The Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar in Ethiopia Workshop to Identify Science Rationale; Chestnut Hill, MA; September 2011

该奖项支持将于2011年9月在波士顿学院举办的一个为期两天半、仅限受邀参加的研讨会，约40人参加。讲习班的目的是确定在埃塞俄比亚部署先进模块化非相干散射雷达(阿米西里雷达)的科学和社会动机。研讨会将讨论与该计划相关的后勤问题，并概述需要克服的主要障碍。本次会议的最后成果将是一份总结讨论结果的文件。迄今为止，绝大多数赤道非相干散射雷达(ISR)测量都是在秘鲁的Jicamara收集的，因此有关赤道物理的许多已知信息都是基于Jicamara的ISR观测。然而，Jicamara位于地磁赤道下降的美国部分，地磁赤道和大地赤道之间有相当大的漂移。另一方面，在非洲地区，地磁赤道与大地赤道对齐得相当好。此外，来自不同卫星的观测结果表明，非洲地区的赤道电离层的反应与其他地区不同。地面仪器分布不均一直是全球了解电离层动态和结构的障碍。在非洲等区域，由于缺乏地面仪器，目前无法观测电离层。在过去的几年里，已经在该地区部署了一些小型仪器，如GPS接收器和磁力计。在赤道非洲部门有限的空间科学仪器中增加一个ISR将具有重大的科学效益。讲习班将促进国际研究合作，推动非洲的空间科学研究。这不仅将加强研究/培训基础设施，而且将对非洲未来的社会经济发展起到至关重要的作用。对于美国来说，这个项目将成为一个工具，为研究生和本科生创造机会，参与开发和部署过程的不同阶段。

This award supports a two and a half day invitation-only workshop for ~40 people to be hosted at Boston College in September 2011. The objective of the workshop is to identify the scientific and societal motivations for deploying the Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar (AMISR) in Ethiopia. The workshop will address logistical issues associated with this plan, and outline the major hurdles to be overcome. The final output from this meeting will be a document summarizing the results of the discussions. To date, the vast majority of equatorial incoherent scatter radar (ISR) measurements have been collected at Jicamarca, Peru, so that much of what is known about equatorial physics is based on Jicamarca ISR observations. However, Jicamarca is in the American sector where the geomagnetic equator dips, and there is a fairly large excursion between the geomagnetic and geodetic equator. On the other hand, in the African sector the geomagnetic equator is fairly well aligned with the geodetic equator. Moreover, observational results from different satellites have indicated that the equatorial ionosphere in the African sector responds differently than other sectors. The uneven distribution of ground-based instruments has been an obstacle in achieving global understanding of the dynamics and structures of the ionosphere. In regions like Africa, observations of the ionosphere are currently not possible due to lack of ground-based instruments. During the past couple of years a few small instruments, like GPS receivers and magnetometers have been deployed in the region. Adding a single ISR to the limited space science instrumentation in the equatorial African sector would be of significant scientific benefit. The workshop will promote international research collaborations and advance space science research in Africa. This will not only enhance the research/training infrastructure, but will also play a vital role in the future socioeconomic development of Africa. For the United States, this project will serve as a vehicle to create opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to participate in different phases of the development and deployment process.