Researcher in charge: Adriana Valio (avalio@craam.mackenzie.br)

The POEMAS database consists of observations from November 2011 through December 2013. These data are available and can be requested via the email above.

Funding: NASA (Contract NASA/Mackenzie renewed até 2019)

Principal Investigator: Pierre Kaufmann (in memorian)

Experimental activities in space geodesy with operations of the Northeast Space Radio Observatory, ROEN, in Eusébio / Fortaleza, CE, built in 1992-1993 in the dependencies of the National Institute for Space Research, INPE, under an agreement with Mackenzie with initial resources from FINEP MCT Project Financier) and the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), managed by Mackenzie. Currently, the activities are coordinated by the Center of Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics Mackenzie, CRAAM, of the Engineering School of the Presbyterian Mackenzie University, in collaboration with INPE. Funds granted by the NASA-Mackenzie contract, in the context of the Cooperation Agreement signed between NASA and the Brazilian Space Agency, AEB, complementing the participation of Mackenzie and INPE.

The research uses the very long baseline interferometric radio astronomical technique, called VLBI, with a 14.2-m diameter radio telescope operating at two microwave frequencies (2.6 and  8.8 GHz), using cryogenic receivers, kept at 250 degrees below zero, a complex data acquisition system, controlled by a hydrogen atomic clock, the only one existing and the most accurate in Brazil. Dozens of extraterrestrial quasars are simultaneously observed with other 10 to 25 radio telescopes located in Europe, the USA, South Africa and Antarctica. These observations are combined with measurements of GPS satellite signal propagation, aiming at the precise monitoring of Earth's movements, variation in the length of days, crust movements caused by seismic events, continental drift, effects of space weather on Earth, and other phenomena that influence our planet.

Surveys include spatial structures and characteristic activity of quasars. The activities are part of the IVS (International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry), in close collaboration with the IERS (International Earth Rotation Service), the results obtained are available to the whole community of geodesy, geophysics, astrometry and astrophysics.

Finantial support: CNPq - Transversal Action # 64/2013 - Public selection of proposals to support research projects under the Brazilian Antarctic Program - PROANTAR

PI: Emília Correia

The characterization is done from continuous monitoring during quiet conditions and associated with the impacts of the solar phenomena that disturb the Earth neighborhood space (geospace), the called space weather; as well as the natural phenomena originated from the lower atmospheric layers, particularly from troposphere and stratosphere. The electrodynamic properties of ionosphere are monitored using distinct radio sounding techniques, as very low radio frequency (VLF) signal propagation, ionosonde, GNSS systems (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) and riometers. That instruments are running in research laboratories at Estação Antártica Brasileira Comandante Ferraz (EACF), at Centro de Rádio Astronomia e Astrofísica Mackenzie (CRAAM, UPM, SP) and at Rádio Observatório do Itapetinga (ROI, Atibaia, SP); and are elements of international networks of instrumentation covering the Antarctic Continent and South America. The simultaneous observation of the ionosphere using different radio soundings inside networks permits its characterization from heights of ~70 km (VLF) up to 800 km (ionosonde and GNSS) in a large spacial coverage, which in this project is important to give subside for its modeling over South America, particularly over the South America Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA). The qualitative characterization of the ionospheric behavior due the natural phenomena associated with space weather is important to evaluate its role in the climate change, here with special focus in Antarctica region and your connection with South America. The study of long term ionospheric behavior has been improving our knowledge about the role of the 11 year solar cycle radiation; while the studies at medium and short terms have been used to characterize the ionospheric dynamics from high to low latitudes in association with the space weather impacts, which can strongly disturb the geomagnetic field. The results have shown that the impact promptly affected the ionosphere from the Equator to the high latitudes, resulting in strong irregularities, particularly at middle and high latitudes, which can affect GPS users.

Funding: FAPESP

Principal Investigator: Jean-Pierre Raulin

This project intends to study the physical mechanisms of releases of high energies in the quiescent and active regions of the Sun, as well as their signatures in the Earth's atmosphere. For this, a set of instrumental facilities is necessary that includes high-frequency ground-based radio diagnostics, and diagnostics of high energy photons observed in space. Part of this collection already exists and is being successfully operated at CASLEO, San Juan, Argentina.

The heliogeophysical observatory at CASLEO investigates the solar explosive phenomena in millimeter (45 and 90 GHz) and submillimeter (212 and 405 GHz) waves, InfraRed (30 THz), as well as the effects of X-ray solar radiation in the terrestrial ionosphere, and of charged particles in the Earth's atmosphere. We propose to complement this instrumental collection with a new detector of solar and atmospheric neutrons, a scintillator sensitive to high-energy X-rays, and ELF and VLF wave sensors. The main objectives are: (i) to obtain and characterize the solar spectra in the range of high radio frequencies and in the high-energy X-ray and Gamma-ray bands, getting important information to explain submillimetric emission and THz, little understood until then; (ii) continuously monitor solar energetic phenomena and investigate their frequency of occurrence; (iii) investigate the causal relationship between atmospheric phenomena such as lightning, the production of high energy photons and neutrons, Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs), and cosmic rays.

Funding: FAPESP

Participation: Luiz Claudio Lima Botti

A radio interferometer operating at 1.2-1.7; 2.8 and 5.6 GHz high-tech, low-cost, Brazilian Decimetric Array - BDA, is under development for solar, galactic and extragalactic investigations and applications for space weather forecasting. The BDA project is being developed in 3 phases. Phase I: a prototype of 5 elements with antennas of 4m in diameter and complete system of tracking. Phase II: arrangement with 26 elements. Phase III: 12 additional antennas will be incorporated into the array with maximum baselines of ~ 2.3 km to 1.2 km in the East-West and South directions, respectively. In phase I, all subsystems and software were developed and tested through solar observations and calibrating radio sources, defining the technical characteristics, development strategy and configuration of the arrangement for the next phases, and transferring technology between institutions from abroad and from Brazil and personnel training in interferometry techniques. This thematic project refers to the development of phase II: 20 elements will be added to the arrangement, with the participation of local companies. The 26 antennas will form a compact "T" arrangement, with maximum baselines of 252 m in the East-West direction and 162 m in the South direction. The operating frequencies will be 1.2-1.7; 2.8 and 5.6 GHz. At this stage, the BDA will provide a solar image every 100 ms with spatial resolution of 3 x 4 min of arc. The requested resources correspond only to  antennas, mechanical structure, front end and reception and communication systems for signal transmission and antenna control for phase II.

Funding: FAPESP

Participation: Francisco Durães

The aim of this project is to study the interactions between hadron-hadron, hadron-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus at very high energies (GeV-TeV), to clarify: a) the nature and properties of nuclear matter, its forms of excitation and its new state under conditions of high density and temperature, the plasma of quarks and gluons; and b) the confinement of quarks and gluons in hadrons, the interactions of these particles, and the vacuum properties of QCD. This study deals with the problem of describing systems of many heavily interacting bodies controlled by relativistic dynamics, for which a fundamental and applicable theory is not yet available. Within this context, the development of phenomenological models is crucial as an intermediate step in this direction. At the same time, an understanding of certain properties of hadronic matter such as confinement of quarks and the dynamic breaking of chiral symmetry from the early principles of QCD is fundamental to making progress in this area. Specifically, problems addressed in the project are: a) simulations of QCD in the network; b) theories of effective fields; c) models for elastic, inelastic and diffractive hadronic collisions; d) models of hadrons (Skyrmions and bags); e) production and suppression of strangeness and charm in hadronic matter; f) transport phenomena, relativistic hydrodynamics and phase shift transitions in QCD.