HIPAS Observatory
| Alternative names | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 937: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).Lua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Organization | University of Alaska Fairbanks | ||
| Location | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | ||
| Coordinates | Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 611: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | ||
| Altitude | 610 m (2,000 ft) | ||
| Established | 1980s | ||
| Closed | 2009 | ||
| Telescopes | |||
| |||
| Lua error in Module:Infobox_mapframe at line 197: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |||
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |||
The HIPAS (HIgh Power Auroral Stimulation) Observatory was a research facility, built to study the ionosphere and its influence on radio communications. It was located 25 miles east of Fairbanks, Alaska, in the Fairbanks North Star Borough area.[1]
It was operated by the UCLA plasma physics laboratory from 1986 through 2007. A unique capability at that time, it could radiate 70 MW ERP at either 2.85 MHz or 4.53 MHz. These frequencies are close to a multiple of 2 and 3 of the electron gyro-frequency at ionospheric altitudes. Sending a pulse of HF-radio waves upward could accelerate the electrons in the ionosphere. Somewhat like waves on the ocean, the character of the ionosphere could be inferred from the backscatter signal. Other experiments attempted to combine RF and visible excitation where the latter probed metal ions such as sodium.
The HIPAS facility also used a LIDAR (LIght Detection and Ranging) instrument. Other projects included:
- A plasma torch used for experiments in hazardous waste disposal
- A 2.8-meter liquid-mirror telescope, which uses a spinning bowl of mercury to form the mirror, used for laser experiments
- An array of antennae used for exciting the ionosphere
The High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) is a similar facility funded jointly by the US Air Force and US Navy.
The HIPAS facility was shut down and much of the equipment sold as surplus in the spring of 2010.[2][3]
See also
[edit | edit source]- Other Alaskan astronomical research stations: HAARP, Poker Flat Research Range
- List of observatories
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- UCLA HIPAS Observatory
- UCLA Department of Physics & Astronomy Archived 2004-06-08 at the Wayback Machine
Lua error in mw.title.lua at line 392: bad argument #2 to 'title.new' (unrecognized namespace name 'Portal').