REU Projects for Summer 2013
at MIT Haystack Observatory
- Climate Change in the Upper Atmosphere
- Observing Black Holes with the Event Horizon Telescope
- Ionospheric Variations at Mid-Latitude During Sudden Stratospheric Warmings
- Passive Radar Imaging of Meteor Trails
- Study of Ionospheric Total Electron Content for Broadband Geodetic VLBI Fringe Fitting Models
- Development of a Low Cost Spectrometer for the Small Radio Telescope (SRT), Very Small Radio Telescope (VSRT), and Ozone spectrometer
- Solar Power for a Deployable Radio Array
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Climate Change in the Upper Atmosphere
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Student Qualifications:
This project is most appropriate for an undergraduate with a background
or interest in space physics, aeronomy, or atmospheric science. Basic knowledge of statistics and
experience in MATLAB programming and the UNIX working environment would be desirable.
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Project Description:
Climate change in various levels of the atmosphere is an issue of fundamental importance to our
planet. The global warming in the recent decades indicated in the near-earth air temperature has
been a well-known fact, and a cooling trend in the upper atmosphere, or the so-called "falling
sky", was predicated and has been largely verified in most of the available observations. MIT
Haystack Observatory operates a very powerful ground-based incoherent scatter radar (ISR) to
provide long-term monitoring of the upper atmospheric weather and climate. Observational results
from this radar have offered some important insights into understanding long-term changes in the
ionosphere and thermosphere, which are the ionic and neutral components of the upper atmosphere,
respectively. The US National Science Fundation has recently funded a project at MIT Haystack
Observatory to futher explore climate change in the upper atmosphere, based on long-term ISR
observations of the ionosphere. We seek a student to investigate temperature trends using data
from our long-term Madrigal database (http:/www.openmadrigal.org). The student is expected to
perform calculations and statistical analysis of the ISR data and other relevant data.
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Observing Black Holes with the Event Horizon Telescope
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Student Qualifications:
This project is well suited to a student with a background in basic physics and astronomy. Experience in computer programming or a high-level scientific analysis package is desirable.
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Project Description:
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) is an array of millimeter-wavelength facilities that observe the nearest supermassive black holes using the technique of very long baseline interferometry. The EHT is uniquely capable of resolving structures on angular scales of a few Schwarzschild radii around the black holes in the Galactic Center (Sgr A*) and the nearby giant elliptical galaxy Virgo A (M87). The goals of the EHT include testing general relativity and furthering our understanding of the astrophysics of accretion and outflow processes around black holes.
EHT observations of Sgr A* in recent years have been used to establish that Sgr A* has an event horizon, to identify the inclination of the accretion disk, to place limits on the spin of the black hole, and to verify that the mechanism of variability occurs at the inner edge of the accretion flow. We are in the process of analyzing and interpreting data from the latest EHT observations, and additional observations are expected in spring 2013. We are seeking a student to assist in the analysis and calibration of EHT data.
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Ionospheric Variations at Mid-Latitude During Sudden Stratospheric Warmings
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Student Qualifications:
The project requires interest in space physics and data analysis. Some experience with Matlab or IDL is desired, but not necessary.
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Project Description:
Recent studies reveal strong variations in multiple ionospheric parameters at altitudes above ~100 km driven by sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events that strongly disturb polar stratosphere (~20-40 km above the ground). Both simulations from multiple models and observational results indicate that these disturbances are related to amplification of different tides driven by sudden stratospheric warmings. The project will focus on the analysis of experimental observations obtained by the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar. The goal of the project is to derive tidal components in the experimental data collected during SSW campaigns, compare them to tides observed in the absence of SSW events, and determine what variations (if any) could be associated with SSW.
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Passive Radar Imaging of Meteor Trails
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Student Qualifications:
This project is most appropriate for a student with interests in the space environment, meteors, and radar imaging systems. Strong mathematical skills and a background in Applied Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Geophysics, or Physics are required. Experience in the analysis of data with the python programming language would be very helpful.
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Project Description:
Near-Earth space contains small pieces of matter known as meteoroids, some of which intersect the Earth's orbit and are then called meteors, almost all of which are destroyed in the upper atmosphere. Meteoroids enter the atmosphere at speeds from 10 to 70 km/s, and a milligram particle bears a kilojoule of kinetic energy, depositing that energy in a fraction of a second at a megawatt peak rate. The larger meteoroids produce a visible emission "a meteor". Meteors also have two radio signatures. The
"head" echo appears to be a high density/small volume plasma sheath surrounding the meteoroid, and this sheath is detectable by very large VHF and UHF radars. Relatively modest radars allow observation of meteor trails and the determination of meteor radiants, altitudes, and count rates.
We will apply interferometric passive radar imaging techniques to the observation of meteor trails. This approach will use FM radio transmitters to provide VHF illumination and a small antenna array capture the energy scattered by the meteor trail. As part of this effort we will implement software to support the needed mathematical analysis techniques, collect field observations using the small imaging array and the high power Millstone Hill UHF Radar, and develop tools to help analyze the resulting radar images and data.
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Study of Ionospheric Total Electron Content for Broadband Geodetic VLBI Fringe Fitting Models
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Student Qualifications:
This project is suited to a student of
radio astronomy, physics, or mathematics with interests in Geodesy, VLBI, or
electromagnetic wave propagation.
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Project Description:
For the past 30 years, the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) radio astronomical technique has been applied to the subject of Geodesy, a discipline for studying the time evolution of the Earth's shape and rotation. The telescopes used for VLBI receive signals from radio astronomical sources, but the radio waves emanating from these sources must propagate through the Earth's ionosphere prior to being received by the VLBI antenna. The Earth's ionosphere is known to be a dispersive propagation medium (i.e. the time delay is frequency-dependent) where the magnitude of the dispersion is governed largely by the total electron content through which the radio signal passes. Since the VLBI technique directly measures the time and phase delay between globally-distributed antennas, variations in these observables due to the ionosphere represent an error in the geodetic VLBI measurement. With the development of broadband microwave interferometers, the issue of dispersive delay through the atmosphere becomes more critical because these systems will receive radio signals over very wide bandwidths (2-14 GHz). To estimate the frequency-dependent delays from the observations a dispersive model is included in the broadband geodetic VLBI interferometric processing. The main parameter of this model, the Total Electron Content (TEC) is estimated using a nonlinear least-squares parametric search. Such search routines utilize apriori information of the TEC in the Earth's ionosphere, for example as obtained from GPS observations. However, the sensitivity of the parametric search to the integrity of the TEC apriori information requires investigation. In this project the student will use numerical simulation methods to investigate the sensitivity of the parametric search to the apriori information in order to define the required accuracy of the apriori TEC data. In addition, the quality of the TEC estimates will be assessed by comparison with estimates from nearby GPS systems. This project is suited to a student of radio astronomy, physics, electrical engineering, or mathematics with interests in the ionosphere, geodesy, VLBI, or electromagnetic wave propagation.
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Development of a Low Cost Spectrometer for the Small Radio Telescope (SRT), Very Small Radio Telescope (VSRT), and Ozone spectrometer
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Student Qualifications:
This project is for someone with a significant knowledge of C and some experience with Linux.
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Project Description:
Several instruments used for education, outreach and scientific investigations could benefit from a low cost spectrometer. These include the Small Radio Telescope known as the "SRT", a very small radio telescope known as the "VSRT", and an 11 GHz Ozone spectrometer. The SRT is used to observe the Sun and the 21-cm hydrogen line. The SRTs, which until recently were available commercially, are still in operation at many universities and are used for student projects including measuring the Galactic rotation curve of our Galaxy. The VSRT is a low cost radio interferometer using small satellite TV dishes to observe the Sun and some laboratory demonstrations using compact fluorescent lamps as artificial radio sources. The 11 GHz Ozone spectrometer is used at high schools and several research facilities around the world the measure the ozone in the mesosphere. These instruments, which where initially primarily used for help teach students how to analyze scientific data, are now used for scientific investigations that have resulted in publications in science journals.
Recently a low cost USB "dongle" for digital TV has become available. It has been adapted for use as a software radio by amateur radio groups. The device might be adapted to form a low cost digital spectrometer for the SRT, VSRT and Ozone spectrometer.
This project involves developing Linux-based software to adapt the USB "dongle" for the SRT. The task will start by making use on the open code developed by the amateur radio groups and integrated with existing C code written for the SRT. The goal of this project is to develop web based instructions to allow an individual, college, or high school to put together their own low cost SRT using a laptop PC, the USB "dongle", a low noise amplifier, and feed on a fixed 1.2 m dish. This radio telescope could be used to observe the Sun as it passes through the antenna beam or to map the hydrogen in the Galaxy using the Earth's rotation.
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Solar Power for a Deployable Radio Array
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Student Qualifications:
This project is most appropriate for a Electrical Engineering or Physics student with interest in radio science, solar power systems, and electronics.
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Project Description:
RAPID (radio array of portable interferometric detectors) is a new radio array project to develop a solar powered, wireless, and deployable radio imaging array. This instrument will target a wide range of science applications in the study of the Geospace environment, the Sun, Astronomy, and astroparticle physics. We are currently prototyping hardware for use in the radio array and a key component is the power subsystem. This will involve a combination of solar panels, advanced batteries, capacitors, and the associated charging and regulation electronics. The design of this subsystem is critical but would benefit greatly from exploration of the technology alternatives, modeling of their performance, and verification of their real world performance and characteristics.

This project will involve investigating different types of available batteries, solar panels, capacitors, charge controllers, and equipment that could support such a system. A basic model to predict the performance of different systems will be developed and used to evaluate alternatives. The investigation will characterize system efficiency, energy availability, cost, and performance under different physical conditions. Selected alternatives will be field tested to verify model predictions. If time allows, integrated interface electronics will be developed as a prototype module for use in the RAPID array.
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Final projects will be selected based on matching student applicant capabilities and interests with those of the sponsoring staff members.
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We have filled all REU positions at this time, thank you!
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781.981.5400 
