ABSTRACT

This project will develop, deploy, and operate a network of passive radio instruments to monitor ionospheric weather over Egypt. Three Coherent Ionospheric Doppler Receivers (CIDRs) will be situated along a roughly north-south line in Egypt, with the viewing geometry extending from 5 degrees to 32 degrees magnetic latitude. Each CIDR will measure the total electron content once per second over a 15 degree geographic latitude field-of-view. The CIDRs will be run in Alexandria by Alexandria University, in Cairo by Helwan University, and in Aswan by the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics. The scientific focus is the morphology of the equatorial ionization anomaly that develops in the low latitude ionosphere due to the interaction of the Earth's magnetic and electric fields. The anomaly consists of two peaks of electron density located at 10 to 20 degrees on either side of the geomagnetic equator, where there is a trough. In Africa, the peaks typically occur over southern and central Egypt. The movement of and density variations in the anomaly cause significant perturbations to the radio environment, which can disrupt high frequency radio communications and introduce errors into transionospheric navigation systems. The installation and operation of the CIDRs in Egypt will enable real-time monitoring of the ionospheric space environment in a region that has long been data poor. By analyzing the CIDR data set as a function of time and ionospheric drivers, this project will gain valuable new insights into the weather of the equatorial fountain and the radio environment over Egypt, enabling an understanding of how ionospheric weather is associated with the equatorial fountain over Egypt. An international collaboration in space science between US and Egyptian universities will be established and will contribute to the science, technical, and educational infrastructure in Africa and the middle East, supporting the efforts of the United Nations International Heliophysical Year. Helwan University will establish a space weather forecast center which will provide real-time monitoring and forecasting of ionospheric weather using the data collected from the three CIDR stations. The center will also conduct research in solar-terrestrial physics and develop techniques for forecasting solar and geophysical disturbances. The data sets obtained through this project will be used in the education and training of graduate students at the Egyptian host sites. The project is co-funded by NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering.

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