PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING PHYSICS

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PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING PHYSICS
Sasha Koustov
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What do I do researchwise?
I study physics of electrodynamical processes in
the ionosphere and magnetosphere using
ground-based and satellite instruments. My
primary instrument is a radar -SuperDARN HF
radars all of them -VHF radars such as STARE
in Scandinavia -Incoherent scatter
radars -Ionosondes I also use data of auroral
imaging from the ground and space,
electromagnetic and particle measurements on
satellites such as DMSP and CLUSTER and
ground-based magnetometry. I do not run any of
these instruments, instead I am getting data and
working with them
Substorm stricken area
Auroral luminosity (IMAGE) and SuperDARN
convection pattern
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Some radars data from which I use

• MHz, CRLab
• Antarctica

12 MHz, SuperDARN/TIGER, Australia
STARE 144 MHz, Scandinavia
3 MHz CADI, Resolute
900 MHz EISCAT, Scandinavia
430 MHz SRI radar, Greenland
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Plans for near future

• Continue working with radars, mostly SuperDARN,
  focus on various magnetospheric/ionospheric
  processes such as substorms, dayside transients
  etc.
• Looking forward to use advantages of the
  PolarDARN observations in cooperation with the
  incoherent scatter radar at Resolute Bay and a
  suite of other ground-based instrumentation
• Will try to contribute to upcoming satellite
  missions such as THEMIS, e-POP, KUAFU, SWARM,
  ORBITALS, anything else that I missed but will
  come around
• Continue training HQP, will try to have 1-2 grad
  students on a continuous basis (funding
  permitted)

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Several points in terms of Departmental Life

• - If we are not getting a new professor for
  experimental astronomy, we should start winding
  down the astronomy program
• - It would be nice to have WEBsite for EVERY
  class we teach with outlines and timetables of
  all lectures/ experiments, list of textbooks and
  samples of home assignments and exams. No lecture
  notes are required
• - The same for grad classes
• - Every Research Chair must teach one
  undergraduate class, besides grad classes
• - We should accept that ANYONE can be assigned
  to teach a 1st year, large enrollment class
• - I would like that the Head informs about
  teaching assignments at least 3 months prior to
  the term
• - We need a mechanism to ensure that rotation
  of Chairs in major Committees, such as UAC, GAC,
  EP goes in automatic fashion. Non-qualified
  faculty are expected to assume duties upon the
  call from the Head