 km altitude) is achieved by combining the nocturnal observations of a Sodium (Na) Doppler lidar on the Utah State University (USU) campus (41.7°N, 248.2°E) and NASA Michelson interferometer for global high-resolution thermospheric imaging (MIGHTI)/Ionospheric connection explorer (ICON) daytime observations made in the same vicinity. In this study, utilizing this hybrid data set during summer 2020 between June 12th and July 15th, we retrieve the temperature signatures of diurnal and semidiurnal tides in this region. The tidal amplitudes of both components have similar vertical variation with increasing altitude: less than 5 K below ~98 km but increase considerably above, up to 19 K near 104 km. Both experience significant dissipation near turbopause altitudes, down to ~12 K up to 113 km for the diurnal tide and ~13 K for the semidiurnal tide near 110 km. In addition, while the semidiurnal tidal behavior is consistent with the theoretical predictions, the diurnal amplitude is considerably larger than what is expected in the turbopause region. The tidal phase profile shows a dominance of tidal components with a long vertical wavelength (longer than 40 km) for the semidiurnal tide. On the other hand, the diurnal tide demonstrates close to an evanescent wave behavior in the turbopause region, which is absent in the model results and Thermosphere ionosphere mesosphere energetics and dynamics (TIMED)/Sounding of the atmosphere using broadband radiometry (SABER) observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Yuan
- Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - M. H. Stevens
- Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - C. R. Englert
- Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - T. J. Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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19
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Liu G, England SL, Lin CS, Pedatella NM, Klenzing JH, Englert CR, Harding BJ, Immel TJ, Rowland DE. Evaluation of Atmospheric 3-Day Waves as a Source of Day-to-Day Variation of the Ionospheric Longitudinal Structure. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS 2021; 48:e2021GL094877. [PMID: 34690382 PMCID: PMC8528139 DOI: 10.1029/2021gl094877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We report for the first time the day-to-day variation of the longitudinal structure in height of the F2 layer (hmF2) in the equatorial ionosphere using multi-satellite observations of electron density profiles by the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate-2 (COSMIC-2). These observations reveal a ~3-day modulation of the hmF2 wavenumber-4 structure viewed in a fixed local time frame during January 30-February 14, 2021. Simultaneously, ~3-day planetary wave activity is discerned from zonal wind observations at ~100 km by the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) Michelson Interferometer for Global High-Resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI). This signature is not observed at ~180-250 km altitudes, suggesting the dissipation of this wave below the F-region. We propose that the 3-day variation identified in h mF2 is likely caused by the planetary wave-tide interaction through the E-region dynamo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiping Liu
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- CUA/NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- Heliophysics Science Division, ITM Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Scott L England
- Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Chin S Lin
- Lins Institute of Science, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas M Pedatella
- COSMIC Program Office, University of Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
- High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Klenzing
- Heliophysics Science Division, ITM Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | | | - Brian J Harding
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Thomas J Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Douglas E Rowland
- Heliophysics Science Division, ITM Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
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20
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Forbes JM, Zhang X, Heelis R, Stoneback R, Englert CR, Harlander JM, Harding BJ, Marr KD, Makela JJ, Immel TJ. Atmosphere-Ionosphere (A-I) Coupling as Viewed by ICON: Day-to-Day Variability Due to Planetary Wave (PW)-Tide Interactions. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2021; 126:e2020JA028927. [PMID: 34650898 PMCID: PMC8507145 DOI: 10.1029/2020ja028927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Coincident Ionospheric Connections Explorer (ICON) measurements of neutral winds, plasma drifts and total ion densities (:=Ne, electron density) are analyzed during January 1-21, 2020 to reveal the relationship between neutral winds and ionospheric variability on a day-to-day basis. Atmosphere-ionosphere (A-I) connectivity inevitably involves a spectrum of planetary waves (PWs), tides and secondary waves due to wave-wave nonlinear interactions. To provide a definitive attribution of dynamical origins, the current study focuses on a time interval when the longitudinal wave-4 component of the E-region winds is dominated by the eastward-propagating diurnal tide with zonal wavenumber s = -3 (DE3). DE3 is identified in winds and ionospheric parameters through its characteristic dependence on local solar time and longitude as ICON's orbit precesses. Superimposed on this trend are large variations in low-latitude DE3 wave-4 zonal winds (±40 ms-1) and topside F-region equatorial vertical drifts at periods consistent with 2-days and 6-days PWs, and a ~3-day ultra-fast Kelvin wave (UFKW), coexisting during this time interval; the DE3 winds, dynamo electric fields, and drifts are modulated by these waves. Wave-4 variability in Ne is of order 25%-35%, but the origins are more complex, likely additionally reflecting transport by ~20-25 ms-1 wave-4 in-situ winds containing strong signatures of DE3 interactions with ambient diurnal Sun-synchronous winds and ion drag. These results are the first to show a direct link between day-to-day wave-4 variability in contemporaneously measured E-region neutral winds and F-region ionospheric drifts and electron densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Forbes
- Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Roderick Heelis
- William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Russell Stoneback
- William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Brian J Harding
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth D Marr
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jonathan J Makela
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Thomas J Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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21
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Harding BJ, Chau JL, He M, Englert CR, Harlander JM, Marr KD, Makela JJ, Clahsen M, Li G, Ratnam MV, Bhaskar Rao SV, Wu YJJ, England SL, Immel TJ. Validation of ICON-MIGHTI Thermospheric Wind Observations: 2. Green-Line Comparisons to Specular Meteor Radars. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2021; 126:e2020JA028947. [PMID: 33868889 PMCID: PMC8051147 DOI: 10.1029/2020ja028947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We compare coincident thermospheric neutral wind observations made by the Michelson Interferometer for Global High-Resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) on the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) spacecraft, and four ground-based specular meteor radars (SMRs). Using the green-line MIGHTI channel, we analyze 1158 coincidences between Dec 2019 and May 2020 in the altitude range from 94 to 104 km where the observations overlap. We find that the two datasets are strongly correlated (r = 0.82) with a small mean difference (4.5 m/s). Although this agreement is good, an analysis of known error sources (e.g., shot noise, calibration errors, and analysis assumptions) can only account for about a quarter of the disagreement variance. The unexplained variance is 27.8% of the total signal variance and could be caused by unknown errors. However, based on an analysis of the spatial and caused by temporal variability of the wind on scales ≲70 min. The observed magnitudes agree well during temporal averaging of the two measurement modalities, we suggest that some of the disagreement is likely the night, but during the day, MIGHTI observes 16%-25% faster winds than the SMRs. This remains unresolved but is similar in certain ways to previous SMR-satellite comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Harding
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jorge L Chau
- Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Rostock, Kühlungsborn, Germany
| | - Maosheng He
- Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Rostock, Kühlungsborn, Germany
| | | | | | - Kenneth D Marr
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jonathan J Makela
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Matthias Clahsen
- Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Rostock, Kühlungsborn, Germany
| | - Guozhu Li
- Beijing National Observatory of Space Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | | | - Yen-Jung J Wu
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Scott L England
- Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Thomas J Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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22
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Meier RR. The Thermospheric Column O/N 2 Ratio. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2021; 126:e2020JA029059. [PMID: 33968559 PMCID: PMC8097966 DOI: 10.1029/2020ja029059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
More than 2 decades ago, D. J. Strickland and colleagues proposed use of the O/N2 column number density ratio as a new geophysical quantity to interpret thermospheric processes recorded in far ultraviolet (FUV) images of the Earth. This concept has enabled multiple advances in understanding the global behavior of Earth's thermosphere. Nevertheless, confusion remains about the conceptual meaning of the column density ratio, and in the application of this integral quantity. This is so even though it is now a key thermospheric measurement made by current and planned far ultraviolet remote sensing missions in pursuit of new understanding of thermospheric processes and variability. The intent here is to review the historical context of the O/N2 column density ratio, clarify its physical meaning, and resolve misunderstandings evident in the literature. Simple examples elucidate its original derivation for extracting column O/N2 ratios from measurements of the OI 135.6 nm/N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield (LBH) emission based on an algorithmic synthesis of model precomputations. These are organized in the form of a table lookup of column density ratio as a function of observed radiance ratios. To accommodate generalized solar-geophysical and viewing conditions, the table required to specify the number of needed parameters becomes large. Proposed as an alternative is a simplified, first principles approach to obtaining the column density ratio from the emission ratio. This new methodology is now being applied successfully to FUV measurements made from onboard the Ionospheric CONnection satellite and will be applied retrospectively to the Global Ultraviolet Imager data.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. R. Meier
- Department of Physics and Astronomym, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
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23
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Makela JJ, Baughman M, Navarro LA, Harding BJ, Englert CR, Harlander JM, Marr KD, Benkhaldoun Z, Kaab M, Immel TJ. Validation of ICON-MIGHTI Thermospheric Wind Observations: 1. Nighttime Red-Line Ground-Based Fabry-Perot Interferometers. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2021; 126:e2020JA028726. [PMID: 33828935 PMCID: PMC8022839 DOI: 10.1029/2020ja028726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Observations of the nighttime thermospheric wind from two ground-based Fabry-Perot Interferometers are compared to the level 2.1 and 2.2 data products from the Michelson Interferometer Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) onboard National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Ionospheric Connection Explorer to assess and validate the methodology used to generate measurements of neutral thermospheric winds observed by MIGHTI. We find generally good agreement between observations approximately coincident in space and time with mean differences less than 11 m/s in magnitude and standard deviations of about 20-35 m/s. These results indicate that the independent calculations of the zero-wind reference used by the different instruments do not contain strong systematic or physical biases, even though the observations were acquired during solar minimum conditions when the measured airglow intensity is weak. We argue that the slight differences in the estimated wind quantities between the two instrument types can be attributed to gradients in the airglow and thermospheric wind fields and the differing viewing geometries used by the instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Makela
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Matthew Baughman
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Luis A Navarro
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Brian J Harding
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Kenneth D Marr
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Zouhair Benkhaldoun
- Laboratory of High Energy Physics and Astrophysics, Oukaimeden Observatory, FSSM, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Mohamed Kaab
- Laboratory of High Energy Physics and Astrophysics, Oukaimeden Observatory, FSSM, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Thomas J Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Wu YJ, Harding BJ, Triplett CC, Makela JJ, Marr KD, Englert CR, Harlander JM, Immel TJ. Errors From Asymmetric Emission Rate in Spaceborne, Limb Sounding Doppler Interferometry: A Correction Algorithm With Application to ICON/MIGHTI. EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2020; 7:e2020EA001164. [PMID: 33134433 PMCID: PMC7583381 DOI: 10.1029/2020ea001164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) on NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) mission is designed to measure the neutral wind and temperature between 90 and ∼300 km altitude. Using the Doppler Asymmetric Spatial Heterodyne (DASH) spectroscopy technique, observations from MIGHTI can be used to derive thermospheric winds by measuring Doppler shifts of the atomic oxygen red line (630.0 nm) and green line (557.7 nm). Harding et al. (2017, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-017-0359-3) (Harding17) describe the wind retrieval algorithm in detail and point out the large uncertainties that result near the solar terminators and equatorial arcs, regions of large spatial gradients in airglow volume emission rates (VER). The uncertainties originate from the assumption of a constant VER at every given altitude, resulting in errors where the assumption is not valid when limb sounders, such as MIGHTI, observe regions with significant VER gradients. In this work, we introduce a new wind retrieval algorithm (Wu20) with the ability to account for VER that is asymmetric along the line of sight with respect to the tangent point. Using the predicted ICON orbit and simulated global VER variation, the greatest impact of the symmetric airglow assumption to the ICON vector wind product is found within 30° from the terminator when the spacecraft is in the dayside, causing an error of at least 10 m/s. The new algorithm developed in this study reduces the error near the terminator by a factor of 10. Although Wu20 improves the accuracy of the retrievals, it loses precision by 75% compared to Harding17.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen‐Jung J. Wu
- Space Sciences LaboratoryUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | | | | | - Jonathan J. Makela
- Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaILUSA
| | - Kenneth D. Marr
- Space Science DivisionU.S. Naval Research LaboratoryWashingtonDCUSA
| | | | | | - Thomas J. Immel
- Space Sciences LaboratoryUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
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25
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Cullens CY, Immel TJ, Triplett CC, Wu YJ, England SL, Forbes JM, Liu G. Sensitivity study for ICON tidal analysis. PROGRESS IN EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE 2020; 7:18. [PMID: 32626648 PMCID: PMC7319356 DOI: 10.1186/s40645-020-00330-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Retrieval of the properties of the middle and upper atmosphere can be performed using several different interferometric and photometric methods. The emission-shape and Doppler shift of both atomic and molecular emissions can be observed from the ground and space to provide temperature and bulk velocity. These instantaneous measurements can be combined over successive times/locations along an orbit track, or successive universal/local times from a ground station to quantify the motion and temperature of the atmosphere needed to identify atmospheric tides. In this report, we explore how different combinations of space-based wind and temperature measurements affect the retrieval of atmospheric tides, a ubiquitous property of planetary atmospheres. We explore several scenarios informed by the use of a tidally forced atmospheric circulation model, an empirically based emissions reference, and a low-earth orbit satellite observation geometry based on the ICON mission design. This capability provides a necessary tool for design of an optimal mission concept for retrieval of atmospheric tides from ICON remote-sensing observations. Here it is used to investigate scenarios of limited data availability and the effects of rapid changes in the total wave spectrum on the retrieval of the correct tidal spectrum. An approach such as that described here could be used in the design of future missions, such as the NASA DYNAMIC mission (National Research Council, Solar and space physics: a science for a technological society, 2013).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chihoko Y. Cullens
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
| | - Thomas J. Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
| | - Colin C. Triplett
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
| | - Yen-Jung Wu
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
| | - Scott L. England
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, USA
| | | | - Guiping Liu
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
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26
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Marr KD, Thayer AS, Englert CR, Harlander JM. Determining the thermomechanical image shift for the MIGHTI instrument on the NASA-ICON satellite. OPTICAL ENGINEERING (REDONDO BEACH, CALIF.) 2020; 59:013102. [PMID: 33867595 PMCID: PMC8050980 DOI: 10.1117/1.oe.59.1.013102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Michelson Interferometer for Global High-Resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) instrument on NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer's mission will measure neutral winds in the Earth's thermosphere. We investigate how thermal changes to the instrument's optical bench affect the relative position of the image recorded by the camera. The thermal shift is measured by fitting the image of a series of reference notches and determining their current position on the camera with subpixel precision. Analyzing ground-based calibration data, we find that the image position is not affected within the uncertainty of the analysis for the applied thermal changes. We also address the question of the analysis uncertainty with signal-to-noise ratio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth D. Marr
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Aidan S. Thayer
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Christoph R. Englert
- Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - John M. Harlander
- St. Cloud State University, Department of Physics, St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States
- Space Systems Research Corporation, Alexandria, Virginia, United States
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27
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Triplett CC, Immel TJ, Wu YJ, Cullens C. Variations in the ionosphere-thermosphere system from tides, ultra-fast Kelvin waves, and their interactions. ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPACE RESEARCH (COSPAR) 2019; 64:1841-1853. [PMID: 33867620 PMCID: PMC8050945 DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2019.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Large scale waves, such as the atmospheric tides and ultra-fast Kelvin waves (UFKW), have direct effects on the neutral wind and temperature fields of the ionosphere-thermosphere (I-T) system. In this study we examine the response of the I-T system to the atmospheric tides, one UFKW, and the secondary waves generated from their interactions using the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIEGCM). We find that forcing an UFKW at the lower boundary of the TIEGCM is all that is required for it to setup in the model. We see variations around 10% in the zonal winds that lead to similar variations in the total electron content (TEC) depending on the phase of the UFKW. From these simulations, we expect the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) mission will be able to fully capture these wave interactions by observing winds and temperatures at the mesopause and above.
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28
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Marr KD, Morrow WH, Brown CM, Englert CR, Harlander JM, Cerrato A, Lamport K, Harris SE. Calibration lamp design, characterization, and implementation for the Michelson Interferometer for Global High-Resolution Thermospheric Imaging instrument on the Ionospheric Connection satellite. OPTICAL ENGINEERING (REDONDO BEACH, CALIF.) 2019; 58:054104. [PMID: 34531618 PMCID: PMC8442831 DOI: 10.1117/1.oe.58.5.054104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We describe the design and ground-based performance of the two-color calibration lamp for the Michelson Interferometer for Global High-Resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) instrument on the NASA Ionospheric Connection (ICON) satellite. The calibration lamp assembly contains radio frequency excited krypton and neon lamps, which generate emission lines at 557 and 630 nm, respectively, and which are used to monitor thermal drifts in the two MIGHTI Doppler asymmetric spatial heterodyne interferometers. The lamps are coupled to two mixed optical fiber bundles that deliver the calibration signals to the two MIGHTI optical units. The assembly starts reliably, consumes <8 W, and has passed environmental testing for the ICON satellite. The total mass of the lamp assembly is 1.8 kg. Special features of the assembly and its implementation are described along with results of life tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth D. Marr
- Space Science Division, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | | | - Charles M. Brown
- Space Science Division, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Christoph R. Englert
- Space Science Division, US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - John M. Harlander
- St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States
- Space Systems Research Corporation, Alexandria, Virginia, United States
| | | | | | - Stewart E. Harris
- University of California, Space Sciences Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States
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29
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Harlander JM, Englert CR, Marr KD, Harding BJ, Chu KT. On the uncertainties in determining fringe phase in Doppler asymmetric spatial heterodyne spectroscopy. APPLIED OPTICS 2019; 58:3613-3619. [PMID: 31044863 DOI: 10.1364/ao.58.003613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The mean fringe phase measured by Doppler asymmetric spatial heterodyne spectroscopy is a direct measure of atmospheric wind. The uncertainty in measuring the mean phase is investigated and found to be accurately predicted by an analytic formula for moderate and high signal-to-noise ratios. At lower signal-to-noise ratios, numeric issues in the phase calculation result in non-Gaussian distributions of mean phase. Analysis techniques are described to mitigate these numeric issues to the extent possible.
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30
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Angelopoulos V, Cruce P, Drozdov A, Grimes EW, Hatzigeorgiu N, King DA, Larson D, Lewis JW, McTiernan JM, Roberts DA, Russell CL, Hori T, Kasahara Y, Kumamoto A, Matsuoka A, Miyashita Y, Miyoshi Y, Shinohara I, Teramoto M, Faden JB, Halford AJ, McCarthy M, Millan RM, Sample JG, Smith DM, Woodger LA, Masson A, Narock AA, Asamura K, Chang TF, Chiang CY, Kazama Y, Keika K, Matsuda S, Segawa T, Seki K, Shoji M, Tam SWY, Umemura N, Wang BJ, Wang SY, Redmon R, Rodriguez JV, Singer HJ, Vandegriff J, Abe S, Nose M, Shinbori A, Tanaka YM, UeNo S, Andersson L, Dunn P, Fowler C, Halekas JS, Hara T, Harada Y, Lee CO, Lillis R, Mitchell DL, Argall MR, Bromund K, Burch JL, Cohen IJ, Galloy M, Giles B, Jaynes AN, Le Contel O, Oka M, Phan TD, Walsh BM, Westlake J, Wilder FD, Bale SD, Livi R, Pulupa M, Whittlesey P, DeWolfe A, Harter B, Lucas E, Auster U, Bonnell JW, Cully CM, Donovan E, Ergun RE, Frey HU, Jackel B, Keiling A, Korth H, McFadden JP, Nishimura Y, Plaschke F, Robert P, Turner DL, Weygand JM, Candey RM, Johnson RC, Kovalick T, Liu MH, McGuire RE, Breneman A, Kersten K, Schroeder P. The Space Physics Environment Data Analysis System (SPEDAS). SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2019; 215:9. [PMID: 30880847 PMCID: PMC6380193 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-018-0576-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
With the advent of the Heliophysics/Geospace System Observatory (H/GSO), a complement of multi-spacecraft missions and ground-based observatories to study the space environment, data retrieval, analysis, and visualization of space physics data can be daunting. The Space Physics Environment Data Analysis System (SPEDAS), a grass-roots software development platform (www.spedas.org), is now officially supported by NASA Heliophysics as part of its data environment infrastructure. It serves more than a dozen space missions and ground observatories and can integrate the full complement of past and upcoming space physics missions with minimal resources, following clear, simple, and well-proven guidelines. Free, modular and configurable to the needs of individual missions, it works in both command-line (ideal for experienced users) and Graphical User Interface (GUI) mode (reducing the learning curve for first-time users). Both options have "crib-sheets," user-command sequences in ASCII format that can facilitate record-and-repeat actions, especially for complex operations and plotting. Crib-sheets enhance scientific interactions, as users can move rapidly and accurately from exchanges of technical information on data processing to efficient discussions regarding data interpretation and science. SPEDAS can readily query and ingest all International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP)-compatible products from the Space Physics Data Facility (SPDF), enabling access to a vast collection of historic and current mission data. The planned incorporation of Heliophysics Application Programmer's Interface (HAPI) standards will facilitate data ingestion from distributed datasets that adhere to these standards. Although SPEDAS is currently Interactive Data Language (IDL)-based (and interfaces to Java-based tools such as Autoplot), efforts are under-way to expand it further to work with python (first as an interface tool and potentially even receiving an under-the-hood replacement). We review the SPEDAS development history, goals, and current implementation. We explain its "modes of use" with examples geared for users and outline its technical implementation and requirements with software developers in mind. We also describe SPEDAS personnel and software management, interfaces with other organizations, resources and support structure available to the community, and future development plans. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL The online version of this article (10.1007/s11214-018-0576-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- V. Angelopoulos
- Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - P. Cruce
- Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - A. Drozdov
- Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - E. W. Grimes
- Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - N. Hatzigeorgiu
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - D. A. King
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - D. Larson
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - J. W. Lewis
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - J. M. McTiernan
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | | | - C. L. Russell
- Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - T. Hori
- Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | | | - A. Kumamoto
- Tohoku University, 6-3, Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba Sendai, 980-8578 Japan
| | - A. Matsuoka
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Y. Miyashita
- Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Y. Miyoshi
- Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - I. Shinohara
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - M. Teramoto
- Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | | | - A. J. Halford
- Space Sciences Department, The Aerospace Corporation, Chantilly, VA USA
| | - M. McCarthy
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - R. M. Millan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH USA
| | - J. G. Sample
- Department of Physics, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT USA
| | - D. M. Smith
- Santa Cruz Institute of Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USA
| | - L. A. Woodger
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH USA
| | - A. Masson
- European Space Agency, ESAC, SCI-OPD, Madrid, Spain
| | - A. A. Narock
- ADNET Systems Inc., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD USA
| | - K. Asamura
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - T. F. Chang
- Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - C.-Y. Chiang
- Institute of Space and Plasma Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Y. Kazama
- Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - K. Keika
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - S. Matsuda
- Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - T. Segawa
- Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - K. Seki
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - M. Shoji
- Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - S. W. Y. Tam
- Institute of Space and Plasma Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - N. Umemura
- Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - B.-J. Wang
- Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Space Science, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - S.-Y. Wang
- Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - R. Redmon
- National Centers for Environmental Information, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO USA
| | - J. V. Rodriguez
- National Centers for Environmental Information, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO USA
| | - H. J. Singer
- Space Weather Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO USA
| | - J. Vandegriff
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - S. Abe
- International Center for Space Weather Science and Education, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - M. Nose
- Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- World Data Center for Geomagnetism, Kyoto Data Analysis Center for Geomagnetism and Space Magnetism, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - A. Shinbori
- Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Y.-M. Tanaka
- National Institute of Polar Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - S. UeNo
- Hida Observatory, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - L. Andersson
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO USA
| | - P. Dunn
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - C. Fowler
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO USA
| | - J. S. Halekas
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA USA
| | - T. Hara
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Y. Harada
- Department of Geophysics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - C. O. Lee
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - R. Lillis
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - D. L. Mitchell
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - M. R. Argall
- Physics Department and Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH USA
| | - K. Bromund
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD USA
| | - J. L. Burch
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX USA
| | - I. J. Cohen
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - M. Galloy
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO USA
| | - B. Giles
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD USA
| | - A. N. Jaynes
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA USA
| | - O. Le Contel
- Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, CNRS/Ecole Polytechnique/Sorbonne Université/Univ. Paris Sud/Observatoire de Paris, Paris, France
| | - M. Oka
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - T. D. Phan
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - B. M. Walsh
- Center for Space Physics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA USA
| | - J. Westlake
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - F. D. Wilder
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO USA
| | - S. D. Bale
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - R. Livi
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - M. Pulupa
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - P. Whittlesey
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - A. DeWolfe
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO USA
| | - B. Harter
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO USA
| | - E. Lucas
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO USA
| | - U. Auster
- Institute for Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - J. W. Bonnell
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - C. M. Cully
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Ontario Canada
| | - E. Donovan
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Ontario Canada
| | - R. E. Ergun
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO USA
| | - H. U. Frey
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - B. Jackel
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Ontario Canada
| | - A. Keiling
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - H. Korth
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - J. P. McFadden
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Y. Nishimura
- Center for Space Physics and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA USA
| | - F. Plaschke
- Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - P. Robert
- Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, CNRS/Ecole Polytechnique/Sorbonne Université/Univ. Paris Sud/Observatoire de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - J. M. Weygand
- Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - R. M. Candey
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD USA
| | - R. C. Johnson
- ADNET Systems Inc., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD USA
| | - T. Kovalick
- ADNET Systems Inc., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD USA
| | - M. H. Liu
- ADNET Systems Inc., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD USA
| | | | - A. Breneman
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - K. Kersten
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - P. Schroeder
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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31
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Kamalabadi F, Qin J, Harding BJ, Iliou D, Makela JJ, Meier RR, England SL, Frey HU, Mende SB, Immel TJ. Inferring Nighttime Ionospheric Parameters With the Far Ultraviolet Imager Onboard the Ionospheric Connection Explorer. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2018; 214:70. [PMID: 33795893 PMCID: PMC8011574 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-018-0502-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) Far Ultraviolet (FUV) imager, ICON FUV, will measure altitude profiles of OI 135.6 nm emissions to infer nighttime ionospheric parameters. Accurate estimation of the ionospheric state requires the development of a comprehensive radiative transfer model from first principles to quantify the effects of physical processes on the production and transport of the 135.6 nm photons in the ionosphere including the mutual neutralization contribution as well as the effect of resonant scattering by atomic oxygen and pure absorption by oxygen molecules. This forward model is then used in conjunction with a constrained optimization algorithm to invert the anticipated ICON FUV line-of-sight integrated measurements. In this paper, we describe the connection between ICON FUV measurements and the nighttime ionosphere, along with the approach to inverting the measured emission profiles to derive the associated O+ profiles from 150-450 km in the nighttime ionosphere that directly reflect the electron density in the F-region of the ionosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzad Kamalabadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1308 West Main Street, Urbana, IL 61801
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32
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Stephan AW, Meier RR, England SL, Mende SB, Frey HU, Immel TJ. Daytime O/N 2 Retrieval Algorithm for the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON). SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2018; 214:10.1007/s11214-018-0477-6. [PMID: 30026635 PMCID: PMC6047942 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-018-0477-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The NASA Ionospheric Connection Explorer Far-Ultraviolet spectrometer, ICON FUV, will measure altitude profiles of the daytime far-ultraviolet (FUV) OI 135.6 nm and N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield (LBH) band emissions that are used to determine thermospheric density profiles and state parameters related to thermospheric composition; specifically the thermospheric column O/N2 ratio (symbolized as ΣO/N2). This paper describes the algorithm concept that has been adapted and updated from one previously applied with success to limb data from the Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) on the NASA Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) mission. We also describe the requirements that are imposed on the ICON FUV to measure ΣO/N2 over any 500-km sample in daytime with a precision of better than 8.7%. We present results from orbit-simulation testing that demonstrates that the ICON FUV and our thermospheric composition retrieval algorithm can meet these requirements and provide the measurements necessary to address ICON science objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - R. R. Meier
- George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
- U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (Voluntary Emeritus) Washington DC
| | | | - Stephen B. Mende
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Harald U. Frey
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Thomas J. Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
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Stevens MH, Englert CR, Harlander JM, England SL, Marr KD, Brown CM, Immel TJ. Retrieval of Lower Thermospheric Temperatures from O 2 A Band Emission: The MIGHTI Experiment on ICON. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2018; 214:4. [PMID: 30166692 PMCID: PMC6110109 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-017-0434-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) is a satellite experiment scheduled to launch on NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) in 2017. MIGHTI is designed to measure horizontal neutral winds and neutral temperatures in the terrestrial thermosphere. Temperatures will be inferred by imaging the molecular oxygen Atmospheric band (A band) on the limb in the lower thermosphere. MIGHTI will measure the spectral shape of the A band using discrete wavelength channels to infer the ambient temperature from the rotational envelope of the band. Here we present simulated temperature retrievals based on the as-built characteristics of the instrument and the expected emission rate profile of the A band for typical daytime and nighttime conditions. We find that for a spherically symmetric atmosphere, the measurement precision is 1 K between 90-105 km during the daytime whereas during the nighttime it increases from 1 K at 90 km to 3 K at 105 km. We also find that the accuracy is 2 K to 11 K for the same altitudes. The expected MIGHTI temperature precision is within the measurement requirements for the ICON mission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Scott L England
- Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061
| | | | | | - Thomas J Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
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Mende SB, Frey HU, Rider K, Chou C, Harris SE, Siegmund OHW, England SL, Wilkins C, Craig W, Immel TJ, Turin P, Darling N, Loicq J, Blain P, Syrstad E, Thompson B, Burt R, Champagne J, Sevilla P, Ellis S. The Far Ultra-Violet imager on the ICON mission. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2017; 212:655-696. [PMID: 33758431 PMCID: PMC7983872 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-017-0386-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
ICON Far UltraViolet (FUV) imager contributes to the ICON science objectives by providing remote sensing measurements of the daytime and nighttime atmosphere/ionosphere. During sunlit atmospheric conditions, ICON FUV images the limb altitude profile in the shortwave (SW) band at 135.6 nm and the longwave (LW) band at 157 nm perpendicular to the satellite motion to retrieve the atmospheric O/N2 ratio. In conditions of atmospheric darkness, ICON FUV measures the 135.6 nm recombination emission of O+ ions used to compute the nighttime ionospheric altitude distribution. ICON Far UltraViolet (FUV) imager is a CzernyTurner design Spectrographic Imager with two exit slits and corresponding back imager cameras that produce two independent images in separate wavelength bands on two detectors. All observations will be processed as limb altitude profiles. In addition, the ionospheric 135.6 nm data will be processed as longitude and latitude spatial maps to obtain images of ion distributions around regions of equatorial spread F. The ICON FUV optic axis is pointed 20 degrees below local horizontal and has a steering mirror that allows the field of view to be steered up to 30 degrees forward and aft, to keep the local magnetic meridian in the field of view. The detectors are micro channel plate (MCP) intensified FUV tubes with the phosphor fiber-optically coupled to Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs). The dual stack MCP-s amplify the photoelectron signals to dominate the CCD noise and the rapidly scanned frames are co-added to digitally create 12-second integrated images. Digital on-board signal processing is used to compensate for geometric distortion and satellite motion and to achieve data compression. The instrument was originally aligned in visible light by using a special grating and visible cameras. Final alignment, functional and environmental testing and calibration were performed in a large vacuum chamber with a UV source. The test and calibration program showed that ICON FUV meets its design requirements and is ready to be launched on the ICON spacecraft.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - J Loicq
- Centre Spatial de Liege (CSL)
| | - P Blain
- Centre Spatial de Liege (CSL)
| | - E Syrstad
- Space Dynamics Lab., Utah State University
| | - B Thompson
- Space Dynamics Lab., Utah State University
| | - R Burt
- Space Dynamics Lab., Utah State University
| | | | - P Sevilla
- Space Dynamics Lab., Utah State University
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Harding BJ, Makela JJ, Englert CR, Marr KD, Harlander JM, England SL, Immel TJ. The MIGHTI Wind Retrieval Algorithm: Description and Verification. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2017; 212:585-600. [PMID: 30034033 PMCID: PMC6052447 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-017-0359-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/25/2017] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
We present an algorithm to retrieve thermospheric wind profiles from measurements by the Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) instrument on NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) mission. MIGHTI measures interferometric limb images of the green and red atomic oxygen emissions at 557.7 nm and 630.0 nm, spanning 90-300 km. The Doppler shift of these emissions represents a remote measurement of the wind at the tangent point of the line of sight. Here we describe the algorithm which uses these images to retrieve altitude profiles of the line-of-sight wind. By combining the measurements from two MIGHTI sensors with perpendicular lines of sight, both components of the vector horizontal wind are retrieved. A comprehensive truth model simulation that is based on TIME-GCM winds and various airglow models is used to determine the accuracy and precision of the MIGHTI data product. Accuracy is limited primarily by spherical asymmetry of the atmosphere over the spatial scale of the limb observation, a fundamental limitation of space-based wind measurements. For 80% of the retrieved wind samples, the accuracy is found to be better than 5.8 m/s (green) and 3.5 m/s (red). As expected, significant errors are found near the day/night boundary and occasionally near the equatorial ionization anomaly, due to significant variations of wind and emission rate along the line of sight. The precision calculation includes pointing uncertainty and shot, read, and dark noise. For average solar minimum conditions, the expected precision meets requirements, ranging from 1.2 to 4.7 m/s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Harding
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA,
| | - Jonathan J Makela
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA,
| | | | - Kenneth D Marr
- Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - John M Harlander
- Department of Physics, Astronomy and Engineering Science, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN, USA
| | - Scott L England
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Thomas J Immel
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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