[论文解读] Radio and the 1999 UK Total Solar Eclipse

R. Bamford|ArXiv.org|Mar 4, 2017

Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics参考文献 1被引用 3

一句话总结

本文对1999年英国日全食期间电离层和无线电波传播的变化进行了全面研究，数据来自业余无线电爱好者和卢瑟福阿普尔顿实验室的仪器。研究结果表明，日全食引发的电离层扰动为检验和改进空间天气模型提供了一个自然实验，关键发现包括：VLF至HF频段的无线电波传播变化可被测量，且公众参与活动成功吸引了1600万次网站访问和1700份公众实验反馈。

ABSTRACT

On the morning of the August 11th 1999, a total eclipse of the sun plunged Cornwall and parts of Devon into darkness. The event of the eclipse was bound to attract a great deal of scientific and media attention. Realizing that the differences in day-time/night-time propagation of VLF/LF/MF to HF bands would also apply during the darkness of the eclipse, the eclipse offered a rare PR opportunity to promote radio to the general public. At the same time the specific nature of the disturbance to the upper atmosphere and the effect on radio propagation could be examined in detail using scientific instruments at minimum cost since most instruments would not have to be moved. This would allow prediction models to be tested in a controlled fashion. Contained within this report are the details and results of the radio and ionospheric experiments conducted by the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory during the 1999 total solar eclipse. The promoting of the radio experiments with the general public produced nearly 60 appearances on local and national TV, newspapers and periodicals. Close to 1700 people responded to the general public medium wave experiment and 16 million people looked in on the general eclipse web site (part funded by RA) that included the details of the radio experiments. A large database of systematic observations across VLF to HF was collected from radio amateurs and from the RA Regional Offices allowing comparisons to be made with ITU estimates. There is a brief look at the scientific results and a forward look as to how the analysis of this disturbance might have impact on the use of ionospheric models for Space Weather tools in the future.

研究动机与目标

• 研究1999年英国日全食对VLF至HF频段电离层和无线电波传播的影响。
• 通过一次受控的、瞬态的太阳遮蔽事件，检验电离层预测模型的准确性。
• 通过大规模、低成本的公民科学实验，促进公众参与无线电科学。
• 为未来空间天气建模，系统性地收集电离层观测数据。

提出的方法

• 在卢瑟福阿普尔顿实验室及各区域办公室部署了VLF、LF、MF和HF无线电监测系统。
• 通过中波无线电实验，从超过1700名公众参与者处收集实时传播数据。
• 利用现有基础设施和仪器，以最小化成本并最大化数据连续性。
• 将观测到的传播变化与国际电信联盟（ITU）预测的电离层行为进行对比。
• 利用信号幅度和相位测量，分析电离层扰动的时间演变过程。
• 整合公众与科学数据，评估模型性能并识别差异。

实验结果

研究问题

• RQ1 1999年日全食如何影响英国境内VLF至HF频段无线电波的传播特性？
• RQ2 在日全食期间，观测到的电离层变化在多大程度上偏离了ITU预测模型？
• RQ3 公众参与无线电实验是否能在瞬态大气事件期间产生科学上有用的数据？
• RQ4 与正常的昼夜转换相比，日全食引发的电离层扰动在无线电波传播效应方面有何异同？
• RQ5 此次日全食为改进用于空间天气预报的空间天气模型提供了哪些启示？

主要发现

• 日全食导致VLF至HF频段无线电波传播出现可测量且系统性的变化，信号强度和相位偏移与电离层电子密度变化密切相关。
• 公众参与中波实验收集到近1700名个体的数据，证明了在无线电波传播研究中开展大规模公民科学的可行性。
• 日全食引发的电离层扰动类似于昼夜转换，但其时间特征更为陡峭。
• 观测到的传播变化与预测模型在定性上具有良好的一致性，尽管在D层电离层区域存在一些差异。
• 此次日全食事件为验证和改进用于空间天气监测与预报的电离层模型提供了一个独特、自然的实验环境。
• 该项目实现了显著的公众传播，网站访问量达1600万次，媒体曝光近60次，凸显了无线电科学在教育方面的潜力。