Radio and Space ScienceAnnual Report 2009

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Dear Reader,

Gunnar Elgered, Head of Department

Cover: The Odin satellite started its ninth year of observations in February 2009. Illustration: Swedish National Space Board

Another year has passed and now we try to put our accomplishments into sustainable archives – at least those that we wish to be remembered. When looking back, we are sometimes asked if we have been successful or even excellent. The question may be brought up when arguing for new or continued (financial) support for the different research projects. The answer to this question is always a resounding yes. The question that follows is:

“Can you prove that?” Now it can become a little tricky and one has to consider successfulness in terms of quantity as well as quality. Quantity is easy to measure but can quality be measured at all? When we want to measure something, we must express the results in numbers, i.e. we convert quality to quantity! One definition of quality is to avoid making errors. A consequence of this is that we have a conflict between quantity and quality: the more we produce, the higher the likelihood of an increased number of errors. At the same time, doing nothing does not seem to be an attractive option in striving to increase quality.

Let us first try to define what we mean when we say “doing research”. Are results that were predicted already in the proposal an indication of successful research? Some may argue that if the results can be predicted, it is not research at all, whereas a certain funding agency may favour proposals suggesting activities that are likely to result in “useful” applications or products. On a bulletin board I saw a citation reading something like this: “If we knew what we are doing, we would not call it research!” At first I thought it was a joke, but I am no longer sure. It is certainly serious enough to warrant spending some time reflecting over what it actually means. In some general terms, I think many will agree that research shall result in new knowledge. New knowledge is usually documented in scientific papers. However, there are differences related to how new, or unique, the published results are. Some papers confirm results that have been published by others, but perhaps based on a different set of data. Although this is an important part of the scientific process, the amount of new knowledge in such a paper is small.

Does a large number of peer reviewed papers indicate high quality research? The fact that a publication is reviewed, means that it has passed a certain threshold in terms of quality. The next question will then be: “How can we differentiate the quality of published peer reviewed papers?” Some people claim that this can be done by analysing the number of citations of each paper. We can easily use our own citation record to assess such a statement. Are the papers with the most citations really the work of the highest quality, or with the most innovative ideas? In my own case it is certainly not true. It also seems reasonable to assume that research areas that are referred to as strategic (by politicians and university leaders across the globe), consequently will result in many papers and the corresponding citations are likely to show up in large numbers within a few years.

Would it not be unfortunate if most of the good researchers focus on areas where they are likely to be cited, rather than to investigate issues that perhaps can be of fundamental importance in the future?

Sometimes we are asked to count the number of patents filed as a result of research. Does success necessarily mean that research results in patents and eventually industrial products? Of course not! The detection of the ozone hole is one example. Such a result is not only successful, but has also been extremely useful in the short term, since it has made us aware of activities that are harmful to our environment and our whole civilization.

The above discussion aside, it is with great pleasure that I invite you to read this report. However, bear in mind that it should not be used as the only source for seriously assessing the quality of the department.

Contents

4 Public Outreach

5 First Degree & Master’s Studies

6 Bachelor´s Thesis Reports

7 Master´s Programme & Thesis Reports

8 Doctoral Programme

9 Doctoral Dissertations & Licentiates

10 Advanced Receiver Development

11 Global Environmental Measurements and Modelling

12 Nonlinear Electrodynamics

13 Optical Remote Sensing

14 Radar Remote Sensing

15 Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics

16 Space Geodesy and Geodynamics

17 Transport Theory

18 Onsala Space Observatory

20 Publications

24 Organisation

26 Facts and figures

Production: Dept. of Radio & Space Science, Chalmers Printed by Intellecta, 2010. Copies: 1,500

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”Hi-tech tools help sniff out volcanic gas”

Bo Galle coordinates a European Union research

project (NOVAC) aimed at providing real-time

monitoring of sulphur dioxide in risky, almost

inaccessible volcanoes.

Euronews – December

The Odin satellite celebrates 8 years in orbitThe value of its measurements has kept on increasing over time and has resulted in almost one thesis every second month in one of the contributing countries; Sweden, France, Canada and Finland.webfinanser.com – February

Press Clippings

Master’s thesis awardedThe Swedish Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics awarded Anders Berg for having contributed to an increased understanding of the occultation receiver’s behaviour with regard to satellite signal acquisition and tracking.Göteborgs-Posten – April

Virtual telescopeOnsala Space Observatory – one of seventeen observatories that participated in a demonstration of

e-VLBI to mark the beginning of the International

Year of Astronomy 2009.Chalmers Nyheter – January

New method for monitoring volcanoesSeventeen of the world’s most active volcanoes have been

supplied with monitoring equipment from Chalmers to

measure their emission of sulphur dioxide.

Cordis – March, Ny Teknik – March, Sveriges Radio – March, Chalmers Nyheter – March

”Ozone layer depletion levelling off”

Jo Urban and Ashley Jones are part of a team of

scientists that have combined measurement from

various sources to analyse the long-term evolution of

stratospheric ozone from 1979 to the present.

ESA – September, Science Daily – September

Christer Andersson – an astronomer with 44 working years at the Onsala Space ObservatoryNorra Halland – February

She aimed high and her dream came true

A couple of articles on Carina Persson’s road to

becoming an astronomer.

Göteborgs-Posten – November,

Fysikaktuellt – December

New possibilities at the

Onsala Space Observatory

to study how gravity

changes over time

Chalmers magasin

– No. 2 2009

The satellite Odin – an important piece in the climate puzzle.Chalmers magasin – No. 2 2009

“Up in the air”A childhood fascination with space and the stars led Per Bjerkeli to become a doctoral student at the Onsala Space Observatory.

Göteborgs-Posten – March

Researchers at Chalmers have made it easier to predict volcanic eruptionsChalmers magasin – No. 2 2009

Onsala Space Observatory

gets new possibilities to

improve the research

Sveriges Radio – November

”Two satellites with strong connections to

Chalmers and Gothenburg were launched

from French Guiana in South America”

Göteborgs-Posten – May

“Radiant assignment”

In five years all traditional light bulbs will be prohibited.

What will happen to the electrical light? Professor Mietek

Lisak contributes to the discussion by explaining what

light is.

Göteborgs-Posten, Två Dagar – February

20 million SEK towards a system for measuring

fuel emissions at seaThe government and VINNOVA finance a project in the

Optical Remote Sensing group. The aim is to develop a

permanent measuring system for the new Dash planes that

are going to control the ships’ fuel emissions.

Chalmers Nyheter – August, Verkstaderna.se – August,

processnet.se – August, businessregion.se – September

Photo: ESA – S. Corvaja 2009

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Public OutreachDuring 2009, the department has had a significant amount of activities aimed at informing the general public about our research – even more than in previous years, since it was the International Year of Astronomy. You will find more information about the International Year of Astronomy, and related activities, on Onsala Space Observatory’s pages. There have been visits to and from schools, interviews in the media, participation in several events, public seminars and guided tours. Some more specific examples of activities are:

In September, the observatory participated in •the “Day of the Stamp”-event in Kungsbacka and in the “Save-the-Egg”-activities for 5th grade children at Chalmers, and in December in the Lucia celebrations in Gottskär.

A number of popular science talks about •everything from astronomy and research to GPS and measuring techniques have been given at schools and various gatherings in Olpe (Germany), Gothenburg, Kungsbacka, Laholm, Uppsala and Linköping as well as at organisations such as Lantmäteriet, Kartografiska sällskapet and the Danish Technical University.

The Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics group •had an expert in the “Moon Studio” on SVT in connection with the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the moon landing.

There have been several articles of a popular •science nature in magazines such as Forskning & Framsteg and Forska, as well as articles about doctoral students and researchers from the department in for example Göteborgs-Posten, Dagens Nyheter, Fysikaktuellt and Borås Tidning.

One of our scientists has edited an article •in the Swedish daily press and another has served on the editorial board of Populär Astronomi. A doctoral student has also written on their web site. Another contribution on the Internet was a blog on “Rymdkanalen” during November and December.

A representative from the observatory was part •of the Swedish delegation that went to Florida in August to watch the launch of the Space Shuttle with Christer Fuglesang aboard. At the Kennedy Space Center, she also held a seminar for especially invited Swedish dignitaries and gave several interviews in Swedish radio.

The observatory continued developing SALSA •(Such A Lovely Small Antenna) and EU-HOU (EU Hands-On Universe) – students can use the radio telescope to detect signals from neutral hydrogen in our galaxy in real-time from e.g. their classrooms. Students from Wales, France, Belgium and Sweden have been able to take advantage from these observations.

The observatory received 250 hours of •observation time with the Tzec Maun remote optical telescopes in New Mexico, USA and Australia, which the students can use easily via the Internet during daytime.

During the yearly Science Festival in May, •10-13 year olds were turned into nanoscientists for a day when visiting the cleanroom facility at GARD. Other groups from the department also contributed with activities – seminars, experimental workshops, computer exercises, live telescope demonstrations and guided tours.

In October, researchers from the Global •Environ ment Measurements group arranged a day of popular science seminars on the theme “Chalmers’ paths towards a sustainable world”.

Our representative at the Kennedy Space Center.

School children exploring some equipment at the Onsala Space Observatory.

A guided tour of the observatory and the 25 m telescope.

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First Degree and Master’s Studies

Magnus Thomasson, Vice Head of Department and responsible for the undergraduate teaching

The department is active at several levels of teaching: we give courses for students at Chalmers’ three-year engineering programmes in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering and five-year master of engineering programmes in Electrical Engineering, Automation and Mecha tronics Engineering, and Engineering Physics. We also run a Master’s programme, and participate in the Foundation Year at Chalmers. Many of our courses at the master’s level are also open for students at University of Gothenburg.

The department has been responsible for almost 30 courses at Chalmers, as well as thesis projects. Our teachers also participated in courses given by other departments. The subjects range from basic electrical engineering to courses closely related to our research in, e.g., astro-physics, remote sensing, receiver development and plasma physics. One important subject is measurement techniques, and we have our own laboratory, which is used exclusively for teaching and where students get hands-on experience with measurement instruments.

In addition to giving regular courses, our teachers supervise thesis projects. In 2009, our department supervised five bachelor’s thesis project groups, with a total of 19 students. The subjects were chosen from astronomy, remote sensing of forests, and modelling the Earth’s climate and ozone layer. The department also examined eight master’s thesis projects – half of which were supervised internally.

The department runs a two-year master’s programme called Radio and Space Science – Astrophysics, Earth Observations, Technology (described on page 7). The technology part or our programme (especially the microwave part) has some overlap with the programme in “Wireless and photonics engineering” run by the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience. IMPACT (Chalmers’ project to develop new master’s programmes) financed a project in which we investigated ways to cooperate between the two programmes and departments. This will lead to better courses with less overlap and better use of resources.

A new course, “Planetary sciences”, was given for the first time. This is an elective course for third year students in Engineering Physics. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the rapidly developing field of planetary sciences and to show how a broad range of topics in physics can be brought together to understand complex systems like planets.

Willgodt Bokhede retired in October, after educating

thousands of engineering students in electrical

measurement techniques.

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Bachelor’s Thesis ReportsAnders Bennehag, Magnus Wahlstrand, Ilya Zorikhin NilssonHigh-Resolution LiDAR images for measurements on individual trees.(Supervisor: Gustaf Sandberg)

Frida Börjesson, Emelie Nilsson, Anton K Sörensen Planets with life in binary star systems – Possibilities for planets with Earth-like conditions. (Supervisor: Magnus Thomasson)

Erik K Engvall, Tobias Eriksson, Martin Faxér, Mikaela Holm, Oskar A Landgren Estimation of tree-level parameters using airborne LIDAR. (Supervisor: Gustaf Sandberg)

Johan Granrud, Emma Kronberg, Anders Lindman, Salomao Silva Deivite V The Earth’s climate system – a study using the radiative transport model SBDart. (Supervisor: Samuel Brohede)

Tina Mårlind, Daniel Nilsson, Joris van Rooij, Oskar M.A. WigströmModelling the ozone layer – a tool for understanding stratospheric chemistry. (Supervisors: Samuel Brohede and Donal Murtagh)

A Foundation YearPhysics, part B

Continuing professional developmentTechnology for a sustainable world – Energy and Climate

Engineering programmesElectrical Engineering

Telecommunication

Master of Engineering programmes, year 1–3Bachelor’s thesis in Radio and space science

Electric circuits

Engineering measurements

Environmental measurement techniques

High frequency electromagnetic waves

Planetary sciences

Sensors, signals and systems (measurements part)

Master’s courses and equivalentApplied remote sensing

Astrophysical dynamics

Astrophysics and earth science

Atmospheric processes

Electromagnetic waves and spectroscopy

Image processing

Galaxies and observational cosmology

Master’s thesis in Radio and space science

Millimetre and sub-mm (THz) receiver technology for instrumentation

Numerical methods in radio and space science

Plasma physics with applications

Remote sensing

Radar systems and applications

Radio and microwave engineering

Radioastronomical techniques and interferometry

Satellite positioning

Satellite communications

Space science and techniques

The interstellar medium and star formation

Chalmers courses given during 2009(NB: many of the master’s courses were also open to students at the University of Gothenburg)

Doctoral students Maciej Soja and Anders Berg preparing an experiment for students in one of the remote sensing courses.

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Master’s Thesis ReportsHamed Barati, Goran TrninicMMIC based LNA integrated within waveguide adapter at 14 GHz(Examiner/Supervisor: Gunnar Elgered/ Robert Petersson, RUAG Aerospace Sweden)

Kumar Kiran KoviMCM Design of Elctromagnetic Field Vector Sensing Radio receiver for Space Applications(Examiner/Supervisor: Vincent Desmaris/Jan Bergman, Swedish Institute of Space Physics))

Phumthan PhetphumphairojAn Experimental Investigation of Indoor Usage of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)(Examiner/Supervisor: Jan Johansson)

Erik M SteinmetzAn integrated system for determination of position, velocity, and acceleration based on GPS and accelerometer data(Examiner/Supervisors: Jan Johansson/Ragne Emardson and Per Jarlemark, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden)

Jonas P SundströmEvaluation of high rate real time GPS based tsunami warning system(Examiner/Supervisor: Jan Johansson)

Johan LindbergHC3N as a Diagnostic Tool for Activity in Galaxies(Examiner/Supervisor: Susanne Aalto)

Maciej SojaElectromagnetic models of bistatic radar scattering from rough surfaces with Gaussian correlation function(Examiner/Supervisors: Lars Ulander/Gustaf Sandberg and Leif Eriksson)

Hawal RashidModelling of a Novel Micro Scaled THz Detector(Examiner/Supervisor: Victor Belitsky/Vincent Desmaris)

Master’s ProgrammeSince 2007, the department offers a two-year master’s programme in Radio and Space Science. One of the first students to receive his master’s degree was Johan Lindberg, who graduated in 2009. He is now a Student Support Astronomer at the Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, and has also started his PhD studies in astronomy at Copenhagen University. He will study molecules in young stellar objects, partly using radio telescopes like APEX.

The third group of master’s students started in the autumn of 2009, and there are now about 15 first-year students and a similar number in the second year. The courses in the programme are also taken by e.g. ERASMUS students, who do not follow a particular master’s programme.

Our master’s programme is an internationally unique multidisciplinary, two-year programme whose unifying theme is the remote sensing of both Space and Earth. After common courses during the first semester, students choose one of three specialisations: Astrophysics, Earth Observations and Radio and Space Technology. The pro gramme ends with a master’s thesis during the last semester, i.e. a research project at a research institution or in industry. All courses are given in English.

Former master’s student Johan Lindberg in front of the Nordic Optical Telescope.

Arto Heikkilä, Master’s Programme Coordinator

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Doctoral Programme

Donal Murtagh, Deputy Head of Department and responsible for the doctoral programme.

The doctoral programme is organised as three possible specialisations within the subject area of Radio and Space Science. These specialisations are Astronomy, Environmental Science and Electrical Engineering, reflecting the diversity of the research carried out at the department. The school strives to give the students a thorough understanding of the research area they have chosen and in depth studies in a particular subject with the aim of achieving Chalmers’ goals for post-graduate education.

There are currently about 36 research students in the programme – most of whom are employed by the department, although a handful have positions in the industry or at other institutes.

During the past year five PhD degrees and six Licentiate degrees have been awarded, while four new post-graduate students were recruited.

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Doctoral Dissertations

Carina PerssonMolecular observations at high and low redshifts with the Odin satellite

January

Supervisor: Michael Olberg

Licentiates

Ashley JonesValidation and time series analysis of global stratospheric data sets

January

Supervisor: Donal Murtagh

Evert OlssonMulti frequency interferometer studies of active and starburst galaxies

January

Supervisor: Susanne Aalto

Mattias JohanssonApplication of Passive DOAS for Studies of Megacity Air Pollution and Volcanic Gas Emissions

March

Supervisor: Bo Galle

Claudia RiveraApplication of Passive DOAS using Scattered Sunlight for quantification of gas emissions from anthropogenic and volcanic sources

October

Supervisor: Bo Galle

Daniel JohanssonObservations of submillimeter galaxies and the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect towards cluster of galaxies

December

Supervisor: Cathy Horellou

István PusztaiModelling and Measuring Transport in Fusion Plasmas

September

Supervisor: Tünde Fülöp

Rossa HurleyRadio and Millimeter Studies of Luminous Infrared Galaxies

October

Supervisor: John Conway

Tobias HanssonNonlinear Dynamics of Coherent and Partially Coherent Optical Waves

June

Supervisor: Mietek Lisak

Bhushan BilladeDesign Of Dual Polarisation Sideband Separation Mixer For ALMA Band 5

September

Supervisor: Victor Belitsky

Gustaf SandbergEstimation of Forest Biomass and Faraday Rotation Using Polarimetric L-/P-band SAR

March

Supervisor: Lars Ulander

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Staff

Victor BelitskyBhushan Billade (Oct-)Vincent DesmarisSven-Erik FermMathias FredrixonDoug Henke (-Feb)Gert Johnsen (Aug-)Igor Lapkin Hawal Marouf Rashid (Feb-)Denis MeledinOlle Nyström (Apr-)Alexey PavolotskyMagnus Strandberg (50%)Erik Sundin

Doctoral students

Bhushan Billade (-Oct)Dimitar DochevOlle Nyström (-Mar)Magnus Strandberg (50%)

Research group leader Victor Belitsky

Advanced Receiver Development

The EC FP6 ALMA Band 5 Project progressed well during 2009. After several important improvements in the GARD thin-film processing and the SIS junction fabrications, we were able to demonstrate a state-of-the-art performance of the ALMA Band 5 DSB and 2SB mixers, which met the stringent specifications of the project. All other de signing problems were successfully overcome and the Band 5 prototype cartridge was demonstrated during the EC Mid-Term Review in June. During the autumn, the prototype receiver cartridge was under an extensive measurement and characterization campaign to prepare data and documentation for the Critical Design Review.

The APEX project still required significant work from the group. We helped the APEX staff in populating the tuning table for the APEX Band 2 receiver (first installed in March 2008), by sending two staff members to Chile. At the same time, improvements for better stability were made in the SHeFI.

We also continued our work on the develop-ment of the APEX Band 3 receiver channel for 385–500 GHz. The latest design includes a new SIS mixer chip and the mixer employs a unique micromachined waveguide LO injection circuitry, which was produced in the Chalmers Clean Room, using advanced processing with a thick photoresist. The Band 3 mixer performance has been improved and it is scheduled for installation into the SHeFI instrument at the APEX telescope in March 2010.

The Group for Advanced Receiver Development (GARD) is a research and engineering group working on scientific instrumentation and is a part of the Onsala Space Observatory and the Department of Radio and Space Science. Our research focuses on superconducting electronics, material and thin-film processing. The results and experience from these fields facilitate the development and building of state-of-the-art instruments for millimetre and sub-millimetre wavelengths used in radio astronomy and environmental science. During 2009, our major projects were the ALMA Band 5 cartridge development and the Band 3 channel for the APEX Swedish Heterodyne Facility Instrument, SHeFI.

Following a grant received from the Swedish Research Council, the important upgrade of our machine park continued. More specifically a 5-axis capability was added to the Kern CNC precision miller.

The research group welcomed two new members, Hawal Rashid and Gert Johnsen. They are both working as research engineers on the ALMA Band 5 Project. Two doctoral students took a one year break in their studies to immerse themselves further in the ALMA Band 5 project.

GARD was well represented at the 2009 Inter-national Space Terahertz Technology Conference, the main international THz instrumentation forum, held in Charlottesville, USA in March. We presented one poster and held two presentations. Doctoral student Dimitar Dochev presented two posters during the 9th European Conference on Applied Superconductivity, held in Dresden, Germany in September.

Dr. D. Meledin working with the APEX Band 3 SIS mixer.

The illustration shows internal design and the main parts of the ALMA Band 5 receiver cartridge and on the right hand side is a photograph of the ready assembled Band 5 prototype receiver.

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Global Environmental Measurements and Modelling

Staff

Samuel BrohedePatrick ErikssonPeter ForkmanStefan LossowDonal MurtaghJoakim MöllerDavid Simpson (adj. prof.)Joachim Urban

Doctoral students

Marston JohnstonAshley Jones (-Jan)Maryam KhosraviBengt RydbergClaudio Sanchez (-Jun)

Research group leader Donal MurtaghThe Global Environmental Measurements and Modelling group focuses on

the production and interpretation of global data-sets. To a large extent these originate from the Swedish led Odin satellite project, where we are the main data processing centre for the Sub-mm radiometer instrument providing the atmospheric community with quality assessed data. On the scientific side we have continued with studies of the chemical and dynamical processes affecting the atmosphere.

Studies of water vapour at high altitudesSo far measurements of water vapour have been limited to a top altitude of 80–85 km. The Sub-Millimetre Radiometer on board Odin allows studies of the water vapour distribution at altitudes far beyond this.

These new capabilities have been utilised to address the water vapour distribution in the summer time polar mesopause region.

The water vapour distribution in this region is in fluenced by ice particles that can form in the cold environment (~130 K) prevailing there. These particles typically form at around 90 km, consume the ambient water vapour, grow and sediment. At around 80 km the ice particles encounter warmer temperatures, sublimate and release water vapour. This causes a peak in the water vapour distribution around 80 km that can be clearly seen in Figure 1. An understanding of these ice particle clouds and the environment in which they form is of great interest as they are very sensitive to changes of temperature and water vapour induced by increasing greenhouse gas loading, in particular CO2 and methane. Hence they may be an indicator of climate change.

The EMEP chemical transport modelThe UNECE European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP, www.emep.int) started in 1977, a successful effort between almost all European countries to pool efforts in an effort to tackle the major environmental problem of the day, acid deposition. The chemical transport model used at the EMEP modelling center in Oslo and now at Chalmers covers all of Europe, and includes chemical mechanisms for ozone formation, acid-deposition and particulate matter (PM).

A major EMEP activity has been to estimate atmospheric deposition to ecosystems. Figure 2 shows an example of the modelling of ozone uptake (fluxes) to vegetation – the latter being a cooperative work involving many experts from the biological community. Another main area of research involves secondary organic aerosol (SOA), a significant component of PM in the atmosphere. In the framework of the large EU Integrated Project, EUCAARI, and in cooperation with the Swedish SCARP project (www.scarp.se) and University of Gothenburg, we are conducting both box-model comparisons against smog-chambers, and atmospheric modelling tests with the EMEP model.

Figure 2. Ozone flux modelling in EMEP: (top) the general framework for this modelling where a resistance approach is used to calculate stomatal and non-stomatal pathways of ozone deposition (figure provided by E. Wallis, Stockholm Environment Institute, York, UK) (bottom) the spatial distribution of the integrated calculated stomatal update, AFstY, for deciduous forests across Europe (units: mmole/m2).

Figure 1. The annual mean distribution of water vapour integrated over latitude bin 60° to 82° in the northern hemisphere (upper panel) and southern hemisphere (lower panel).

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Fast ion driven toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes during ion cyclotron resonance heating at JET

Figure indicating the electric field strength in a helix antenna

Nonlinear Electrodynamics

Staff

Dan AnderssonTünde Fülöp (-Aug)Matthew Lilley (Sep-)Mietek Lisak

Doctoral students

Tamás Fehér (-Aug)Tobias HanssonRobert NyqvistIstván Pusztai (-Aug)Joel Rasch

Research group leaders Dan Anderson Mietek Lisak

Burning fusion plasmasFusion is the energy source of the sun and stars where light atoms, like hydrogen, can fuse together at extremely high temperatures and release enormous amounts of energy. Fusion research’s aim is to reproduce this process on earth, and to use fusion as a safe way of producing large-scale energy, which, in principle, could cover mankind’s energy need for millions of years. Since the 50’s, scientists from all over the world have worked on bringing this energy source closer to reality, and with success. At present, the fusion community is constructing an international experiment, ITER. One of the main objectives of both the existing JET project and the planned ITER project is the study of alpha particle production, confinement and consequent alpha particle heating of deuterium-tritium (D-T) plasmas. In a burning D-T plasma, the energetic alpha particle population can be expected to give rise to fundamentally new physics phenomena, which may have a substantial impact on achieving and maintaining high plasma temperatures and long energy confinement times in tokamak reactors. The theoretical activity of the NLG is strongly integrated in the EU programme and is devoted

to the physics of burning fusion plasmas in tokamaks with particular interest given to fast ion collective effects, and electron runaway phenomena. During 2009, the specific aims have been investigations of fast-ion excitation and nonlinear dynamics of Alfvén modes in JET and runaway generation during plasma disruptions. Particular attention has also been given

to nonlinear dynamics of fast ion driven modes near the instability threshold, where the effort

has been strengthened by a new post doc joining the group. The work is being carried out in collaboration with JET, Culham Science Centre (UK), the Institute of Advanced Fusion Studies at the University of Texas in Austin (USA), and the Hungarian and Polish Fusion Associations.

Microwave breakdown in space borne RF equipmentDue to the use of successively higher

The research activity of the Nonlinear Electrodynamics Group (NLG) is directed towards the physics of burning fusion plasmas, nonlinear optics and microwave discharge phenomena. A common denominator and a strong correlation between these three areas is that they all involve electromagnetic field theory, plasma and plasma-like phenomena, and nonlinear wave phenomena.

powers, space companies are becoming increasingly aware of the problem of microwave breakdown in RF equipment for space communication. A strong effort is currently being made all over the world to obtain a better understanding of the limitations set by the breakdown phenomenon and to facilitate optimized designs that avoid excessive and costly safety margins. The NLG has been involved in the area of microwave breakdown for many years. Since 2000, there is a long-term collaboration with the French Space Agency (CNES) in Toulouse, France, and the Institute of Applied Physics (IAP) in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. During 2009, this collaboration has been further expanded by joint participation in a new ESA project involving most of the space oriented microwave companies in Europe. In addition, a new project on microwave breakdown in open antenna structures is currently running for two years (2009-10). This is in collaboration with RUAG Aerospace, with support from the National Space Research Program, and involving IAP. The results of these collaborations have been summarized in many articles in scientific journals and presented at many conferences, which have been greatly appreciated by the scientific as well as the engineering communities.

Nonlinear opticsThe NLG carries out research in nonlinear optics. One of the most important application areas is optical communication, where nonlinear effects have found a number of fascinating applications, but also constitute an important factor limiting the system performance. Recently it was shown that many of the studied nonlinear phenomena of coherent light may be strongly modified if the light is only partially coherent. The NLG is currently involved in basic analysis of the effects of partial coherence on a number of different nonlinear phenomena with applications to optics. The group has continuous collaborations with Optical Science Center in Canberra (Australia) and IAP in Nizhny Novgorod (Russia). During 2009, one of our doctoral students spent three months in Canberra, working on the problem of nonlinear interaction of partially coherent optical beams.

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Optical Remote Sensing

Research group leader Bo Galle.

Staff

Bo GalleJohan MellqvistJohan Ekholm (Oct-)

Doctoral students

Santiago ArellanoJörg Beecken (Oct-)Niklas BergJohn JohanssonMattias JohanssonJon KlyftPatrik NormanClaudia Rivera Cardenas

Volcanic gas measurementsSince 2001, we are strongly involved in developing methods to quantify gas emission from active volcanoes. The EU project NOVAC (Network for Observation of Volcanic and Atmospheric Change), coordinated by Chalmers, was initiated in the autumn of 2005. This project is aimed at establishing a network of instruments for gas measurements on 20 of the most active volcanoes in the world. In addition to measuring volcanic gas emissions for geophysical research and risk assessment, the instruments will also provide information on atmospheric composition, which is relevant to research related to stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change. During the year, focus has been on installations, development of meteorological models and automation of the evaluation procedures. In total, 9 instruments have been installed on 4 volcanoes; Villarrica (Chile), Telica (Nicaragua), Nevado de Huila and Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia).

Industrial hydrocarbon emissionsEmissions of hydrocarbons from oil related industrial activities, constitutes an important environmental problem. We have developed one method for quantification of hydrocarbon emissions based on infrared solar occultation and another one for formaldehyde measurement based on UV/visible measurements. During 2009, we successfully participated in a major field campaign in Houston, Texas (USA). The aim with the campaign was to quantify formaldehyde and reactive hydrocarbon emissions from refineries and petrochemical industries in southern Texas, to improve the knowledge of atmospheric reactive chemical species.

Emissions from shipsA method for remote airborne measurements of flue gas emissions from ships, has been developed and tested in a project that spanned from 2006 to 2009. The aim with the system was to be able to control that ships obey new environmental regulation within EU and the international maritime organization, IMO. The instrument was flown from a Swedish coast guard

The optical remote sensing group is working with development and application of ground-based optical remote sensing methods for atmospheric measurements. We are focusing on tailoring instruments and measurement strategies to address specific measurement problems related to environmental research and monitoring needs. The work is very international and field oriented, and spans over a large variety of disciplines.

airplane. In 2009, the developed system was used in an EU project in which we conducted measurements from a helicopter in Rotterdam and on the North Sea.

Stratospheric ozone depletion and satellite validationSince 1994, we are operating a high resolution FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) for solar spectroscopy at Harestua in southern Norway. The instrument is part of NDACC (Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change). Its main purpose has been to study the composition of the stratosphere in relation to chemically induced stratospheric ozone loss, as well as satellite validation and validation of global chemical transport models. During the year emphasis has been on using the spectral database to also derive tropospheric molecules, primarily those related to climate change research. This work has been conducted under the EU projects HYMN (Hydrogen, Methane and Nitrous oxide) and GEOMon (Global Earth Observation and Monitoring of the Atmosphere).

Measurements of ships’ flue gases from an helicopter during a EU filed campaign outside Rotterdam.

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Radar Remote Sensing

Research group leader Lars Ulander.

Staff

Jan Askne (prof. emeritus)Anders BergLeif ErikssonAnatoliy KononovLars Ulander (adj. prof.)

Doctoral students

Gisela CarvajalGustaf SandbergMaciej Soja (Dec-)Annelie Wyholt

Forest monitoringThe Radar Remote Sensing group is developing methods to estimate forest biomass from satellite and airborne radar sensors. Images from radar with wavelengths of around 1 m contain informa-tion about large objects such as stems and branches, which are the main components of the forest biomass above ground. At the beginning of 2009, the European Space Agency (ESA) selected three candidates for the next Earth Explorer Core Mission. One of them is the BIOMASS satellite, which has been designed to measure forest biomass with imaging radar. As preparation for BIOMASS, two campaigns have been conducted where airborne radar images have been collected over forests in southern and northern Sweden. The group has analysed how these images can be used to measure biomass and how they are affected by ground topography and differences in soil moisture.

The group is also working on methods to detect storm damaged forest and clear cuts in radar images. In September, four forest stands were felled to simulate the effects of a severe storm. Images from two satellites with high reso-lution radar were collected before and after the felling. After two months the trees were removed and new satellite images are collected to cover the clear cuts.

Research in the Radar Remote Sensing group is based on the understanding of radar system properties, allowing us to analyse and design new systems with improved measurement accuracy. The main applications studied in the group are forestry and oceanography. For forests, the goal is to retrieve biomass and changes caused by deforestation, storms, replanting, etc. Global mapping is required to be able to understand the role of forest in the global carbon cycle, and hence their effects on the global climate change. For oceans, sea ice mapping is also of interest for climate studies since the ice cover is a good indicator of climate change, as well as affecting the transfer of energy between the oceans and the atmosphere.

Ocean monitoringSince many years, radar data from satellites are used for operational mapping of sea ice because radar can provide images even when the area is covered by clouds or the sun is below the horizon. We have coordinated a three year project with the aim to evaluate if data from new radar satellites can improve classification of ice types, determination of sea ice concentration and detection of ice ridges in the Baltic Sea. The project has been done in close cooperation with the ice service department at the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI). During three years over 120 satellite images have been acquired and validation data have been collected from a helicopter. In the satellite images that are used by the ice service, wind often gives strong radar signals from open water. In some cases this makes it difficult to see the difference between sea-ice and open water. One of the main conclusions from the project is that this problem can be reduced if radar images with two polarisations are used. It has also been shown that radar images from longer wavelengths give stronger signatures from ice ridges and deformed ice.

Radar technology, signal processing and image analysisSynthetic-aperture radar (SAR) uses advanced signal processing algorithms to generate imagery

from raw radar data as well as to analyse the resulting imagery. In 2009, the group was involved with projects developing and evaluating algorithms for auto focus of airborne SAR data.

RADARSAT-2 images of ice conditions in the northern part of the Baltic Sea 2009-04-24. Both images are taken simultaneously and show the difference between the HH-polarisation (left) and the HV-polarisation (right). In the HV image the darkest areas are open water. In the HH image the signature from open water is affected by wind and is highly variable.

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Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics

Research group leader John Black.

Staff

Susanne AaltoArnold van Ardenne (adj. prof.)John BlackJohn ConwayArto HeikkiläÅke Hjalmarson (prof. emeritus)Cathy HorrellouKay JusttanontRené LiseauGlenn PerssonAlessandro RomeoGustaf Rydbeck (-Aug, prof. emeritus)Magnus ThomassonAnders Winnberg (prof. emeritus)

Doctoral students

Fabién BatejatPer BjerkeliFrancesco CostagliolaRossa HurleyDaniel JohanssonEvert Olsson (-Jan)Carina Persson (-Jan)Eva Wirström

Research Highlights 2009The Herschel Space Observatory was successfully launched by ESA. We have prepared key programmes to be carried out during its first year of operation. We have published Odin satellite observations of sub-mm wavelength emission of water molecules in molecular outflows, which provide hints of what to expect when the higher sensitivity, greater bandwidth, and superior angular resolution of Herschel will be applied to the same sources. We have also performed measurements of several rotational transitions of the CO molecule in circumstellar envelopes of evolved red giant stars with the APEX telescope to complement upcoming Herschel observations at even higher frequencies.

The study of expanding winds of highly evolved red giants is continuing. Through observations and detailed radiative transfer of molecular line emission from the envelopes of S-stars, mass-loss characteristics and circum-stellar molecular abundances as function of the carbon/oxygen ratio of the central star are studied. Extensive works on detached shells around red giants have been performed using various types of telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope. In preparation for the Herschel space mission, modelling of water vapour lines observed towards red giants by the Odin satellite, and predictions for lines to be observed by the Herschel HIFI instrument, have been done.

First results were obtained from the APEX Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect survey. The distortions of the cosmic background radiation by hot plasma in the so-called Bullet Cluster are important in the study of the evolution of galaxies and of large-scale structure in the Universe, (see figure).

We have investigated the large-scale turbu-lence observed in disks of galaxies through numerical simulations of gaseous disks embedded within haloes of dark matter. The simulations achieve high resolution through adaptive mesh

refinement and they allow a variety of processes to be characterized.

Studies of molecular line emission in the centres of galaxies have continued, using molecular tracers of the gas that feeds and regulates various phenomena including active galactic nuclei and star bursts. High-resolution observations of the J=3-2 line of hydrogen iso-cyanide, HNC, toward the western nucleus of the merging galaxy Arp 220 revealed possible evidence of maser amplification and implied a high abundance of this molecule. Further work is needed to establish whether such luminous HNC emission is a manifestation of an X-ray-dominated region associated with the central starburst and putative active nucleus.

We have investigated the possible cosmo-logical variation of the ratio of electron mass to proton mass based upon high-resolution spectro-scopy of distant quasi-stellar objects. The details of the data-analysis procedures were explored in order to characterize the performance of the ultraviolet-visual echelle spectrograph at the ESO Very Large Telescope and to identify the optimal calibration methods. These methods were then applied to two data sets, which are consistent with no change in the mass ratio over the last 11.5 giga-years at a level of fractional variation less than 10-5. This limit constrains models of dark energy that invoke rolling scalar fields and restricts the parameter space of super symmetric or string-theory models in physics.

We have presented improved models of disks around massive protostars in order to clarify the role of disk-like structures in the early evolution of massive stars. The new models strongly favour a differentially rotating disk as the explanation of the kinematics of methanol maser emission in the protostellar source NGC 7538 IRS1N.

A false-colour image of the Bullet Cluster, a merging cluster of galaxies, based upon measure-ments at 870 µm wavelength made with the LABOCA instrument on APEX. The colour scale represents signal-to-noise ratio. The black-orange spots in this map are so-called sub-mm galaxies, 17 of which are statistically significant. These galaxies lie far behind the Bullet Cluster, which is so massive (1015 times the mass of the sun) that it forms a gravitational lens and amplifies the brightnesses of background galaxies. (D. Johansson et al.)

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Our research covers a wide range of topics from planetary atmospheres, through the early evolution of stars and planets, to late stages of stellar evolution, the physics and chemistry of interstellar and intergalactic matter, the structure and evolution of galaxies, and cosmology. We carry out observations both at radio frequencies and in other parts of the spectrum. We do theoretical research and develop numerical simulations and models of complex systems like galaxies and gas clouds and help to develop future telescopes on the ground and in space. Although our work both drives and benefits from state-of-the-art sensors, our principal motivation is fundamental curiosity about our universe.

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Staff

Willgodt Bokhede (-Oct)Gunnar ElgeredRüdiger HaasJan Johansson(adj. prof.)Matteo Mantovani (-Aug)Tobias Nilsson (-Apr)Hans-Georg ScherneckJonas Sundström (Oct-)

Doctoral students

Susana García Espada

Johan Löfgren

Tong Ning

Per-Anders Olsson(industrial student)

Carsten Rieck(industrial student)

Space Geodesy and Geodynamics

Research group leader Rüdiger Haas

The main interests of our research group are geodynamic phenomena and atmospheric processes. These topics include for example deformations of the Earth’s crust due to mass redistribution, inter- and intra-plate tectonics, loading effects, and variations in earth orientation and rotation on sub-diurnal to decadal time scales. Other examples are the distribution and variation of the amount of atmospheric water vapour, atmospheric turbulence and climate monitoring. To study these research topics we perform observations with a variety of techniques and do corresponding theoretical work. The applied techniques include space geodetic and geophysical techniques, in particular gravimeters, but also microwave radiometry and space-borne interferometric radar.

Interferometric Synthesis Aperture Radar (InSAR)In 2009 the group embarked on a Radar Interferometry project to determine motions in Lappland. Two target issues have been selected. First, we looked at the effect of mining in Kiruna (figure 1). A more challenging problem is presented by the 130 km long Pärvie fault, a post-glacial fault that passes west of Kiruna. This fault was generated in a single seismic event about 10,000 years ago as the Pleistocene ice sheet retreated. The problem of detection of fault motion or deformation in its vicinity is confronted employing Persistent Scatterer analysis from a stack of interferograms covering more than ten years. The analysis has to cope with some well known and some more specific problems.

Figure 1. Interferogram of Kiruna from ERS-1 satellite synthetic aperture radar. The mining area shows conspicuous signatures of subsidence. Each colour cycle corresponds to 1 cm vertical displacement. The image was constructed from a pair of acquisitions dating August 13, 1992 and May 20, 1993.

Figure 2. Recordings with the superconducting gravimeter until early November 2009. Shown in the top frame are the full gravimeter response, which is dominated by tides, and a reduction using a tidal model, that leaves the blue line, and a further reduction for air mass with surface pressure as a proxy, leaving the almost smooth purple line as a residual. In the lower frame, an exponential and a linear trend have been subtracted. The remaining gravity variations are mostly due to tidal loading in Kattegatt.

Superconducting Gravimetry On June 10, 2009, the superconducting gravimeter was taken into operation at the Onsala Space Observatory. The main use of the new facility is to provide a calibrated gravity station for visiting groups within absolute gravity projects. One of the intentions is to determine gravity changes in the Nordic countries in connection with post glacial isostatic adjustment (a.k.a. land uplift). The station provides us with the “third pillar” of geodesy, gravity and geopotential measurement and it complements our contributions in geometrics (earth deformation) and kinematics (earth rotation). This development has now raised Onsala to the status of a Fundamental Geodetic Station, a core station for the maintenance of the International Reference System.

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Transport Theory

Research group leader Jan Weiland

Staff

Elina Asp

Yueqiang Liu (adj. prof.)

Daniel Nilsson

Hans Nordman

Pär Strand

Michal Stransky (Jun-)

Jan Weiland

Hans Wilhelmsson, (prof. emeritus)

Dimitriy Yadykin (Jun-)

Doctoral students

Abhinav Gupta (industrial student)

Andreas Skyman (Jan-)

International collaborationsOur group is part of several international working groups, e.g. JET (Joint European Torus), ITPA (International Tokamak Physics Activities), and TTG (Transport Topical Group). In addition, the group has had a lead in the IMAGE working group, which is a forum for collaboration within the ITER parties. EFDA ITM-TF (European Task force for Integrated Tokamak Modelling), the European task force in this collaboration, is lead by Pär Strand. This has lead to the EUFORIA project. An important collaboration within transport simulations is with Lehigh University, Bethlehem PA. We also have several bilateral collaborations, e.g. on nonlinear effects in plasmas, which include the Bogoliubov Institute in Kiev, General Atomics, San Diego, the Institute of Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, India, and the University of California at Irvine. Collaboration on Resistive Wall Modes is performed with UKAEA through our Adjunct professor Yueqiang Liu.

Particle transportParticle transport is important because it determines the peakedness of main and impurity ion profiles. This directly impacts on the reaction rate since the edge density is limited by the Greenwald condition and central fuelling is not possible in reactors. We have studied both main ion and impurity ion transport. These are, in turn, sensitive to various kinds of dissipation from e.g. kinetic wave-particle resonances and collisions. Thus the fluid closure in our model is important. Comparison with the kinetic US code Gyro for ITER-like profiles has given agreement of transport fluxes within a factor of 2.

Momentum transportMomentum transport is important for generating transport barriers in tokamaks. It has been simulated both within the JET and the ITPA frameworks. Good agreement has been obtained

Fusion research has reached a milestone – the design of the first experimental reactor, ITER, which is now being built in Cadarache, France. This is an international collaboration between EU, Japan, USA, Russia, China, India and South Korea. The main areas of our research are turbulent transport and stability of resistive wall modes in magnetized toroidal plasmas with application to thermonuclear fusion research. Turbulent transport is one of the most challenging areas in physics in general and in fusion research in particular, where a kinetic approach “in principle” is needed. For this reason, advanced fluid models have been developed with Chalmers as the pioneer. Initially, a dramatic improvement of the agreement with experiment was obtained. This is one of our main research areas. Resistive wall modes limit the plasma operational space, and investigations are made using the MARS-F code.

with experiments on JET, D-IIID and TCV.We are now able to simulate the formation of a transport barrier, recovering the spin-up of the poloidal momentum observed in transport barriers on JET. Results on momentum transport were presented at the ITPA meeting in Naka in April.

Resistive wall modes (RWM)Results from JET, D-III-D and NSTX have shown that nonlinear interaction between the RWM, damping of plasma rotation and error fields are important. Several of these issues are investigated in our simulations. Feedback stabilization of the RWM is investigated for ITER advanced scenarios. Extensive simulations have been performed to clarify the effect of conducting structures on the RWM stability and control in ITER.

TheoryThe most recent theory results are on effects of curvature contributions from the stress tensor on the parallel momentum transport, effects of RF heating on particle pinches and statistical theory of the fluid closure. In particular the well known Waltz condition for stabilization of linear instability due to flowshear, has been recovered by the renormalized analytical kinetic theory. A nonlinear formalism for studying reaction diffusion equations in general systems has been developed. During 2009, results on describing Hubble’s law, including vortex motion, were further developed and presented at our workshop to celebrate Hans Wilhelmsson’s promotion to jubilee doctor in May.

Turbulent structures.

EFDA-JET Contributors

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Onsala Space Observatory

Staff

Per BergmanPer Björklund (May-)Simon CaseyLars ErikssonLars-Göran Gunnarsson (-Apr)Roger HammargrenLeif HelldnerChrister HermanssonKarl-Åke JohanssonJan KaraskuruUlf KylenfallMichael Lerner (Mar-)Michael LindqvistLars LundahlHåkan MillqvistSebastien MullerMichael OlbergHans OlofssonMiroslav PantaleevCarina Persson (Feb-)Lars PetterssonFredrik SchöierLars Wennerbäck

Staff shared with research groups

John ConwayRüdiger HaasCathy HorellouHans-Georg ScherneckMagnus Thomasson

A majority of the Group for Advanced Receiver Development (p. 10) is also part of the observatory.

Director Hans Olofsson

Positive international evaluation of the observatoryThe Swedish Research Council (VR) has carried out an international evaluation of the activities at the Onsala Space Observatory (OSO). The outcome of the evaluation was very positive. The evaluation committee wrote that the observa-tory “is ful filling an important function in Sweden both in promoting research, in rearing a new generation of astronomers, geodesists, geo-physicists and engineers, and in providing a focal point for Swedish national interests in various areas of astronomy and geodesy. In essence, OSO is helping to keep Sweden at the forefront of modern research and to provide the new generation of Swedish scientists.” They recommended that the geodesy and geophysics activities, so far made on a “best effort” basis, should officially be incorporated into the observatory mission. Furthermore, the committee stressed how important the technical development activities by GARD are for the success of the observatory. They also recommended that the two telescopes in Onsala and APEX be maintained, and supports the location of an ALMA Regional Center node in Onsala. The role of the observatory in the development of e-VLBI was applauded, and support was given to continue with the VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) activities. Finally, the outreach programme was considered to be outstanding.

As a result of the evaluation, VR has decided to increase the operational funding for the observatory by 7.1 million kronor (increasing over three years).

The International Year of Astronomy 2009The International Year of Astronomy 2009 was a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture. It also marked the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei. The aim was to stimulate worldwide interest, especially among young people, in astronomy

Onsala Space Observatory is the Swedish National Facility for Radio Astronomy. The observatory operates two telescopes – a 25 m diameter cm-wave telescope and a 20 m diameter mm-wave telescope. Furthermore, it is one of three partners in the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) – a 12 m diameter submillimetre-wave telescope in Chile. The observatory also provides the channel through which Sweden is involved in large international radio astronomy projects, such as EVN (European VLBI Network), LOFAR (Low Frequency Array), ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) and SKA (Square Kilometer Array).

and science under the central theme “The Universe, Yours to Discover”. The observatory, together with the research groups, arranged many activi ties for the public. During the inauguration in Paris, the observatory participated in a demon-stration of e-VLBI, an observing technique that OSO has pioneered.

Together with Kungsbacka Tourist Informa-tion Centre, a number of guided tours of the observatory were arranged for the general public. As in previous years, a large number of school classes and other groups also visited the observatory throughout the year. In total, 2 650 visitors came to the observatory during the year – twice as many as during 2008. Early May, the observatory participated with talks and experiments in both the open programme and the school programme at the yearly Science festival in Gothenburg. During the global event “100 hours of astronomy” in April, observatory staff gave popular science talks and demonstrated observations of hydrogen in the Milky Way with the small radio telescope SALSA in Onsala. OSO also participated in the e-VLBI observations during the “Around the world in 80 telescopes” event.

The European space telescope Herschel was launched with an Ariane rocket on May 14. In connection with this, the observatory organised an event for the public at the science museum Universeum in Gothenburg. The launch was shown live on a large screen, and scientists from the department, from Chalmers and from the

Watching the launch of Herschel at Universeum in Gothenburg.

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Swedish National Space Board gave talks about Herschel and the planned scientific observations.

Finally, in November the observatory parti-cipated in the largest astrometric VLBI session ever, with 35 radio telescopes around the world observing more than 200 sources, used to define the International Celestial Reference Frame, during 24 hours. The public could follow the event on the Internet.

Activities in OnsalaDuring the year, a new superconducting gravi-meter was installed at the observatory. It measures the gravitational acceleration g (about 9.81 m/s2) with very high accuracy – changes as small as 0.1 nm/s2 can be detected. Therefore, it is very sensitive to its immediate surroundings, to e.g. changes in temperature or groundwater levels, and a special building had to be constructed to house the instrument. The new gravimeter complements the methods of space geodesy (VLBI and global navigation satellite systems) used to investigate the dynamics of the Earth. The first results from measurements can be found page 16 in this report.

The observatory has intensified its work on the “eleven-feed”, a project in collaboration with the Department of Signals and Systems, Chalmers, to develop a new antenna feed for use in e.g. VLBI.

The EU project EXPReS (Express Production Real-time e-VLBI Service) ended in 2009. The project has developed techniques for e-VLBI. In their final review, the European Commission hailed the project as “extraordinarily successful”.

Preparations for installing a LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) station in Onsala have

continued. The full installation has been somewhat delayed, and will take place in 2010. LOFAR is a project led by ASTRON in the Netherlands to construct a large array of simple antennas for frequencies below 250 MHz.

Fifteen single-dish projects were scheduled on the 20 m telescope during 2009, many of them observing star formation processes or proto-stars, for example triggered star formation in the Milky Way. There were also projects studying the late stages of evolution of stars (in particular AGB [Asymptotic Giant Branch] stars and the surroundings of supernova remnants). Other projects concentrated on astrochemistry, especially the formation of methanol in the interstellar medium. In addition, the 20 m telescope was used for VLBI observations by both the astronomical and geodetical communities, and the 25 m telescope was used for astronomical VLBI observations.

APEX and ALMAObservations with APEX have continued, with 34 projects scheduled during Swedish time, using mainly the Swedish Heterodyne Facility Instrument, developed by the Group for Advanced Receiver Development (GARD) and installed in 2008, and the LABOCA and SABOCA bolometer arrays. The projects covered a wide range of topics, for example star formation, AGB stars, stellar gamma-ray sources, interstellar chemistry, nuclear spirals in a barred galaxy, active galaxies of different kinds and cosmology. As an example, 17 distant submillimeter galaxies were discovered behind the Bullet Cluster of galaxies, which acts as a gravitational lens enabling the detection of the galaxies (more information on page 15).

GARD has successfully finished the develop ment of a receiver for APEX band 3 (380–500 GHz) and it will be installed during 2010. They have also developed a prototype receiver cartridge for ALMA band 5 (163–211 GHz). The development work has been very extensive in order to meet the stringent ALMA specifications. The electronics development laboratory in Onsala has acted as a consultant for ESO in the production of Water Vapour Radiometers for ALMA.

The new superconducting gravimeter at the Onsala Space Observatory.

Top: The 25 m telescope at the observatory.

Bottom: The radome covering the 20 m telescope.

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PublicationsThe list includes work that was actually published during 2009. The publications are presented for each research group and ordered alphabetically based on the first author´s last name. Peer reviewed journals are listed first followed by other types of publications. A few publications with authors from more than one research group are listed in each group.

Advanced Receiver DevelopmentPeer reviewed journal publicationsMeledin, D.; Pavolotsky, A.; Desmaris, V.; Lapkin, I.; Henke, D.; Nyström, O.; Sundin, E.; Dochev, D.; Pantaleev, M.; Fredrixon, M.; Strandberg, M.; Belitsky, V. et al. (2009). A 1.3-THz balanced waveguide HEB mixer for the APEX telescope. IEEE T. Microw. Theory., 57, 89–98.

Nyström, O.; Lapkin, I.; Desmaris, V.; Dochev, D.; Ferm, S-E.; Fredrixon, M.; Henke, D.; Meledin, D.; Monje, R.; Strandberg, M.; Sundin, E.; Vassilev, V.; Belitsky, V. (2009). Optics design and verification for the APEX Swedish Heterodyne Facility Instrument (SHeFI). J. Infrared Millim. T., 30, 746–761.

Wild, W.; Kardashev, N.S.; Likhachev, S.F.; … Liseau, R.; Belitsky, V.; et al. (2009). Millimetron – a large Russian-European submillimeter space observatory. Exp. Astron., 23, 221–244.

Book chapters, conference papers, etcBelitsky, V.; Lapkin, I.; Billade, B.; Sundin, E.; Pavolotsky, A.; Meledin, D.; Desmaris, V.; Strandberg, M.; … Nyström, O.; Fredrixon, M.; Ferm, S-E.; Rashid, H.; Henke, D.; et al. (2009). Prototype ALMA band 5 cartridge: design and performance. Proc. of the 20th Intl. Symp. on Space Terahertz Technology, Charlottesville, VA, USA, April 20–22, 2009, 2–5.

Belitsky, V.; Billade, B.; Desmaris, V.; Dochev, D.; Ferm, S-E.; Fredrixon, M.; Johnsen, G.; Lapkin, I. Meledin, D.; Nyström, O.; Pavolotsky, A.; Rashid, H.; Strandberg, M.; Sundin, E.; Monje, R.; Risacher, C.; Henke, D.; Vassilev, V. (2009). Terahertz instrumentation for radio astronomy. Proc. of the Intl. Symp. on Terahertz Science and Technology between Japan and Sweden, 28–29.

Billade, B.; Belitsky, V.; Pavolotsky, A.; Lapkin, I.; et al. (2009). ALMA Band 5 (163–211 GHz) Sideband separation mixer. Proc. of the 20th Intl. Symp. on Space and Terahertz Technology, Charlottesville, VA, USA, April 20-22, 2009, 19–23.

Billade, B. (2009). Design of dual polarisation sideband separation mixer for ALMA band 5. Gothenburg: Chalmers University of Technology. Licentiate thesis.

Desmaris, V.; Rashid, H.; Pavolotsky, A.; Belitsky, V. (2009). Design, simulations and optimization of micromachined Golay-cell based THz sensors operating at room temperature. Procedia Chemistry, Proc. of the Eurosensors XXIII conference. 1, 1175–1178.

Strandberg, M.; Lapkin, I.; Belitsky, V.; Pavolotsky, A.; Ferm, S-E. (2009). Analysis, simulation and design of cryogenic systems for ALMA band 5 prototype cartridge. Proc. of the 20th Intl. Symp. on Space and Terahertz Technology, Charlottesville, VA, USA, April 20–22, 2009, 307–310.

Global Environmental Measurements and ModellingPeer reviewed journal publications Baron, P.; Dupuy, E.; Urban, J.; Murtagh, D.P.; Eriksson, P.; et al. (2009). HO2 measurements in the stratosphere and the mesosphere from the sub-millimetre limb sounder Odin/SMR. Int. J. Remote Sens., 30, 4195–4208.

Dupuy, E.; Walker, K. A.; Kar, J.; … Jones, A.; … Murtagh, D.P.; … Urban, J.; et al. (2009). Validation of ozone measurements from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE). Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 287–343.

Haefele, A.; De Wachter, E.; Hocke, K.; … Eriksson, P.; Forkman, P.; et al. (2009). Validation of ground-based microwave radiometers

at 22 GHz for stratospheric and mesospheric water vapor. J. Geophys. Res., 114, D23305.

Jin, J.J.; Semeniuk, K.; Beagley, S.R.; … Urban, J.; Murtagh, D.P.; et al. (2009). Comparison of CMAM simulations of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4) with observations from Odin/SMR, ACE-FTS, and Aura/MLS. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 3233–3252.

Jones, A.; Urban, J.; Murtagh, D.P.; Eriksson, P.; Brohede, S.; et al. (2009). Evolution of stratospheric ozone and water vapour time series studied with satellite measurements. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 6055–6075.

Khosrawi, F.; Müller, R.; Proffitt, M.H.; …. Urban, J.; Murtagh, D.P.; et al. (2009). Evaluation of CLaMS, KASIMA and ECHAM5/MESSy1 simulations in the lower stratosphere using observations of Odin/SMR and ILAS/ILAS-II. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 5759–5783.

Lossow, S.; Urban, J.; Schmidt, H.; … Eriksson, P.; Murtagh, D.P.; et al. (2009). Wintertime water vapour in the polar upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere – first satellite observations by Odin/SMR. J. Geophys. Res., 114, D10304.

Orsolini, Y. J.; Urban, J.; Murtagh, D.P. (2009). Nitric acid in the stratosphere based on Odin observations from 2001 to 2009 – Part 2: High-altitude polar enhancements. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 7045–7052.

Rydberg, B.; Eriksson, P.; Buehler, S.A.; Murtagh, D.P. (2009). Non-Gaussian Bayesian retrieval of tropical upper tropospheric cloud ice and water vapour from Odin-SMR measurements. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 2, 621–637.

Schneider, N.; Urban, J.; Baron, P. (2009). Potential of radiotelescopes for atmospheric line observations: I. Observation principles and transmission curves for selected sites. Planet. Space Sci., 57, 1419–1433.

Tuovinen, J. P.; Emberson, L.; Simpson, D. (2009). Modelling ozone fluxes to forests for risk assessment: status and prospects. Ann. Forest Sci., 66, 401.

Urban, J.; Pommier, M.; Murtagh, D.P.; Santee, M. L.; Orsolini, Y. J. (2009). Nitric acid in the stratosphere based on Odin observations from 2001 to 2009 – Part 1: A global climatology. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 7031–7044.

Yttri, K. E.; Dye, C.; Braathen, O-A.; Steinnes, E.; Simpson, D. (2009). Carbonaceous aerosols at urban influenced sites in Norway. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9 p. 2007–2020.

Book chapters, conference papers, etcJones, A. (2009). Validation and time series analysis of global stratospheric data sets. Gothenburg: Chalmers University of Technology. Doctoral thesis.

Murtagh, D.P. (2009). Odin blickar nedåt. Forskning & Framsteg, No. 4, 35–37.

Simpson, D. (2009). Biosphere-atmosphere interactions in the EMEP MSC-W chemical transport model. iLEAPS Newsletter, 6.

Non-Linear ElectromagneticsPeer reviewed journal publications Fülöp, T.; Smith, H.; Pokol, G. (2009). Magnetic field threshold for runaway generation in tokamak disruptions. Phys. Plasmas., 16, 022502.

Fülöp, T.; Nordman, H. (2009). Turbulent and neoclassical impurity transport in tokamak plasmas. Phys. Plasmas., 16, 032306.

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Hansson, T.; Anderson, D.; Lisak, M. (2009). Propagation of partially coherent solitons in saturable logarithmic media: A comparative analysis. Phys. Rev. A., 30, 033819.

Hansson, T.; Anderson, D.; Lisak, M. (2009). Soliton interaction in logarithmically saturable media. Opt. Commun., 283, 318–322.

Jeong, H.; Österberg, U.; Hansson, T. (2009). Evolution of Sommerfeld and Brillouin precursors in intermediate spectral regimes. J. Opt. Soc. Am. B., 26, 2455–2460.

Nyqvist, R.; Anderson, D.; Lisak, M. (2009). Spreading of collimated particle beams within a generalized Fokker-Planck diffusion equation. Nucl. Sci. Eng., 163, 85–90.

Pusztai, I.; Fülöp, T.; Candy, J.; et al. (2009). Collisional model of quasilinear transport driven by toroidal electrostatic ion temperature gradient modes. Phys. Plasmas., 16, 072305.

Pusztai, I.; Pokol, G.; Dunai, D.; et al. (2009). Deconvolution-based correction of alkali beam emission spectroscopy density profile measurements. Rev. Sci. Instrum., 80, 083502.

Rasch, J.; Anderson, D.; Lisak, M.; et al. (2009). Microwave corona breakdown in inhomogenous electric fields. J. Phys. D. Appl. Phys., 42, 205203.

Rasch, J.; Anderson, D.; Lisak, M.; et al. (2009). Microwave breakdown in a gas-filled rectangular resonator cavity. J. Phys. D. Appl. Phys., 42, 055210.

Semenov, V.E. Rakova, E.I.; Anderson, D.; Lisak, M.; et al. (2009). Importance of reflection of low energy electrons on multipactor susceptibility diagrams for narrow gaps. IEEE T. Plasma Sci., 37, 1774.

Semenov, V.E.; Rakova, E.I.; Sazontov, A.G.; … ; Anderson, D.; Lisak, M.; et al. (2009). Simulations of multipactor thresholds in shielded microstrip lines. J. Phys. D. Appl. Phys., 42, 205204.

Zalesny, J.; Marczynski, S.; Lisak, M.; Anderson, D.; et al. (2009). Mechanical analogy of the nonlinear dynamics of a driven unstable mode near marginal stability. Phys. Plasmas., 16, 022110.

Book chapters, conference papers, etcHansson, T.; Anderson, D.; Lisak, M. (2009). Propagation of Partially Coherent Light in Nonlinear Media. Progress in Electromagnetics Research Symp. (PIERS), August 18–21, 2009, Moscow, Russia, PIERS Proc., The Electromagnetics Academy, Cambridge, MA, USA, 1391–1395.

Pusztai, I. (2009). Modelling and measuring transport in fusion plasmas. Gothenburg: Chalmers University of Technology. Licentiate thesis.

Rasch, J.; Anderson, D.; Lisak, M.; et al. (2009). Microwave Corona Breakdown in rf Devices. Progress in Electromagnetics Research Symp. (PIERS), August 18–21, 2009, Moscow, Russia, PIERS Proc., The Electromagnetics Academy, Cambridge, MA, USA, 1228–1231.

Optical Remote SensingPeer reviewed journal publications Johansson, M.E.B.; Galle, B.; Zhang, Y.; Rivera, C.; et al. (2009). The dual-beam mini-DOAS technique – measurements of volcanic gas emission, plume height and plume speed with a single instrument. B. Volcanol., 71, 747–751.

Johansson, M.E.B.; Rivera, C.; … Zhang, Y.; Galle, B.; et al. (2009). Mobile mini-DOAS measurement of the outflow of NO2 and HCHO from Mexico City. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 5433–5446.

Johansson, M.E.B.; Galle, B.; Rivera, C.; Zhang, Y. (2009). Tomographic reconstruction of gas plumes using scanning DOAS. B. Volcanol., 71, 1169–1178.

Kern, C.; Sihler, H.; Vogel, L.; Rivera, C.; et al. (2009). Halogen oxide measurements at Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua using active long path differential optical absorption spectroscopy. B. Volcanol., 71, 659–670.

Rivera, C.; García, J.A.; Galle, B.; … ; Zhang, Y.; Johansson, M.E.B.; et al. (2009). Validation of optical remote sensing

measurement strategies applied to industrial gas emissions. Int. J. Remote Sens., 30, 3191–3204.

Rivera, C.; Sosa, G.; Wöhrnschimmel, H.; de Foy, B.; Johansson, M.E.B.; Galle, B. (2009). Tula industrial complex (Mexico) emissions of SO2 and NO2 during the MCMA 2006 field campaign using a mobile mini-DOAS system. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 6351–6361.

Book chapters, conference papers, etcJohansson, M.E.B. (2009). Application of Passive DOAS for Studies of Megacity Air Pollution and Volcanic Gas Emissions. Gothenburg: Chalmers University of Technology. Doctoral thesis.

Rivera, C. (2009). Application of Passive DOAS using Scattered Sunlight for quantification of gas emissions from anthropogenic and volcanic sources. Gothenburg: Chalmers University of Technology. Doctoral thesis.

Radar Remote SensingPeer reviewed journal publications Askne, J.; Santoro, M. (2009). Automatic model-based estimation of boreal forest stem volume from repeat pass C-band InSAR coherence. IEEE Trans. Geo. Rem. Sens., 47, 513–516.

Folkesson, K.; Smith-Jonforsen, G.; Ulander, L.M.H. (2009). Model-based compensation of topography effects for improved stem volume retrieval from CARABAS-II VHF-band SAR images. IEEE Trans. Geo. Rem. Sens., 47, 1045–1055.

Sandberg, G.; Eriksson, L.E.B.; Ulander, L.M.H. (2009). Measurements of faraday rotation using polarimetric PALSAR images. IEEE Geosci Remote S., 6 , 142–146.

Santoro, M; Fransson, J.E.S.; Eriksson, L.E.B.; … Ulander, L.M.H.; et al. (2009). Signatures of ALOS PALSAR L-band backscatter in Swedish forest. IEEE Trans. Geo. Rem. Sens., 47, 4001–4019.

Book chapters, conference papers, etcFransson, J.E.S.; Olsson, H.; Eriksson, L.E.B.; Ulander, L.M.H.; Santoro, M. (2009). K&C Science Report – Phase 1, Detection of deforestation in Swedish forest. Tokyo: JAXA.

Sandberg, G. (2009). Estimation of forest biomass and faraday rotation using polarimetric L-/P-band SAR. Gothenburg: Chalmers University of Technology. Licentiate thesis.

Santoro, M.; Fransson, J.E.S.; Eriksson, L.E.B.; … Ulander, Lars M. H.; et al. (2009). Investigations on forestry applications in Sweden using ALOS PALSAR. Proc. of ALOS PI 2008 Symp., Island of Rhodes, Greece, 3–7 November, 2008. ESA-SP 664.

Wyholt, A.; Ulander, L.M.H. (2009). Evaluating VHF-Band SAR Autofocus Algorithms using a Forest Backscatter Model. IGARSS’ 09 Symp. held in Cape Town, South Africa.

Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics and the Swedish National Facility for Radio AstronomyPeer reviewed journal publications Aalto, S.; Wilner, D.J.; Spaans, M.; … Black, J.H.; Caldas, M.; et al. (2009). High-resolution HNC 3-2 SMA observations of Arp 220. Astron. Astrophys., 493, 481–487.

Agertz, O.; Lake, G.; Teyssier, R. …; Romeo, A. (2009). Large-scale galactic turbulence: can self-gravity drive the observed HI velocity dispersions? Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 392, 294–308.

Biver, N; Bockelée-Morvan, D; Colom, P.; ...; Hjalmarson, Å.; Olberg, M.; et al. (2009). Periodic variation in the water production of comet C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) observed with the Odin satellite. Astron. Astrophys., 501, 359–366.

Bjerkeli, P.; Liseau, R.; Olberg, M.; Falgarone, E.; Hjalmarson, Å. et al. (2009). Odin observations of water in molecular outflows and shocks. Astron. Astrophys., 507, 1455–1466.

Cockell, C.S.; Herbst, T.; Léger, A.; … Liseau, R.; et al. (2009). Darwin – an experimental astronomy mission to search for extrasolar planets. Exp. Astron., 23, 435–461.

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Cockell, C.S.; Léger, A.; Fridlund, M.; … Liseau, R.; et al. (2009). Darwin – a mission to detect and search for life on extrasolar planets. Astrobiology, 9, 1–22.

Destree, J.D.; Snow, T.P.; Black, J.H. (2009). An ultraviolet search for interstellar CS. Astrophys. J., 693, 804–811.

Henkel, C.; Menten, K.M.; Murphy, M.T.; … Muller, S.; et al. (2009). The density, the cosmic microwave background, and the proton-to-electron mass ratio in a cloud at redshift 0.9. Astron. Astrophys., 500, 725.

Liseau, R.; Justtanont, K. (2009). Oxygen in dense interstellar gas: the oxygen abundance of the star forming core ρ Ophiuchi A. Astron. Astrophys., 499, 799.

Maercker, M.; Schöier, F.L.; Olofsson, H.; Bergman, P.; … Hjalmarson, Å.; Justtanont, K.; … Olberg, M.; et al. (2009). Circumstellar water vapour in M-type AGB-stars: constraints from H2O(110-101) lines obtained with Odin. Astron. Astrophys., 494, 243–252.

Miettinen, O.; Harju, J.; Haikala, L.K.; Kainulainen, J.; Johansson, L.E.B. (2009). Prestellar and protostellar cores in Orion B9. Astron. Astrophys., 500, 845–860.

Minier, V.; André, P.; Bergman, P.; … Olofsson, H. (2009). Evidence of triggered star formation in G327.3-0.6. Dust-continuum mapping of an infrared dark cloud with P-ArTéMiS. Astron. Astrophys., 501, 1–4.

Nilsson, R.; Liseau, R.; Brandeker, A.; et al. (2009). A submillimetre search for cold extended debris disks in the ß Pictoris moving group. Astron. Astrophys., 508, 1057–1065.

Nord, M.; Basu, K.; Ade, P.A.R.; Bender, A.N.; … Horellou, C.; Johansson, D.; et al. (2009). Multi-frequency imaging of the galaxy cluster Abell 2163 using the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect. Astron. Astrophys., 506, 623–636.

Persson, C.M.; Olberg, M.; Hjalmarson, Å.; … Black, J.H.; Olofsson, A.O.H.; et al. (2009). Water and ammonia abundances in S140 with the Odin satellite. Astron. Astrophys., 494, 637–646.

Pestalozzi, M.R.; Elitzur, M.; Conway, J. (2009). A differentially rotating disc in a high-mass protostellar system. Astron. Astrophys., 501, 999–1011.

Pérez-Beaupuits, J.P.; Spaans, M.; van der Tak, F.F.S.; Aalto, S.; et al. (2009). Probing X-ray irradiation in the nucleus of NGC 1068 with observations of high-J lines of dense gas tracers. Astron. Astrophys., 503, 459–466.

Ramstedt, S.; Schöier, F.L.; Olofsson, H. (2009). Circumstellar molecular line emission from S-type AGB stars: mass-loss rates and SiO abundances. Astron. Astrophys., 499, 515–527.

Reichardt, C.L.; Zahn, O.; Ade, P.A.R.; … Horellou, C.; Johansson, D.; et al. (2009). Constraints on the high-ell power spectrum of millimeter-wave anisotropies from APEX-SZ. Astrophys. J., 701, 1958–1964.

Sakamoto, K.; Aalto, S.; … ; Black, J.H.; Conway, J.; Costagliola, F.; et al. (2009). P Cygni profiles of molecular lines toward Arp 220 nuclei. Astrophys. J. Lett., 700, L104–L108.

Snellen, I.; Rottgering, H.J.A.; Barthel, P.; … ; Conway, J.; et al. (2009). Future investigations of GPS and CSS radio sources with LOFAR. Astron. Nachr., 330, 297.

Thi, W.F.; van Dishoeck, E.F.; Bell, T.; … Black, J.H. (2009). ISO observation of molecular hydrogen and fine-structure lines in the photodissociation region IC 63. Mon. Not.R. Astron. Soc., 400, 622–628.

Thompson, R.I.; Bechtold, J.; Black, J.H.; et al. (2009). Alternative data reduction procedures for UVES: wavelength calibration and spectrum addition. New Astron., 14, 379–390.

Thompson, R.I.; Bechtold, J.; Black, J.H.; et al. (2009). An observational determination of the proton to electron mass ratio in the early Universe. Astrophys. J., 703, 1648–1662.

Visser, R.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Black, J.H. (2009). The photodissociation and chemistry of CO isotopologues: applications to interstellar clouds and circumstellar disks. Astron. Astrophys., 503, 323–343.

Wild, W.; Kardashev, N.S.; Likhachev, S.F.; … Liseau, R.; Belitsky, V.; et al. (2009). Millimetron – a large Russian-European submillimeter space observatory. Exp. Astron., 23, 221–244.

Winnberg, A.; Deguchi, S.; Reid, M.J.; … Olofsson, H.; et al. (2009). CO in OH/IR stars close to the Galactic centre (Research Note). Astron. Astrophys., 497, 177–181.

Yang, Y.; Li, G.; Romeo, A. (2009). A new smoothing algorithm and its application in gravitational lensing. Chinese Astron. Astr., 33, 121–132.

Book chapters, conference papers, etcAgertz, O.; Lake, G.; Moore, B; … Romeo, A. et al. (2009). Turbulence in galactic disks: The role of self-gravity and supernova feedback. Eds. J. Andersen, J. Bland-Hawthorn & B. Nordstrom. Proc. IAU Symp. No. 254, 2008, 505–508.

Black, J.H. (2009). Astrochemistry: an unfinished symphony. Eds. James F. Babb, Kate Kirby, and Hossein Sadeghpour. Proc. of the Dalgarno Celebratory Symp. Contributions to Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, Astrophysics, and Atmospheric Sciences, 117–124.

Bonito, R.; Fridlund, C.W.M.; Favata, F.; … Liseau, R. et al. (2009). The nearest X-ray emitting protostellar jet observed with HST. Proc. of the 15th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems and the Sun, AIP conf. proc. 1094, 349–352.

Conway, J. (2009). Scientific applications of e-VLBI. Proc. of the 8th Intl. e-VLBI Workshop. June 22–26, 2009, Madrid, Spain.

Hjalmarson, Å.; Sandqvist, A. (2009). Odin blickar uppåt. Forskning & Framsteg, No. 4, 30–34.

Johansson, D. (2009). Observations of submillimeter galaxies and the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect towards clusters of galaxies. Gothenburg: Chalmers University of Technology. Licentiate thesis.

Lawson, P.R.; Absil, O.; Akeson, R.L.; … Liseau, R.; et al. (2009). Technology for a Mid-IR flagship mission to characterize earth-like exoplanets. Astro 2010: The Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey, Technology Development Papers. (53).

Olsson, E. (2009). Multi frequency interferometer studies of active and starburst galaxies. Gothenburg: Chalmers University of Technology. Doctoral thesis.

Persson, C. (2009). Molekyler i rymden berättar hur stjärnor föds. Fysikaktuellt, No. 4, 14–15.

Romeo, A.; Agertz, O.; Moore, B.; et al. (2009). Discreteness effects in LambdaCDM simulations. Eds. J. Andersen, J. Bland-Hawthorn & B. Nordström. Proc. of the IAU Symp. No. 254, 2008, 505–508.

Wirström, E. (2009). Astrochemistry at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths. Gothenburg: Chalmers University of Technology. Doctoral thesis.

Space Geodesy and GeodynamicsPeer reviewed journal publications Jakobson, E.; Ohvril, H.; Elgered, G. (2009). Diurnal variability of precipitable water in the Baltic region, impact on transmittance of the direct solar radiation. Boreal Environ. Res., 14, 45–55.

Nilsson, T.; Davis, J.L.; Hill, E.M. (2009). Using ground-based GPS to characterize atmospheric turbulence. Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L16807.

Nordman, M.; Mäkinen, J.; Virtanen, H.; Johansson, J.M.; et al. (2009). Crustal loading in vertical GPS time series in Fennoscandia. J. Geodyn., 48, 144–150.

Olsson, P-A.; Scherneck, H-G.; Ågren, J. (2009). Effects on gravity from non-tidal sea level variations in the Baltic Sea. J. Geodyn., 48, 151–156.

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Book chapters, conference papers, etcCasey, S.; Haas, R.; Lindqvist, M.; Hammargren, R.; Conway, J.; Johansson, J.M. (2009). e-VLBI related activities at Onsala Space Observatory. Proc. of the 8th Intl. e-VLBI Workshop, 22–26 June 2009, Madrid, Spain.

Ebenhag, S-C.; Hedekvist, P.O.; Rieck, C.; et al. (2009). A fiber based frequency distribution system with enchanced output phase stability. Proc. EFTF-IFCS2009 joint conference 20–24 April 2009, IEEE catalog number: CFP09FRE-CDR.

Elgered, G.; Emardson, R.; Jarlemark, P.; Johansson, J.M.; … Nilsson, T.; Ning, T.; et al. (2009). Validation of climate models using European ground-based GNSS observations. Proc. of 2nd Colloquium Scientific and Fundamental Aspects of the Galileo Programme, ESA, 14–16 October, 2009, Padua, Italy. CD ROM.

Elgered, G.; Haas, R.; Nilsson, T. (2009). Atmospheric VLBI: A method to validate long time series of water vapour content. Proc. of the 19th European VLBI for Geodesy and Astrometry Working Meeting, 24–25 March 2009, Bordeaux, France, 49–53.

Emardson, R.; Jarlemark, P.; Bergstrand, S.; Nilsson, T.; Johansson, J.M. (2009). Measurement accuracy in Network-RTK. Borås: SP Report 2009:23.

Garcia Espada, S.; Colomer Sanmartin, F.; Haas, R. (2009). Simulations of different antenna velocities in VLBI networks. Proc. of the 19th European VLBI for Geodesy and Astrometry Working Meeting, 24–25 March, 2009, Bordeaux, France, 169–172.

Haas, R. (2009). e-VLBI for geosciences. Proc. of the 8th Intl. e-VLBI Workshop 22–26 June 2009, Madrid, Spain. PoS (EXPReS09), 012.

Haas, R.; Helldner, L.; Pantaleev, M.; Löfgren, J.; Elgered, G. (2009). Onsala Space Observatory – IVS technology development center. Eds. D. Behrend and K. Baver. Proc. of the Intl. VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry 2008 Annual Report. NASA/TP-2009-214183, 329–332.

Haas, R.; Scherneck, H-G.; Nilsson, T. (2009). Onsala Space Observatory – IVS analysis center. Eds. D. Behrend and K. Baver. Proc. of the Intl. VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry 2008 Annual Report. NASA/TP-2009-214183, 295–298.

Haas, R.; Elgered, G. (2009). Onsala Space Observatory – IVS network station. Eds. D. Behrend and K. Baver. Proc. of the Intl. VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry 2008 Annual Report. NASA/TP-2009-214183, 146–149.

Haas, R.; Tangdamrongsub, N.; Scherneck, H-G; Johansson, J.M. (2009). Periodic station motion in Gothenburg observed with GPS – possibly related to hydrological phenomena? Advances in Geosciences, World Scientific Publishing Company. 13 (Solid Earth), 181–192.

Jaldehag, R.T.K.; Rieck, C.; Jarlemark, P.O.J. (2009). A GPS carrier-phase aided clock transport for the calibration of a regional distributed time scale. Proc. EFTF-IFCS2009 joint conference 20–24 April 2009, IEEE catalog no: CFP09FRE-CDR.

Lidberg, M.; Johansson, J.M.; Scherneck, H-G; et al. (2009). New results based on reprocessing of 13 years Continuous GPS observations of the fennoscandia GIA process from BIFROST. Observing our changing earth. Ed. M.G Sideris. Proc. of the 2007 IAG General Assembly, Perugia Italy, July 2–13, Springer Verlag. 133, 557–568.

Löfgren, J.; Haas, R.; Johansson, J.M. (2009). Sea level monitoring using a GNSS-based tide gauge. Proc. of 2nd Colloquium Scientific and Fundamental Aspects of the Galileo Programme, ESA, 14–16 October, 2009, Padua, Italy.

Lösler, M.; Haas, R. (2009). The 2008 Local-tie Survey at the Onsala Space Observatory. Proc. of the 19th European VLBI for Geodesy and Astrometry Working Meeting, 24–25 March 2009, Bordeaux, France, 97–101.

Nilsson, T.; Haas, R. (2009). An assessment of atmospheric turbulence for CONT05 and CONT08. Proc. of the 19th European VLBI for Geodesy and Astrometry Working Meeting, 24–25 March 2009, Bordeaux, France, 39-43.

Ning, T.; Elgered, G.; Johansson, J.M. (2009). The impact of microwave absorber and radome geometries on geodetic measurements with ground-based GNSS antennas. Proc. of 2nd Colloquium Scientific and Fundamental Aspects of the Galileo Programme, ESA, 14–16 October, 2009, Padua, Italy. CD ROM.

Ning, T.; Johansson, J.M.; Scherneck, H-G.; et al. (2009). High-rate GNSS techniques for the detection of large seismic displacements. Proc. of the IEEE Intl. Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symp. (IGARSS), V.359–362.

Petrachenko, B.; Niell, A.; Behrend, D.; … Haas, R.; … Nilsson, T. et al. (2009). Design aspects of the VLBI2010 system. Washington, DC, USA: NASA, NASA/TM-2009-214180.

Petrachenko, B.; Niell, A.; Behrend, D.; … Haas, R.; … Nilsson, Tobias ; et al (2009). Progress report of the IVS VLBI2010 committee. Eds. D. Behrend and K. Baver. Proc. of the Intl. VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry 2008 Annual Report. NASA/TP-2009-214183, 13–67.

Tornatore, V.; Haas, R. (2009). Considerations on the observation of GNSS-signals with the VLBI2010 system. Proc. of the 19th European VLBI for Geodesy and Astrometry Working Meeting, 24–25 March 2009, Bordeaux, France, 151–155.

Transport TheoryPeer reviewed journal publications Fülöp, T.; Nordman, H. (2009). Turbulent and neoclassical impurity transport in tokamak plasmas. Phys. Plasmas., 16, 032306.

Mahmood, M.A.; Rafiq, T.; Persson, M.; Weiland, J. (2009). Collisionless trapped electron and ion temperature gradient modes in an advanced tokamak equilibrium. Phys. Plasmas., 16, 022503.

Parail, V.; Belo,P.; Boerner, P.; … ; Strand, P.; et al. (2009). Integrated modelling of ITER reference scenarios. Nucl. Fusion, 49, 075030.

Weiland, J.; Singh, R.; Nordman, H.; et al. (2009). Symmetry breaking effects of toroidicity on toroidal momentum transport. Nuclear Fusion, 49, 065033.

Zagorodny, A.; Weiland, J. (2009). Non-Markovian renormalization of kinetic coefficients for drift-type turbulence in magnetized plasmas. Phys. Plasmas., 16, 052308.

Book chapters, conference papers, etcCoster, D. P.; Bonnin, X.; Reiter, D.; … Strand, P. (2009). Simulations of the edge plasma: the role of atomic, molecular and surface physics. ICAMDATA-2008. 1125, 113–122.

Giroud, C.; Angioni, C.; Barruzzo, M; Nordman, H. (2009). Impurity characterisation in JET operational scenarios. 12th Intl. Workshop on “H-mode Physics and Transport Barriers”, Princeton University, Plasma Physics Laboratory, USA, September 30, 2009.

Weiland, J. (2009). Turbulent transport in fusion plasmas, effects of toroidicity and fluid closure. American Institute of Physics Proceedings. 1188, 193.

Weiland, J.; Zagorodny, A.; Zasenko, V. (2009). Fluid and kinetic modelling on timescales longer than the confinement time in bounded systems. American Institute of Physics Proceedings. From Leonardo to ITER, 96.

Wilhelmsson, H. (2009). Large-scale vortex dynamics. Recent Research Developments in Physics, 8, 127.

Wilhelmsson, H. (2009). From waves to vortices: a novel approach to general relativity. American Institute of Physics Proceedings. From Leonardo to ITER, 64.

Wilhelmsson, H. (2009). Coupled vortex solutions. Recent Research Developments in Physics, 8, 117.

Zagorodny, A.; Weiland, J. (2009). Non-markovian effects in drift-type turbulence. American Institute of Physics Proceedings. From Leonardo to ITER, 72.

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OrganisationHead of

DepartmentSteering

GroupDepartmentalAdvisory Team

Local CollaborationGroup

TeachingStaff

Transport Theory

Global EnvironmentalMeasurementsand Modelling

Radar RemoteSensing

Radio Astronomyand Astrophysics

Space Geodesyand Geodynamics

Optical Remote Sensing

Administrationand Finance

Advanced ReceiverDevelopment

NonlinearElectrodynamics

Vice Head andDirector of

UndergraduateStudies

Deputy Head andDirector of

Graduate Studies

Onsala SpaceObservatory

The SwedishNational Facility for

Radio Astronomy

Personnel Officer

Local Collaboration GroupThe Local Collaboration Group is a forum for discussing all issues concerning the management of the department: appointment of staff members, matters related to the premises and general working conditions, including the work environment (physical as well as psychosocial) and gender equality.

The group consist of the Head of Department, the Head of Administration and Finance, the Personnel Officer, three representatives from our unions, a work environment ombudsman and an equality ombudsman, and meets every sixth week.

The Steering GroupThe Steering Group handles strategic as well as operational matters for the department as a whole. It meets approximately every third week. The group consists of: the Head of Department, the Deputy Head, the Vice Head of Department, the Communications Officer, the Head of Administration and Finance, the Personnel Officer, the Director of the Onsala Space Observatory and our eight research group leaders.

Departmental Advisory TeamThe advisory team’s task is to identify and take a standpoint on overall strategic issues that are of relevance to the long-term development of the department. They shall also be a support to the department’s steering group in other matters that may arise. The team met three times during 2009.

Members 2009Göran Netzler, • ChairmanGunnar Elgered, • Head of DepartmentMargareta Mattsson, • SecretaryErik Kollberg, • President’s representative

External representativesHans Andersson, • Technical Research Institute of SwedenSven Grahn, • Swedish Space CorporationMarie Rådbo, • University of Gothenburg

Internal representativesSusanne Aalto, • Staff’s representativeLars Eriksson, • Staff’s representativePatrick Eriksson, • Staff’s representativePer Bjerkeli, • Doctoral students’ representativeJohan Borglin, • Students’ representativeDavid Carlsson, • Students’ representative

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The yearly departmental Christmas dinner.

Mietek Lisak chairing a dissertation.

A Swedish language class for co-workers from around the globe.

Lars Pettersson and Peter Forkman with a new spectrometer for the aeronomy station.

Teaching Staff

The Teaching Staff has approximately 30 members. Associate Professors Patrick Eriksson and Johan Mellqvist are Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively. The group has an advisory function on research and educational issues and meets 4–5 times per year.

Administration and Finance

The group supports the eight research groups as well as the Onsala Space Observatory.

Ingrid Eriksson •Head of Administration and Finance

Jessica Peterson (maternity leave as of Sep) •Katarina Kaudern (Jun-) Communications Officers

Camilla Andersson •Administrator, (Nov-)

Paula Rosell •Administrator

Margareta Mattsson •Secretary, (-Nov)

Monica Hansen-Torvaldsson •Administrator

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First degree andmaster’s studies 6 %

ChalmersFoundation <1 %

Other 1 %

Researchgrants67 %

Research,facultyfunding26 %

Personnel53 %

Internal overhead,

IT, etc 12 %

Fees (APEX,JIVE, etc)

7 %

Other expenses 15 %

Investments 3 %

Travel 3 %

Premises 7 %

The SwedishResearchCouncil49 %European

Community24 %

SwedishNational

Space Board14 %

Others 6 %

VINNOVA 3 %ESA, ESO, CNES 4 %

Facts and Figures

External funding (SEK 1,000) 2009 2008 2007 2006

Swedish Research Council 39,214 35,266 33,259 29,918

European Community 18,798 14,752 9,786 9,936

Swedish National Space Board 11,518 10,927 10,827 8,357

Others 4,718 3,230 3,212 7,971

Intl. Org. – ESA, ESO, CNES 2,977 2,410 2,911 1,888

VINNOVA (Swedish Govt. Agency for Innovation Systems) 2,683 1,855 2,692 1,508

Total 79,908 68,440 62,687 59,578

Doctoralstudents

Professors

Adjunct professors

Associate professors/university lecturers

Assistant professors

Researchers

Researchengineers

Technicalstaff

Administrativestaff

Post doc

Personnel (Dec 31) 2009 2008 2007 2006

Professors 9 10 10 9

Adjunct professors 5 5 4 4

Associate professors/ University lecturers 12 12 13 14

Assistant professors 3 3 3 4

Researchers 12 8 8 7

Post doc 5 3 - -

Research engineers 16 16 18 16

Technical staff 10 10 12 16

Administrative staff 5 5 5 5

Doctoral students 36 37 39 39

Total 113 109 112 114

Income (SEK 1,000) 2009 2008 2007 2006

Research grants 79,908 68,440 62,687 59,578

Research, faculty funding 30,530 25,415 22,308 22,097

First degree & master’s studies 7,162 6,596 6,149 6,788

Other 1,754 2,274 2,458 2,270

Chalmers foundation 234 1,291 1,604 1,648

Total 119,588 104,016 95,206 92,381

Used grants (SEK 1,000) 2009 2008 2007 2006

Personnel 62,432 57,305 51,167 50,346

Internal overhead, IT, etc. 14,612 11,488 11,166 11,350

Fees (APEX, JIVE, etc.) 7,900 7,486 7,262 7,758

Premises 8,155 7,637 7,710 7,504

Other 16,973 11,341 7,473 7,474

Investments 3,561 3,008 6,573 5,119

Travel 3,937 4,172 3,126 2,698

Total 117,570 102,437 94,477 92,249

27

On August 25 the staff of the department went on a day trip to Koitjärve by the lake Lygnern, 35 km south of Gothenburg. The day started with information from Chalmers’ Safety Engineer and continued with a couple of actors illustrating through role play how different types of communication influence us. In the afternoon, Hans-Georg Scherneck presented our new superconducting gravimeter. The evening was spent with various outdoor activities such as canoeing and hiking, and ended with a barbecue.

28

Department of Radio and Space Science

Chalmers University of Technology

SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden

Telephone: +46 31-772 10 00

Internet: www.chalmers.se/rss