Space Plasma Environment and Radio Science
Key researchers: Professor Farideh Honary
Research focuses on the study of the space environment with a view to applying this knowledge to improving communications systems and predicting their performance. The group has technical experience in both building and running complex scientific instruments for investigating space plasmas such as the Imaging Riometer for Ionospheric Studies (IRIS). Its analogue design capability, which is carried out in the group's fully equipped radio frequency laboratory, includes low-noise receiver design, antenna design, phased arrays.
In the digital domain the group's design activities currently concentrates on advanced Digital Signal Processing (DSP) utilising Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). In addition, the group has extensive experience of remote data acquisition, recording and dissemination. Experience in software development encompasses real time data analysis, digital beam-forming, object-oriented data visualisation and modelling packages.
Researchers operate the UK Sub Auroral Magnetometer Network (SAMNET), which is an important tool for studying the physical processes involved in the Sun-Earth interactions. It is funded by the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) as one of the UK Solar Terrestrial Physics (STP) National Facilities. The data from the magnetometer is processed as it is recorded and used to show the current activity level at AuoraWatch and used to alert subscribers to the Aurora watch program when auroras are likely to be seen over the UK.
Case Study
Advanced Rio-Imaging Experiment in Scandinavia (ARIES)
InfoLab21 researchers are currently engaged in building a new instrument in collaboration with Max-Planck Institute, Germany for studying the space environment.
