Solar Maximum Studies at the Millstone Hill Observatory

麻省理工学院将继续使用雷达和分布式地面仪器进行高层大气研究，这些仪器组成了位于马萨诸塞州韦斯特福德的米尔斯通山天文台(MHO)。米尔斯通希尔非相干散射雷达设施由两个2.5兆瓦的超高频发射机、一个完全可操纵的46米天线和一个天顶指向68米的固定天线组成。天文台位于北纬55°，因此其广泛的电离层观测视野涵盖了中纬度、亚极光和极光特征和过程的全部范围。该雷达每年将运行约1000小时，以支持国际世界日实验和社区指导的研究计划。将进行雷达和系统维护以及小型升级，同时对数据进行广泛的科学分析，以支持科学使用。用户支持将得到主要重视，包括有效获取观察和分析的参数、信息、日程安排和WWW上的数据库访问、社区互动讲习班以及教育和外联活动。MHO的科学工作人员进行的研究将涵盖广泛的主题，涉及热层、电离层和磁层的过程和动力学，以及对等离子体波和磁暴效应的调查。科学重点将包括等离子体层边界层附近的磁层-电离层耦合、美国大陆上的空间天气效应和过程、电离层-热层耦合以及高层大气气候学。MHO的雷达和辅助数据将存放在NCAR的雪松数据库中，供社区使用，并将通过Madrigal数据库在线提供。还将支持学生和外部研究人员参与这些研究活动，并将米尔斯通山天文台的数据纳入外部研究。MHO团队成员将通过我们的本科生研究经验和教师参与研究经验继续开展教育活动。该方案通过在年度Cedar和URSI会议上的讲习班纳入社区投入和外联活动，并将鼓励和支持MHO的来访学生和乐器。为MHO开发的分析和数据分发技术将继续提供给社区使用，并将尽一切努力使这些分析产品符合广泛的用户社区需求。

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology will continue a program of upper atmosphere research using the radar and distributed ground-based instruments that comprise the Millstone Hill Observatory (MHO) in Westford, Massachusetts. The Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar facility consists of two 2.5-MW UHF transmitters, a fully steerable 46-meter antenna, and a zenith directed 68-meter fixed antenna. The Observatory is situated at 55° latitude, such that its extensive field of view for ionospheric observations encompasses the full extent of mid-latitude, sub-auroral, and auroral features and processes. The radar will be operated for about 1000 hours per year in support of international World Day experiments and community-directed research programs. Radar and system maintenance and minor upgrades will be carried out, along with wide-ranging scientific analysis of the data to support scientific usage. User support will receive major emphasis including efficient access to the observed and analyzed parameters, information, scheduling, and database access on the WWW, community-interaction workshops, and education and outreach activities. The research conducted by the scientific staff of MHO will encompass a broad range of topics involving processes and dynamics of the thermosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere, as well as investigations of plasma waves and magnetic storm effects. Scientific emphasis will include magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling in the vicinity of the plasmasphere boundary layer, space weather effects and processes over the continental US, ionosphere-thermosphere coupling, and upper atmosphere climatology. Radar and ancillary data from MHO will be deposited in the CEDAR data base at NCAR for community use and will be made available online via the MADRIGAL database. Student and external investigator participation in these research activities, and the inclusion of Millstone Hill Observatory data in external studies will also be supported. MHO team members will continue educational activities through our Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Research Experiences for Teachers participation. The program incorporates community input and outreach activities through workshops at the annual CEDAR and URSI meetings and will encourage and support visiting students and instruments at MHO. Analysis and data distribution techniques developed for use at MHO will continue to be made available for community use and every effort will be made to make these analysis products compatible with the broad user community needs.