Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar (AMISR) Operations and Maintenance: The First Deployments

获奖者将操作和管理扑克平台和Resolute湾先进模块化非相干散射雷达（AMISR）设施。AMISR是在美国国家科学基金会的支持下设计和建造的一种新型非相干散射雷达系统。在过去的四十年中，非相干散射雷达是测量高层大气和电离层基本特性的主要技术。与现有的非相干散射雷达相比，AMISR具有显著的科学优势，主要是由于相控阵天线提供的快速转向。脉冲对脉冲的转向能力有望解决许多固有的时间/空间模糊性测量从机械导向碟式系统。在操作和管理阿拉斯加和加拿大的AMISR系统时，受奖人将专注于通过以下方式协助研究界：1)指导在世界独特地区使用最先进的设备，2)为知识渊博的科学家和工程师人员提供咨询和合作的机会，3)为活动和长期测量计划提供后勤支持，4)提供方便的访问各种级别的处理和分析雷达数据。5)参与学生培训，协助学生辅导员。与AMISR观测相关的科学活动将集中在地球上层大气、电离层和磁层，以及它们与太阳风的耦合。尽管对地球空间环境的认识在20世纪下半叶有了显著的进步，但对最基本过程的详细了解仍然有些模糊。有时，重要的时间尺度可以从秒到天不等。同样，相关的空间尺度从亚米到数千公里不等。AMISR满足了大气科学和磁层科学界研究高纬度地区动态过程的需要。有证据表明，大部分的可变性是由于水平不均匀结构的平流，但也很清楚，结构随着时间的推移而演变。像AMISR这样的相控阵系统基本上可以支持这种结构的短时间成像和跟踪它们的演变。类似的论点也适用于对极光电离结构的探测。AMISR设施的另一个重要特点是它们可以远程访问，雷达和辅助仪器将被设计为产生实时处理的数据，这些数据将通过互联网公开提供并分发给用户社区。提供用户友好的数据和显示能力，以满足社区的研究需要，是该系统业务的一个重要组成部分。强大的、分布式的、训练有素的用户社区的支持对于AMISR项目的整体科学成功非常重要。AMISR管理团队将直接与研究生和本科生及其顾问合作，协助学生培训，实验计划和安排。它还将为提供的课程材料、技术数据和设备仪器信息维护一个存储库。

The awardee will operate and manage the Poker Flat and Resolute Bay Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar (AMISR) facilities. AMISR is a new incoherent scatter radar system designed and built through National Science Foundation support. Over the last four decades, incoherent scatter radar is the primary technique for measuring basic properties of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. The AMISR has significant scientific advantages over existing incoherent scatter radars, largely due to the rapid steering provided by the phased array antenna. The pulse-to-pulse steering capability promises to resolve many of the temporal/spatial ambiguities inherent in measurements from mechanically steered dish-based systems. In operating and managing the AMISR systems in Alaska and Canada, the awardee will focus on assisting the research community by 1) directing use of a state-of-the-art facility in unique parts of the world, 2) providing access to a knowledgeable staff of scientists and engineers for consultation and collaboration, 3) providing logistics support for campaigns and long-term measurement programs, 4) providing easy access to various levels of processed and analyzed radar data, and 5) participating in the training of students and assisting student advisors. Scientific activities related to the AMISR observations will focus on Earth's upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and magnetosphere, and their coupling to the solar wind. Although, knowledge of the Earth's geospace environment has advanced significantly during the second half of the twentieth century, detailed understanding of even the most basic processes remains somewhat vague. At times, important temporal scales can range from seconds through days. Similarly, the relevant spatial scales range from submeters through thousands of kilometers. AMISR fills the needs of the atmospheric science and magnetospheric science communities to study the dynamic processes that occur at high latitudes. There is evidence that much of the variability is due to advection of horizontally inhomogeneous structures, but it is also clear that the structures evolve with time. A phased array system such as AMISR would essentially support the short timescale imaging of such structures and the tracking of their evolution. A similar argument applies to the probing of auroral ionization structures. Another important attribute of the AMISR facilities is that they are remotely accessible, and the radar and ancillary instruments will be designed to produce real-time processed data that will be made publicly available and distributed to the user community over the Internet. The provision of user-friendly data and display capabilities, which meet the community's research needs, is an important part of AMISR operations. Support of a strong, distributed, and trained user community is very important to the overall scientific success of the AMISR project. The AMISR management team will work directly with graduate and undergraduate students and their advisors to assist with student training, experiment planning, and scheduling. It will also maintain a repository for contributed course materials, technical data, and facility instrument information.