Vladimir PapitashviliVladimir Papitashvili

Antarctic Sciences SectionAntarctic Sciences Section

NSF/Office of Polar ProgramsNSF/Office of Polar Programs

Aeronomy and Astrophysics Aeronomy and Astrophysics ProgramProgram

Aeronomy, Space Physics, and Aeronomy, Space Physics, and Astrophysics ProgramAstrophysics Program

Antarctic ResearchAntarctic Research

1. Research aimed at exploration of Antarctica

Examples:– Aerogeophysics and geology– Sea-floor mapping– Long-term ecological

research– Life sciences

2. Research on Antarctica’s role in global systems

Examples:– Ozone, greenhouse gases – Ocean circulation and sea level – Climate changes– Continental drift

3. Research using Antarctica as a platform Examples:

Seismic studiesMeteorite collection Aeronomy and upper atmosphereSpace physics Astronomy and astrophysics

23 – 24 August 2004 U.S. Antarctic Program, New Investigators workshop

South Pole StationSouth Pole Station

– Neutrino astrophysics and radio astronomy

to test cosmological models

– Space physics and upper atmospheric studies

to forecast space weather

– Ozone depletion, monitoring of UV radiation

to test global warming

– Atmospheric constituents and pollution

– Palaeoclimatic records from snow and ice

– Human behavioral studies

– Global seismology

23 – 24 August 2004 U.S. Antarctic Program, New Investigators workshop

Aeronomy, Space and Aeronomy, Space and Astrophysics ResearchAstrophysics Research

– high, dry, cold atmosphere with negligible variability — almost space-like conditions

– clarity of the continental ice for the largest neutrino telescope

– polar vortex permits long duration balloon-borne experiments

– geomagnetic focus of solar and cosmic particles and fields (aurora australis)

– unique photochemistry creates the ozone hole

U.S. Antarctic Program, New Investigators workshop

AMANDA - Antarctic Muon and AMANDA - Antarctic Muon and

Neutrino Detector ArrayNeutrino Detector ArrayNeutrino telescopes look through the Earth to understand how Mother Nature can accelerate particles to very high energies (tera- and peta-electron volts)

23 – 24 August 2004 U.S. Antarctic Program, New Investigators workshop

IceCubeIceCubeIceCubeIceCube

A new neutrino telescope of 1-km3 scale

• To detect high-energy neutrinos from deep space

• To probe new window into the Universe

Radio Astronomy (Sub-MM and Infrared) Radio Astronomy (Sub-MM and Infrared) – AST/RO, ACBAR, SPARO, SPIREX, – AST/RO, ACBAR, SPARO, SPIREX,

DASIDASI

Temperature variations (µK)(inflationary model and data)

Cosmic Microwave Background Cosmic Microwave Background Research Research

A new 10-m dish radio telescope – to test inflation of the Universe

SPT– FY07SPT– FY07

45 m

16 m

NASA/NSF NASA/NSF Long-Duration Balloons ProgramLong-Duration Balloons Program

Sun –Earth ConnectionsSun –Earth Connections

AURORA BOREALIS AND AURORA AUSTRALISAURORA BOREALIS AND AURORA AUSTRALIS

23 – 24 August 2004 U.S. Antarctic Program, New Investigators workshop

U.S. Automatic U.S. Automatic Geophysical ObservatoriesGeophysical Observatories

Ozone HoleSeptember 2000

Antarctic Aeronomy, Space Physics Antarctic Aeronomy, Space Physics & Astrophysics& Astrophysics

Funding FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04

Aeronomy $0.6M $0.6M $1.2M $0.5M

New Proposals 0/2 0/2 4/0 3/2

Space Physics $1.8M $1.0M $1.7M $2.1M

New Proposals 5/0 4/1 3/0 12/5

Astrophysics $3.4M $7.9M $6.7M $7.3M

New proposals 3/4 4/2 3/6 7/3

Total $5.8M $9.5M $9.6M $9.9M

Funded/Declined 8/6 8/5 10/6 22/10

Proposals deadline is around June 1 of each year

OPP also holds funds for cross-directorate programs: ITR ($1.5M) and MRI ($1.1M)

FY01FY02

FY03FY04

Aeronomy

Space Physics

Astrophysics

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0$M

FY05 commitments: 75% of the base budget ($9.9M)

Antarctic Aeronomy, Space Physics Antarctic Aeronomy, Space Physics & Astrophysics – Budget Profile& Astrophysics – Budget Profile

Antarctic Aeronomy, Space Physics Antarctic Aeronomy, Space Physics & Astrophysics – Budget Profile& Astrophysics – Budget Profile