[P-EM13] Study of coupling processes in solar-terrestrial system

[PEM13-10] SuperDARN: Recent progress and future perspectives

*Nozomu Nishitani¹, Akira Sessai Yukimatu^2,3, Tomoaki Hori¹ (1.Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, 2.National Institute of Polar Research, 3.The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI)

Keywords:SuperDARN, mid-latitude, low-latitude, equatorial

The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) is a powerful tool for monitoring ionospheric plasma convection and electron density changes in the high- and mid-latitude ionosphere. The SuperDARN began its official operation in 1995, and for the first few years, the SuperDARN field of view (FOV) was limited to high latitudes. About ten years later, the first purpose-built mid-latitude SuperDARN radars started their operation at sites in Virginia, U. S. A. and Hokkaido, Japan, in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Subsequent construction of additional radars at midlatitudes has significantly expanded the SuperDARN FOV, thereby enabling many research topics that are distinctive to the subauroral and mid-latitude ionosphere. As of February 01, 2021, there is a total of 38 SuperDARN radars, 24 and 14 in the northern and southern hemispheres, respectively. Among them, there are 11 and 2 (obviously) mid-latitude radars in the northern and southern hemispheres, although the definition of the mid-latitude SuperDARN depends on the radar location relative to the auroral oval. In this paper, we discuss the following: 1. Past accomplishments of the mid-latitude SuperDARN in several scientific and technical areas, as well as the history of the mid-latitude SuperDARN. 2. Recent progress of the mid-latitude SuperDARN. 3. Possible collaboration of the SuperDARN with the main projects of "Study of coupling processes in the solar-terrestrial system," such as the EISCAT_3D, Equatorial MU radar, and other global ground-based networks. 4. Future directions of the SuperDARN, including the expansion of SuperDARN to even lower latitudes up to the equatorial region.