Collaborative Research: A New 50 MHz Radar for Meteor and Aeronomical Science

合作研究：用于流星和航空科学的新型 50 MHz 雷达

• 批准号: 1032334
• 负责人: Lars Dyrud
• 金额: $ 4.96万
• 依托单位: Johns Hopkins University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-07-31 至 2013-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1032334&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; New; 50; MHz

The investigators will develop a prototype of next generation meteor radars with improved ability for deriving neutral winds, temperatures and individual meteor properties. The data will be used to determine a more accurate characterization of the global meteor flux and its effect on upper atmospheric physics. The radar will be operated at a site in Pennsylvania and will be capable of observing at least two of three primary types of meteor reflection: 1) the commonly used specular meteor trails; 2) the recently understood non-specular trails, which result from plasma instability and turbulence generated field aligned irregularities (FAI); and 3) meteor head-echoes, which are a radar target moving at the speed of the meteoroid. Since the system can detect and resolve in time and space at least two mechanisms, we can study the observation biases introduced by each technique. These biases plague our current characterization of the meteor input function into the upper atmosphere, introducing uncertainties in the estimates of atmospheric parameters. Additionally, the detailed radio signature produced by both head echoes and non-specular trails are far more complex than specular echoes. The system will be designed using the latest digital technology, improving the available data for the study of both meteors, and the dynamics and energetics of themesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) atmospheric region. The investigators have built strong domestic and international collaborations that will be crucial in achieving the scientific and educational goals of the program. The research will provide undergraduate and graduate students exposure to a wide variety of fields including aeronomy, meteor science, design and construction of radar systems, radio frequency engineering, and software radar.

研究人员将开发下一代流星雷达的原型，具有提高中性风，温度和单个流星特性的能力。 数据将用于确定全球流星通量的更准确表征及其对上层大气物理学的影响。 雷达将在宾夕法尼亚州的一个地点进行操作，并能够观察三种主要类型的流星反射中的至少两种：1）常用的镜面流星径； 2）最近被理解的非特定步道，这是由于血浆不稳定性和湍流产生的场对齐不规则（FAI）所致； 3）流星头回声，它是以流星的速度移动的雷达目标。 由于系统可以在时间和空间中检测和解决至少两种机制，因此我们可以研究每种技术引入的观察偏见。 这些偏见困扰着我们目前对流星输入函数到上层大气中的表征，从而在大气参数的估计中引入了不确定性。 此外，头部回声和非特定步道产生的详细无线电标志比镜面回声复杂得多。 该系统将使用最新的数字技术设计，改善流星研究的可用数据，以及主题层和较低热层（MLT）大气区域的动力学和能量。 调查人员建立了强大的国内和国际合作，这对于实现该计划的科学和教育目标至关重要。 这项研究将为本科生和研究生接触各种领域，包括气象，流星科学，雷达系统的设计和建设，射频工程和软件雷达。