2023 Workshop: Atmosphere-Space Coupling

In the last 15 years, lidar observations have evolved from being limited to relatively narrow altitude ranges (up to ~110 km) to the significantly extended altitude ranges of neutral profiling from near the ground up to ~200 km and ion detection up to ~300 km in altitudes. Lidar observations have led to numerous discoveries such as the thermosphere-ionosphere metal layers, secondary gravity wave generation, and upward sensible heat fluxes in the lower thermosphere, etc. Furthermore, a Helium lidar has demonstrated He measurements to about 700 km. These recent results demonstrate the huge potentials that lidars and their future generations will bring to the atmosphere-space physics, composition, chemistry, and dynamics. Coordinating development of lidar, radar, and other instruments as well as strategical deployment of these instruments will enable cutting-edge science and provide fuel to discovery science in the next decades.

This workshop solicits presentations focusing on the recent progress in space-atmosphere coupling studies as well as discussions on the future vision on how to develop observational and instrumentation strategies to advance space-atmosphere physics. Topics include, but are not limited to, electrodynamics and neutral dynamics that help interpret the neutral and ionic metal species and their transport in the D, E, and F regions, observations and modeling of constituents, thermal structures, neutral tidal winds and gravity waves, and ionospheric-magnetospheric observations (such as TIDs, airglow emission, and sporadic E layers, etc.). We also welcome numerical modeling and theoretical studies that can help interpret observations and understand the underlying space-atmosphere coupling.