The Need for Technological and Scientific Collaboration:  Arctic Upper Atmospheric Research

John D KellySRI International

The Sun-Earth System

The Aurora as Seen from the Ground

Space Weather Effects

Technology / Tools

Incoherent Scatter Radars of the World

Sondrestrom Incoherent Scatter Radar FacilitySondrestrom, Greenland

The Sondrestrom Facility is operated by SRI International and funded by the National Science Foundation

Photo by Craig Heinselman

European Incoherent SCATter Facilities (EISCAT)

Tromsø 931 MHz Ultra High Frequency Radar

Kiruna Ultra High Frequency Receiver and surrounding buildings

Sodankylä Ultra High Frequency Receiver

SvalbardFixed 42 m and steerable 32 m UHF parabolic antennas

500 MHz Ultra High Frequency Radar

The EISCAT is funded and operated by the research councils of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, France, the United Kingdom and Germany.

The Scandinavian facility consists of a transimitter/receiver station at Tromso, Norway, and receiver stations at Kiruna, Sweden and Sodankyla, Finland, and

AMISR A New Instrument for Imaging the Ionospheric Plasma

Application of phased array technology to scientific

instruments

AMISR Production Team

• SRI International– Project Management, Engineering, Panel integration,

Deploymnent & test

• VECO Alaska, Inc.– Structure design, construction

• Sanmina-SCI– Electronic manufacturing of AEUs & PCUs

• SSPA Vendor– Currently Comtech

AMISR Deployments

• Jicamarca Peru– October 2004– 8 panels

• Gakona, AK (HAARP)– January 2005– 8 panels

• Poker Flat, AK– November 2005– 32 panels

AMISR

Collaborators– MIT Millstone Radar(data distrubution )– Sanmina-Sci (subassembly manufacturing)– University of Calgary (research)– University of Alaska – Fairbanks (Poker Flat site support &

research)– Center for Remote Sensing (DAQ)– VECO Alaska Inc. (construction)

First AMISR Face – Poker Flat, Alaska

Resolute Bay Observatory (RBO)Resolute Bay, Canada

The RBO is operated by SRI International and funded by the National Science Foundation

Need for Collaboration

• Big Picture of Polar Cap Phenomenon

• Complex, Coupled System

• Multiple Locations

• Large, Complex, Expensive Instrumentation required

• Technology, Multiple Sensor (radar, optical, spaceborne)

Arctic Research

Arctic System Science• Air• Land • Sea• People• History• Animals• Plants• Climate• Snow & Ice• Water Systems• Coast• Environment• Pollution

Arctic Upper Atmosphere• Sun• Magnetic Field

– Earth– Solar

• Atmospheric Chemistry• Plasma Physics• Aurora• Modeling

Approach to Collaboration

• Form Consortium– High Latitude Observatories

• Sondrestrom• EISCAT • AMISR, Poker Flat & Resolute Bay

• Formal Structure– URSI (coordinate schedule for ground based facilities)– Science Initiatives

• CEDAR• GEM

Arctic Upper Atmospheric Observatories

Benefits of Collaboration

• Allows Studies of Arctic upper Atmosphere from Holistic point of View

• Promote Data Sharing

• Access to Increased Funding With Common Goals– Agencies fund groups with common goals vs individual goals– Promotes continuity in funded programs

Obstacles to Collaboration

• Competition

• Complexity of Instrument Dictates Focus / Consumes Resources

• Focus is on Using Local Instrument

• Lack of Overarching Driver

Thank You