Toward next generation space environment modeling capability

The ionosphere is a layer of plasma in the upper atmosphere (thermosphere), produced by the ionization of atmospheric constituents by solar radiation and energetic particles. By virtue of its conductivity, the ionosphere has significant implications for radio communications and navigation

systems that propagate signals through or within that medium. To mitigate the impact of the ionosphere on these systems, numerical and statistical modeling approaches, akin to those used to model conventional atmospheric weather, are essential.

Ionospheric models generally come in three forms: statistical climatologies, physics-based numerical models, and data assimilation models. Each of these model types have their own unique strengths and weaknesses that fundamentally restrict what roles they can fulfill, ultimately limiting the breadth of their application. To address some of these limitations, the Space Environment and Radio Engineering (SERENE) group at UoB has developed a broad range of ionospheric and thermospheric models and assimilation systems.

The following questions will be asked during the project: 1) What are the limitations of existing modeling approaches? 2) How can different modeling approaches and assimilation methods be blended to optimally represent the ionosphere? 3) Can advanced, hybrid techniques provide improved representations of not only the ionosphere,

but the thermosphere as well?

These questions will be addressed through the use of sophisticated numerical techniques applied to the wide range of ionospheric modeling and data assimilation systems being developed at SERENE