CEDAR email: 2013 AFRL Space Scholars Program: Summer Graduate Student Research Opportunities

[Huang, Chaosong Civ USAF AFMC AFRL/RVBXP]

The 2013 summer space scholars program of the Air Force Research
Laboratory is now open for application. Qualified graduate students
(U.S. Citizens only) are encouraged to apply. The deadline for
applications is 5 Feb 2013. The program information and applicant
eligibility can be found at

http://prs.afrl.kirtland.af.mil/SpaceScholars/
<http://prs.afrl.kirtland.af.mil/SpaceScholars/> 

Interested students may also email their questions to the contact
personnel listed below each topic.

 

Topic: Study of equatorial ionospheric electrodynamics and disturbances 

Contact: Chaosong.Huang at kirtland.af.mil

Web link:
http://prs.afrl.kirtland.af.mil/SpaceScholars/Topic.aspx?TopicId=96
<http://prs.afrl.kirtland.af.mil/SpaceScholars/Topic.aspx?TopicId=96> 

Topic description: This project is to study equatorial ionospheric
irregularities that can lead to errors in communications and
malfunctions of GPS systems. The summer space scholars will analyze data
obtained by C/NOFS (Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting
System), a low-inclination satellite that can fly along the magnetic
equator over a very large longitudinal range. Instruments on board
C/NOFS measure the ion density, ion velocity and electric fields. The
primary duties of the summer scholars will be to examine the
characteristics of equatorial ionospheric irregularities and identify
how the occurrence of irregularities varies with local time, longitude,
geomagnetic activity, and solar activity. Good computer skills are
important for this task. Background on equatorial ionospheric
electrodynamics is desirable. 

 

Topic: Wave Structures in the Bottomside Ionosphere 

Contact: Jonah.Colman at kirtland.af.mil
<mailto:Jonah.Colman at kirtland.af.mil>  

Web link:
http://prs.afrl.kirtland.af.mil/SpaceScholars/Topic.aspx?TopicId=31
<http://prs.afrl.kirtland.af.mil/SpaceScholars/Topic.aspx?TopicId=31> 

Topic description: Traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) are
pervasive in the Bottomside ionosphere. These are typically understood
as gravity waves and have a number of sources such as topology, neutral
winds, the terminator, convective uplift, and explosions. They can be
the limiting factor on understanding the propagation characteristics of
RF electromagnetic radiation across the ionosphere or within the
earth-ionosphere waveguide. We will simulate such structures based on
experimental data and attempt to model their effects on HF systems. 

 

Topic: An Investigation of Penetration Electric Fields 

Contact: Daniel.Ober at kirtland.af.mil

Web link:
http://prs.afrl.kirtland.af.mil/SpaceScholars/Topic.aspx?TopicId=147
<http://prs.afrl.kirtland.af.mil/SpaceScholars/Topic.aspx?TopicId=147> 

Topic description: This project is to study electric fields in the
equatorial ionosphere.  A model of ionospheric electric fields driven by
measured field aligned currents will be used to investigate how
penetration electric fields vary with solar wind/IMF conditions,
longitude, and local time.  The electric fields/plasma drifts calculated
by this model will be compared with the measurements of the Jicamarca
radar and DMSP and C/NOFS satellites.  Summer scholars will collect the
necessary solar wind and field-aligned current data needed to run the
existing model, complete a series of model runs for various solar wind
and geophysical conditions, and compare the model results with
observations.  No model development is required; however, good computer
skills and a background in ionospheric electrodynamics are desirable for
this task. 

 

 

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