Research Objectives:
Super Dual Auroral Radar Network is an international network of high-frequency radar pairs used to study plasma convection in the ionosphere. By observing ionospheric plasma motion, a multitude of geophysical processes can be studied. These processes range from E-region plasma instabilities, to the relationships between auroral luminosity and electric fields, to the global-scale convective response to changes in the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field. Each of these areas of study contributes to the overall goals of space physics: Developing an understanding of the coupling of energy from the solar wind into Earth's upper atmosphere and its effects on humans or human-made systems.
Each pair of these Doppler radars is capable of measuring a large-scale map (about four million square kilometers) in the F region of the ionosphere. Electric fields are generated in the outer regions of the earth's magnetosphere where the solar wind interacts with the earth's magnetic field. They are a direct measure of the transfer of energy from the solar wind to the earth.
The SuperDARN radars almost entirely cover the north and south poles. These radars can collect data and relay it around the world in real-time, which is essential for predictions or forecasts of space weather such as substorms which can damage or destroy power and communication systems. Data from the radar will be used, in conjunction with data from the rest of the SuperDARN network and the wealth of other space physics instruments in Antarctica, to study a variety of topics, including:
+ Responses of global convection to solar wind and IMF changes,
+ Plasma entry into, and exit from, the polar cap, and the accompanying response of the magnetotail, magnetospheric cusp response to changes in the solar wind,
+ The motions of plasma patches through the polar cap, mesospheric winds, and thermospheric gravity waves.
By establishing global-scale coverage in the southern hemisphere, the radar will help address questions about geomagnetic conjugacy and the differences caused by the asymmetry of solar illumination. The project includes direct participation from scientists in Canada, the USA, Britain, France, Japan, South Africa, and Australia, and associates in many other nations.
