AMISR Graduate Studies: Development of Multi-sensor Analysis Techniques and a Synergistic Educational Program

这是一个综合的教育和科学项目，旨在为先进模块化非相干散射雷达（AMISR）的极光带和极帽部署开发先进的分析工具，并将这些工具应用于极光电动力学研究。该项目有三个科学目标：1)利用地面雷达和光学测量来估计极光电子的随时间变化的能谱；2)量化极光形态与背景等离子体之间的相对漂移；3)解析和解释极光边界附近电离层状态参数的小尺度变率。选择这些目标是为了利用波士顿大学（BU）电气工程课程的重点领域与更广泛的科学界感兴趣的物理问题之间的自然协同作用。项目1将扩展使用能量通量的光学估计来约束反演过程的反演策略。项目2将把AMISR的电子转向能力与鲁棒光流估计在极光成像中的应用相结合。目标是绘制极光弧和背景等离子体之间的相对运动图。这一复杂的分析过程将对磁层和电离层之间的电去耦产生新的认识。项目3涉及利用AMISR的单元相位能力和软件雷达方法提高弧边界测量的分辨率。该项目还有三个具体的教育目标：1)将波士顿大学研究生水平的非相干散射雷达（ISR）教育制度化；2)将基础电离层物理与遥感整合到电气工程本科课程中；3)发表至少一篇与isr相关的博士论文。项目1将通过开发ISR模块来实现，该模块是PI雷达遥感研究生课程的一部分。同样，电离层的基本概念和电离层遥感技术也将纳入PI的本科电磁学课程（项目2）。预算包括全日制资助研究生，其论文将直接从这个项目（项目3）。这项建议的教育目标将与磨石山天文台的工作人员合作实现。通过将ISR教育纳入BU的标准本科和研究生EE课程，教育和公共推广成果本质上包括在这一努力中。研究生基金将促进一个未被充分代表的少数群体。

This is an integrated educational and scientific program to develop advanced analysis tools for the auroral zone and polar cap deployments of the Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar (AMISR), and to apply these tools to the study of auroral electrodynamics. The project has three science objectives: 1) to use ground-based radar and optical measurements to estimate the time-dependent energy spectrum of auroral electrons; 2) to quantify the relative drift between auroral forms and background plasma; 3) to resolve and interpret small scale variability in ionospheric state parameters near auroral boundaries. These objectives were chosen to exploit natural synergies between areas of emphasis in the Boston University (BU) electrical engineering curriculum, and physical problems of interest to the broader science community. Item 1 will expand on inversion strategies using optical estimates of energy flux to constrain the inversion procedure. Item 2 will combine the electronic steering capabilities of AMISR with the application of robust optical flow estimation to auroral imagery. The goal is to produce maps of the relative motion between auroral arcs and the background plasma. This involved analytical process will lead to new insight about the electrical decoupling between the magnetosphere and ionosphere. Item 3 involves increasing the resolution of arc boundary measurements by exploiting the element phasing capabilities and software radar approach of AMISR. The project also has three concrete educational objectives: 1) to institutionalize graduate-level incoherent scatter radar (ISR) education at Boston University; 2) to integrate basic ionospheric physics and remote sensing into the undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum; 3) to produce at least one ISR-related Ph.D dissertation. Item 1 will be achieved through the development of an ISR module as part of the PI's graduate course in radar remotes sensing. Basic ionospheric concepts and ionospheric remote sensing techniques will, similarly, be incorporated into the PI's undergraduate electromagnetics course (Item 2). The budget includes full-time funding for a graduate student, whose dissertation will grow directly from this project (Item 3). The educational objectives of this proposal will be pursued in collaboration with staff of the Millstone Hill Observatory. By incorporating ISR education into the standard undergraduate and graduate EE curriculum at BU, educational and public outreach results are intrinsically included in this effort. The graduate student funding will promote an underrepresented minority group.