RADIO SCIENCE CENTER FOR SPACE AND ATMOSPHERE

　(May 2000)

Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011

Tel. (0774) 38-380l

Fax. (0774) 31-8463

http://www.kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Director: FUKAO, Shoichiro, D.Eng,

The Radio Science Center for Space and Atmosphere (RASC) has been established in April, 2000 by reorganizing the Radio Atmospheric Science Center. The RASC has its roots in the Ionosphere Research Laboratory (IRL) which was attached to the Faculty of Engineering from 1961 to 1981. The RASC has been established as an inter-university cooperative research center in the fields of radio atmospheric sciences, space radio science and technology, and advanced radio engineering. Since the age of the IRL, the RASC has contributed to various international programs on Solar-Terrestrial Physics such as the International Quiet Sun Year (IQSY, 1964-1965), the International Active Sun Year (IASY, 1969-1971), the International Magnetosphere Study (IMS, 1976-l979), the Middle Atmosphere Program (MAP, 1982-1985), Solar Terrestrial Energy Program (STEP, 1990-1995), and post-STEP programs: Equatorial Processes Including Coupling (EPIC), Planetary Scale Mesopause Observing System (PSMOS) and STEP-Results, Applications, and Modeling Phase (S-RAMP) in 1998-2002.

The RASC has been designated as one of COE (Center of Excellence) institutes, which is a core research center, having superior research facilities, and leading outstanding cooperative programs. The RASC is open to all collaborative scholars from both domestic and international universities and institutes in the related fields of science and technology. The research fields covered by the RASC are: atmospheric physics, ionospheric physics, magnetospheric physics, space plasma physics, radar engineering, radio and optical engineering, plasma computer experiments, microwave energy transmission, space and atmospheric environmental sciences, radar aeronomy, space communications, and numerical modeling.

ORGANIZATION

The executive board of the RASC consists of the director, the professors of the RASC and some other professors of Kyoto University, which has the highest authority and elects the Director every two years. The faculty meeting by the professors of the RASC discusses important issues and deliberate the issues commissioned by the Executive Board. The advisory board is composed of the director, the professors and associate professors of the RASC and other professors and researchers from both Kyoto University and other related universities and national research institutes. The advisory board is consulted by the director on research planning in operating the RASC.

MAIN FACILITIES OF RASC

The RASC has three major facilities; the Middle and Upper atmosphere (MU) radar system in Shigaraki, the Advanced Kyoto-daigaku Denpa-kagaku Keisanki-jikken-souchi (A-KDK) computer system, and the Microwave Energy Transmission Laboratory (METLAB) radio anehoic chamber. The MU radar and A-KDK are open to cooperative programs by domestic and overseas scientists. Proposals for the collaborative research projects are reviewed and approved by the technical committee dedicated to the MU radar and A-KDK systems, respectively.

Shigaraki MU Observatory

Koyama, Shigaraki, Kouga, Shiga, 529-1812

Tel. (0748) 82-3211, Fax. (0778) 82-3217

The Shigaraki MU observatory is located in a national forest in Shigaraki, Shiga prefecture, which has the total area of 78,000 �u. The main facility of the observatory is the MU radar system, which was completed in November, 1984 after four years of construction. The MU radar is a unique radar system employing an active phased array system, which can observe various phenomena in the atmosphere from the ground up to 500 km. Special radars for the study of various atmospheric phenomena are also developed and operated, as well as optical equipment such as a lidar (laser radar) and CCD imagers for middle atmosphere study. This observatory is known as the center of middle and upper atmosphere study in Japan, and used by both domestic and overseas researchers as a facility for cooperative studies.

A-KDK

The A-KDK computer system has been introduced to the RASC in 1999, which is a dedicated computing facility for large-scale computer experiments related to radio science. The high-speed scientific processor (HSP) in the A-KDK system has a shared memory of 32 GBytes and two parallel vector processors. It is used by scientists participating the KDK cooperative study program nationwide, domestic and overseas researchers as a facility for cooperative studies. In order to store a huge amount of data obtained in the radar and spacecraft observations, the space and earth radio science data archive system (DAS) capable of storing 8 TBytes of data was introduced at the RASC in 1994. The data are stored in 600 VHS tapes which are loaded by a high-speed tape robot.

METLAB

RESEARCH DIVISIONS

Currently the RASC has three Research Divisions; Radio Atmospheric Sciences, Space Radio Sciences, and Advanced Radio Engineering, each of which consists of two or three Sections at the Uji Campus, and the Shigaraki MU Observatory. RASC has three visiting professor positions for foreign scientists as described in detail in the individual sections. In addition, RASC has COE positions to invite both senior and junior scholars from overseas.

The academic staff members of the RASC are in charge of the education of the graduate students of the Graduate School of Informatics and the Graduate School of Engineering. Students enrolled in the graduate schools may work toward degrees at the RASC. Some of the members give lectures at the Graduate school of Sciences as well.

DIVISION OF RADIO ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES

This division consists of three research sections for Coordinated Radio and Optical Observation, Global Atmosphere Information Analysis, and Atmospheric Environmental Sciences. The Coordinated Radio and Optical Observation Section conducts observations of various atmospheric phenomena in the troposphere, middle and upper atmosphere, by combining advanced radar and optical techniques. The Global Atmosphere Information Analysis section studies the global behavior of the earth's atmospheric environment by coordinating observation networks, and also by using data from satellites and numerical models. The section for Atmospheric Environmental Sciences has two visiting professor positions to invite foreign scientists for promoting an international collaborative study. The term of appointment is normally from three months to one year.

Section for Coordinated Radio and Optical Observations

Professor

TSUDA, Toshitaka, D. Eng. (Kyoto Univ.), 1. Radio Engineering, 2. Evironmental observations, 3. Middle atmosphere dynamics, e-mail: tsuda@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Associate Professor

NAKAMURA, Takuji, D. Eng. (Kyoto Univ.), 1. Radio/Optical Observations of

atmosphere , 2. Atmospheric Physics, e-mail: nakamura@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Research Associate

HORINOUCHI, Takeshi, D. Sci. (Kyoto Univ.), 1. Atmospheric Dynamics 2. Atmospheric Numerical Modeling, e-mail: horinout@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp

1. Development of new radio, optical and acoustic techniques for atmospheric measurements

2. Atmospheric environmental sciences

3. Global observations of middle and upper atmosphere

4. Numerical modeling of atmospheric dynamics

Section for Global Atmospheric Information Analysis

Associate Professor:

YAMAMOTO, Mamoru, D. Eng. (Kyoto Univ.), 1. Radar Aeronomy; 2. Radar Engineering, e-mail: yamamoto@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Current research activities of this research section are:

1. Consultation on international collaborations for observations with the MU radar and other observation facilities at the Shigaraki MU Observatory.

(2) Data analysis of global atmospheric phenomena by means of observations with radars, satellites and sounding rockets.

(3) Study of waves and irregularities in the ionosphere; Spread-F, sporadic-E layer, and interactions between neutral atmosphere and ionospheric plasma.

(4) Study of signal processing techniques for atmospheric radars; space-domain and frequency-domain interferometry techniques.

Section for Atmospheric Environmental Sciences　(International Visitors Section)

Professor:

Dr. G. Nastrom, on leave from St. Cloud University (USA)

1. Study of atmospheric turbulence by using the MU radar.

2. Study of atmospheric gravity waves by using the MU radar.

Visiting Scientist:

Dr. P. B. Rao, on leave from National MST Radar Facility (India)

1. Study of ionospheric irregularities by using the MU radar.

2. Study of interferometry techniques for atmospheric radars.

DIVISION OF SPACE RADIO SCIENCES

This division consists of three research sections for space radio engineering, computer radio science, and space environmental sciences. The first two sections are closely related with each other, and they are complementary in solving various problems in space radio sciences. The section for space radio engineering develops instruments for plasma wave observation and radio sounding, and perform observation of the Earth’s magnetosphere, solar wind and other planets. The section for computer radio science studies various nonlinear plasma wave phenomena observed in space via large scale computer simulations. The third section for Space Environmental Sciences has one visiting professor position to invite foreign scientists for international collaborative studies. The term of appointment is normally from three months to one year.

Section for Space Radio Engineering

Professor:

MATSUMOTO, Hiroshi, D.Eng. (Kyoto Univ.), 1. Space Plasma Physics; 2. Space Computer Experiments; 3. Microwave Energy Transmission; 4. Electrical Engineering,

e-mail: matsumot@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Associate Professor:

KOJIMA, Hirotsugu, D.Eng. (Kyoto Univ.), 1. Satellite Observations in space; 2. Space Plasma Physics, e-mail: kojima@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Research Associate:

SHINOHARA, Naoki, D.Eng. (Kyoto Univ.), 1. Microwave Energy Transmission; 2. Electrical Engineering, e-mail: shino@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Current activities of this research section are:

1. Space plasma physics; Theory and computer experiments

2. Space plasma wave observations by satellites

3. Technology on Solar Power Station/Satellite (SPS)

4. Computer experiments on microwave devices

Section for Computer Radio Science

Associate Professor:

OMURA, Yoshiharu, 1. Space Plasma Physics; 2. Plasma Computer Simulations 3. Radio Engineering e-mail: omura@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp

1. Computer simulations of nonlinear processes in space plasmas
2. Computer experiments of electromagnetic space environment
3. Visualization technology of computer simulation space

4. Management of observational and computational database

Section for Space Radio Environmental Sciences (International Visitors Section)

DIVISION OF ADVANCED RADIO ENGINEERING

This division is composed of two research sections which carry out research on development and practical applications of the advanced radio technology. Main research fields are the related radio technology which is utilized to establish microwave power transmission for realization of future space solar power station, and various atmospheric radars and remote sensing techniques based on the electronical control system developed for the MU radar. This division also covers other related scientific and engineering researches as listed below.

Section for Microwave Energy Transmission

Professor:

HASHIMOTO, Kozo, D. Eng. (Kyoto Univ.), Microwave Engineering; Signal Processing; Satellite Observation; Waves in Space Plasma; Space Communications, e-mail: kozo@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Associate Professor:

USUI, Hideyuki, D. Eng. (Kyoto Univ.), Computer Experiments; Space Plasma Physics, e-mail: usui@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Current research activities of this research section are:

(1) Microwave energy transmission in space and on the ground.

(2) Computer experiments on spacecraft-plasma interaction and microwave devices

(3) Plasma wave observation by satellites.

(4) Space communication network.

Section for Radar Remote Sensing

Professor:

FUKAO, Shoichiro, D. Eng. (Kyoto Univ.), Radar Atmospheric Physics; Radar Aeronomy; Radar Engineering, e-mail: fukao@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Research Associate:

HASHIGUCHI, Hiroyuki, D. Eng. (Kyoto Univ.), Radar Engineering; Radar Meteorology, e-mail: hasiguti@kurasc.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Current research activities of this research section are:

1. Development of advanced radar observational techniques for studies of the upper, middle and lower atmosphere.
2. Development of advanced radar systems for atmospheric remote sensing.
3. Observational study of the atmospheric dynamics over the equatorial western Pacific region.

(4) Observational study of the upper atmospheric dynamics and irregularities.

(5) Theory and modeling of atmospheric waves and turbulence.

(6) Application of radar technologies to meteorological forecasting.