This is an award for the replacement of an aging master oscillator in the sodium wind/temperature lidar at the Andes Lidar Observatory (ALO), located in Cerro Pachón, Chile.
The ALO is an upper atmosphere observatory that houses the Na lidar, several airglow instruments, and a nearby meteor radar. The suite of instruments provides comprehensive measurements of the upper atmosphere (80-110 km) in a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. The master oscillator to be replaced is a Ring Dye Laser that has reached the end of its useful lifetime after 20 years. The new frequency-doubled, high power, tunable diode laser will be easier to operate, more reliable, and less expensive to operate. The measurement made by the sodium lidar is a key component for the investigation of wave dynamics in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere over the Andes Mountains. With other co-located remote sensing instruments, the ALO will provide the most detailed study to date of the characteristics of instabilities, gravity waves, tides, planetary waves and mean winds in the southern hemisphere.
The increased reliability and lower operational cost directly translate to more data collected, which will enable and enhance these research activities. The upgrade will not only make it possible to enhance ALO research projects, but will also provide new education and training opportunities for students expanding their exposure to upper atmosphere research. In addition, unique opportunities exist for international collaborations including El Leoncito, Argentina and the University of Adelaide, Australia. The data collected at ALO will be available to the scientific community for research on a wide range of scientific topics.
