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

该项目将开发一个频率灵活的多静态无线电系统，部署在秘鲁Jicamarca射电天文台（JRO）附近，用于地球空间观测和研究。JRO是秘鲁地理研究所（IGP）的一个设施，由美国国家科学基金会（NSF）通过康奈尔大学的奖励支持运作。Jicamarca是世界上首屈一指的科学设施，运行和维护最大的雷达，能够对低纬度地球空间进行50 MHz非相干散射雷达（ISR）观测。多静态无线电系统将允许Jicamarca提供与空间物理和航空社区相关的新的突破性观测，并扩大其在邻近研究领域的贡献。这个新系统提供的所有标准观测结果都将提供给科学界。此外，将邀请社区对该系统提出新的观察和调查类型。Jicamarca的仪器仪表和观测能力的扩展与社区在2021年“非相干散射雷达战略愿景”研讨会上强调的优先事项完全一致。该研讨会由美国国家科学基金会召开，旨在指导大气与地球空间科学部（AGS）设施计划的未来。该项目将处理空间天气的一个重要组成部分和与社会相关的问题。该项目还将通过创造新的研究机会和培训学生，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。这是一个用于地球空间观测和研究的频率敏捷多静态无线电系统的MRI Track-2仪器开发项目。该仪器将包括两个无线电阵列接收站，在10至88兆赫之间的频段工作。选择了两个适合部署台站的地点，以便进行垂直- b雷达测量和倾斜观测。多静态模式为雷达实验增加了波数多样性，并允许明确地确定矢量多普勒速度。该项目将在至少五个不同的研究领域取得重大进展：(a)中间层和下层热层中尺度动力学，(b)流星科学，(c)电离层不规则性，(d)流星射电余辉，(e)电离层等离子体漂移的多静态非相干散射雷达研究和观测。此外，这些台站可以作为射电天文调查的无源系统（望远镜）独立使用，作为对长波阵（LWA）和低频阵（LOFAR）项目台站的补充。为这一项目组建了一支经验丰富的研究人员队伍，他们致力于推进无线电和空间科学，并在观测能力的前沿维护Jicamarca。该项目的更广泛影响是：加强JRO的研究、教育和专业培训基础设施，建立国家和国际合作伙伴关系，使与社会相关的技术资产受益，增加科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）领域代表性不足群体的参与，以及在促进博士后研究人员培训的同时促进发现和理解。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 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.