CIF: Mobile Rapid Scanning Radar for Enhancing Weather Radar Research and Education

这份社区仪器和设施（CIF）合同将为车载快速扫描x波段偏振雷达（RaXPol）作为社区仪器提供资金支持。雷达的开发最初是由2008年美国国家科学基金会主要研究仪器（MRI）项目资助的。CIF RaXPol合同将为社区提供一种快速扫描、高度灵活的双极化雷达，可以实现新的科学发现，并提供独特的教育机会。快速扫描雷达数据可以在龙卷风形成、深对流和电气化、野火后水文和山洪、湖泊效应和地形暴风雪以及热带气旋等方面进行新的研究。该雷达还将用作教育和推广工具，为学生提供与最先进仪器互动的机会。RaXPol将由俄克拉何马大学的先进雷达研究中心（ARRC）维护，该中心在复杂雷达系统的设计和操作方面具有长期经验。RaXPol提供快速更新的直接和可靠的双极化天气观测，这对于研究高影响和快速演变的天气事件是非常需要的。它可以快速部署实时数据传输能力，并提供灵活的扫描策略，以高时空分辨率将观测集中在感兴趣的领域。移动RaXPol设施可以前往不同的地点进行科学探索和研究，这使得不同的机构和代表性不足的群体能够通过实践活动参与学习经验。该合同将通过大气和地球空间科学设施申请流程，增强更广泛的科学界使用雷达的能力。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Community Instruments and Facilities (CIF) award will provide funding for the support of a truck-mounted Rapid scan X-band Polarimetric (RaXPol) radar as a community instrument. Development of the radar was originally funded by the NSF Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program in 2008. The CIF RaXPol award will provide community access to a rapid-scan, highly flexible, dual-polarization radar that can enable new scientific discoveries and provide unique educational opportunities. Rapid scan radar data can enable novel research in tornadogenesis, deep convection and electrification, post-wildfire hydrology and flash floods, lake-effect and orographic snowstorms, and tropical cyclones. The radar will also be used as an educational and outreach tool, providing opportunities for students to interact with state-of-the-art instrumentation. RaXPol will be maintained by the Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC) at the University of Oklahoma, which has long-standing experience in design and operation of complex radar systems.RaXPol provides rapid updates of direct and reliable dual-polarization weather observations which are much needed for the study of high impact and fast evolving weather events. It can be rapidly deployed with real-time data transmission capabilities and offers flexibility in scanning strategies to focus observations on areas of interest at high spatiotemporal resolution. The mobile RaXPol facility can travel to different locations for scientific exploration and research which allows diverse institutions and underrepresented groups to engage in learning experience with hands-on activities. This award will enhance the ability of the broader scientific community to use the radars through the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences facility request process.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.