Frontier Research at the Jicamarca Radio Observatory

The ionized portion of the upper atmosphere at the magnetic equator (equatorial ionosphere) is a unique plasma environment which hosts diverse plasma phenomena ranging from equatorial plasma bubbles to small-scale plasma structures. Plasma bubbles and other plasma density structures are known to disturb radio and satellite communications and thus represent a space weather hazard.

The Jicamarca Radio Observatory (JRO) near Lima, Perú has been providing high-quality observations of these phenomena and the associated plasma processes for 60-years. JRO is owned and operated by the Peruvian Geophysical Institute (Instituto Geofísico del Perú) with support from an award from the Geospace Facilities program at NSF to Cornell University.

JRO is the equatorial anchor of the Geospace Facilities chain and the only such facility that enables experimental investigations of space plasma physics and space weather disturbances near the magnetic equator. Over the years, JRO has undergone continual improvement and upgrades and its centerpiece, the Jicamarca incoherent scatter radar (ISR), is currently the largest ISR in terms of the power-aperture product, a measure of how sensitive the radar is to various plasma disturbances.

The work will exploit the JRO’s unique capabilities associated with its location near the magnetic equation and its high sensitivity by focusing on new classes of plasma phenomena and processes unique to the equatorial zone. These include upper-hybrid plasma instability in the daytime 150-km region, lower-hybrid waves in the high topside at night, solar echo experiments, multi-frequency plasma irregularity studies, the effects of Coulomb collisions on the incoherent radar spectrum, and meteor echoes and derived neutral winds.

This work will expand relationships with outside researchers and programs through collaborative investigations and by hosting visits from students and professionals; maintain an efficient, diverse management system that is resilient to changes occurring at NSF, Cornell, and in Peru; expand STEM educational opportunities by directly supporting undergraduate and graduate students; and train the next generation of radio scientists through a combination of summer schools, workshops, and hosted visits as well as the creation of curricula and educational materials.

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.