Vladimir Papitashvili Antarctic Sciences Section NSF/Office of Polar Programs Aeronomy and Astrophysics Program Aeronomy, Space Physics, and Astrophysics Program

Antarctic 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 studies Meteorite collection Aeronomy and upper atmosphere Space physics Astronomy and astrophysics

23 – 24 August 2004 U.S. Antarctic Program, New Investigators workshop South 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 Astrophysics 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 Neutrino Detector Array Neutrino 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 IceCubeIceCube A new neutrino telescope of 1-km 3 scale To detect high-energy neutrinos from deep space To probe new window into the Universe

Radio Astronomy (Sub-MM and Infrared) – AST/RO, ACBAR, SPARO, SPIREX, DASI Temperature variations (µK) (inflationary model and data)

Cosmic Microwave Background Research A new 10-m dish radio telescope – to test inflation of the Universe SPT– FY07 45 m 16 m

NASA/NSF Long-Duration Balloons Program

Sun –Earth Connections AURORA BOREALIS AND AURORA AUSTRALIS

23 – 24 August 2004 U.S. Antarctic Program, New Investigators workshop U.S. Automatic Geophysical Observatories Ozone Hole September 2000

Antarctic Aeronomy, Space Physics & 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)

$M FY05 commitments: 75% of the base budget ($9.9M) Antarctic Aeronomy, Space Physics & Astrophysics – Budget Profile