Radio Research Station
Encyclopedia
The Radio Research Station 1924 - August 31, 1979 at Ditton Park
, Buckinghamshire
, England
was the UK government research laboratory which pioneered the regular observation of the ionosphere
by ionosonde
s in continuous operation since September 20, 1932, and applied the ionosonde technology for the first developments which lead to British Chain Home
radar system which was operational at the start of World War II.
In 1965 it was renamed the Radio and Space Research Station, to reflect its increasing role in space research. In 1974 it became the Appleton Laboratory, in honour of Sir Edward Victor Appleton
, who had received the 1947 Nobel prize for his work on the ionosphere and who had long been associated with the Station's research. In 1979 the laboration merged with the Rutherford Laboratory to form the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
and over the next three years moved from Ditton Park to Chilton, Oxfordshire
.
This announcement from the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory indicates that the PPARC has withdrawn funding for the ionosondes at Chilton and Port Stanley. As a result, these stations will close within the 3 months following the 30th June 2006, unless alternative funding is found.
Ditton Park
Ditton Park was part of the Manor of Ditton which was in what was formerly the south east corner of the English county of Buckinghamshire, before the county boundary reorganisations of 1974 & 1998 which moved it to the Slough Unitary Authority, which is in the ceremonial county of Berkshire.Ditton...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
was the UK government research laboratory which pioneered the regular observation of the ionosphere
Ionosphere
The ionosphere is a part of the upper atmosphere, comprising portions of the mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere, distinguished because it is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an important part in atmospheric electricity and forms the inner edge of the magnetosphere...
by ionosonde
Ionosonde
An ionosonde, or chirpsounder, is a special radar for the examination of the ionosphere. An ionosonde consists of:* A high frequency transmitter, automatically tunable over a wide range...
s in continuous operation since September 20, 1932, and applied the ionosonde technology for the first developments which lead to British Chain Home
Chain Home
Chain Home was the codename for the ring of coastal Early Warning radar stations built by the British before and during the Second World War. The system otherwise known as AMES Type 1 consisted of radar fixed on top of a radio tower mast, called a 'station' to provide long-range detection of...
radar system which was operational at the start of World War II.
In 1965 it was renamed the Radio and Space Research Station, to reflect its increasing role in space research. In 1974 it became the Appleton Laboratory, in honour of Sir Edward Victor Appleton
Edward Victor Appleton
Sir Edward Victor Appleton, GBE, KCB, FRS was an English physicist.-Biography:Appleton was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire and educated at Hanson Grammar School. At the age of 18 he won a scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge...
, who had received the 1947 Nobel prize for his work on the ionosphere and who had long been associated with the Station's research. In 1979 the laboration merged with the Rutherford Laboratory to form the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is one of the national scientific research laboratories in the UK operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council . It is located on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus at Chilton near Didcot in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom...
and over the next three years moved from Ditton Park to Chilton, Oxfordshire
Chilton, Oxfordshire
Chilton is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse about southwest of Didcot. The parish was part of Berkshire until the 1974 local government boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire....
.
This announcement from the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory indicates that the PPARC has withdrawn funding for the ionosondes at Chilton and Port Stanley. As a result, these stations will close within the 3 months following the 30th June 2006, unless alternative funding is found.