ALBERT

Description: Large-scale TEC perturbations/enhancements observed during the day sectors of major storm periods, 12-13 February 2000, 23 September 1999, 29 October 2003, and 21 November 2003, were studied using a high resolution GPS network over Japan. TEC enhancements described in the present study have large magnitudes (≥25×1016 electrons/m2) compared to the quiet-time values and long periods (≥120 min). The sequential manner of development and the propagation of these perturbations show that they are initiated at the northern region and propagate towards the southern region of Japan, with velocities 〉350 m/s. On 12 February 2000, remarkably high values of TEC and background content are observed at the southern region, compared to the north, because of the poleward expansion of the equatorial anomaly crest, which is characterized by strong latitudinal gradients near 35° N (26° N geomagnetically). When the TEC enhancements, initiating at the north, propagate through the region 39-34° N (30-25° N geomagnetically), they undergo transitions characterized by a severe decrease in amplitude of TEC enhancements. This may be due to their interaction with the higher background content of the expanded anomaly crest. However, at the low-latitude region, below 34° N, an increase in TEC is manifested as an enhanced ionization pattern (EIP). This could be due to the prompt penetration of the eastward electric field, which is evident from high values of the southward Interplanetary Magnetic Field component (IMF Bz) and AE index. The TEC perturbations observed on the other storm days also exhibit similar transitions, characterized by a decreasing magnitude of the perturbation component, at the region around 39-34° N. In addition to this, on the other storm days, at the low-latitude region, below 34° N, an increase in TEC (EIP feature) also indicates the repeatability of the above scenario. It is found that, the latitude and time at which the decrease in magnitude of the perturbation component/amplitude of the TEC enhancement are matching with the latitude and time of the appearance of the high background content. In the present study, on 12 February 2000, the F-layer height increases at Wakkanai and Kokubunji, by exhibiting a typical dispersion feature of LSTID, or passage of an equatorward surge, which is matching with the time of occurrence of the propagating TEC perturbation component. Similarly, on 29 October 2003, the increase in F-layer heights by more than 150km at Wakkanai and 90 km at Kokubunji around 18:00 JST, indicates the role of the equatorward neutral wind. On that day, TEC perturbation observed at the northern region, after 18:30 JST, which propagates towards south, could be caused mainly by the equatorward neutral wind, leading to an F-layer height increase. These observations imply the role of the equatorward neutral wind, which increases the F-layer height, by lifting the ionization to the regions of lower loss during daytime, when production is still taking place, which, in turn, increases the TEC values. Large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (LSTIDs) are considered as ionospheric manifestations of the passage of Atmospheric Gravity Waves (AGWs) that are generated at the high latitude by energy input from the magnetosphere to the low-latitude ionosphere. This study shows that large-scale TEC perturbations observed here are produced at the northern region due to the combined effects of the equatorward neutral wind, the subsequent F-layer height increase, and LSTIDs. When these perturbation components propagate through the region, 39-34° N, they undergo transitions characterised by a decrease in magnitude. Also, at the low-latitude region, below 34° N, an increase in the TEC exhibits EIP feature, due to the prompt penetration of the eastward electric field.

Description: We report simultaneous observations of atmospheric gravity waves (AGW) in OI (557.7nm) and OH airglow images and VHF radar backscatter from field-aligned irregularities (FAI) in the E-region during the SEEK-2 (Sporadic-E Experiment over Kyushu 2) campaign period from 29 July to 9 August 2002. An all-sky imager was operated at Nishino-Omote (30.5 N, 130.1 E), Japan. On 14 nights, 17 AGW events were detected in OI and OH airglow images. AGW propagated mostly toward the northeast or southeast. From comparison with the E-region FAI occurrence, which is detected by a nearby VHF radar (31.57MHz), we found that AGW tended to propagate southeastward during FAI events. This result suggests that the interaction between AGW and E-region plasma plays an important role in generating FAI. Furthermore, polarization electric fields generated directly by AGW may contribute to the FAI generation. Keywords. Atmospheric composition and structure (Airglow and aurora), Ionosphere (Ionospheric irregularities, Mid-latitude ionosphere)

Description: Observational campaigns of the mid-latitude ionospheric E-region with sounding rockets and ground-based instruments were conducted in 1996 (SEEK) and 2002 (SEEK-2). Both of them were successfully conducted to bring important findings about the mid-latitude E-region and quasi-periodic (QP) VHF radar echoes. The observational results in the SEEK and the SEEK-2 are compared with numerical simulations and discussed in this paper. While sporadic-E (Es)-layers are actually formed by the observed neutral wind, it is difficult for the constant wind shear to produce the sharp Es-layer gradient. However, once they are formed in the lower E-region, they cannot easily be dissipated by the simple diffusive motion. The polarization electric field, calculated under the condition at the rocket launch time, shows similar amplitude and structure to the measurement around the Es-layer altitude. The structure of the plasma density and the electric field above the Es-layer observed in the SEEK-2 showed a wave-like pattern up to an altitude of 150 km. Considering a mapping of the polarization electric field generated within the Es-layers, gravity waves are the possible source of the wave-like structure of the measured electric fields and sub-peaks of the electron density above the main Es-layers. Fluctuation of the measured magnetic field is reproduced by Hall or field-aligned current driven by the polarization electric field. The current theoretical models for QP echoes and the polarization electric field are basically verified by the discussion in this paper. Keywords. Ionospheric irregularities – Mid-latitude ionosphere – Numerical simulation studies

Description: During the SEEK-2 Rocket Campaign in August 2002, a Dual Band Beacon (DBB) transmitting to Ground Receivers provided unique data on E-Region electron densities. Information from two rocket beacons and four ground receivers yielded multiple samples of E-region horizontal and vertical variations. The radio beacon measurements were made at four sites (Uchinoura, Tarumizu, Tanegashima, Takazaki) in Japan for two rockets (S310-31 and S310-32) launched by the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science (ISAS). Analysis was completed for four sets of beacon data to provide electron density images of sporadic-E layers. Signals from the two-frequency beacons on the SEEK-2 rockets were processed to yield total electron content (TEC) data that was converted into electron density measurements. Wide variations in layer structures were detected. These included horizontal sporadic-E variations, vertical profiles of double, single, and weak layers. The radio beacon measurements were shown to be in agreement with the in-situ SEEK-2 sensors. The first tomographic image of a sporadic-E layer was produced from the data. The rocket beacon technique was shown to be an excellent tool to study sporadic-E layers because absolute TEC accuracy of 0.01 TEC Units can be easily obtained and, with proper receiver placement, electron density images can be produced using computerized ionospheric tomography with better than 1km horizontal and vertical resolution. Keywords. Ionospheric irregularities – Instruments and techniques – Mid-latitude ionosphere

Description: The second Sporadic E Experiment over Kyushu (SEEK-2) was carried out on 3 August 2002, during an active sporadic-E event that also showed quasi-periodic (QP) echoes. Two rockets were launched into the event from Kagoshima Space Center in southern Japan 15 min apart. Both carried a suite of instruments, but the second rocket also released a trimethyl aluminum (TMA) trail to measure the neutral winds and turbulence structure. In a number of earlier measurements in similar conditions, large winds and shears that were either unstable or close to instability were observed in the altitude range where the ionization layer occurred. The SEEK-2 wind measurements showed similar vertical structure, but unlike earlier experiments, there was a significant difference between the up-leg and down-leg wind profiles. In addition, wave or billow-like fluctuations were evident in the up-leg portion of the trail, while the lower portion of the down-leg trail was found to have extremely strong turbulence that led to a rapid break-up of the trail. The large east-west gradient in the winds and the strong turbulence have not been observed before. The wind profiles and shears, as well as the qualitative characteristics of the strong turbulence are presented, along with a discussion of the implications of the dynamical features. Keywords. Ionosphere (Mid-latitude ionosphere; Ionospheric irregularities; Electric field and currents)

Description: Turbulence parameters in the tropo-stratosphere are analyzed using high-resolution balloon temperature measurements collected during the MUTSI (MU radar, Temperature sheets and Interferometry) campaign which took place near the Middle and Upper atmosphere (MU) radar (Japan, 35° N, 136° E) in May 2000. Vertical profiles of the specific dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy, ε, and turbulent diffusivity, K, are estimated from the Thorpe lengthscale, LT. The last is obtained by using two methods. The first one consists of measuring directly LT by reordering the potential temperature profiles. The second method is based on estimates of the temperature structure constant, CT2. A relationship between LT and CT2 can be found by assuming either adiabatic vertical displacements or a model based on turbulent energy balance consideration. Analysis shows that the adiabatic assumption gives indirect estimates of LT more consistent with direct measurements. We also found that vertical profiles of analyzed turbulence characteristics show substantial intermittency, leading to substantial scatter of the local, median and average values. General trends correspond to a decrease in ε and K from the boundary layer up to altitudes 20–25 km. Layers of increased turbulence are systematically observed in the tropo-stratosphere, which may be produced by instabilities of temperature and wind profiles. These maxima may substantially increase local values of turbulence diffusivity. Keywords. Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (Turbulence)

Description: SEEK-2 (Sporadic-E Experiment over Kyushu 2) is an observation campaign to study the spatial structure of the field-aligned irregularity (FAI) and sporadic-E(Es)-layer by means of two sounding rockets and a ground-based observation network with radars and optical instruments. The experiment was successfully conducted on 3 August 2002, with successive launches of two sounding rockets from the Uchinoura Space Center (USC) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The timing of the experiment was carefully selected, while intense quasi-periodic (QP) echoes were observed with two radars in Tanegashima. The main Es-layer, with its double-layered structure, was observed at altitudes of 103–105 km, the presence of which was well accounted for by the ion accumulation due to neutral-wind shear. Several minor peaks were detected in the electron density profiles at altitudes of up to 130 km. The intensity of the electric field was 5–10 mV/m and showed intense fluctuations below 110 km. Wave-like variation of the electric field was seen above 110 km. From radar experiments, we found that QP echoes appeared around 105 km, which agreed well with the main Es-layer height. The QP echoes propagated to the west-northwest, with frontal structures elongated from north-northeast to south-southwest. Radar observations conduced throughout the SEEK-2 period, on the other hand, showed that frontal structures of the QP echoes were most frequently propagated to the southeast. This result was consistent with the direction of gravity-wave propagation observed with the OH imager during the same period. The rocket beacon experiment with the Es-layers revealed the spatial structure of the plasma densities. On the basis of these results and those from SEEK-1 in 1996, we examined the structures of the nighttime mid-latitude E-region. We concluded that the QP echoes reflect the horizontal structures of the main Es-layers. The source of the structures was not clearly determined from the experiments, but the candidates are gravity waves and the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The azimuth-dependent Es-instability may have contributed to enhance structures of the QP echoes, although this instability may not be a major source of the QP structure in SEEK-2. Polarization electric fields were induced from the Es-layer with QP echoes, mapped upward along the geomagnetic field, and played an important role in determining the structures of the whole ionospheric E-region. Keywords. Mid-latitude ionosphere – Ionospheric irregularities – Ionosphere-atmosphere interactions