Xianghui Xue

Impact of Major Coronal Mass Ejections on Geospace during 2005 September 7-13

We have analyzed five major CMEs originating from NOAA active region (AR) 808 during the period of 2005 September 7–13, when the AR 808 rotated from the east limb to near solar meridian. Several factors that affect the probability of the CMEs’ encounter with the Earth are demonstrated. The solar and interplanetary observations suggest that the second and third CMEs, originating from E67 � and E47 � , respectively, encountered the Earth, while the first CME originating from E77 � missed the Earth, and the last two CMEs, although originating from E39 � and E10 � , respectively, probably only grazed the Earth. On the basis of our ice cream cone mode and CME deflection model, we find that the CME span angle and deflection are important for the probability of encountering Earth. The large span angles allowed the middle two CMEs to hit the Earth, even though their source locations were not close to thesolar centralmeridian.ThesignificantdeflectionmadethefirstCMEtotallymisstheEartheventhoughitalsohad wide span angle. The deflection may also have made the last CME nearly miss the Earth even though it originated close to the disk center. We suggest that, in order to effectively predict whether a CME will encounter the Earth, the factors of the CME source location, the span angle, and the interplanetary deflection should all be taken into account.

Mid-altitude wind measurements with mobile Rayleigh Doppler lidar incorporating system-level optical frequency control method

A mobile Rayleigh Doppler lidar based on double-edge technique is developed for mid-altitude wind observation. To reduce the systematic error, a system-level optical frequency control method is proposed and demonstrated. The emission of the seed laser at 1064 nm is used to synchronize the FPI in the optical frequency domain. A servo loop stabilizing the frequency of the seed laser is formed by measuring the absolute frequency of the second harmonic against an iodine absorption line. And, the third harmonic is used for Rayleigh lidar detection. The frequency stability is 1.6 MHz at 1064 nm over 2 minutes. A locking accuracy of 0.3 MHz at 1064 nm is realized. In comparison experiments, wind profiles from the lidar, radiosonde and European Center for Medium range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) analysis show good agreement from 8 km to 25 km. Wind observation over two months is carried out in Urumqi (42.1°N, 87.1°E), northwest of China, demonstrating the stability and robustness of the system. For the first time, quasi-zero wind layer and dynamic evolution of high-altitude tropospheric jet are observed based on Rayleigh Doppler lidar in Asia.

Seasonal oscillations of middle atmosphere temperature observed by Rayleigh lidars and their comparisons with TIMED/SABER observations

The long-term temperature data sets obtained by Rayleigh lidars at six different locations from low to high latitudes within the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) were used to derive the annual oscillations (AO) and semiannual oscillations (SAO) of middle atmosphere temperature: Reunion Island (21.8°S); Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii (19.5°N); Table Mountain Facility, California (34.4°N); Observatoire de Haute Provence, France (43.9°N); Hohenpeissenberg, Germany (47.8°N); Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland (67.0°N). The results were compared with those derived from the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument onboard the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite

Lidar observations of thermospheric Na layers up to 170 km with a descending tidal phase at Lijiang (26.7°N, 100.0°E), China

We report the first lidar observations of thermospheric Na layers up to 170 km at Lijiang (geomagnetic 21.6°N, 171.8°E), China, in March, April, and December 2012. The Na densities inside the layers are low, ranging from ~1 to ~6 cm−3 at altitudes of 130–170 km, about 3 orders of magnitude lower than the Na peak density in the mesopause region. All of these layers exhibit an apparent downward phase progression with a descending rate of 11–12 km/h or ~3 m/s, consistent with the vertical phase speed of semidiurnal tides around 140 km. We have identified at least 12 events from the total 37 nights of lidar observations with four shown in this report, giving an occurrence frequency of ~33% over Lijiang. These thermospheric layer events correspond to strong to moderate equatorial fountain effects, bolstering our hypothesis that the deposit of metallic ions from the equatorial region to low latitudes via the fountain effect provides the Na+ ions in the thermosphere over Lijiang. Adopting the theory by Chu et al. (2011) and the hypothesis by Tsuda et al. (2015), we further hypothesize that the thermospheric Na layers are formed through the neutralization of the tidal-wind-shear-converged Na+ layers via direct electron-Na+ recombination Na+ + e− → Na + hν. An envelope calculation using reasonable ion and electron densities shows good consistency with the observations.

Estimation of mesopause temperatures at low latitudes using the Kunming meteor radar

In this study, mesopause temperatures over a low-latitude station were derived by applying the temperature gradient model technique to data from a meteor radar installation located in Kunming (25.6°N, 103.8°E), China. The estimated temperatures are in good agreement with Sounding of the Atmosphere by Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) temperatures and exhibit clear seasonal and interannual variations with dominant spectral peaks at annual, semiannual, quasi 90 day, and terannual oscillations. However, the amplitudes of the temperature fluctuations and the dominant spectral peaks are larger than those from SABER. An improved method that accounts for the temperature sensitivity of the slope estimated from the meteor radar data was developed to calibrate the larger fluctuations obtained using the temperature gradient model technique. The resulting calibrated temperatures are more consistent with SABER observations, and the accuracy of the derived temperatures is significantly improved.

Photon Return On-Sky Test of Pulsed Sodium Laser Guide Star with D-2b Repumping

Sodium laser guide star (LGS) system has become one of the critical components in modern astronomical adaptive optics system (AOS), especially for the next-generation extremely large telescopes, such as the Thirty Meter Telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope. Since the wavefront detection performance of AOS is directly related to the brightness of LGS, it is important for AOS to maximize its photon generation efficiency by all means. Sodium D-2b line repumping is such a technique that can greatly increase the returned photons for either sodium continuous wave (CW) laser or pulsed laser. This technique has been studied theoretically and field tested with a 20 W CW laser by European Southern Observatory team. However, field test results of a 20 W class pulsed laser with D-2b repumping have not been reported yet. In this paper, our latest field test results with theoretical comparison of D-2b repumping with a 20 W quasi-continuous wave (QCW) pulsed laser will be presented. With a linearly polarized beam, approximate 40% photon return enhancement was achieved when 10% of laser power was detuned to D-2b line, which agreed well with results from a rate equation-based Monte Carlo photon return simulation program. Both experiment and simulation results indicate that with a higher laser intensity projected at the sodium layer, the D-2b repumping will be more effective.

Gravity wave characteristics in the mesopause region revealed from OH airglow imager observations over Northern Colorado

Using 5 years of all-sky OH airglow imager data over Yucca Ridge Field Station, CO (40.7°N, 104.9°W), from September 2003 to September 2008, we extract and deduce quasi-monochromatic gravity wave (GW) characteristics in the mesopause region. The intrinsic periods are clustered between approximately 4 and 10 min, and many of them are unstable and evanescent. GW occurrence frequency exhibits a clear semiannual variation with equinoctial minima, which is likely related to the seasonal variation of background wind. The anomalous propagation direction in January 2006, with strong southward before major warming starting in 21 January and weak southward propagation afterward, was most likely affected by stratospheric sudden warming. The momentum fluxes show strongly anticorrelated with the tides, with ~180° out of phase in the zonal component. While in the meridional component, the easterly maximum occurred approximately 2–6 h after maximum easterly tidal wind. However, the anticorrelations are both weakest during the summer. The dissipating and breaking of small-scale and high-frequency GWs components could have a potential impact on the general circulation in the mesopause region.

Stratospheric temperature measurement with scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer for wind retrieval from mobile Rayleigh Doppler lidar

Temperature detection remains challenging in the low stratosphere, where the Rayleigh integration lidar is perturbed by aerosol contamination and ozone absorption while the rotational Raman lidar is suffered from its low scattering cross section. To correct the impacts of temperature on the Rayleigh Doppler lidar, a high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) based on cavity scanning Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPI) is developed. By considering the effect of the laser spectral width, Doppler broadening of the molecular backscatter, divergence of the light beam and mirror defects of the FPI, a well-behaved transmission function is proved to show the principle of HSRL in detail. Analysis of the statistical error of the HSRL is carried out in the data processing. A temperature lidar using both HSRL and Rayleigh integration techniques is incorporated into the Rayleigh Doppler wind lidar. Simultaneous wind and temperature detection is carried out based on the combined system at Delhi (37.371°N, 97.374°E; 2850 m above the sea level) in Qinghai province, China. Lower Stratosphere temperature has been measured using HSRL between 18 and 50 km with temporal resolution of 2000 seconds. The statistical error of the derived temperatures is between 0.2 and 9.2 K. The temperature profile retrieved from the HSRL and wind profile from the Rayleigh Doppler lidar show good agreement with the radiosonde data. Specifically, the max temperature deviation between the HSRL and radiosonde is 4.7 K from 18 km to 36 km, and it is 2.7 K between the HSRL and Rayleigh integration lidar from 27 km to 34 km.

Evidence for lightning‐associated enhancement of the ionospheric sporadic E layer dependent on lightning stroke energy

In this study we analyze the lightning data obtained by the World-Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) and hourly ionospheric data observed by ionosondes located at Sanya and Beijing, to examine the changes in ionospheric electron density in response to the underlying thunderstorms and to investigate the possible connection between lightning discharges and the enhancement of the ionospheric sporadic E(Es) layer. We identify a statistically significant enhancement and a decrease in altitude of the Es layer at Sanya station, in agreement with the results found at Chilton, UK. However, the lightning-associated modification of the Es layer investigated using the same approach is not evident at Beijing station. Furthermore, we compare the responses to weak and strong lightning strokes using WWLLN-determined energies at Sanya in 2012. The lightning-associated enhancement of the Es layer is predominantly attributed to powerful strokes with high stroke energy. A statistically significant intensification of the Es layer with higher-energy strokes at Sanya, along with the statistical dependence of lightning-associated enhancement of the Es layer on stroke energy, leads us to conclude that the magnitude of the enhancement is likely associated with lightning stroke energy.

First observation of mesosphere response to the solar wind high‐speed streams

We present a first analysis of 9 and 6.75-day periodic oscillations observed in the neutral mesospheric density in 2005 and 2006. Mesospheric densities near 90 km are derived using data from the Davis meteor radar (68.5°S, 77.9°E; magnetic latitude, 74.6°S), Antarctica. Spectral analysis indicates that the pronounced periodicities of 9 and 6.75 days observed in the mesosphere densities are associated with variations in solar wind high-speed streams and recurrent geomagnetic activity. Neutral mesospheric winds and temperatures, simultaneously measured by the Davis meteor radar, also exhibit 9- and 6.75-day periodicities. A Morlet wavelet analysis shows that the time evolution of the 9- and 6.75-day oscillations in the neutral mesosphere densities and winds are similar to those in the solar wind and in planetary magnetic activity index, Kp in 2005 and 2006. These results demonstrate a direct coupling between Suns Corona (upper atmosphere) and the Earths mesosphere.