Research Progress on Morphological Characteristics and Scintillation Effects of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles
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摘要: 基于CHAMP, GRACE, Swarm等低轨卫星近20年的长期观测资料, 结合COSMIC掩星、地基GNSS(Global Navigation Satellite System)接收机网络和全天空成像仪等多源探测结果, 系统综述了EPBs形态学特征与闪烁效应的研究进展. 从太阳活动、地磁活动、高度、经度、季节和地方时等多个维度, 分析了赤道等离子体泡发生率的统计特征及其主要控制因素; 综述其空间尺度与三维形态特征, 包括东西向尺度、场向尺度、内部精细结构及其演化过程, 指出赤道等离子体泡是具有明显层级性和场向延展特征的多尺度三维不规则体结构; 归纳赤道等离子体泡相关磁场扰动的主要观测特征及其可能物理机制, 讨论了抗磁效应、场向电流和阿尔芬波扰动在理解其电磁响应中的作用; 进而, 系统评述了赤道等离子体泡引起的L波段信号闪烁、幅度衰减和GPS(Global Positioning System)信号中断等现象的统计规律、传播机制以及相关建模与应用研究进展.Abstract: Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs) are among the most prominent plasma irregularities in the low-latitude ionosphere. Their multiscale morphological evolution and modulation of trans-ionospheric radio-wave propagation represent major scientific and practical concerns in space weather research. This review aims to summarize recent advances in the morphology, magnetic signatures, and scintillation effects of EPBs, and to identify key issues that require further investigation. Long-term in situ observations from low-Earth-orbit satellites, including CHAMP, GRACE, and Swarm, are reviewed together with complementary measurements from COSMIC radio occultation, ground-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver networks, and all-sky airglow imagers. The occurrence characteristics of EPBs are first examined in relation to solar activity, geomagnetic activity, longitude, season, altitude, and local time. Previous observations demonstrate that EPB occurrence exhibits pronounced longitudinal and seasonal variability and is strongly controlled by the prereversal enhancement of the eastward electric field, background ionospheric conditions, and lower-atmospheric forcing. The spatial scales and three-dimensional morphology of EPBs are then discussed. EPBs are characterized by strong field-aligned extension, considerable zonal variability, and hierarchical structures ranging from large-scale plasma depletions to kilometer- and subkilometer-scale irregularities. Their morphology may evolve through upward growth, bifurcation, merging, and secondary instability development. Magnetic perturbations associated with EPBs are also reviewed. Available measurements suggest that their electromagnetic signatures may result from plasma diamagnetic effects, field-aligned currents, polarization electric fields, and Alfvénic perturbations. However, the relative contributions of these processes remain uncertain and require coordinated plasma and magnetic-field observations. Finally, the effects of EPBs on L-band signals are assessed, including amplitude and phase scintillation, signal fading, loss of lock, and positioning degradation. These effects depend not only on the large-scale geometry of plasma depletions, but also on the intensity and spectral distribution of embedded small-scale irregularities. Overall, EPBs should be regarded as multiscale, three-dimensional, and electrodynamically coupled ionospheric structures. Future progress will rely on coordinated multisource observations, improved three-dimensional reconstruction, and physics-based modeling. Such efforts are essential for understanding EPB evolution and improving the reliability of satellite communication, navigation, and positioning systems in equatorial and low-latitude regions.
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图 1 高太阳活动年期间与低太阳活动年期间观测到的EPB发生率的季节/经度分布[19]. (a) CHAMP卫星等离子体探测器观测结果, (b) GRACE卫星K波段测距系统观测结果
Figure 1. Seasonal-longitudinal distributions of EPB occurrence rates during periods of higher and lower solar activity. (a) Observations from the CHAMP Planar Langmuir Probe, (b) observations from the GRACE K-Band Ranging system[19]
图 5 2014年9月23日Fuke台站气辉观测与Swarm卫星原位电子密度观测的联合分析. (a) 23:20:18-23:26:21 LT期间获取的三幅连续气辉图像, (b) Swarm A(蓝色)和Swarm C(绿色)观测的原位电子密度时间序列, (c) Swarm A(蓝色)和Swarm C(绿色)的飞行轨迹叠加在23:23:20 LT的气辉图像上[27]
Figure 5. Coordinated airglow imaging and in situ electron density observations by the Swarm satellites over the Fuke station on 23 September 2014. (a) Three consecutive airglow images acquired between 23:20:18 and 23:26:21 LT, (b) time series of in situ electron density measured by Swarm A (blue) and Swarm C (green), (c) trajectories of Swarm A (blue) and Swarm C (green) superimposed on the airglow image acquired at 23:23:20 LT [27]
图 7 CHAMP卫星于2001年10月14日观测到的赤道等离子体泡相关阿尔芬波特征. (a)~(c)分别为磁场对齐坐标系中的东西向、南北向和平行磁场扰动分量, (d)和(e)分别为东西向和南北向磁场扰动的动态频谱, (f)为同期原位电子密度剖面[26]
Figure 7. Alfvénic wave signatures associated with equatorial plasma bubbles observed by CHAMP on 14 October 2001. (a)~(c)Magnetic perturbation components in the zonal, meridional and field-aligned dircetions under the magnetic field-aligned coordinate system, (d) and (e) dynamic spectra of the zonal and meridional magnetic perturbations, respectively, (f) corresponding in-situ electron density profile[26].
图 9 赤道等离子体泡空间结构及其相关电流系统. (a) EPB东西两侧边界附近的等离子体压力梯度电流、垂直磁场扰动和场向电流分布, (b) EPB沿磁力线延伸的三维结构, 以及极化电流、场向电流和电导层内Pedersen电流之间的闭合回路[56]
Figure 9. Schematic illustration of the spatial structure of an equatorial plasma bubble and its associated current system. (a) Distributions of the plasma pressure-gradient current, perpendicular magnetic perturbation, and field-aligned currents near the western and eastern walls of the EPB, (b) t hree-dimensional field-aligned structure of the EPB and the current closure involving polarization currents, field-aligned currents, and Pedersen currents in the conducting layer[56].
图 10 Swarm C卫星GPS接收机信号失锁事件发生率随磁纬度和时间的分布. (a) 2013年12月1日至2016年6月23日期间, 失锁事件发生率随DoY和磁纬度的变化, (b) 2013年12月-2016年11月期间, 失锁事件发生率随MLT和磁纬的变化[35]
Figure 10. Distributions of the occurrence rate of GPS signal loss-of-lock events onboard Swarm C as functions of magnetic latitude and time. (a) Variation in the occurrence rate with DoY and magnetic latitude from 1 December 2013 to 23 June 2016, (b) variation in the occurrence rate with MLT and magnetic latitude from December 2013 to November 2016[35]
图 12 不同磁纬度下闪烁发生率随DoY和MLT的变化分布. (a)和(b)分别为F10.7<100条件下闪烁发生率随DoY和MLT的变化, (c)和(d)分别为F10.7>100条件下闪烁发生率随DoY和MLT的变化[37]
Figure 12. Distributions of scintillation occurrence rate as functions of DoY and MLT at different magnetic latitudes. Occurrence rates as functions of DoY (a) and MLT (b), respectively, for F10.7 < 100, (c) and (d) are corresponding results for F10.7 > 100 [37]
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郑宇豪 男, 1996年8月24日生出生, 博士, 现为武汉大学地球与空间信息科学技术学院博士后, 主要研究方向为电离层闪烁分析及建模. E-mail:
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