Stanford VLF Remote SensingScience, Engineering, Educational outreach
Morris CohenAlong with Phil Scherrer, Deborah Scherrer, Umran Inan,
Ray Mitchell, Justin Tan
Space, Telecommunications and Radioscience Laboratory
Stanford UniversityStanford, California 94305
http://www-star.stanford.edu/~vlf/http://sun.stanford.edu
2
Stanford VLF Remote Sensing
� The collaborators
� Ionosphere/magnetosphere overview
� Electromagnetic effects
� SID Receiver
� AWESOME Receiver
� Educational Outreach
3
The Stanford Collaborators
� Phil/Deborah Scherrer
� Ray Mitchell
� Umran Inan
� Morris Cohen
� Justin Tan
� Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM)
6
Electromagnetic Effects
� Solar Flare Detection
� Cosmic Gamma Rays
� Chorus Emissions
� Lightning
� Whistler waves
� LEP Events, hurricane studies
� Early/fast Events
� Mesospheric lightning discharges� Sprites, elves, blue jets, TGFs
7
Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance
� Strong solar flares penetrate to lower ionospheric region, cause transient changes
9
SID Event – an Example
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
07:0
0:0
3
07:3
1:2
6
08:0
2:4
8
08:3
4:1
1
09:0
5:3
4
09:3
6:5
6
10:0
8:1
9
10:3
9:4
2
11:1
1:0
5
11:4
2:2
7
12:1
3:5
0
12:4
5:1
3
13:1
6:3
5
13:4
7:5
8
14:1
9:2
1
14:5
0:4
4
15:2
2:0
6
15:5
3:2
9
16:2
4:5
2
16:5
6:1
4
17:2
7:3
7
17:5
9:0
0
18:3
0:2
3
19:0
1:4
5
19:3
3:0
8
20:0
4:3
1
20:3
5:5
3
21:0
7:1
6
21:3
8:3
9
22:1
0:0
1
22:4
1:2
4
23:1
2:4
7
23:4
4:1
0
00:1
5:3
2
00:4
6:5
5
01:1
8:1
8
01:4
9:4
0
02:2
1:0
3
02:5
2:2
6
03:2
3:4
9
03:5
5:1
1
04:2
6:3
4
04:5
7:5
7
05:2
9:1
9
06:0
0:4
2
06:3
2:0
5
Local Nighttime DaytimeSunrise Local Nighttime
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
07:0
0:0
3
07:3
5:3
1
08:1
0:5
9
08:4
6:2
7
09:2
1:5
6
09:5
7:2
4
10:3
2:5
2
11:0
8:2
0
11:4
3:4
8
12:1
9:1
6
12:5
4:4
4
13:3
0:1
2
14:0
5:4
0
14:4
1:0
8
15:1
6:3
6
15:5
2:0
4
16:2
7:3
2
17:0
3:0
0
17:3
8:2
8
18:1
3:5
6
18:4
9:2
4
19:2
4:5
3
20:0
0:2
1
20:3
5:4
9
21:1
1:1
7
21:4
6:4
5
22:2
2:1
3
22:5
7:4
1
23:3
3:0
9
00:0
8:3
7
00:4
4:0
5
01:1
9:3
3
01:5
5:0
1
02:3
0:2
9
03:0
5:5
7
03:4
1:2
5
04:1
6:5
3
04:5
2:2
1
05:2
7:5
0
06:0
3:1
8
06:3
8:4
6
Quiet
Day
Active
Day
NLK
24.8 kHz
Source: Ray Mitchell
10
SID Event – an Example
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
07:0
0:0
3
07:3
1:2
6
08:0
2:4
8
08:3
4:1
1
09:0
5:3
4
09:3
6:5
6
10:0
8:1
9
10:3
9:4
2
11:1
1:0
5
11:4
2:2
7
12:1
3:5
0
12:4
5:1
3
13:1
6:3
5
13:4
7:5
8
14:1
9:2
1
14:5
0:4
4
15:2
2:0
6
15:5
3:2
9
16:2
4:5
2
16:5
6:1
4
17:2
7:3
7
17:5
9:0
0
18:3
0:2
3
19:0
1:4
5
19:3
3:0
8
20:0
4:3
1
20:3
5:5
3
21:0
7:1
6
21:3
8:3
9
22:1
0:0
1
22:4
1:2
4
23:1
2:4
7
23:4
4:1
0
00:1
5:3
2
00:4
6:5
5
01:1
8:1
8
01:4
9:4
0
02:2
1:0
3
02:5
2:2
6
03:2
3:4
9
03:5
5:1
1
04:2
6:3
4
04:5
7:5
7
05:2
9:1
9
06:0
0:4
2
06:3
2:0
5
Local Nighttime DaytimeSunrise Local Nighttime
GOES
Data
Active
Day
NLK
24.8 kHz
15
Whistler Wave – an Example
Sferics
Whistler
Triggered
emissions
Palmer Station, Antarctica 2 March 1992 0839:06 UT
21
Sprites and Early/Fast Events
Early fast events are highly correlated with
sprites, indicating connection with ionospheric
heating and runaway electronsSource: Robert Marshall
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The Hardware
� SID Detector
� AWESOME Receiver
A tmosphericW eatherE ducationalS ystem forO bservation andM odeling ofE ffects
24
The SID Detector
� Designed by Ray Mitchell
� Low cost, compact, easy to use
� Narrowband amplitude receiver
� 1 sample per 5 seconds
25
The SID Detector – Overview
Pre-Amp
24.8KHzFilter
SignalStrength
DATAQComputer
RS-232
Coax
=
All frequencies
DC voltageLevel
10 bit, Analog to DigitalConversion Sample every
5 Seconds
Source: Ray Mitchell
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The AWESOME Receiver
� Designed by Morris Cohen, Justin Tan
� Ultra sensitive
� Medium cost (~$2000)
� Narrowband amplitude/phase
� Broadband 100kHz data
� Deployed worldwide
� Auto-calibration
28
AWESOME Receiver – Overview
B-Field Antenna
PreampLong Cable
Line Receiver
Analog to Digital
ComputerGPS
Antenna
32
Educational Outreach
� Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM)� Run by Boston University
� Stanford selected for educational outreach
� Distribute SID detectors widely� 3 Beta sites working
� 100 units in production
� 3 foreign sites planned (Tanzania, India, Tibet)
� Distribute selected AWESOME detectors
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Educational Outreach (con’t)
� Research purpose� data sent to Stanford via internet, DVDs
� Educational purposes� Monitor solar flares/VLF activity� Build antenna, maintain electronics� Participate in research campaigns
� Promote in developing countries through UN?
� http://solar-center.stanford.edu/~SID� http://www-star.stanford.edu/~hail/