Feasibility Study to Develop a Large Aperture Lidar/Optical Facility for Observations of the Upper Atmosphere from 30-1000km

开发用于 30-1000 公里高层大气观测的大口径激光雷达/光学设施的可行性研究

• 批准号: 1162271
• 负责人: Chester Gardner
• 金额: $ 14.81万
• 依托单位: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-15 至 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1162271&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Feasibility; Study; Develop; Large; Aperture

The investigators will examine the broad scientific rationale and develop detailed design requirements for a major new lidar/optical facility to study the chemistry and dynamics of the Earth's atmosphere from the middle stratosphere (~30 km) to well into the thermosphere (~1000 km). The objectives are to identify the key scientific problems currently challenging the middle and upper atmospheric sciences communities and determine what new observational capabilities, especially large aperture lidar systems, could facilitate significant progress in addressing those problems. It is envisioned that the centerpiece of the new lidar/optical facility would be a ~100 square meter collecting aperture that would consist of a 3-4 meter diameter fully steerable telescope in combination with a large array of smaller fix-pointed telescopes. In addition the facility would include important correlative instruments such as radars, imagers, spectrometers and perhaps in situ measurement capabilities using balloon and rocket probes. The specific project objectives are: 1. To determine the key scientific problems currently challenging the middle and upper atmosphere communities (with emphasis on those problems that could potentially benefit from the measurements achievable by a large aperture lidar/optical facility), 2. To determine what new observational capabilities could facilitate significant progress in addressing those problems, 3. To develop the top level design and operational requirements for the large optical telescope that would serve as the centerpiece of the new observatory, 4. To determine the design and operational requirements for the lidar systems that would utilize the large telescope, 5. To determine the key correlative instrumentation that would be essential to realize the full potential of the new observatory, and 6. To determine where the facility should be located to make the greatest contribution to science and to insure maximum operating productivity. The outstanding challenge in terrestrial upper atmosphere research is specifying the state of the space-atmosphere interaction region. There is growing recognition that meteorological sources of wave energy from the lower atmosphere are responsible for producing significant variability in the upper atmosphere. Furthermore, energetic particles and fields originating from the magnetosphere regularly alter the state of the ionosphere. These influences converge through close coupling between the ionosphere plasma and neutral thermosphere gas to produce emergent behavior in the space-atmosphere interaction region (SAIR). To fully explore neutral-ion coupling in the critical region above 100 km requires measurements of the neutral atmosphere to complement radar observations of the plasma. Lidar measurements of neutral thermospheric winds, temperatures and species can enable these explorations, an objective of highest priority for the upper atmosphere science community.

研究人员将研究广泛的科学原理，并为一个主要的新型激光雷达/光学设施制定详细的设计要求，以研究从平流层中层（~30公里）到热层（~1000公里）的地球大气的化学和动力学。目标是确定当前挑战中高层大气科学界的关键科学问题，并确定哪些新的观测能力，特别是大孔径激光雷达系统，可以促进在解决这些问题方面取得重大进展。据设想，新的激光雷达/光学设施的核心将是一个约100平方米的收集孔径，该孔径将由一个3-4米直径的完全可操纵望远镜与一大批较小的定点望远镜组合而成。此外，该设施将包括重要的相关仪器，例如雷达、成像仪、光谱仪，也许还有使用气球和火箭探测器的现场测量能力。具体的项目目标是：1。2.确定当前挑战中、高层大气群落的关键科学问题（重点是那些可能受益于大孔径激光雷达/光学设施可实现的测量的问题）；2 .确定哪些新的观测能力可以促进在解决这些问题方面取得重大进展；3 .为将作为新天文台核心的大型光学望远镜制定顶层设计和操作要求。为了确定将利用大型望远镜的激光雷达系统的设计和操作要求，5 .确定对充分发挥新天文台的潜力至关重要的关键相关仪器；确定该设施应设在何处，以对科学作出最大贡献，并确保最大的运行效率。地面高层大气研究面临的突出挑战是确定空间-大气相互作用区域的状态。越来越多的人认识到，来自低层大气的波能气象源是造成高层大气显著变率的原因。此外，来自磁层的高能粒子和场有规律地改变电离层的状态。这些影响通过电离层等离子体和中性热层气体之间的紧密耦合汇聚在一起，在空间-大气相互作用区（SAIR）产生紧急行为。为了充分探索100公里以上临界区域的中性离子耦合，需要对中性大气进行测量，以补充雷达对等离子体的观测。对中性热层风、温度和物种的激光雷达测量可以使这些探索成为可能，这是高层大气科学界最优先考虑的目标。