[Todos] IAFE-Coloquio: "Argentine Ionospheric Radar Experimental Station (AIRES): a platform for research and capacity building"

[difusion en iafe.uba.ar]

____________________________________________________________________
                    COLOQUIOS EN EL IAFE
           Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio
                          CONICET-UBA
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"Argentine Ionospheric Radar Experimental Station (AIRES): a platform for
research and capacity building" (en castellano).


                          Dr. Claudio Brunini

GESA, Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Universidad Nacional
de La Plata y CONICET, Argentina. (Colaboración con Diego Janches, North
West Research Associates, CoRA Division, USA)

                     MARTES 19 de OCTUBRE 2010, 11:00hs.
                          Aula del Edificio IAFE

Resumen:
The "Argentine Ionospheric Radar Experimental Station" (AIRES)
project was born in 2005, with the long term objective of deploying the
first "global ionosphere plasma laboratory" exploiting the
geomagnetic conjugation between Arecibo (Puerto Rico) and La Plata
(Argentina). In those days, the "Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter
Radar"(AMISR) a state-of-the-art incoherent scatter radar
developed under the sponsorship of the US NSF, become operational
and demonstrated its potentiality for high resolution 3-D remote sensing
of Mesosphere, Thermosphere and Ionosphere. AIRES was founded on the basis
of deploying AMISR at the Arecibo geomagnetic conjugate point. The road
map to AIRES was traced during a workshop convened jointly by Argentina
and US scientists. It was held at the Arecibo Observatory, in 2006, and
was attended by 50 participants. The workshop report stated three major
action items: 1) formalized collaborations between Argentine and US
scientific Institutions and founding agencies; 2) deploy smaller
instrumentation while developing strong collaborative ties; 3) fully
deployment of AIRES. Particular emphasis was paid to capacity building
activities associated to AIRES, in both, technology and science fields.
Accomplishing the action items sated in the workshop, a broad consensus
was constructed witting the US and Argentina Upper Atmosphere community.
In April 2009, the AIRES project was presented in an ad-hoc meeting
between US NSF and Argentina MINCyT and CONICET authorities. The Instituto
Argentino de Radioastronomía (IAR) was identified to deploy AMISR. A site
survey conducted there demonstrated the suitability of this site and
identified the main requirements to deploy AMISR: improving power supply
and access infrastructure, and build up the AMISR platform. A variety of
small instruments dedicated to upper atmospheric studies are being
deployed in Argentina, involving a budget of U$S 2.5 millions mostly
afforded by the US NSF. In parallel, a variety of capacity building
activities are being performed, including interchange of US and Argentina
students and the organization of the "School in Upper Atmospheric
Dynamics and Chemistry"that will be held next October, in San Juan
(Argentina), under the sponsorship of the Pan American Advanced Study
Institutes (PASI) and CONICET. 30 students and 15 lecturers from US and
Latin America will be fully granted by the sponsor institutions. Besides,
UNLP initiated the process to establish an Atmospheric Science Curriculum
for under- and post-graduated level. During its five years life, AIRES
proved to be very synergetic for developing research and capacity building
activities involving scientists, engineers and students from a number of
US and Argentina institutions. The deployment of AMISR at IAR will provide
the unique opportunity to establish the first global ionosphere plasma
laboratory. The geomagnetic conjugation between Arecibo and La Plata will
open unprecedented opportunities for understanding global-scale energy
transport processes in the upper atmosphere. AIRES could be operational at
IAR as early of 2013 (the US NSF has already approved U$S 2.5 millions for
constructing the initial phases). Several Argentina institutions have
committed their efforts to make this dream reality. Next efforts must be
devoted to extract the maximum benefit from this initiative regarding
science, technology and capacity building in Argentina. Doors to board
AIRES are open and Argentina scientists and institutions are encourage to
make part of this great challenge.