Vertically-Scanning Cloud Radar - Throughout July and August
An X-band (3-cm wavelength) Doppler radar is used to look at the
structure of clouds overhead. It is operated from the ridge north of
the Balloon Hangar to identify areas of interest for airplane cloud
penetrations.
Lightning Triggering - Throughout July and August
From the vicinity of South Baldy Peak, small wire-trailing rockets will
be launched into electrified clouds overhead. The resulting triggered
lightning will be useful to several related projects (see Lightning
Currents; Lightning Rods)
Cloud Electrification Processes - July 7 through August 10
Free-flying helium balloons will be launched from the Balloon Hangar
to carry instruments upward through electrified clouds. Instruments
will telemeter to ground stations information about electric fields,
and particle size and charge.
Sprites - July 1 through August 30
A team from Stanford's STARLab
VLF Research Group returns for the second summer to set up a
telescope strapped with a photometer and wide-angle video camera, as
well as the Fly's Eye system. They will also conduct ELF/VLF
observations, with two crossed antennas. (See Red Sprites, Elizabeth's Langmuir
Pictures and a page on Sprites at NM Tech.)
Time-of-Arrival Lightning Mapping System - June through August
The lightning mapping instrument array is deployed over an area
around Langmuir Lab with a diameter of about 75 km. It uses GPS signals
to accurately time the arrival of RF radiation from lightning at the 10
remote stations. From the time or arrival data the three-dimensional
locations of the RF radiation sources can be determined, and 3-D maps
of the lightning channels can be produced. Earlier operation of the
array stored data on DAT tapes; it is being reprogrammed to produce
real-time images (See 3-D LMS
for more information and animated early results.) Also, electric
field data from field mills and slow antennas will be recorded at each
remote station. Read about the system in NASA's Space
Science News.
Lightning Rods - June through August
Pairs of sharp and blunt lightning rods on 20-foot masts are
arranged around the Kiva on South Baldy Peak to study their responses when
lightning strikes. High-speed digitizers measure currents flowing
during both naturally-occurring lightning and triggered lightning events. Read
about recent results in
JAM.
Biogenic Emissions - Mid-June through mid-July
This study will examine biogenic emissions from local vegetation
that may contribute to the production of ozone, such as hydrocarbons,
carboxylic acids, and ketones. Emissions are quantified from ponderosa
pines in the Laboratory area, as well as cottonwood trees in the Rio
Grande valley, to examine seasonal distributions.
Lightning Currents - July through August
An instrument to measure lightning currents is being developed. It
uses the Faraday Effect, the rotation of the plane of linearly polarized
light in a magnetic field in the presence of atoms or molecules. (See Current Measurements
to learn about the instrument.)
Dual Polarization Radar - July through August
An X-band (3-cm wavelength) dual-polarization radar is statioooned at
the Socorro Airport. The radar has been modified so that it can transmit
and receive in different polarization modes. It is used to determine the
size, shape, and orientation of ice and other cloud particles.
Ecological Studies - June through August
Biologists with the Long Term Ecological Research program at the
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico
continue to look at various plant, rodent, and arthropod populations
at sites in the vicinity of Langmuir Lab, and will continue
to operate a meteorological data station at the Lab. They are also
analyzing population fluctuations in mammals for possible correlation with
broad climatic data. (See the UNM Sevilleta LTER informational pages.)
Astronomy / Magdalena Ridge Observatory - June through August
Planning for the Magdalena Ridge
Observatory will continue, including measurements of turbulence
to determine siting preferences for the telescopes. The road is being
surveyed, and preparation for environmental impact studies continues,
such as botanical surveys along the road and a survey of owl populations.
[NOTE: See the
October press release for updated funding information, and the Physics Department's
MRO page.]
Corona Chemistry - July and August
Chemists will be based in a trailer at West Knoll to study
mercury in the vapor phase, production of oxides in nitrogen, and
concentrations of organic constituents such as free radicals and their
reaction products resulting from corona discharges produced by electric
electric fields. They will attempt to correlate measurements of space charge with
chemical effects, and will compare the effects of positive and negative
fields. They will collect particles to analyze them for
chemical composition.
Lightning Warning System - June through August
The electric field monitoring system at the Laboratory is being
reprogrammed to work under the Linux operating system. The monitoring
system is used to help determine suitable times for triggering lightning.
(Read more here.)
Last updated 07 December 2001 kieft@nmt.edu.