CEDAR Science Steering Committee 2007-2009

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

This project will support the activities of the Coupling, Energetics and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions (CEDAR) Science Steering Committee (CSSC). The CSSC is composed of representatives from the USA and International atmospheric sciences communities, appointed by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and provides a formal mechanism for communication between the community and the NSF's Aeronomy and Upper Atmospheric Facilities Programs. The CSSC helps set the direction and agenda for the CEDAR program and coordinates the program's activities with other national and international programs. The nominal activities of the CSSC are: (1) to convene the annual CEDAR Workshop each June (2) to meet at NSF each fall for planning purposes; and (3) to publish the CEDAR Post, the community's newsletter, twice each year. Specific tasks over the next two years include: (1) developing a document that emphasizes the system science approach to geospace research. This document will also outline an approach for the DASI initiative whose complementary systems engineering approach will benefit the CEDAR program in the coming decades; (2) continuing implementation of the CEDAR Phase III program, particularly in regard to the four main science areas of Coupling to Lower Altitudes, Solar-Terrestrial Interactions, Polar Aeronomy, and Long-Term Variations. To accomplish the goals of these initiatives, continued emphasis must be placed on CEDAR collaborations with new satellite missions, such as THEMIS, AIM, C/NOFS, the Upper Atmospheric Facilities, such as AMISR, new modeling and data assimilation schemes, and the development of chains and clusters" concept with a strong emphasis on real-time observations that provide synergism with the NSWP; (3) developing community coordination for the new Upper Atmospheric Facilities AMISR radars. Although the AMISR instrumentation utilizes the incoherent scatter of radio waves, it has capabilities beyond those of the present-day Upper Atmospheric Facilities ISRs. These capabilities are based upon electronic methods of beam pointing rather than mechanical, upon the fact that the AMISR can point in different directions simultaneously, and its frequency agility. The CSSC will interact with the Aeronomy community to develop new ISR modes that take advantage of the AMISR capability. Central to the CEDAR campaigns and observations is the CEDAR database archive which is being considered as a focus for the new virtual solar terrestrial observatory (VSTO), hence the CSSC will be required to oversee these developments on behalf of the community.