The Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar in Ethiopia Workshop to Identify Science Rationale; Chestnut Hill, MA; September 2011

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This award supports a two and a half day invitation-only workshop for ~40 people to be hosted at Boston College in September 2011. The objective of the workshop is to identify the scientific and societal motivations for deploying the Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar (AMISR) in Ethiopia. The workshop will address logistical issues associated with this plan, and outline the major hurdles to be overcome. The final output from this meeting will be a document summarizing the results of the discussions. To date, the vast majority of equatorial incoherent scatter radar (ISR) measurements have been collected at Jicamarca, Peru, so that much of what is known about equatorial physics is based on Jicamarca ISR observations. However, Jicamarca is in the American sector where the geomagnetic equator dips, and there is a fairly large excursion between the geomagnetic and geodetic equator. On the other hand, in the African sector the geomagnetic equator is fairly well aligned with the geodetic equator. Moreover, observational results from different satellites have indicated that the equatorial ionosphere in the African sector responds differently than other sectors. The uneven distribution of ground-based instruments has been an obstacle in achieving global understanding of the dynamics and structures of the ionosphere. In regions like Africa, observations of the ionosphere are currently not possible due to lack of ground-based instruments. During the past couple of years a few small instruments, like GPS receivers and magnetometers have been deployed in the region. Adding a single ISR to the limited space science instrumentation in the equatorial African sector would be of significant scientific benefit. The workshop will promote international research collaborations and advance space science research in Africa. This will not only enhance the research/training infrastructure, but will also play a vital role in the future socioeconomic development of Africa. For the United States, this project will serve as a vehicle to create opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to participate in different phases of the development and deployment process.