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Exploring the Interac1ons of Our Atmosphere with Space:
An Observatory for Studying Universal Processes in Earth-‐like Planetary Atmospheres
ESO/Y. Beletsky
Chester S. Gardner, University of Illinois 2013 CEDAR Workshop
The Large Atmospheric Lidar Observatory (LALO) IniKaKve Addresses Three Basic QuesKons
1. What are the fundamental processes that shape the Earth’s atmosphere and govern its evoluKon?
2. How do these processes affect weather and climate? 3. What roles do they play on other planets? The overarching scienKfic goal is: To substan1ally advance our understanding of the universal processes that occur in the Earth’s middle and upper atmosphere (30 km and above) and how they shape Earth-‐like planetary atmospheres throughout the universe.
Universal processes to be explored with LALO include:
• Solar radiaKon influx • GeomagneKc acKvity • Cosmic dust influx • Plasma-‐neutral atmospheric coupling • Neutral atmospheric dynamics • Wave dynamics and transport • Turbulence • Atmospheric escape • Climate change
LALO researchers will study these processes in greater observaKonal detail and over a much larger height range than has been accomplished to date.
• Centerpiece is 11-‐meter class telescope facility (100 m2) • Modular transportable design • Serves as receiving system for high power Rayleigh, resonance
fluorescence and Raman lidar systems with Doppler capabiliKes • Includes correlaKve instruments such as radars, imagers,
spectrometers and perhaps, in situ measurement capabiliKes using balloon and rocket payloads
• Employs lidar and incoherent sca\er radar (AMISR) to probe both neutral and ionized atmosphere from 30 – 1000 km alKtude
• Addresses key observaKonal gaps which inhibit scienKfic progress
What is envisioned?
MoKvated by Recent Community Science Roadmaps
• CEDAR: The New Dimension [May 2011] – Focuses on Space-‐Atmosphere-‐InteracKon Region (50-‐1000 km) – Advocates development of systems perspecKve to explore SAIR – Explore exchange processes with lower atmosphere and magnetosphere
– Assess implicaKons of evoluKonary change for Earth and other planets
– Develop instruments to explore coupling mechanisms and complexity within SAIR
NRC 2013-‐2022 Decadal Strategy for Solar and Space Physics
Atmosphere-‐Ionosphere-‐Magnetosphere InteracKons
1. How does the IT system respond to, and regulate magetospheric forcing over global, regional and local scales?
2. How does lower atmosphere variability affect geospace? 3. How do high-‐laKtude electromagneKc energy and parKcle
flows impact the geospace system? What are the origins of plasma neutral populaKons within geospace?
Atmosphere-‐Ionosphere-‐Magnetosphere InteracKons
4. How do neutrals and plasma interact to produce mulKscale structures in the AIM system?
5. How is our planetary environment changing over mulK-‐decadal scales and what are the underlying causes?
Whole-‐Atmosphere Lidar Observatory Create and operate a lidar observatory capable of measuring gravity waves, Kdes, wave-‐wave and wave-‐mean flow interacKons, wave dissipaKon and verKcal coupling processes from the stratosphere to 200 km. Co-‐locaKon with ISR would enable studies of plasma-‐neutral interacKons.
Are there other worlds and other beings? Search for and study of extra-‐solar planets has emerged as a major focus of 21st century astronomy
• NASA Astrobiology Roadmap 2008 • Exoplanet Community Report, 2009 • New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2009
LALO studies of universal atmospheric processes contribute to understanding of planetary atmospheres throughout the universe
LALO Addresses Key ObservaKonal Gaps
LALO measures winds, T and density (30-‐150 km and 300-‐1000 km) At high resoluKon and with high accuracy
LALO fills in these cri1cal gaps in exis1ng measurement capabili1es • Neutral winds, T and density (50-‐80 km, 100-‐150 km, 300-‐1000 km) • Wave spectra and wave momentum, heat and cons1tuent fluxes (30-‐80 km,
100-‐150 km) • Thermal (KH) and eddy (KZZ) diffusivi1es, turbulent Prandtl number (Pr = KZZ / KH)
(30-‐120 km) • Turbopause height (100-‐120 km)
LALO lidars will achieve 1000-‐fold improvement in sensi1vity over most exis1ng systems
LALO Conceptual Design • Modular telescope array – 20 panels, 3 m x 4.5 m footprint/panel, 5
m2 aperture/panel • Each panel independently pointable in 4 azimuths (N, S, E and W)
and 3 zenith angles (0o, 6o, 30o) • Instrument labs, data processing and mirror coaKng facility
modules • All modules and telescope panels fully transportable • Co-‐located with key correlaKve instruments
– Incoherent sca\er radar (plasma structure) – Meteor radar (mean circulaKon, Kdes and planetary waves) – Airglow imagers and spectrometers (horizontal structure and T) – GPS profiler (plasma structure)
• LALO Workshop @ CEDAR, Wed 10A-‐12N, Canyon Room Gary Swenson – Convener
• NSF sponsored workshop held 15-‐17 May 2012 in Chicago, IL • Focused on atmospheric chemistry and dynamics from 30 to 1000 km • A\ended by 37 scienKsts and agency representaKves • Goals
– IdenKfy science drivers for the iniKaKve – Determine what new observaKonal capabiliKes are required – Develop top level design concept for new observatory
• Dram science report “Exploring the InteracKon of Our Atmosphere with Space: An Observatory for Studying Universal Processes in Earth-‐like Planetary Atmosphere” and engineering supplement currently being reviewed by parKcipants (h\p://rsss.csl.illinois.edu/Workshop)
Exploring the Interac1on of Earth’s Atmosphere with Space
NSF Sponsored Workshop -‐ University Club of Chicago -‐ 16 May 2012
