This award will continue support for the operation and scientific use of the Jicamarca Radio Observatory. Located outside Lima, Peru, Jicamarca is the equatorial anchor of the Upper Atmospheric Facilities chain and is the aeronomy community's main source of information about the equatorial ionosphere and upper atmosphere. Jicamarca's capabilities as an incoherent and coherent scatter radar observatory have expanded enormously and many scientists use these and other non radar-related capabilities to conduct research in areas of aeronomy, plasma physics, remote sensing, and signal processing. Jicamarca-related research is focused on quantifying the chemistry, transport, energetics, and dynamics in the equatorial ionosphere with radar and complementary observations, and then to compare the results with theories and models. The investigations are grouped into two areas: (1) understanding the stable ionosphere and (2) understanding the instabilities that are often present. Plans for Jicamarca include the following major upgrades: (1) the installation of eight new digital receivers, (2) building additional receiving antenna modules, (3) finishing the construction of an additional high power transmitter module, (4) installing electronic beam switching, (5) adding receiving systems for each antenna quarter, (6) improving the computer and network infrastructure, and (7) adding more optical instrumentation. To better serve the scientific community will (1) improve the observing modes of general use (especially standard incoherent scatter modes) or special modes for visiting or remote users, (2) provide observing time and collecting and archiving the data that result, (3) provide access to the data through an intuitive and accessible database with suitable graphics, (4) allow real-time access to the data to the greatest extent possible, and (5) incorporate "heritage" data into the updated Madrigal database. Jicamarca has been an effective educational tool throughout its long association with Cornell. Cornell has been a major source of PhDs in the fields of radio science and ionospheric physics. The research done at Jicamarca finds its way into both graduate and undergraduate courses at Cornell, and many students have done their PhD work at Jicamarca. There is also substantial educational outreach to Peruvians via internships and traineeships. In addition, Jicamarca has served as a steppingstone for many Peruvians to do PhD work in the U.S. (including, but not limited to, Cornell) or Europe.
