Millstone Hill Observatory Coordinated Research in the Atmospheric Sciences

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Millstone Hill ObservatoryCoordinated Research
in the Atmospheric Sciences
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Millstone Hill ObservatoryMIT Haystack
Observatory

• Non-classified research in upper atmos. space
  sciences
• 16 FTE 3M annual budget NSF, NASA, AF
• Incoherent Scatter Radar emphasis since 1961
• Long-Term MADRIGAL Database and regional
  empirical models characterize ionosphere
• Distributed Instrument focus GPS, ISIS
• Multi-Instrument, System-Science Perspective
• Radar Operations 1200 hr/year (1000 hr funded
  UAF)
• 100 MHO publications (2004-08) 53 MHO 1st author
• 275 Individual users of MHO data (165
  institutions)
• MHO hosts 16 instruments from 10 institutions
• 15 grad students 30 undergrads 30 visiting
  researchers

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Principal Instrument Millstone Hill Incoherent
Scatter Radar UHF (440 MHz) BMEWS TX 150 MISA
Antenna acquired 1978 Software Radar Architecture
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Distributed Instrumentation for Mid-Latitude
ResearchGPS TEC map of SED Plume
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Radar and Distributed Array Observations of
Plasmasphere Erosion
Ground-Based GPS Maps TEC Plume
Foster et al., GRL 2002
Direct Observation of Velocity and Flux by
Millstone Hill ISR
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Coordinated UAF Observations ofGlobal
PhenomenonDensity Plume is carried across
Polar Latitudes with Space Weather Effects
GPS TEC Map
Merged SuperDARN/DMSP ConvectionCommon
projection maglat/MLT _at_ 350 km alt
Foster et al., JGR 2005
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Uniform Data Access MADRIGAL
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Science based on Facility Data ResourcesLong-Ter
m Temperature Trend above Millstone Hill

• Long-term trend in ion temperature computed using
  all Millstone Hill data from 1978 through 2007.
• At UT1700, Altitude 375 km, ion temperature
  decreases at -4.7 K/year (top figure).
• The corresponding trend in neutral temperature is
  computed using the ion energy equation (bottom
  figure).

Holt, J. M. and Zhang, S. R., Long-Term
Temperature Trends in the Ionosphere above
Millstone Hill, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L05813,
doi10.1029/2007GL031148, 2008
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Consolidate Data for User CommunityIncoherent
Scatter RadarEmpirical Ionospheric Models
Semiannual components begins
highlatitude
Semiannual components, longitudinal differences
subauroral
midlatitude
Lower midlatitude
Strong semiannual components, asymmetry
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Advance Technology MIDAS-Mobile Coherent
Software Radio System
Advanced digital receivers ECDR-GC314FS Six
analog inputs (2 cards)? Up to 24 simultaneous RF
channels Ultra stable GPS locked oscillators
Wide area coherence Absolute alignment of data
to UTC 1 part in 1E11, 20 nsec alignment Low
phase noise High integration UHF Radar Tuners DC
to 1500 MHz (with external filters)? 30 MHz
down-converted bandwidth Fully remote Internet
based operation Realtime web based
visualization Grid Computing Remote power control

• MIDAS-M Latest Millstone Data System
• Millstone UHF Radar and ISIS Array
• Currently entering testing for production level
  IS radar applications
• Software Radar Architecture Raw Voltage Based
  Processing
• Realtime signal processing, analysis, database,
  and visualization
• Production quality IS radar ion line processing
• Active and Passive Radar, Monostatic/Multistatic,
  Satellite Beacons, Spectral Monitoring

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Facility Responsibilities

• Scientific and technical openness is expected
• Assist and train external users
• Maintain long-term calibrated system
• Set up production-level operations and processing
• Make data widely and freely available
• Inform community about availability and access to
  data
• Participate in coordinated UAF initiatives (e.g.
  World Days, IPY coordinated exps)
• Respond to community requests for operations
  time/data
• Maintain a viable EPO program
• Attract involve students

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Advantages of Facility Status

• Fairly-steady funding stream (gt25 years by NSF)
• Stable, core program assemble a critical mass
  for engineering and science
• Opportunity to do cutting-edge science with major
  instrument - keeps on-site staff vital and
  involved
• Honest, open program management (UAF)
• Interactions with other facilities potential to
  work through problems jointly
• Facility status affords a louder voice on
  community issues
• Training ground for students and post-docs

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Concerns Maintenance of Facility Infrastructure
Recent MISA Improvements Feed support spar
repairs Elevation bolt replacement Counterweight
replacement Mesh surface repaired Top feed
spar secured Significant foundation
repairs Ongoing Concerns Remaining foundation
areas Cracked track bolts Corrosion and Coating
Loss Antenna controller (obsolete)? Motor
controller (lightning damage)? Motion sensors
and wiring
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Disadvantages of Facility Status

• Limited for major maintenance or modernization
• Federal budget controls available (MHO
  level-dollar funded for 10 years program
  contraction)
• Necessity to bring in extra funding to operate
  viable program (seek new sources of )
• Facility status imparts a negative tone to
  proposal and panel reviews (already
  well-funded)
• Commitments and responsibilities take priority
• Variable expectations of community programmatic
  agility - different panels see things
  differently - facilities must dance to the beat
  of different drummers
• What is a facility and what should it do not
  well-defined
• UAF coordination - herding cats - dissimilar
  facilities, goals, capabilities
• Cant do everything for everyone - frustrating

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Responsibilities Community User Support

• Workshop Organization Focus and coordinate
  community involvement in UAF science. (CEDAR
  science working groups (many, Buonsanto storm
  studies, e.g.), SAPS (Foster), Penetration
  Electric Fields (Huang), GPS TEC (Coster), AMISR
  Student Workshop (MIT/SRI)
• User-Friendly, Open Data Access MADRIGAL
  distributed database in use at all ISR
  facilities.
• Represent Facility and UAF program at relevant
  meetings (CEDAR, GEM, URSI, LWS, COSPAR, IAGA,
  more)
• Committees/panels be prepared to be asked
  frequently to assist agencies (e.g. hosting
  UARS/UAF workshop)
• Community Information Sessions Response keep
  community aware of facility capabilities and
  issues incorporate community feedback in
  facility plan

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MIT/SRI AMISR Student Workshop
Next Generation UAF Facility Users
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