1-10 of 18 results
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Resolving Physical Conditions of Diffuse Ionized Gas throughout the Milky Way-Magellanic System
PI Lawrence Haffner
CO-I Edwin Mierkiewicz
We use a dedicated, sensitive spectroscopic facility in Chile, the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper (WHAM), to study the physical conditions of the diffuse ionized gas (DIG) in the Milky Way and Magellanic System.
WHAM can reveal emission nearly a 100-million times fainter than the Orion Nebula, making it unsurpassed for collecting high-resolution, optical-line spectra from faint, diffuse sources. Here, we embark on a diverse observational program using multiple optical emission lines with this powerful, remotely-controlled, Fabry-Perot instrument to substantially advance our understanding of interstellar matter and processes that shape it. In previous work, we released the first spectral survey of the Galaxy's DIG with observations of the Balmer-alpha optical emission line of hydrogen. This effort, the WHAM Sky Survey (WHAM-SS), complements neutral gas surveys of the 21-cm radio emission line. The WHAM-SS reveals ionized gas that can be seen in every direction from our location inside the Galaxy and offers a comprehensive view of the distribution and dynamics of the Milky Way's ionized gas. Using different instrument configurations, we are now surveying the southern sky in other emission lines, allowing us to measure physical conditions within the same ionized component.
NSF AST-2009276
Categories: Faculty-Staff
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Collaborative Research: Instabilities and Turbulence in Gravity Wave Dissipation and Formation of Thermospheric Sodium Layers above the Andes
PI Alan Liu
This award will fund continued operations of a sodium (Na) wind-temperature (W&T) lidar at the Andes Lidar Observatory (ALO) in Cerro Pachon, Chile (30.25 S, 70.74 W, elev. 2530 m) supporting scientific studies aimed at the dynamics of mesopause atmospheric instabilities and turbulence structures formation resulting from the gravity wave (GW) dissipation processes for a spatial region above the Andes where the population of mountain GW events is abundant. The Na lidar at ALO is a state-of-the-art resonance-fluorescence Doppler lidar, capable of measuring 3D wind, neutral temperature and Na density profiles with excellent vertical and temporal resolutions within the 80-105 km altitude range (referred to as the MLT region) and with high accuracy. Other possible W&T lidar studies would include the extension of lidar observations into the lower thermosphere, with wind and temperature measurements up to 140 km altitude for the somewhat frequent occurrence of thermospheric sodium layers. The formation of such layers is not understood and will be a significant topic of research in this award. Another interesting application of the ALO observatory is the detection of turbulence scale perturbations in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere temperature and wind profiles that are related to the formation of atmospheric unstable layers and dissipation of GW events.Categories: Faculty-Staff
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MRI: Acquisition of A Meteor Radar for the Andes Lidar Observatory
PI Alan Liu
This MRI award would acquire a state-of-the-art meteor radar (MR) system that would replace an aging meteor radar located at the Andes Lidar Observatory (ALO), located in Cerro Pachon, Chile (30.26 S, 70.74 W, elev. 2530 m). This clear sky location is ideally situated for making observations of the highly dynamical environment associated with the mountain waves generated by the surface winds blowing over the Andes. This location is also well suited for detecting sodium particles transported to high altitude by the Appleton fountain effect that operates near the geomagnetic equator. Both of these mechanisms make the Andes dynamical environment a "hot spot" that is unique in the world with nothing equivalent available for study in the United States. ALO is an upper atmosphere observatory that supports optical remote sensing instruments, including a wind/temperature (W&T) lidar operating at the sodium wavelength (589 nm) and several airglow instruments. The lidar system measures simultaneously nighttime atmospheric wave perturbations (associated with gravity waves) of temperature, wind and airglow intensities in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region (80-105 km) at high vertical spatial (<1 km) and temporal resolutions (~1 min) during the low moon period of each month. The MR data provides measurements of the background tidal winds that allow the determination of the intrinsic phase speeds needed for studying gravity wave propagation physics. These results taken together are aimed at achieving a detailed study of atmospheric waves and turbulence structures through modeling comparisons of data with turbulent structure morphology. This project will support engineering undergraduate students at ERAU thus helping to extend the STEM undergraduate education effort at ERAU into the remote sensing area. One graduate and one undergraduate student would be directly involved in this project. Moreover, these applications made possible by the enhanced quality of the MR data would provide new opportunities for graduate student training in the radar remote sensing technology as well as having these students undertake studies regarding new questions in upper atmosphere research. Students involved will learn the principles of the MR remote sensing technique through the use of formal lectures and informal hands-on interactions. Activities involving the graduate student are site radar noise survey, the process of radar installation and subsequent hardware maintenance. The student would also be responsible for data retrieval, validation and archival processing. The undergraduate student would help set up the Madrigal server and update the ERAU website concerning the meteor radar status. These activities will provide training to these students on how to become an experimental scientist. The MR would also support undergraduate and graduate education at ERAU as the department offers an undergraduate course in Space Physics, one MS level course Experimental Methods in Space Science, and two PhD level courses Upper Atmosphere Physics and Remote Sensing: Active and Passive. Students will learn advanced techniques involved in MR and use the MR data for various course projects. Students can design their own software for meteor identification, wind and temperature retrieval.
The MR measures horizontal wind continuously (day and night) in the same altitude region as the height range observed by the lidar with ~2 km vertical and 1 hr resolutions. It complements the optical lidar measurements by providing background tidal wind information that is critical for deriving gravity wave (GW) intrinsic parameters and understanding the phenomenology of GW wave propagation with regard to reflection, ducting, and dissipation processes. The MR capability for continuous wind measurement is essential for resolving longer time scale oscillations such as atmospheric tides and planetary waves, and for the study of their interactions with small-scale waves. The new MR will not only continue the MR wind measurement series but also provides new capabilities to infer temperature, turbulence diffusion coefficient, and the diurnal variation of GW momentum flux.Categories: Faculty-Staff
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Collaborative Research: DASI Track 2--A Distributed Meteor Radar and Optical Network in South America
PI Alan Liu
This project will establish a distributed network of meteor radars and optical instruments in the mid-latitudes of South America, providing continuous measurements of upper atmospheric winds and nighttime wave perturbations in the mesosphere and thermosphere.
This project will establish a distributed network of meteor radars and optical instruments in the mid-latitudes of South America, providing continuous measurements of upper atmospheric winds and nighttime wave perturbations in the mesosphere and thermosphere. This network will be able to make multi-point observations to resolve detailed four-dimensional (spatial and temporal) structures of small-scale (tens to hundreds km) waves. These small-scale waves are known to be a key player in driving variabilities at all spatial and temporal scales in this region and this network will provide a much-needed dataset for investigations of these waves and their impacts. The project will provide opportunities to a postdoctoral researcher and Ph.D. students to gain real world experience in working at remote areas to conduct engineering and research work. The project will also promote strong international collaboration with scientists from the United States, Germany, Chile, and Argentina, and will strengthen the ground-based network of instruments for geospace observations in South America.
This network will be built upon two NSF-funded projects to fully leverage the existing infrastructure and expertise that are already developed through NSF?s investments: a Major Research Instrumentation project that supported the deployment of a multi-static meteor radar (MR) system in northern Chile; and an NSF Distributed Array of Small Instruments project MANGO (Midlatitude Allsky-imaging Network for GeoSpace Observations) that established a network across the continental United States with multiple all-sky imagers and Fabry-Perot Interferometers (FPIs). This project will expand the MR system by adding two additional receiver stations, establish an optical network with airglow imagers and an FPI and a data infrastructure to promptly retrieve and share all data products, based on instruments and software developed in MANGO.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.
Categories: Faculty-Staff
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REU Site: Exploring Aerospace Research at the Intersection of Mechanics, Materials Science, and Aerospace Physiology
PI Foram Madiyar
CO-I Alberto Mello
This Project is founded by National Science Foundation, under REU site. This project aims to educate students and promote scientific research in materials and aerospace science that encompasses not only building lighter and smarter materials for aerospace applications but also understanding the impact of the space environment on physiological and biological changes.
This Site will focus on multidisciplinary research in aerospace engineering, chemistry, and applied space biology with a goal of improving future space materials science and human diagnostic technology by exposing students to the challenges in these areas and the research going on to solve them. Undergraduate students for a ten-week summer will be recruited for the program. The student recruitment will start in Nov 2021 and the first summer research will be held in the period of May 16 to July 18, 2022.
The ERAU-REU program is dedicated to the ideals of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion and we ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all scholars. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about the housing accommodations or other aspects of the program.
Students from underrepresented groups in the sciences, veterans, disabled, or are early in their undergraduate coursework (rising sophomores or juniors) are especially encouraged to apply.
Research Areas:
1 - Additive Manufacturing of Shape-Stabilized Phase-Change Materials (PCMs)
Mentor: Prof. Sandra Boetcher (https://faculty.erau.edu/Sandra.Boetcher)
The goal of the proposed research is to manufacture shape-stabilized PCMs via additive manufacturing.
2 - Space Radiation: Study of Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species
Mentor: Prof. Hugo Castillo (https://faculty.erau.edu/Hugo.Castillo)
The goal of this project is to produce a standardized technique to measure the intracellular concentration of ROS in different species of bacteria and yeast, in relation to chronic exposure to sub-lethal doses of ionizing radiation using a low-dose gamma irradiator allowing to quantify the oxidative stress status of the cell concerning DNA damage.
3 - Investigating Micro- and Nano-Plastics in the Confined Environment of Space Flight.
Mentor: Prof. Marwa El-Sayed (https://faculty.erau.edu/Marwa.ElSayed)
The proposed study aims to characterize atmospheric MNP in indoor environments. The goals of the study are 1) identification of the sizes, shapes and size distribution of MNP in the atmosphere, 2) characterization of the chemical composition of atmospheric MNP, 3) determination of the degradation processes and 4) identification of the health issues associated with these particles.
4 - Investigation of Space Biomechanics and Additive Manufacturing of the Orthopedics
Mentor: Prof. Victor Huayamave (https://faculty.erau.edu/Victor.Huayamave)
The participants will learn about (1) current state of space biomechanics research, (2) segmenting anatomical images to develop finite element models, and (3) 3D printed components using additive manufacturing. The computational pipeline will be introduced to the predictive power of the FEM to assess the structural integrity of the hip joint under microgravity conditions.
5 - Fabrication of a Flexible, Stretchable, and Self-Healable Platform for Aerospace Applications
Mentors: Prof. Foram Madiyar, Prof. Daewon Kim (https://faculty.erau.edu/Foram.Madiyar, https://faculty.erau.edu/DaeWon.Kim)
The goal of this project is to investigate the use of polymers not only having tunable electrical and thermal properties, but also reversible bond chemistry that imparts materials high stretchability, exceptional toughness, and self-healability.
6 - On-Site Biomarker Sensing using Flexible Transistors on Skin
Mentor: Prof. Foram Madiyar (https://faculty.erau.edu/Foram.Madiyar)
The goal of the project is to design a wearable technology for the real-time screening, diagnosis and multiplex detection of different biomarkers.
7 - Biofidelic Piezoresistive Nanocomposite Multiscale Analysis
Mentor: Prof. Sirish Namilae (https://faculty.erau.edu/Sirish.Namilae)
In the proposed research, we will further engineer the electro-mechanical response of the structure through (a) varying the constituents in the silicone matrix and (b) engineering the interface mechanical properties in the core layer.
8 – Fractography using Scanning Electron Microscopy
Prof. Alberto Mello (https://faculty.erau.edu/Alberto.Mello)
This research aims to cover scanning electron microscope (SEM) operation, including energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and stress analysis. The student will cut and prepare fractured specimens, observe the crack surface under SEM to identify the local pit formation at the plate edge, find the point of crack initiation, and determine the propagation path.
9 - Investigation of Photoresponsive and Thermally Stable Monomeric Structures for Space Applications
Mentor Prof. Javier Santos (https://faculty.erau.edu/Javier.SantosPerez)
The goal of the project is to investigate the photoresponsive and thermally stable monomeric structures to sense damage, fractures, and changes to space infrastructures.
10 - Investigating Methods to Minimize the Gap between Pre and Post-Space Flight Syndrome
Mentor: Prof. Christine Walck (https://faculty.erau.edu/Christine.Walck)
We propose to design an optimized lower extremity force acquisition system (LEFAS) that integrates with a lower-body negative pressure (LBNP) box and subject-specific protocols for improved fitness results by taking a computationally simulated optimization approach.
Categories: Faculty-Staff
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Measuring Interstellar Temperature and Ionization Variations Using Observations of Faint Diffuse [OII] Emission
PI Edwin Mierkiewicz
The interstellar medium (ISM) plays a vital role in the ongoing cycle of stellar birth and death as well as galactic evolution. However the role of interstellar matter, from how its properties are influenced by stars to how, in turn, its properties influence star formation is poorly understood.
Within the past decade substantial strides have been made towards unraveling the mysteries of a major ISM component, the widespread warm ionized medium (WIM). The advances were enabled by innovative spectroscopic techniques to detect and study extremely faint interstellar emission lines in the visible spectral region. With such observations it is possible to explore the connection between the Galactic disk and halo as energy and gas are transferred away from massive star-forming regions to large distances from the midplane. An especially exciting development in this area is the evidence for temperature variations and the existence of a previously unrecognized source of heating within the WIM. The emission line of ionized oxygen in the near ultraviolet spectral region (372.7 nm) is key to exploring variations in temperature and ionization state within the gas, and for investigating the role of this additional heating. Our [OII] observations will (1) provide the only opportunity to separate unambiguously variations in temperature from variations in ionization conditions in the warm ionized medium of our Galaxy and (2) confirm whether H-alpha, [NII], and [SII] data can provide reliable temperature information about diffuse ionized gas in our own and other galaxies.Categories: Faculty-Staff
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High Spectral Resolution Observations of Lunar Exospheric Emissions
PI Edwin Mierkiewicz
We are employing high-resolution Fabry-Perot spectroscopy of neutral sodium and potassium emission to investigate the morphology and dynamics of the lunar sodium exosphere. Likely atmosphere source mechanisms are thermal desorption, photo-desorption, ion sputtering, and meteoric impact ablation.
Their relative importance remains uncertain, both with regard to spatial and to temporal trends. Once released, sputtered gases in the lunar atmosphere can be pulled back to the regolith by gravity, escape to space, get pushed away by solar radiation pressure, or become photoionized and swept away by the solar wind. To test hypotheses about the sources, sinks, and escape of the lunar atmosphere, velocity-resolved observations under different lunar phases, altitudes, latitudes, and time histories are being made to help understand factors that link resultant morphologies to sources and solar radiation effects. These observations will help constrain atmospheric and surface-process modeling, and help quantify the source and escape mechanisms.
Categories: Faculty-Staff
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Cross-Scale Wave Coupling Processes in Kelvin-Helmholtz Structures
PI Heidi Nykyri
Project investigates cross-scale wave coupling processes and their role on ion heating, mixing and diffusion.
One of the pending problems in collisionless plasmas is to understand the plasma heating and transport across three fundamental scales: fluid, ion and electron. The plasma inside Earth’s magnetotail plasma sheet is ~50 times hotter than in the magnetosheath. Furthermore, the specific entropy increases by two orders of magnitude from the magnetosheath to the magnetosphere, which is a signature of a strong non-adiabatic heating. Also, the cold component ions are hotter by ~30 % at the dawnside compared to those measured on the duskside. Our recent statistical study using THEMIS data indicates that the magnetosheath seed population is not responsible for this asymmetry so additional physical mechanisms at the magnetopause or plasma sheet must be at work to explain this asymmetric heating. Recent works suggest that dawn-flank magnetopause boundary is more prone to the fluid-scale Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) as well as to the ion-scale electromagnetic wave activity, which may help explain the observed plasma sheet asymmetry. Project uses numerical simulations, plasma theory and spacecraft observations to understand relation of small-scale waves to large-scale velocity driven modes and evaluate their role in mixing, diffusion, and heating of ions.
Categories: Faculty-Staff
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Experimental Identification of Plasma Wave Modes in Vicinity of KH Vortices and in Plasma ’Mixing’ Regions in Low Latitude Boundary Layer (Ion scales)
PI Heidi Nykyri
Project uses Cluster spacecraft data to identify ion-scale waves within Kelvin-Helmholtz waves.
Project uses Cluster spacecraft data to identify ion-scale waves within Kelvin-Helmholtz waves.Categories: Faculty-Staff
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Statistical correlation study between solar wind, magnetosheath and plasma sheet properties
PI Heidi Nykyri
CO-I Xuanye Ma
Statistical study of the solar wind, magnetosheath, and magnetospheric plasma properties usinng 8+ years of THEMIS data.
The study will utilize recently developed statistical tool developed under Nykyri's NSF CAREER grant to present 8+ years of THEMIS spacecraft data in the coordinate system that takes into account the motion of the magnetopause and bow shock and will organize THEMIS observations into spatial bins with respect to physical boundaries under prevailing solar wind conditions. The study will address how do the plasma sheet properties such as number density, temperature, electron to ion temperature ratio and specific entropy vary during a) Parker-Spiral, Ortho-parker spiral, Northward and Southward IMF, and b) during high and slow solar wind speed, and how are these correlated with corresponding magnetosheath properties?
Categories: Faculty-Staff
1-10 of 18 results