ANGWIN – 4TH ANTARTIC GRAVITY WAVE INSTRUMENT NETWORK 24 - 26 April 2018, São José dos Campos, Brazil. CHARACTERIZATION OF THE EFFECTS OF GRAVITY WAVES IN THE IONOSPHERE USING VLF Luís T. M. Raunheitte 1 , Emília Correia 1,2 [1] Center for Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics at Mackenzie (CRAAM), Engineering School, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo, Brasil [2] National Institute for Space Research - INPE
Introduction • GWs are mostly generated on the troposphere and propagates in ascendant direction, affecting all the atmospheric layers, with periods of minutes to hours and spatial scale from a few to hundreds of kilometers. GWs are known for interfere with the atmosphere circulation affecting the electron density on the ionosphere base. • Under the influence of the GWs the electron density, thus the conductivity, of the lower ionosphere changes and affects the reflection conditions of the very low frequency (VLF) radio signal. Variations in the conductivity are detected as fluctuations in the amplitude of VLF signals; • Here we will investigate the influence of GW on the base of ionosphere, D-region, using VLF measurements done at Brazilian Antarctic Station Comandante Ferraz (EACF) on King George Island during 2007.
Materials and Methods • To evaluate the effect and the propagation of GW in the lower ionosphere we will use the amplitude of VLF signals propagating in two paths EACF – USA (NPM on Hawaii e NAA on the east coast), obtained with VLF station operated at EACF. These paths were chosen because they cross the Drake Passage region, where the GW activity are strong. • Python routines; • Obtain the GW characteristics with Wavelet Analysis; Wu et al, 2002.
Preliminary Results Period: 13 min. Date Period (min) 18/08/07 05:50-05:59 13,14±0,2 UT Bageston, 2009.
Preliminary Results Period: 18 min. Date Period (min) 12/06/07 00:23-00:25 17,7±2,5 UT Bageston, 2009.
Discussion • The preliminary results shows the high potentiality of using VLF as a tool to observe GWs in the ionosphere base to obtain GWs characteristics as period, propagation direction and amplitude; • The two studied cases show signs of GW interfering on the base of ionosphere, the properties of these appear similar to the ones obtained with airglow observations of the atmosphere; • VLF tool has some advantages over the other methods because it’s possible to observe 24hs a day, showing a more detailed timeline of the events, and it’s capable of covering a much larger area; • To complete these study the investigation will be done for all 2007 to characterize it’s seasonal influence in the ionosphere;
Thanks • 4 th ANGWIN Organizing Committee; • CNPQ PROANTAR; • CAPES Master Degree Scholarship;
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