Ionospheric Science, Models and Databases at Haystack Observatory Haystack Observatory/Lincoln Laboratory Collaboration Workshop March 9, 2007

Madrigal Database/Virtual Observatory Distributed, open-source, standards-based local databases that share metadata and have VO-features built in ●AMISR

The Madrigal database stores data from a wide variety of upper atmosphere research instruments in the Cedar database format. Incoherent Scatter Radar TEC via GPS MF Radar Cedar database format Loading programs can be written in Python, C, or Tcl Other instrument types in Madrigal: Meteor radar, Digisonde, Fabry-Perot, Geophysical indices

What is the local Madrigal database? User Web services API Python API Matlab API Allows for easy VO access From anywhere on internet Web interface Database standard – Cedar file format Metadata standard – Madrigal standard Real-time and historical data

How is Madrigal a Virtual Observatory? Searches from local Madrigal site can link to any other site User chooses whether the search is local or includes all Madrigal sites Implemented via shared, standard metadata

eGY, IPY, IHY All inspired by the success of the 1957 International Geophysical Year 50 years ago eGY – The electronic Geophysical Year IPY – The International Polar Year Starts March 2007 IHY – The International Heliophysical Year (2007) For space physics, all three overlap

Millstone / Sondrestrom Convection Model Arecibo Electron density annual variations derived from long-term datasets for worldwide ISRs Shigaraki Lower Midlatitudes St Santin Millstone East Asia Subauroral Millstone / Sondrestrom Convection Model Midlatitude Tromso Sondrestrom Highlatitude Svalbard America Sector European Sector

St Santin, June, 350-400 km

Storm-Time Penetration Electric Fields

Ring Current / SAPS/ SED Plume (Sub Auroral Polarization Stream Electric Field) AURORAL OVAL Duskside Region-2 FACs close poleward across low-conductance gap SAPS: Strong poleward Electric Fields are set up across the sub-auroral ionosphere SAPS erodes the cold plasma of the ionosphere and the outer plasmasphere LOW S SAPS E FIELD

Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling at the Plasmasphere Boundary Layer GPS/ISR Study of Flux of Plasmaspheric Material to the Magnetopause

September 2005 wind features Fall climatology In the lower thermosphere at mid-latitudes, the dominating feature of a wind flow is a strong tidal signature of 12-hour wave. It has downward phase propagation (i.e. upward energy propagation) indicating that tides are originated at lower altitudes and propagate upwards. Tidal features vary considerably with altitude, season and from day to day, and sources driving this variability are not well understood. One of the unexpected findings during Sep 2005 ISR World month was a large magnitude of wind for both zonal and meridional components. The left part of the figure shows zonal (top) and meridional (bottom) components of neutral wind is September 2005, while right part of the figure shows average wind during fall equinox obtained from many years of data. In September 2005, the semidiurnal pattern is dominant, as expected for mid-latitude location, and phases are similar to average phases, but magnitude of the wind is much larger, indicating a very strong semidiurnal tide. The wind magnitude in Sep 2005 is stronger than average summertime wind (and summer is traditionally the season with largest winds). Preliminary comparisons with TIMED TIDI data show that TIDI fall 2005 winds are higher than during other years. It might indicate large interannual variability in mesospheric and lower thermospheric dynamics. The sources and mechanisms driving interannual variability at mid-latitudes are not understood, and we are looking for more experimental and theoretical evidence. Wind magnitude in September 2005 is higher than average wind during fall equinox for both zonal and meridional components

MIT Haystack Observatory Atmospheric Sciences Group Haystack Observatory's Atmospheric Sciences Group studies all levels of the atmosphere using incoherent scatter radar (ISR) and distributed arrays of radiowave instruments such as Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. The group has been operating for more than forty years, collecting ionospheric measurements spanning a range of latitudes covering most of Eastern North America. Most of these measurements are available from the Madrigal Database. Recent GPS measurements have extended this to global coverage. The unique location of Millstone Hill near the Earth's plasmapause, combined with the wide reach of the Millstone Hill steerable antenna, have made it a premier facility for mid-latitude ionospheric research, magnetospheric studies and thermospheric measurements. In addition to improving our fundamental understanding of the near-Earth environment, this research has immediate relevance to the welfare of people and our technological society since it contributes to the development of improved space weather alerts and storm predictions.