Conveners:
Dave Hysell (dlh37@cornell.edu)
Mike Sulzer (msulzer@naic.edu)
2005 Friday 01 July 1030 - 1230 AM
This session was convened to bring the community of users surrounding the low latitude upper atmospheric facilities (Arecibo and Jicamarca) into contact with the investigators developing the modes and experiments performed there. Our objective was to familiarize both groups with the activities of the other to assure that the most crucial parameters are being measured and that the resulting data are being fully utilized. The session began with the theme of the data needs of modelers, shifted to presentations on new experimental capabilities, and concluded with an introduction to emerging optical capabilities at the two sites.
Mihail Codrescu stressed the necessity of exospheric temperature, composition, wind, and plasma number density measurements at low latitudes for validating general circulation models (GCMs). Mark Swisdak pointed out that electric field transients are expected to produce large TEC modifications during storms and that electric field measurements therefore need to be made with fine temporal resolution, something at which both facilities excel. Dave Anderson discussed the latitude dependence of prompt penetration electric fields, highlighting the importance of chain studies to space weather research, a theme returned to by Vince Eccles. Meers Oppenheim presented new numerical simulations of Farley Buneman waves and instabilities which could be validated using the AMISR-7 system at Jicamarca.
A number of new experimental capabilities have arisen at Jicamarca and Arecibo since the last CEDAR workshop. Jorge Chau presented results of the first D and E region incoherent scatter experiments performed at Jicamarca. Marco Milla showed how plasma number densities and drifts can now be rapidly extracted from Jicamarca differential phase measurements using a Kalman filter approach. Mike Sulzer reviewed a number of new capabilities at Arecibo designed to promote collaborative studies there, including an optimized version of the MRACF World Day mode. Among these are dual beam velocity measurements which were analyzed by Nestor Aponte. Esayas Shume likewise reviewed a new technique for inferring zonal MLT wind profiles in the electrojet region at Jicamarca. New gyroline observations at Arecibo (Asti Bhatt) and mesospheric turbulence measurements at Jicamarca (Li Guo) were also described.
A number of optical instruments are being deployed or upgraded at the low latitude facilities. John Meriwether summarized efforts by his team to install a miniaturized Fabry Perot interferometer at Arecibo. He also presented results from the upgraded FPI at Arequipa, Peru, which showed nighttime neutral temperatures in substantial agreement with plasma temperatures measured simultaneously at Jicamarca. This instrument will be complemented by the SOFDI instrument to be deployed at Huancayo for daytime and nighttime thermospheric wind measurements.
Finally, prospects for new joint campaigns and studies utilizing the low-latitude facilities were outlined by Sixto Gonzales. A workshop geared toward planning and coordinating the campaigns is being scheduled.