NJIT Physics Department Seminar

December 5th, Monday, 2016

HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse

Dr. Nathaniel A. Frissell

Dept. of Physics, NJIT

(Terrestrial Physics)

Time: 11:45am-12:45pm with 11:30am tea time

Room: ECE 202

Abstract:

Amateur (ham) radio operators are technically astute hobbyists with intense interests in radio communications and science. Many hams routinely communicate using High Frequency (HF, 3-30 MHz) trans-ionospheric links, which are affected by space weather activity. Hams around the world have voluntarily created automated, global-scale networks that monitor these communications. We demonstrate that ionospheric effects can be observed and quantified using these systems. This large, citizen-science radio dataset can provide valuable information about ionospheric regions that might not otherwise be sampled by conventional instrumentation. In order to connect professional researchers with the volunteer-based ham radio community, HamSCI (Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation, www.hamsci.org) has been established. HamSCI is working with the ARRL (American Radio Relay League, www.arrl.org) to organize an extensive amateur radio operating event during the Great American Total Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017 in order to study the effect of the eclipse on the ionosphere and upper atmosphere.