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

该奖项旨在更换位于智利帕雄山的安第斯激光雷达天文台 (ALO) 的钠风/温度激光雷达中老化的主振荡器。ALO 是一个高层大气天文台，内有 Na 激光雷达、多个气辉仪器和附近的流星雷达。该仪器套件可在广泛的空间和时间尺度上对高层大气（80-110 公里）进行全面测量。要更换的主振荡器是环形染料激光器，在 20 年后已达到其使用寿命。新型倍频、高功率、可调谐二极管激光器将更容易操作、更可靠且操作成本更低。 钠激光雷达进行的测量是研究安第斯山脉中层和低层热层波动力学的关键组成部分。 与其他位于同一地点的遥感仪器一起，ALO将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。 此次升级不仅可以加强 ALO 研究项目，还将为学生提供新的教育和培训机会，扩大他们接触高层大气研究的机会。此外，还存在独特的国际合作机会，包括阿根廷埃尔莱昂西托大学和澳大利亚阿德莱德大学。 ALO 收集的数据将可供科学界用于广泛科学主题的研究。

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.