CAREER: A Cognitive VHF Radar System Approach to Study Ionospheric Irregularities

该项目将在秘鲁的万卡约天文台建造、测试和部署一个新的相干成像雷达系统，以便能够持续监测赤道电离层的等离子体结构。 新的VHF（甚高频）雷达，工作频率为50 MHz，将利用认知传感技术，通过改变工作模式来优化接收信号，从而使雷达能够动态地响应所感知的环境。 该雷达系统将补充目前部署在万卡约的高层大气探测仪器以及附近的希卡马卡无线电观测站的非相干散射雷达系统。 新雷达获得的电离层观测数据将用于解决赤道等离子体不规则性的产生和演变与气候的相关性方面的若干问题。 一些研究生和本科生将参与雷达硬件的设计、安装和操作。 拟议的认知雷达技术的实施对高层大气遥感具有潜在的变革性，这一主题将成为主办机构新的研究生课程开发的重点。 此外，雷达工程和数据分析的几个方面将被纳入现有的本科研讨会课程。 该项目将进一步促进美国和秘鲁之间的国际合作。

This project is to build, test, and deploy a new coherent imaging radar system at Huancayo Observatory in Peru that will enable continuous monitoring of the plasma structuring in the equatorial ionosphere. The new VHF (very high frequency) radar, operating at 50 MHz, will utilize cognitive sensing techniques in order to allow the radar to respond dynamically to the sensed environment by changing operating modes to optimize the received signal. The radar system will complement upper atmospheric sensing instrumentation currently deployed at Huancayo as well as the nearby incoherent scatter radar system at Jicamarca Radio Observatory. The ionospheric observations acquired by the new radar will be used to address several questions regarding climatological dependencies of the generation and evolution of equatorial plasma irregularities. Several graduate and undergraduate students will be involved in the design, installation, and operation of the radar hardware. The proposed implementation of cognitive radar technology is potentially transformative for upper atmospheric remote sensing, and this topic will be the focus of new graduate curriculum development at the host institution. In addition, several aspects of radar engineering and data analysis will be incorporated into an existing undergraduate seminar course. The project will further promote international collaboration between the US and Peru.