Millstone Hill Observatory Coordinated Research in the Atmospheric Sciences

1. Haystack Observatory Millstone Hill Observatory Millstone Hill Radar Millstone Hill ObservatoryCoordinated Research in the Atmospheric Sciences

2. 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

3. Principal Instrument Millstone Hill Incoherent Scatter Radar UHF (440 MHz) BMEWS TX 150’ MISA Antenna acquired 1978 Software Radar Architecture

4. Distributed Instrumentation for Mid-Latitude ResearchGPS TEC map of SED Plume

5. 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

6. Coordinated UAF Observations ofGlobal Phenomenon:Density Plume is carried across Polar Latitudes with Space Weather Effects GPS TEC Map Merged SuperDARN/DMSP ConvectionCommon projection: maglat/MLT @ 350 km alt [Foster et al., JGR 2005]

7. Uniform Data Access: MADRIGAL

8. Science based on Facility Data Resources:Long-Term Temperature Trend above Millstone Hill • Long-term trend in ion temperature computed using all Millstone Hill data from 1978 through 2007. • At UT=1700, 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, doi:10.1029/2007GL031148, 2008

9. Consolidate Data for User Community:Incoherent Scatter RadarEmpirical Ionospheric Models Semiannual components begins highlatitude Semiannual components, longitudinal differences subauroral midlatitude Lower midlatitude Strong semiannual components, asymmetry

10. 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

11. 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

12. Advantages of Facility Status • Fairly-steadyfunding stream (>25 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

13. 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

14. 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 responsibilitiestake 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 • Can’t do everything for everyone - frustrating

15. 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 UAFprogram 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

16. MIT/SRI AMISR Student Workshop Next Generation UAF Facility Users