This project will extensively use the standard Matlab programming language and environment, with no additional programming tools or packages. This will be used to analyze Dynasonde electron density and ionospheric tilt measurements taken at Wallops Island, VA, USA, for the whole months of June and November 2015. The measurement cadence will be either 1 or 2 minutes, with no intrinsic height resolution, although the usual altitude separation between adjacent points is smaller than 1 km. The altitude range covered will be approximately 90-260 km during daytime and 200-320 km during nighttime. This will allow observations of daytime TIDs in the bottom-side E, F1 and F2 layers and nighttime TIDs in the bottom-side F-Layer, where “bottom-side” refers to the part of the respective ionospheric layer up to the altitude of the maximum electron density.
The work plan groups several tasks into 5 work packages, one for each project objective plus an additional one for project management and preparation of publications. The start and end months for each work package are shown in square brackets:
WP1. Data selection and determination of the RHSSD. Will accomplish objective O1 [Start: 1, End: 9].
WP2. Verify the AGW dispersion relation. Will accomplish objective O2 [Start: 10, End: 17].
WP3. Determination of the FHSSD. Will accomplish objective O3 [Start: 18, End: 20].
WP4. Comparison of the RHSSD and FHSSD. Will accomplish O4 [Start: 21, End: 24].
WP5. Project management and results dissemination [Start: 1, End: 24].
The list of deliverables with the corresponding expected month shown in square brackets:
D1. Time Domain Data: Ionospheric tilts and detrended electron density data on a fixed height grid, for the two specified time intervals [Month 3].
D2. Frequency Domain Data: Ionospheric tilts and detrended electron density data, where at each altitude an independent spectral analysis was performed [Month 6].
D3. RHSSD: Statistics of the TID parameters for the two specified time intervals [Month 9].
D4. Intermediary scientific and financial report: This report will describe the results obtained and the expenses incurred during the first half of the project [Month 12].
D5. AGW Dispersion relation Comparison: Matlab code for the comparison between Dynasonde- derived TID parameters and the dispersion relation, using NRL-MSIS2000 and HWM14 [Month 17].
D6. FHSSD: Statistics of the AGW parameters for the two specified time intervals [Month 20].
D7. Comparison between the RHSSD and FHSSD: An analysis showing the altitude ranges and frequency bands of agreement and disagreement [Month 24].
D8. Final scientific and financial report: This report will describe the results obtained and the expenses incurred during the entire duration of the project [Month 24].
D9. Publication of scientific papers: Publication of at least two scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals (e.g. J. Geophys. Res., Geophys. Res. Lett., Radio Science, etc.) [Month 24].