Advanced Modular Atmospheric Incoherent Scatter Radar (AMISR)-Phase II

Sri International, Menlo Park CA

Investigators

Abstract

ATM0089937 The investigators will build an advanced modular hased-array radar with pulse-to-pulse steering capability and with sufficient sensitivity to perform limited incoherent scatter measurements of electron density profiles with an integration time of one hour or less. In particular, the investigators will build, calibrate and test a limited array of 24 x 24 antenna element units, each of which consists of a power amplifier, transmit/recieve circuitry, and control and monitoring electronics. With this modular approach, individual elements are relatively inexpensive and the costs for an incremental system are determined by the number of antenna elements purchased. Furthermore, the hghardware purchased at each phase can be used in building a bigger, more sensitive system. This proposal builds on an earlier SRI proposal to build a small protype radar (ATM 9908951) and is the next logical step toward the construction of a fully functional relocatable upper atmospheric radar.