Vol 57, No 5 (2017)

The transionospheric radiosounding (TIS) method has naturally brought together the two most precise methods for scanning and monitoring the ionosphere (ionospheric radiosounding by airborne and ground ionosondes) into a single system. The subsequent development of TIS equipment has led to a qualitative change in the structure and operation of the ionospheric observatory, which greatly broadened the diagnostic capabilities of the ionospheric monitoring and expanded the ionospheric region monitored by the ground station. In fact, it can be said that a closed radiosounding system has been developed. It uses three branches of ionospheric multifrequency ray (or radio wave) fans to monitor the inner and outer ionosphere and to control both of these regions via transillumination of the ionosphere at the boundary of its radio transparency. The advantage of such a system is the full use of the entire range of radiated radio waves, each part of which is responsible for certain components of the diagnostic circuit. The paper presents the results of scientific studies obtained based on TIS data, which have led to the appearance of new and, to some extent, unexpected and previously unknown phenomena and effects. Special attention is paid to the modern stage of development of the TIS concept, which has good prospects for continuous monitoring of the polar ionosphere. It is questioned whether it is expedient to replace the term sounding with the term transillumination. It is noted that TIS was and remains the most precise method of ionosphere diagnostics.

The prevailing heat transfer processes—convection in the photosphere and wave propagation in the chromosphere—are principally different. Despite this fact, there is a direct link between these processes: it is precisely convective photospheric flows that excite intense Alfven waves in the chromosphere. A physical model explaining the effect of strong chromospheric and coronal heating is improved in this work. The model is based on synchronous propagation and interaction in the chromosphere of photospheric spicules and Alfven waves. The results of observations of the last decade and the analytical solution of the equations of magnetohydrodynamics are used. It is established that the heating of the solar atmospheric plasma proceeds not in the corona but in the upper chromosphere.

The results of studying the intensity of fluxes of 30–80 keV ions from the data of measurements of the NOAA (POES) sun-synchronous satellites during geomagnetic storms of different intensity are presented. For 15 geomagnetic storms with |Dst|_max from ~37 to ~422 nT, the storm-time maximum ion fluxes in the near-equatorial region (trapped particles) and at high latitudes (precipitating particles) have been considered. It is shown that the maximum fluxes of trapped particles, which are considered a ring-current proxy, increase with the storm power. In this case, if a smooth growth of fluxes is recorded for storms with |Dst|_max < 250 nT in the near-equatorial region, a significantly steeper growth of fluxes of trapped particles is observed when storm power increases during storms with |Dst|_max > 250 nT. This may be evidence of both an increasing of the contribution of the ring current relative to magnetotail currents to the development of high-intensity storms and to a nonlinear link between the ring current and ion fluxes at low altitudes in the near-equatorial region. Despite large variations in fluxes of precipitating particles in the polar region above the boundary of isotropization, a decreasing tendency, as a whole, in fluxes of these particles is observed with increasing the storm intensity. This is the evidence of the effect of saturation of magnetotail currents and of an increase in the relative role of the ring current during strong magnetic storms.

We consider the behavior of anisotropy and density of galactic cosmic rays in the first hours of Forbush effects from 1957 to 2014 initiated by the arrival of a shock wave. It has been shown that, as early as the event commencement, the first harmonic of anisotropy tends to increase substantially and its direction changes significantly. The more is powerful the interplanetary disturbance, the greater are the changes. Based on changes in some parameters of anisotropy and density, we can estimate the heliolongitude of the disturbance source, as well as the further development of the Forbush effect and geomagnetic activity.

This study considers the possibility of using the new methods of time-frequency transforms, such as chirplet and warblet transforms, to analyze the digital observational data of geomagnetic pulsations of Pc5 type. For this purpose, necessary algorithms of calculation and appropriate software were developed. The chirplet transform method (CT) is used to analyze signals with a linear frequency modulation. A chirplet variation, the so-called warblet transform, is used to analyze signals with a nonlinear frequency modulation. Since, in studying geomagnetic pulsations, it is difficult to make assumptions on the character of the behavior of the instantaneous frequency of the signal, the special generalized warblet transform (GWT) was used for the analysis. The GWT has a high spatiotemporal resolution and was developed to analyze oscillations both with a periodic and nonperiodic change of the instantaneous frequency. The software developed for GWT calculation was used to study daytime geomagnetic Pc5 pulsations with durations of several hours that were detected via the network of ground-based magnetometers of the Scandinavian IMAGE profile during the magnetic storm of May 29–30, 2003. For the first time, temporal variations of the instantaneous frequency of geomagnetic pulsations are determined and their possible use in studying the fine spatial structure of Pc5 waves is shown.

Analysis of changes in the critical frequency foF2 in recent decades has been performed by determination of “Delta foF2” parameter. These values determine the mean change of foF2 values from the “etalon period” (1958–1980) to later periods. The results are compared with the determination of foF2 trends, which was performed in a series of previous publications of the authors. The data of two most reliable ionospheric stations of the European region, Slough and Juliusruh, are analyzed. The results confirm all principal conclusions obtained earlier, which were based on analysis of the trends. A systematic decrease of foF2 with time occurs (which corresponds to a negative trend), and the character of changes in the Delta values with season and local time on the whole agrees with the character of changes in the trend. It is shown that the results based on the data of both considered stations show good agreement.

We have studied the radiative characteristics of the explosive action in the atmosphere. It has been shown that even a single explosive action produced simultaneously with a high-frequency (HF) discharge forms an effective plasma antenna. In the absence of an HF discharge, an explosive action with a specific arrangement of point explosions allows the generation of a convergent shockwave of pressure and magnetic field. As a result, a waveguiding disturbance of the background plasma is formed in the convergence region of the shockwave; given the simultaneous excitation of pulsed fields in the near-frontal region, this also leads to the formation of a plasma antenna at high altitudes.

The results of numerical simulation of the nonlinear evolution of an acoustic pulse propagating above an earthquake epicenter with preset energy parameters are presented. The interaction with charged plasma particles in the lower ionosphere is taken into account. The interaction between neutral and charged components is described by the diffusion mechanism of the disturbance of the density of charged ionospheric plasma components. The simulation was carried out for three values of earthquake magnitude M = 5; 6; and 7. It is ascertained that the numerical simulation results agree with analytical estimates made during the study of main regularities of seismic events that induce weak nonlinear effects in the atmosphere.

The spectra of radio atmospheric signals (spherics) recorded simultaneously at two observatories of the Polar Geophysical Institute, Lovozero (67.97° N, 35.08° E) and Barentsburg (78.08° N, 14.22° E), during the solar eclipse on March 20, 2015 are presented. The peculiarities of the behavior of the first critical frequency of the Earth-ionosphere waveguide during the eclipse are described. The effective altitude of the reflective layer of ionosphere is assessed.

A critical analysis is given for various methods for recovery of the ozone layer of the Earth: the emission of alkane gases, the destruction of freons by laser IR radiation and with microwave discharge, exposure to laser UV radiation and electric discharge in the atmosphere, the use of solar radiation, laser infrared radiation, and gamma rays, and the creation of an artificial formation at high altitudes that shields the solar radiation dissociating ozone. The optimal methods are discussed in terms of their effectiveness, economic costs, and environmental consequences. These include the use of gamma rays sources, electric discharge in the atmosphere, and microwave breakdown.