MRI: Development of a frequency agile multistatic radio system for geospace imaging

该项目将开发一个频率捷变的多基地无线电系统，部署在秘鲁的Jicamarca无线电观测站附近，用于地球空间观测和研究。JRO是秘鲁地球物理研究所（IGP）的一个设施，在美国国家科学基金会（NSF）的支持下通过授予康奈尔大学进行运营。 Jicamarca是世界上首屈一指的科学设施，运行和维护着能够对低纬度地球空间进行50兆赫非相干散射雷达观测的最大雷达。 多基地无线电系统将使Jicamarca能够提供与空间物理学和高层大气物理学界有关的新的突破性观测，并扩大其在邻近研究领域的贡献。这一新系统提供的所有标准观测资料都将提供给科学界。此外，将邀请社区提出新类型的观察和调查系统。 Jicamarca的仪器和观测能力的扩展与社区在2021年研讨会“非相干散射雷达的战略愿景”中强调的优先事项保持一致。该研讨会由NSF召集，旨在帮助指导大气和地球空间科学部（AGS）设施计划的未来。 该项目将涉及空间气象的一个重要组成部分和社会相关问题。该项目还将通过创造新的研究机会和学生培训来扩大Jicamarca对教育的贡献。最后，该项目将扩大Jicamarca对更广泛研究领域的贡献，这是一个磁共振成像轨道2仪器开发项目，用于地球空间观测和研究的频率捷变多基地无线电系统。该仪器将包括两个在10至88兆赫波段工作的无线电阵列接收站。 选择了两个适合部署台站的地点，以便进行近地到B雷达测量和倾斜观测。 多基地模式增加了波数多样性的雷达实验，并允许明确的决定矢量多普勒速度。该项目将至少在五个不同的研究领域取得重大进展：（a）中间层和低热层中尺度动力学;（B）流星科学;（c）电离层不规则性;（d）流星无线电余辉;（e）多基地非相干散射雷达研究和电离层等离子体漂移观测。此外，这些台站还可独立用作射电天文学调查的无源系统（望远镜），以补充长波阵列和低频阵列项目台站开展的调查。为这一项目组建了一个经验丰富的研究人员小组，致力于无线电和空间科学的进步，并维护Jicamarca的观测能力。 该项目更广泛的影响是加强JRO的研究、教育和专业培训基础设施，国家和国际伙伴关系，对与社会相关的技术资产的好处，增加代表性不足的群体在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）中的参与，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得支持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。

This project will develop a frequency-agile multistatic radio system to be deployed near the Jicamarca Radio Observatory (JRO) in Peru for geospace observations and studies. JRO is a facility of the Instituto Geofisico del Peru (IGP) operated with support from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) through an award to Cornell University. Jicamarca is a premier scientific facility in the world that operates and maintains the largest radar capable of 50 MHz incoherent scatter radar (ISR) observations of the geospace at low latitudes. The multistatic radio system will allow Jicamarca to provide new breakthrough observations relevant to the space physics and aeronomy community and expand its contributions in adjacent research domains. All the standard observations provided by this new system will be made available to the scientific community. Additionally, the community will be invited to propose new types of observations and investigations with the system. The instrumentation and expansion of the observational capabilities at Jicamarca are well-aligned with priorities highlighted by the community in the 2021 workshop “Strategic Vision for Incoherent Scatter Radar”. The workshop was convened by NSF to help guide the future of the facilities program of the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS). The project will address an important component of space weather and issues of societal relevance. The project will also expand Jicamarca’s contribution to education through the creation of new research opportunities and student training. Finally, the project will expand the contribution of the Jicamarca to a wider range of research areas.This is an MRI Track-2 instrument development project for a frequency-agile multistatic radio system for geospace observations and studies. The instrument will comprise two radio array receiving stations operating in the band between 10 and 88 MHz. Two sites suitable for the deployment of the stations are chosen to allow for perpendicular-to-B radar measurements and oblique observations. Multistatic modes add wavenumber diversity to radar experiments and permit the unambiguous determination of vector Doppler velocity. The project will advance significant progress in at least five distinct research areas: (a) Mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) mesoscale dynamics, (b) Meteor science, (c) Ionopsheric irregularities, (d) Meteor radio afterglows, and (e) Multistatic incoherent scatter radar studies and observations of ionospheric plasma drifts. Additionally, the stations can be used independently as passive systems (telescopes) for radio astronomy investigations that are complementary to those carried out by stations of the Long Wavelength Array (LWA) and LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) projects. A team of experienced researchers committed with the advancement of radio and space sciences and the maintenance of Jicamarca in the frontier of observational capabilities has been assembled for this project. The project’s broader impacts are Enhancement of JRO infrastructure for research, education and professional training, national and international partnerships, benefits to technological assets that are relevant to the society, increase in the participation of underrepresented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and advancement in discovery and understanding while promoting the training of a postdoctoral researcher.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.