MRI: Acquisition of a High Power, Tunable Diode Laser to Upgrade the Na Lidar System at the Andes Lidar Observatory

这是一个奖项，用于更换位于智利Cerro Pachón的安第斯山脉激光雷达观测站（ALO）的钠风/温度激光雷达中老化的主振荡器。ALO是一个高层大气观测站，拥有钠激光雷达，几个气辉仪器和附近的流星雷达。这套仪器提供了在广泛的空间和时间尺度上对高层大气（80-110公里）的全面测量。要更换的主振荡器是环形染料激光器，其使用寿命在20年后结束。新的倍频、高功率、可调谐二极管激光器将更容易操作、更可靠、操作成本更低。 钠激光雷达的测量是研究安第斯山脉上空中层和低热层波动动力学的关键组成部分。 ALO将与其他同地遥感仪器一起，提供迄今为止对南半球不稳定性、重力波、潮汐、行星波和平均风的特征的最详细的研究。可靠性的提高和运营成本的降低直接转化为收集更多的数据，这将促进和加强这些研究活动。 升级后不仅可以加强ALO的研究项目，而且还将为学生提供新的教育和培训机会，扩大他们对高层大气研究的接触。此外，还有独特的国际合作机会，包括阿根廷的El Leoncito和澳大利亚的阿德莱德大学。在阿拉伯天文台收集的数据将提供给科学界，供其就广泛的科学专题进行研究。

This is an award for the replacement of an aging master oscillator in the sodium wind/temperature lidar at the Andes Lidar Observatory (ALO), located in Cerro Pachón, Chile.The ALO is an upper atmosphere observatory that houses the Na lidar, several airglow instruments, and a nearby meteor radar. The suite of instruments provides comprehensive measurements of the upper atmosphere (80-110 km) in a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. The master oscillator to be replaced is a Ring Dye Laser that has reached the end of its useful lifetime after 20 years. The new frequency-doubled, high power, tunable diode laser will be easier to operate, more reliable, and less expensive to operate. The measurement made by the sodium lidar is a key component for the investigation of wave dynamics in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere over the Andes Mountains. With other co-located remote sensing instruments, the ALO will provide the most detailed study to date of the characteristics of instabilities, gravity waves, tides, planetary waves and mean winds in the southern hemisphere. The increased reliability and lower operational cost directly translate to more data collected, which will enable and enhance these research activities. The upgrade will not only make it possible to enhance ALO research projects, but will also provide new education and training opportunities for students expanding their exposure to upper atmosphere research. In addition, unique opportunities exist for international collaborations including El Leoncito, Argentina and the University of Adelaide, Australia. The data collected at ALO will be available to the scientific community for research on a wide range of scientific topics.