Project Grant 2312192

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences awarded a $398,012 Project Grant to the Catholic University of America (CUA) for a collaborative research effort titled "COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: LABORATORY AND MODELING STUDIES TO RESOLVE A GRAND CHALLENGE FOR UPPER ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE." This grant, funded under the NSF Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050), aims to improve the understanding and quantification of upper atmospheric radiative cooling through a multi-disciplinary approach combining space-based observations, atmospheric modeling, and laser-based laboratory experiments. Key activities include analyzing satellite and lidar data, conducting laboratory studies of CO2-O atom interactions, and performing non-LTE atmospheric modeling to reevaluate the global thermal balance in the 15-μm CO2 band. This research has the potential to advance knowledge relevant to planetary atmospheric radiative energetics, molecular energy transfer, chemical lasers, and other fields. The project will also provide educational and research experiences for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and undergraduate students.