Establishing a Subauroral Geophysical Observatory for Space Physics and Radio Science at Gakona, Alaska

该项目支持美国国家科学基金会空间物理学和大气学研究界在亚极光和极光区观测和积极探测地球高层大气和地球空间环境。这些研究的仪器和基础设施已经建立起来，共同组成了一个世界级的全年天文台，位于阿拉斯加的加科纳，L的价值约为5。该天文台的核心是高频有源极光研究计划(HAARP)，这是世界上最有能力和最强大的高频发射机。位于阿拉斯加的加科纳--北纬62°23‘(磁北纬63.44°)，西经145°09’，费尔班克斯以南约2.5°--大部分时间都在极光带的南面，但也常常位于活动极光的正下方。该地点是研究通过调制极光电喷流产生极低频和甚低频射电辐射的电离层修正研究的理想地点，也是研究将这些波注入磁层以观察它们与辐射带中的高能粒子相互作用的理想地点。这一次巴乌罗拉地球物理观测站(SAGO)将作为社区研究设施运行，对科学诊断仪器进行常规操作，HAARP发射器以战役模式定期运行，每次运行数天。这里要求支持HAARP每年200小时的基线运行，并为外部资助的研究提供不受限制的额外时间。除了对观测站运行的支持外，还要求研究人员前往加科纳参加实验活动，每个活动都分配了发射机时间。这一奖励反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project supports the NSF space physics and aeronomy community in their effort to observe and actively probe Earth’s upper atmosphere and geospace environment, in the subauroral and auroral zones. Instruments and infrastructure for these studies are already established, and together comprise a world class year-round observatory that is located at Gakona, Alaska, at an L-value of roughly five. The centerpiece of this observatory is the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), the most capable and powerful HF transmitter in the world. The location in Gakona, Alaska - at 62°23’N (63.44° magnetic N), 145°09’W, and about 2.5° south of Fairbanks - is southward of the auroral zone most of the time, but frequently is directly under the active aurora. The location is ideal for ionospheric modification studies of the generation of ELF and VLF radio emissions by modulating the auroral electrojet, and for studies of the injection of these waves into the magnetosphere to observe their interaction with energetic particles in the radiation-belts. This Subauroral Geophysical Observatory (SAGO) will be operated as a community research facility with routine operation of scientific diagnostic instrumentation and with the HAARP transmitters running in campaign mode periodically for a few days at a time. Support is requested here for a baseline of 200 hours of HAARP operation per year, with unrestricted additional time available for externally funded studies. In addition to support for observatory operations, travel support is requested for investigators to travel to Gakona to participate in experimental campaigns, each with an allocation of transmitter time.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.