NSF Award
2432824
The Ham radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) network is a Distributed Array of Small Instruments (DASI) designed for the study of space weather impacts. The Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS) platform was previously developed through DASI Track 1 program in 2019. PSWS stations have one or more instruments, each capable of sensing a different aspect of the geospace environment. Several stations were deployed as proof-of-concept including those by amateur Ham radio operators and today, the PSWS network consists of over thirty-five stations located primarily in the continental US, but some also in Canada, Alaska, and Europe. It is used to study the ionospheric impacts of solar flares, solar eclipses, geomagnetic storms, traveling ionospheric disturbances, and other small-scale ionospheric variability. <br/><br/>This project will provide the backbone for the HamSCI PSWS network to enable a range of scientific investigations by deploying thirty standardized stations capable of observing high frequency (HF) Doppler shifts, HF amateur radio transmissions, Very Low Frequency transmissions and natural radio emissions, and the geomagnetic field. Ten fully automated, Global Positioning System (GPS) disciplined amateur radio transmitters will be also deployed to serve as a new source of GPS-stabilized HF beacon signals. Once deployed, this enhanced network will enable researchers to investigate both local and continental space weather effects, including those caused by traveling ionospheric disturbances, solar flares, and geomagnetic storms. The network has been developed as a collaboration between the professional scientific and amateur radio communities. It thus provides a unique opportunity for participation by and outreach to over 730,000 licensed US amateurs and about 3 million worldwide. This work will improve synergies between professional scientific and amateur radio communities, develop open technologies and observation networks that can be used in conjunction with existing geospace infrastructure, and develop materials that can be used in formal and informal educational institutions to teach space and radio science. HamSCI has a large online presence and following within the amateur radio community. This translates to the potential for extensive public relations and large outreach. This project will also support several undergraduate students’ participation and include major participation of both a Minority Serving Institution and an emerging (non-R1) academic institution.<br/><br/>This project is funded by the Geospace Facilities program with co-funding from the Aeronomy program in the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences.<br/><br/>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.
