Frontier Research at the Jicamarca Radio Observatory

位于磁赤道的高层大气的电离部分(赤道电离层)是一个独特的等离子体环境，存在着从赤道等离子体气泡到小规模等离子体结构的各种等离子体现象。众所周知，等离子体气泡和其他等离子体密度结构会干扰无线电和卫星通信，因此是一种空间气象灾害。60年来，佩鲁利马附近的Jicamara射电天文台(JRO)一直在为这些现象和相关的等离子体过程提供高质量的观测。JRO由秘鲁地球物理研究所(Instituto Geofísico del Perú)拥有和运营，并由国家科学基金会地球航天设施项目授予康奈尔大学。JRO是地球空间设施链的赤道支柱，也是能够对磁赤道附近的空间等离子体物理和空间天气扰动进行实验研究的唯一此类设施。多年来，JRO经历了不断的改进和升级，其核心是Jicamarca非相干散射雷达(ISR)，就功率孔径乘积而言，它是目前最大的ISR，这是一种衡量雷达对各种等离子体干扰的灵敏度的指标。这项工作将通过重点研究赤道区特有的新类别的等离子体现象和过程，利用JRO与其位于磁方程附近的独特能力和其高灵敏度相关的独特能力。其中包括白天150公里区域的高空混合等离子体不稳定，夜间高顶部的低混合波，太阳回波实验，多频等离子体不规则性研究，库仑碰撞对非相干雷达频谱的影响，以及流星回波和派生的中性风。这项工作将通过合作调查和接待学生和专业人员的访问来扩大与外部研究人员和项目的关系；保持高效、多样化的管理系统，以适应NSF、康奈尔和秘鲁发生的变化；通过直接支持本科生和研究生来扩大STEM教育机会；通过暑期学校、研讨会和主办访问以及创建课程和教育材料相结合的方式培训下一代无线电科学家。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The ionized portion of the upper atmosphere at the magnetic equator (equatorial ionosphere) is a unique plasma environment which hosts diverse plasma phenomena ranging from equatorial plasma bubbles to small-scale plasma structures. Plasma bubbles and other plasma density structures are known to disturb radio and satellite communications and thus represent a space weather hazard. The Jicamarca Radio Observatory (JRO) near Lima, Perú has been providing high-quality observations of these phenomena and the associated plasma processes for 60 years. JRO is owned and operated by the Peruvian Geophysical Institute (Instituto Geofísico del Perú) with support from an award from the Geospace Facilities program at NSF to Cornell University. JRO is the equatorial anchor of the Geospace Facilities chain and the only such facility that enables experimental investigations of space plasma physics and space weather disturbances near the magnetic equator. Over the years, JRO has undergone continual improvement and upgrades and its centerpiece, the Jicamarca incoherent scatter radar (ISR), is currently the largest ISR in terms of the power-aperture product, a measure of how sensitive the radar is to various plasma disturbances. The work will exploit the JRO’s unique capabilities associated with its location near the magnetic equation and its high sensitivity by focusing on new classes of plasma phenomena and processes unique to the equatorial zone. These include upper-hybrid plasma instability in the daytime 150-km region, lower-hybrid waves in the high topside at night, solar echo experiments, multi-frequency plasma irregularity studies, the effects of Coulomb collisions on the incoherent radar spectrum, and meteor echoes and derived neutral winds. This work will expand relationships with outside researchers and programs through collaborative investigations and by hosting visits from students and professionals; maintain an efficient, diverse management system that is resilient to changes occurring at NSF, Cornell, and in Peru; expand STEM educational opportunities by directly supporting undergraduate and graduate students; and train the next generation of radio scientists through a combination of summer schools, workshops, and hosted visits as well as the creation of curricula and educational materials.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.