@InProceedings{Batista:2021:HiPrSi,
               author = "Batista, Paulo Prado",
          affiliation = "{Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE)}",
                title = "Middle Atmosphere research at INPE: History, present situation, 
                         and future",
                 year = "2021",
         organization = "Simp{\'o}sio Brasileiro de Geof{\'{\i}}sica Espacial e 
                         Aeronomia, 8. (SBGEA)",
             abstract = "The National Institute for space research (INPE) develops since it 
                         was created in 1961, researches in the neutral and ionized 
                         atmosphere from ground to space limits. The region between 
                         \∼ 20 and 110 km of altitude, called Middle Atmosphere, and 
                         especially the part between \∼ 80 and 110 km called Upper 
                         Mesosphere and lower Thermosphere (MLT) displays a wide variety of 
                         chemical and physical phenomena. This region of the atmosphere is 
                         not easily accessible by conventional in situ measurements for 
                         being too high, or by satellites for being too low. However, there 
                         are several ways to measure remotely their chemical and physical 
                         properties. This facility for measurements arises from properties 
                         and natural phenomena that occur on it. The electromagnetic wave 
                         scattering, on several spectral bands, by neutral and ionized 
                         molecules and atoms can be measured from ground-based radars. In 
                         the MLT region occurs the ablation of a number of meteors coming 
                         from space, and these meteors deposit many metal elements (Fe, Mg, 
                         Na, K, etc.) that modify the region chemistry and act as local 
                         movement tracers. Passive methods can also be used by measuring 
                         the light emitted by exited atoms and molecules (Airglow) that 
                         concentrate into layers in this region. INPE has started neutral 
                         atmosphere research by using a Light detection and Ranging (Lidar) 
                         in 1968, initially measuring the aerosol load present in the 
                         atmosphere at around 20 km altitude. After 1972 the same Lidar 
                         started to measure the Sodium density in the MLT with all the 
                         instrumental devices developed at INPE. After 1999 the research on 
                         the MLT dynamics had a great impulse with the installation of a 
                         Meteor Radar at Cachoeira Paulista, SP. Radars in the equatorial 
                         region (Sao Joao do Cariri, PB), and in middle-low latitude (Santa 
                         Maria, RS) were deployed in 2004. With the two instruments and 
                         added by Airglow measurements many works were published aiming the 
                         understanding of the Atmospheric Waves (Planetary Waves, Tides and 
                         Internal Gravity Waves) and its role in the coupling among several 
                         atmospheric layers. The original Lidar, which was used also to 
                         measure the mesopause temperature, went broken on October 2016, 
                         but another Lidar with two channels aimed to measure 
                         simultaneously the Sodium and Potassium started to work on 
                         November 2016 due to a cooperation with China/NSSC/CAS through the 
                         China-Brazil Joint laboratory for Space Weather. In this 
                         presentation, I will talk about the history of the instruments 
                         and, will give the main scientific results obtained in the past 
                         and nowadays. We will present the future possibilities, mainly 
                         those that will come from the collaboration with China, including 
                         the deployment of an Advanced Lidar able to measure density, 
                         temperature, and winds from the ground to the thermosphere. These 
                         systems, the present and the future have great capacity to 
                         aggregate researchers and generate research opportunities to new 
                         Master and Doctors for many years ahead.",
  conference-location = "Online",
      conference-year = "22-26 mar.",
             language = "en",
        urlaccessdate = "09 maio 2024"
}