Project Title

First Conjugate-station studies and continued satellite-conjunction studies of LF/MF/HF auroral radio emissions at South Pole

Summary

Event Number:
A-128-S
NSF / OPP Award 2205753

Program Director:
Dr. Vladimir Papitashvili

ASC POC/Implementer:
John Rand / Sheryl Seagraves

Principal Investigator(s)

Dr. James LaBelle
James.W.LaBelle@dartmouth.edu
Dartmouth College
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Hanover, New Hampshire

Location

Supporting Stations: South Pole Station
Research Locations: B2 Laboratory

Description

This project operates instruments at South Pole Station to answer outstanding questions raised by the discovery of correlations between auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) observed 200,000 kilometers above Earth and AKR-like signals observed simultaneously at South Pole Station. The higher electron cyclotron harmonic radiation is polarized, which suggests a different and possibly nonlinear generation mechanism. These phenomena are best observed, and in most cases can only be observed, from Antarctica, making the South Pole a perfect location for this research.

Field Season Overview

No on-site fieldwork will be performed by the science team this year. Research associate support will be provided throughout the year for routine monitoring and maintenance of equipment, to include observation of the equipment in the B2 Laboratory and V8 vault to ensure they are in normal operating mode, shutdown and restart of software and hardware, data transfer, and communication with the project's PI and other personnel as needed.