Establishing a Subauroral Geophysical Observatory for Space Physics and Radio Science at Gakona, Alaska

该项目支持美国国家科学基金会空间物理学和高层大气物理学界在极光带和极光带观测和积极探测地球高层大气和地球空间环境的努力。用于这些研究的仪器和基础设施已经建立，它们共同组成了一个世界级的全年观测台，位于阿拉斯加的加科纳，L值约为5。这个天文台的核心是高频主动极光研究计划（HAARP），这是世界上最有能力和最强大的高频发射机。在阿拉斯加的加科纳，位于北纬62° 23 '，西经145° 09'，费尔班克斯以南约2.5°，大部分时间位于极光带的南部，但经常直接位于活跃的极光之下。该地点对于通过调制极光电喷流产生极低频和甚低频无线电发射的电离层修改研究，以及对将这些波注入磁层以观察它们与辐射带中高能粒子的相互作用的研究，都是理想的。该次表层地球物理观测站将作为一个社区研究设施运行，定期运行科学诊断仪器，HAARP发射机每次定期运行几天。这里要求支持每年200小时的HAARP操作基线，并为外部资助的研究提供不受限制的额外时间。除了支持观测站的运作外，还要求为研究人员提供差旅支持，以便前往加科纳参加实验活动，每次活动都分配有发射机时间。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project supports the NSF space physics and aeronomy community in their effort to observe and actively probe Earth’s upper atmosphere and geospace environment, in the subauroral and auroral zones. Instruments and infrastructure for these studies are already established, and together comprise a world class year-round observatory that is located at Gakona, Alaska, at an L-value of roughly five. The centerpiece of this observatory is the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), the most capable and powerful HF transmitter in the world. The location in Gakona, Alaska - at 62°23’N (63.44° magnetic N), 145°09’W, and about 2.5° south of Fairbanks - is southward of the auroral zone most of the time, but frequently is directly under the active aurora. The location is ideal for ionospheric modification studies of the generation of ELF and VLF radio emissions by modulating the auroral electrojet, and for studies of the injection of these waves into the magnetosphere to observe their interaction with energetic particles in the radiation-belts. This Subauroral Geophysical Observatory (SAGO) will be operated as a community research facility with routine operation of scientific diagnostic instrumentation and with the HAARP transmitters running in campaign mode periodically for a few days at a time. Support is requested here for a baseline of 200 hours of HAARP operation per year, with unrestricted additional time available for externally funded studies. In addition to support for observatory operations, travel support is requested for investigators to travel to Gakona to participate in experimental campaigns, each with an allocation of transmitter time.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.