SM11B-1601
Secondary Electron Focusing to Retain High-Resolution Measurements in Linear-Electric- Field Time-of-Flight Telescopes
Linear-electric-field time-of-flight (LEF TOF) analyzers are useful for space applications of mass spectrometry. Particles pass through a thin Carbon foil and enter the analyzer with one of several charge states, typically different than that of the incident ion. High mass resolution (m/Δ m~ 100) is obtained for positive charge states whose isochronous flight times are not dependent on the particle's energy, while low mass resolution (m/Δ m~ 10) is recorded for charge states that travel straight through the analyzer and are affected by collisional scattering when passing through the Carbon foil. When the flight times of different masses and charge states are recorded by the same anode, it is sometimes difficult to extract the lower-count-rate isochronous measurements. We present a technique for overcoming this issue using a modified instrument geometry combined with a novel position-sensitive detector. This modified geometry of a cylindrically symmetric LEF TOF analyzer has inner electrostatic rings, which focus secondary electrons created by isochronous ion impact. Electrons are guided toward the central area of a position-sensitive serpentine delay line anode, and position and flight time information are processed by a time-to-digital converter in a field-programmable-gate-array chip. Neutrals and negative ions will impact the anode in regions other than the center, and can be separated out by their position. Using these advanced electronics with the modified design, the high-resolution measurement can be extracted from the data as a focused peak at the center of the anode, providing improved measurements without an increase in the instrument size. We report the results from simulations and laboratory measurements used to experimentally confirm the expected performance of this design.
SM11B-1602
The Gamma-Ray Imager/Polarimeter for Solar Flares (GRIPS)
The new balloon-borne Gamma-Ray Imager/Polarimeter for Solar flares (GRIPS) instrument will provide a near-optimal combination of high-resolution imaging, spectroscopy, and polarimetry of solar-flare gamma-ray/hard X-ray emissions from ~20 keV to >~10 MeV. The spectrometer/polarimeter consists of sixteen 3D position-sensitive germanium detectors (3D-GeDs), where each energy deposition is individually recorded with an energy resolution of a few keV FWHM and a spatial resolution to within <0.1 mm3. Imaging is accomplished by a single multi-pitch rotating modulator (MPRM), a 2-cm thick tungsten grid with pitches that range quasi-continuously from 1 to 13 mm. With the MPRM situated 8 meters from the spectrometer, this instrument will provide excellent image quality and unparalleled angular resolution at gamma-ray energies (12.5 arcsec FWHM), sufficient to separate the 2.2 MeV footpoint sources for almost all flares. Polarimetry is accomplished by analyzing the anisotropy of reconstructed Compton scattering in the 3D-GeDs (i.e. as an active scatterer), with an estimated minimum detectable polarization of a few percent at 150--650 keV in an X-class flare. GRIPS will address questions relevant to particle acceleration and energy release that have been raised by recent solar flare observations, such as: What causes the spatial separation between energetic electron producing hard X-rays and energetic ions producing gamma-ray lines? How anisotropic are the accelerated electrons, and why do relativistic electron dominate in the corona? How does the composition of accelerated and ambient material vary with space and time, and why?
SM11B-1603
Development of a Low-energy Ion Mass Spectrometer for Inner Magnetospheric Research
It has been known that the Earth's inner magnetosphere is the region where energetic particles of a wide range of energies from a few eV to about 10 MeV coexist and it changes dynamically with geomagnetic storm, the massive energy release phenomena. However, processes of energetic particle acceleration, transports, and losses are not fully understood. In order to understand energetic particle dynamics in the inner magnetosphere, it is highly desired to observe particles with energies from a few eV up to a few hundreds of keV without any unobserved energy gaps and to separate dominant ions-H+, He+, O+, and so on. In spite of such importance, most observations of the low energy ions get significant amount of background noise due to large fluxes of high-energy particles in the inner magnetosphere. Our purpose is to develop a low-energy ion instrument which can reduce the effects of high-energy particles to obtain accurate data. A combination of an electrostatic analyzer and a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer provides energy-per-charge (E/q), velocity (V), and then, mass-per-charge (M/q). We designed an electrostatic analyzer which measures ions from 10 eV/q up to 25 keV/q with energy resolution of 15%, angular resolution of 22.5 degrees, and g-factor of 10-2cm2 sr keV/keV. In order to reduce the background noise due to high-energy particles, following points are considered: 1) a double-coincidence technique with TOF method, 2) minimization of anode areal size of a detector (MCP), and 3) thickening the electrode/chassis as a shield. TOF requires two signals, generated by an incident particle itself and secondary electrons emitted from an ultra-thin foil at a passage of the incident particle. Trajectories of the secondary electrons can easily be deflected by a static electric field inside the sensor, since their energies at the generation are rather small (typically less than 10eV). In our design, axis-asymmetric positioning of electrodes (i.e., non-zero electric field in azimuthal direction inside the sensor) is a key element to get the focusing area on the MCP surface for the secondary electron trajectories. Using this axis- asymmetric effect, the secondary electrons are collected in a small area (0.35cm2/22.5deg) in contrast to those of incident particles (3.6cm2/22.5deg) without losing angular resolutions. Combining the above points, the noise count rate due to high energy particles can be reduced to two orders of magnitude lower than expected count rate of target (not noise) particles. We propose this instrument for low energy ion measurements in the inner magnetosphere.
SM11B-1604
GreenCube: A Student Multiple Small Payload Project: A First Step
Based on the CubeSat Project, which is a small satellite prototype established by CalPoly and Stanford
Universities, Dartmouth College undergraduates have built a prototype 10cm x 10 cm x 30cm payload,
dubbed GreenCube. The prototype consists of a number of subsystems: a data acquisition and analysis
computer, power source and regulatory circuits, telemetry, GPS, and instruments. The on-board instruments
are a magnetometer and 6 thermocouples that are stand-ins for future devices. The telemetry system alone,
acting as a simple beacon, was flown on a 30km bursting-balloon in early June 2008. The beacon signal,
which we successfully monitored for the entire flight, transmitted temperature readings from a built-in
temperature sensor. We also successfully recovered the payload after a parachute return. The June flight
served as a trial run of our balloon team and payload systems, and future flights are planned to test the full
payload.
Our long-term science goals take two forms. The GreenCube prototype will be applicable as an instrument
platform for auroral sounding rockets and for future CubeSat missions. We are interested in a sounding
rocket involving the release of approximately 8 small sub-payloads from a main payload to be flown from
Poker Flat Alaska. Each sub-payload would be untethered and independent from the main payload and
communicate independently to the ground station. This type of mission would investigate the k-spectrum of
density irregularities in the auroral ionosphere, for which we will substitute plasma density probes for the
thermocouples. Before flying the small payloads on a sounding rocket, though, our next step will be to launch
the entire GreenCube payload on a balloon and then from a student test rocket within the next two years.
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~aurora/greencube.html
SM11B-1605
Design and Implementation of a Low-cost FPGA Based Delay Line Detector
Electron spectrometers use a variety of techniques to determine where the amplified electron cloud falls onto
a collecting surface. One traditional method divides the collecting surface into sectors and uses a single
detector for each sector. However, as the angular and spatial resolution increases, so to do the number of
detectors. Thus there is an overall increase in power consumption, cost, and weight of the detector system.
An alternative approach connects each sector with a delay line and uses a pair of detectors (e.g., one at
each end of the chain). To date, this technique has been implemented using Application Specific Integrated
Circuits (ASICs) which are expensive to manufacture and have a long lead-time. In this paper, we report on
the implementation and testing of a delay line detector using a low-cost Xilinx FPGA. Our technique is
scalable to large sector numbers with very little impact on the system cost, mass, or power dissipation. The
specifics of both a nine and ten sector delay system will be discussed, together with potential satellite and
rocket flight applications.
http://siena-space.org/
SM11B-1606
Estimation of the Antenna Impedance of the Sensors aboard Scientific Spacecrafts
It is not easy to know the impedance of electric field sensors aboard scientific spacecrafts because it drastically changes depending on the circumstances around the spacecraft. In this paper we estimated the impedance of wire antennas for wave measurements aboard GEOTAIL. The waveform of electric field can be calculated from the magnetic field waveform at the same time using the refractive indices, the permittivities and the directions of the k-vectors, under the assumption of cold plasmas. We used the waveforms of chorus emissions observed by WFC and detected the dependency of the impedance on the spin of the spacecraft.
SM11B-1607
netPICOMAG: a low-cost turn-key magnetometer for aurora detection
Previous work on development of a compact, low-cost, fluxgate magnetometer, dubbed PICOMAG, yielded a 1-nanotesla resolution, 1-second cadence instrument, suitable for research or teaching solar/terrestrial physics. With a low-cost magnetic instrument and the wider availability of Internet connectivity in the auroral zone (of Canada for example), the potential exists to fill gaps in spatial coverage that still plague auroral geomagnetic research. Thus, the ability to widely distribute accurate, low cost magnetometers was the motivating factor to develop PICOMAG. NetPICOMAG was developed in the effort to refine PICOMAG into a turn-key magnetometer data collection system that is self contained, simple to install and requires zero-maintenance. Once the unit is placed in the ground and connected to the Internet, it locks onto a GPS time signal and begins to transmit magnetic field measurements back to a central data repository, where it is archived, processed and plotted for public viewing via the World Wide Web. It is envisaged (among many other uses) that science teachers can use real scientific data provided by netPICOMAG in teaching the interactions between the sun and the Earth's magnetic field, manifesting itself in the phenomenon known as the northern lights. As such, netPICOMAG can be aptly described and is being promoted as an aurora detector. The netPICOMAG unit is based around three spatially oriented Speake and Company FGM-3/3h series magnetic field sensors that each emit a pulse stream whose frequency is related to the magnetic field along these three axes, and is nearly linearly related to magnetic field perturbations relevant to auroral studies. The individual pulse frequencies are measured by two PIC18F252 programmable microcontrollers. The measurements are combined with a GPS timestamp from a Garmin GPS 18 LVC GPS receiver, and transmitted as plain text as UDP datagrams by a Rabbit Semiconductor RCM4010 8-bit, networked microcontroller module. The self-contained magnetometer unit is encased in a weatherproof 4-inch diameter 3-foot long ABS pipe. It receives power and network over a category 5e cable using a Power-over-Ethernet transmitter/receiver units, permitting it to be stationed as far as 300 feet away from a network access port.
SM11B-1608
Time of Flight, Delay Line Position, Energy, and Random Valid Event Foreground Background Logic, ASICs Based Microtechnologies and Methods for Space Particle Instruments
Space particle instruments fall in the general category of nuclear instrumentation and have a history parallel to the start of the space age. The accumulated knowledge on space particle distributions cover earth's and planetary environments from the ionosphere, plasma sphere, radiation belts, magnetosphere and magnetotail, sheaths, shocks and the solar wind. Some general properties of the particle distributions are: (a) huge energy dynamic range from few eV in the plasma spheres and solar wind to hundreds of MeVs in radiation belts and solar events, (b) huge flux dynamic ranges, (c ) quasi Maxwellian distributions in the low energies up to ~10KeV and dynamic power laws in the tails, (d) quasi uniform 4-pi distributions or very directional beam like (electrons), (e) strong proton dominated, (f) fine ion composition requirements in the strong proton-electron presence such as He, CNO, Fe and in some cases isotopes. Standard instrument types covering these general distributional are: Plasma instruments with ESA/TOF sensors from eV up to ~40KeV, energetic particle with TOF/SSDs in the energy range 10KeV to 10MeV, Energetic Neutral Atoms with TOF/SSD/2D position, and stacked SSDs in the energy range up to hundreds of MeV. All the above instrument categories have to deal with huge energy and flux dynamic range, directionality and composition of Pericles in the presence of strong energetic particle backgrounds. This work presents a set of advanced ASICs based micro technologies that deal in an integral way with the fundamental measurements of time of flight in the range of 0-1μs with resolutions <50ps using the TOF chip, energy with few KeV resolution in the range 1KeV to 100MeV with the multi-channel SSD Energy chip, delay line 1D/2D position with discrete LC delay lines and the TOF chip, valid event logic for random distributions and optional single/double/triple coincidence. The technologies have and inherent selectable trade off between power dissipation, resolution and counting rates and finally mass reduction. The presentation is in the context of energetic particle instruments, ENA imagers and plasma instruments flown or baselined on several NASA missions withJHU/APL leadership or participation, such as CASSINI, IMAGE, MESSENGER, NH/PLUTO, RBSP, MMS, JUNO
SM11B-1609
Test of the Angle Detecting Inclined Sensor (ADIS) Technique for Measuring Space Radiation
In February 2008 we exposed an Angle Detecting Inclined Sensor (ADIS) prototype to beams of 150 MeV/u 78Kr and fragments at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory's (NSCL) Coupled Cyclotron Facility (CCF). ADIS is a highly innovative and uniquely simple detector configuration used to determine the angles of incidence of heavy ions in energetic charged particle instruments. Corrections for angle of incidence are required for good charge and mass separation. An ADIS instrument is under development to fly on the GOES-R series of weather satellites. The prototype tested consisted of three ADIS detectors, two of which were inclined at an angle to the telescope axis, forming the initial detectors in a five-detector telescope stack. By comparing the signals from the ADIS detectors, the angle of incidence may be determined and a pathlength correction applied to charge and mass determinations. Thus, ADIS replaces complex position sensing detectors with a system of simple, reliable and robust Si detectors. Accelerator data were taken at multiple angles to both primary and secondary beams with a spread of energies. This test instrument represents an improvement over the previous ADIS prototype in that it used oval inclined detectors and a much lower-mass support structure, thus reducing the number of events passing through dead material. We will present the results of this test. The ADIS instrument development project was partially funded by NASA under the Living With a Star (LWS) Targeted Research and Technology program (grant NAG5-12493).
SM11B-1610
The Kiel suprathermal ion calibration facility - current status and next steps
The University of Kiel is establishing a suprathermal ion calibration facility. One of the main purposes of this facility is the calibration of space instrumentation for the solar wind and suprathermal particles, especially on Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe. The heart of the Kiel facility is a tunable 11 GHz (9-14 GHz) Electron- Cyclotron-Resonance-Ion-Source (ECRIS). A 90-degree sector magnet selects the m/q ratio of the ion-beam, before the ions are electrostatically accelerated to energies up to 450keV/q, which equals energies of suprathermal solar particles. Other important beam parameters (beside the m/q-ratio and the energy) are beam current and profile, which are measured with a Faraday Cup (FC) and with a FC-Array respectively, allowing high resolution in current and position measurement. We are currently optimizing the source to increase beam current and the highest achievable charge states. Here we report on the current status of the facilities and the plans for the immediate future
SM11B-1611
Determination of Magnetometer Zero Levels in Low-Field Regions Within a Magnetosphere
The in-flight determination of magnetometer zero levels is an important step of the overall calibration procedure, especially if the field to be measured is weak. In low- field regions within a magnetosphere the precision of magnetic field models is insufficient for calibration purposes. If a magnetometer has erroneous zero levels a pure change of the field magnitude becomes a change of field magnitude plus a change of the direction of the field. We present a novel new automated technique that searches for data intervals that contain pure changes of the field magnitude by using a set of sophisticated selection criteria. Directional changes are then removed from the selected data intervals via adjustment of zero levels. We further present results of the application of our technique using THEMIS magnetic field data along with various cross validations and estimates of error.
SM11B-1612
Self-Organized Maps in Scientific Data Analysis
The Thermal Ion Dynamics Experiment (TIDE) investigates low energy (0.1 - 450 eV) plasma in the Earth's
magnetosphere, especially in the polar regions. It is part of NASA's larger Polar mission.
After six months in orbit it became necessary for TIDE to operate in a mode that did not directly provide mass
discrimination. However, in this mode, energy-time and spin-time spectrograms of differential ion flux were
routinely available. The number of peaks in the energy-time spectrograms relates to the composition of the
plasma. Kohonen self-organized maps (SOMs,) a type of neural network, are particularly suited to this
problem due to the amount of data that needs to be analyzed and the algorithm's ability to find patterns within
data. The algorithm leads to clustering of similar data points on the map. Ultimately, the location of the input
data point on the map allows for determination of how many peaks the data point contains, and thus the
composition of the plasma at that time. The SOM correctly classified 99% of the input data, making it a viable
solution to the problem. Further research is planned, namely the possibility of extending this concept to
investigate energetic neural atom (ENA) images in order to determine the source of these atoms.
http://siena-space.org/
SM11B-1613
Advanced Regularization Methods for Plasma and Wave Data Analysis in Solar Wind, Magnetosphere and Ionosphere Studies
In a majority of cases the process of identification of the composition of plasma turbulence, non-linear processes and interpretation of ground-based observations involves dealing with ill-posed problems. Advanced regularization techniques to solve such problems are presented. It is demonstrated how the proposed methods give a greater insight into the ionospheric and magnetospheric dynamical processes in comparison with standard methods and allow a comprehensive validation of theoretical models.
SM11B-1614
Analysis of Three-Spacecraft Data Using Planar Reciprocal Vectors
Multi-point analysis methods have been developed for multi-spacecraft missions such as ESA's Cluster, NASA's THEMIS or the upcoming Crosscale designed to study structures such as gradients, shocks, or waves. Although four is the minimum number of resolve fully the spatio-temporal ambiguity, data is sometimes available only at three spacecraft. In this work we demonstrate the use and applicability of planar reciprocal vectors for three-point analysis. We construct robust linear estimators that can fully resolve structures of interest in the three-spacecraft plane. For reconstructing the structure component normal to the three- spacecraft plane, we employ additional assumptions or physical constraints, such as stationarity or the magnetostatic case. We have previously shown that the mathematical framework, based on a least-squares minimization problem, is the same for several classes of applications, such as gradient estimation, wave vector identification, or boundary crossing times. The validation of our method targeted gradient estimations of the magnetic field using simulated Harris sheet structures and data from the Fluxgate Magnetometer (FGM) experiment on Cluster. The FGM is operational on all four spacecraft and thus provides a good comparison between the four- and three-spacecraft techniques. Results indicate the expected robust behavior of the estimate of the gradient component in the three-spacecraft plane for both the simulated and the real data. Estimates of the normal gradient components using different physical constraints and assumptions are promising, although a greater sensibility to the field variability characteristics is observed in this case. We envision applying our technique also for estimating gradients of scalar fields such as pressure measured with the Cluster Ion Spectrometry (CIS) experiment, which operates on only three of the four Cluster spacecraft. Future work includes generalizing the mathematical framework of this technique to wave- vector estimation applications.
SM11B-1615
An Automated Procedure For Determining Quiet Daily Geomagnetic Variations
We present a new automated procedure for determination of the undisturbed daily variations of the magnetic field observed by ground based magnetometers. The method determines the quiet day variations in two steps: 1) A determination of the yearly trend. and 2) a determination of the daily variations. Both steps utilizes a sliding window and bins data according to magnitude and a typical value is determined. The window size is adjusted according to the variability of the data. The technique is validated by the use of data from published quiet days and our automated quiet day curve. The full-width-at-half-max (FWHM) of this difference strongly depends on the magnetic latitude. We find that below 60 degrees magnetic latitude the FWHM for the N/E/Z component is ~15/8/7 nT respectively. This paper explains the method, discusses the validation and shows results from individual stations as well as the statistics from >150 stations.
SM11B-1616
Compton Getting Correction for STEREO SEPT
STEREO was launched on October 25, 2006. The Solar Electron and Proton Telescope (SEPT) consists of two dual double-ended magnetic/foil particle telescopes: SEPT-E in the ecliptic plane and SEPT-NS perpendicular to the ecliptic plane. This setup provides four looking directions for each spacecraft: one looking to the Sun along the nominal Parker spiral 45 degrees west from the spacecraft-Sun line, another looking along the Parker spiral but in the anti-solar direction, and two additional apertures looking North and South in a plane perpendicular to the ecliptic. The nominal energy range is 70 keV to 6.5 MeV for ions, mainly protons and helium, and 30-400 keV for electrons. Since the velocity of several 10 keV protons and helium is of the same magnitude as the solar wind speed, an isotropic pitch angle distribution in the solar wind frame is expected to become anisotropic in the spacecraft frame. This is the so-called Compton Getting effect. This effect is negligible for electrons in the observed energy range due to their high speeds. Based on the work of Ipavich (1974) we developed a method to correct the SEPT ion data accordingly. As SEPT cannot resolve elements, the method is also designed to account for helium contribution. We will show that the data can be transformed successfully and apply the method to a number of selected CIR events.
SM11B-1617
Helioviewer: A Web 2.0 Tool for Visualizing Heterogeneous Heliophysics Data
Solar physics datasets are becoming larger, richer, more numerous and more distributed. Feature/event catalogs (describing objects of interest in the original data) are becoming important tools in navigating these data. In the wake of this increasing influx of data and catalogs there has been a growing need for highly sophisticated tools for accessing and visualizing this wealth of information. Helioviewer is a novel tool for integrating and visualizing disparate sources of solar and Heliophysics data. Taking advantage of the newly available power of modern web application frameworks, Helioviewer merges image and feature catalog data, and provides for Heliophysics data a familiar interface not unlike Google Maps™ or MapQuest™. In addition to streamlining the process of combining heterogeneous Heliophysics datatypes such as full-disk images and coronagraphs, the inclusion of visual representations of automated and human-annotated features provides the user with an integrated and intuitive view of how different factors may be interacting on the Sun. Currently, Helioviewer offers images from The Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT), The Large Angle and Spectrometric COronagraph experiment (LASCO) and the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) instruments onboard The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), as well as The Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE). Helioviewer also incorporates feature/event information from the LASCO CME List, NOAA Active Regions, CACTus CME and Type II Radio Bursts feature/event catalogs. The project is undergoing continuous development with many more data sources and additional functionality planned for the near future.
SM11B-1618
Extending the Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO) to Incorporate Data Analysis Capabilities (III)
We will present a progress report on our activities to extend the data analysis capabilities of the VSO. Our efforts to date have focused on three areas: 1. Extending the data retrieval capabilities by developing a centralized data processing server. The server is built with Java, IDL (Interactive Data Language), and the SSW (Solar SoftWare) package with all SSW-related instrument libraries and required calibration data. When a user requests VSO data that requires preprocessing, the data are transparently sent to the server, processed, and returned to the user's IDL session for viewing and analysis. It is possible to have any Java or IDL client connect to the server. An IDL prototype for preparing and calibrating SOHO/EIT data wll be demonstrated. 2. Improving the solar data search in SHOW SYNOP, a graphical user tool connected to VSO in IDL. We introduce the Java-IDL interface that allows a flexible dynamic, and extendable way of searching the VSO, where all the communication with VSO are managed dynamically by standard Java tools. 3. Improving image overlay capability to support coregistration of solar disk observations obtained from different orbital view angles, position angles, and distances - such as from the twin STEREO spacecraft.
SM11B-1619
Developing a Heliophysics Event Knowledgebase for Solar Dynamics Observatory
The Solar Dynamics Observatory will generated over 2 petabytes of imagery in its 5 year mission. In order to
improve scientific productivity and to reduce system requirements , we have developed a system for data
markup to identify –interesting" datasets and direct scientists to them through an event-based querying
system. The SDO Heliophysics Event Knowledgebase (HEK) will enable caching of commonly accessed
datasets within the Joint Science Operations Center (JSOC) and reduces the (human) time spent searching
for and downloading relevant data. We present an overview of our HEK including the ingestion of images,
automated and manual tools for identifying and annotation features within the images, and interfaces and
webtools for querying and accessing events and their associated data.
http://www.lmsal.com/helio-
informatcs/hpkb
SM11B-1620
Science Studies from Archived Observations
Goals for spaceflight investigations include the discovery and characterization of physical features of the in- situ and remote environment. Abundant successes of flight investigations are easily documented. Prudent scientific practice dictates that to the maximum extent possible, observations should be well-characterized, reliably catalogued, and knowledgeably interpreted. This is especially true of data sets used in the publication of results in the reviewed literature. Typical scientific standards include making primary data numbers available to other investigators for replicated study. While NASA's contracts with investigators have required that data be submitted to agency official archives, the details, completeness (especially of ancillary and metadata) and forms differ from investigation to investigation and project to project. After several generations of improvements and refinements, modern computing and communications technology makes it possible to link multiple data sets at multiple locations through a unified data model. Virtual Observatories provide the overall organizational structures and SPASE-compliant XML defines the data granules that can be located. Proofs of the feasibility and value of this latest approach remain to be seen, but its ultimate goal of improving archival research using flight-derived data sets appears to depend on user acceptance and efficient use of the VxO resources. Criteria based on the authors experience in science derived from archival sources follow: 1. Interfaces and tools must be easy to learn, easy to use, and reliable. 2. Data numbers must be promptly downloadable in plain text. 3. Data must be available in or readily converted to physical units using calibrations and algorithms easily traceable as part of the search. Knowledge about (or heritage of) specific data items present in the science literature must be associated with the search for that item. 4. Data items must be trustworthy, having quoted uncertainties and available history where versioning has occurred. While these are challenging criteria to meet—especially in succinct form—the use of archival data for valid science publication requires that these criteria are achieved. The full presentation will illustrate and expand on these criteria.
SM11B-1621
Integration of ICME event lists for the Virtual Heliospheric Observatory
This project involves combining lists of ICMEs from the literature into a searchable catalog within the Virtual Heliospheric Observatory. In general, the boundaries of individual ICMEs are not well determined and different methods often yield different boundaries for a given ICME. This catalog will facilitate in-depth comparisons between these different methods, and may, in turn, improve the determination of ICME boundaries. We will include associated CMEs when they have been identified, as well as solar phenomena such as flares and dimmings. In addition, we will provide lists of typical ICME signatures, such as times of depressed temperature or enhanced composition. We will present the progress so far and solicit input into what the eventual interface should contain.
SM11B-1622
STEREO-SECCHI Synoptic Map Based Data Browser
Synoptic maps are built by piling up circular profiles of coronagraph images: the x axis is the time and the y axis is the polar angle. These maps are a powerful tool to visualize the coronal activity along time and localize features such as streamers and CMEs. They have been used for example by Boursier et al. (2006) to detect CMEs in SOHO-LASCO data. In this poster we show how these maps are an effective way to browse the STEREO-SECCHI data. This browser is available on the NRL SECCHI web site at http://secchi.nrl.navy.mil/.
SM11B-1623
SORCE Solar Irradiance Data Products
The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado manages the SOlar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) Science Data System. This data processing system routinely produces Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) and Spectral Solar Irradiance (SSI) data products, which are formulated using measurements from the four primary instruments on board the SORCE spacecraft. The TIM instrument provides measurements of the TSI, whereas the SIM, SOLSTICE, and XPS instruments collectively provide measurements of the solar irradiance spectrum from 1 nm to 2400 nm (excluding 31-115 nm, which is measured by the SEE instrument on NASA's TIMED mission). Derived products, such as the Magnesium II Core-to-Wing Index which can be used for space weather applications, are also produced. The SORCE Science Data System utilizes raw spacecraft and instrument telemetry, calibration data, and other ancillary information to produce a variety of solar irradiance data products that have been corrected for all known instrumental and operational factors. Since launch of the SORCE spacecraft in January 2003, science processing algorithms have continued to mature, instrument calibrations (e.g. degradation corrections) have improved, and regularly updated versions of data products have been released. "Level 3" data products (time-averaged over daily and six-hourly periods and/or spectrally re-sampled onto uniform wavelength scales) are routinely produced and delivered to the public via the SORCE web site (http://lasp.colorado.edu/sorce/data/), and are archived at the Goddard Earth Sciences (GES) Data and Information Services Center (DISC). Native resolution "Level 2" products are also available for scientific studies. This poster provides an overview of the SORCE data processing system, summarizes the present state of the processing algorithms, describes the quality of the current SORCE data products, provides details on how to access SORCE science data, and presents future plans.
SM11B-1624
3D Visualization of Solar Disk:
During 2002 and 2003, MARIE (Martian Radiation Environment Experiment) instrument onboard the 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft provided some unique data from the Martian orbit. The orbit alignment of Mars- Sun-Earth provided an opportunity between 180° (August 2002) and 0° (October 2003). During this time, the MARIE data included the background GCR (Galactic Cosmic Rays) and several SPE (Solar Particle Events) enhanced radiation dose-rate measurements at Mars. Nearly 40 times increase in the quiet- time GCR dose-rate was noted from 25 mrad/day to nearly 1000 mrad/day at Mars. Understanding the active regions on the Sun that are likely to result into SPE on the far side will also be of concern for future deep space explorations beyond LEO. We present our approach in depicting SPE with 3D visualization of solar disks facing Mars and Earth. We present the assessment of SPE activity between 2003 and 2008 towards Mars along with an estimated dose-rate during an SPE at Mars along with heliosphere distribution.
SM11B-1625
Optimizing Coronal and Solar Wind Model Inputs with Data Assimilation
The Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) model uses line-of-sight observations of the Sun's surface magnetic field as input to a magnetostatic potential field source surface (PFSS) model of coronal expansion, which is in turn used to determine the ambient solar wind speed and IMF polarity. Despite its relative simplicity, the WSA does a very reasonable job of predicting large-scale, persistent structures in the solar wind. In fact, in the absence of transient events like coronal mass ejections (CMEs), the primary error source for WSA predictions often appears to be related to errors in its solar magnetogram inputs. We employ a data assimilation scheme that augments the usual model state vector with variables that modify the WSA's magnetogram inputs in a manner that minimizes WSA prediction errors when compared to in situ measurements.
SM11B-1626
Image Processing for the Study of CMEs
Solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are spectacular eruptions of plasma and magnetic fields that drive space weather in the near-Earth environment. Despite nearly thirty years of study, the basic physics that expels these plasma clouds into the solar system is still not well understood. We present advanced image processing methods we are developing to extract the evolving morphology and kinematics of CMEs and to compare these results with as yet unconfirmed predictions of theory.
SM11B-1627
Generation of a Solar Cycle of Sunspot Metadata Using the AIA Event Detection Framework - A Test of the System
The soon-to-be-launched Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) will generate roughly 2 TB of image data per
day, far more than previous solar missions. Because of the difficulty of widely distributing this enormous
volume of data and in order to maximize discovery and scientific return, a sophisticated automated metadata
extraction system is being developed at Stanford University and Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics
Laboratory in Palo Alto, CA. A key component in this system is the Event Detection System, which will
supervise the execution of a set of feature and event extraction algorithms running in parallel, in real time, on
all images recorded by the four telescopes of the key imaging instrument, the Atmospheric Imaging
Assembly (AIA). The system will run on a beowulf cluster of 160 processors.
As a test of the new system, we will run feature extraction software developed under the European Grid of
Solar Observatories (EGSO) program to extract sunspot metadata from the 12 year SOHO MDI mission
archive of full disk continuum and magnetogram images and also from the TRACE high resolution image
archive. Although the main goal will be to test the performance of the production line framework, the
resulting database will have applications for both research and space weather prediction. We examine some
of these applications and compare the databases generated with others currently available.
http://www.helio-informatics.org
SM11B-1628
Effects of non-ideal biased grids on geophysical parameters obtained from RPA data
The use of biased grids as energy filters for charged particles has been a common practice in satellite-borne instruments such as the retarding potential analyzer (RPA). It has been shown previously that the use of biased grids in such instruments creates a non-uniform potential in the grid plane, which leads to errors in inferred geophysical parameters including velocity, temperature, and composition. A simulation of ion interactions with a number of configurations of biased grids has been developed using a commercial finite- element analysis software package. Using a statistical approach, the simulation calculates collected flux from Maxwellian ion distributions with 3D drift relative to the instrument. Perturbations in the performance of flight instrumentation relative to expectations from the idealized RPA flux equation are discussed. Both single-grid and double-grid systems are modeled to investigate design considerations. Relative errors in the inferred parameters are characterized as functions of ion composition, temperature, and drift velocity.
SM11B-1629
The DSLP Langmuir Probe Experiment Onboard Proba2: Scientific Objectives and Description
The Dual Segmented Langmuir Probe (DSLP) experiment on Proba-2 satellite of the European Space Agency is designed for measurements of the plasma parameters such as electron density and temperature and in case of known ion composition also ion density. The instrument is a successor of the DEMETER ISL ("Instrument Sonde de Langmuir") experiment, where segmented Langmuir probe concept has been introduced. DSLP uses two identical spherical sensors. Each sensor has seven disc shaped segments and the rest of the spherical sensor, denominated as guard. All of them are mutually independent. The sensors are mounted on opposite corners of a deployable solar panel in a more than one meter distance. The instrument can perform measurements in five different modes. Basic mode measures an I/V curve, from which the electron properties can be computed. This can be processed on all the segments simultaneously to obtain different data sets in respect to plasma flow direction. The I/V curve is given by a current flow through a sensor segment in case of applied sweep voltage. The sweep voltage value can be set up in respect to satellite ground or second sensor. DSLP also measures potential on each sensor either in respect to the satellite or in respect to each other. The description of the DSLP instrument and its parameters is provided.
SM11B-1630
Error Sources for Velocity Moments Obtained by Imaging Ion Spectrographs
Imaging ion spectrography is a unique method of producing two-dimensional maps of low-energy (<20 eV) ion distribution functions. It was first tested in the Freja Cold Plasma Analyzer, following which a new, CCD- based detector scheme was developed to allow very high resolution in space, time, and velocity space. The Suprathermal Ion Imager has since flown successfully five times including on the GEODESIC, Cusp, JOULE and Japanese S-520-23 sounding rocket missions, demonstrating its ability to make very sensitive measurements of 2-D bulk ion flow (tens of m/s) at rates of over 100 vectors per second. As the technique becomes more widespread, it is necessary that the devices not only be reliable, but also that the data reduction techniques be accurate and robust. We have undertaken a detailed analysis of sources of error in velocity and temperature measurements from CCD imaging spectrographs, specifically the Canadian Electric Field Instrument that will be flown on each of the three Swarm satellites in 2010. The main sources of error come from uncertainties in the instrument transfer functions, the sensor-to-plasma potential difference, particle Poisson noise, and galactic cosmic ray events. We discuss also the challenge of calibrating the instruments with the aid of computer simulations, and the merits and limitations of on-ground and in-flight calibration strategies.
SM11B-1631
The RAIDS Experiment on the ISS
The Remote Atmospheric and Ionospheric Detection System (RAIDS) is a suite of three photometers, three
spectrometers, and two spectrographs which span the wavelength range 50--874~nm and remotely sense
the thermosphere and ionosphere by scanning and imaging the limb. RAIDS was originally designed, built,
delivered, and integrated onto a NOAA TIROS satellite in 1992. After a series of unfruitful flight
opportunities, RAIDS is now manifested to fly on the Japanese Experiment Module—Exposed Facility (JEM-
EF) aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in September 2009. RAIDS along with a companion
hyperspectal imaging experiment will serve as the first US payload on the JEM-EF.
The RAIDS mission objectives have been re-examined and refocused since its original flight opportunity to
accommodate the lower ISS orbit and to account for recent scientific progress . Over the last year RAIDS has
undergone a fast-paced hardware modification program to prepare for the ISS mission. The scientific
objectives of the new RAIDS experiment are to study the temperature of the lower thermosphere (100–200
km), to measure composition and chemistry of the lower thermosphere and ionosphere, and to measure the
initial source of OII~83.4~nm emission. RAIDS will provide valuable data useful for exploring tidal effects in
the thermosphere and ionosphere system, validating dayside ionospheric remote sensing methods, and
studying local time variations in important chemical and thermal processes.
http://www.nrl.navy.mil/tira/Projects/raids
SM11B-1632
ISR spectral analysis in regions of highly variable ion composition
Incoherent scatter radar (ISR) is a powerful remote sensing tool for probing the high-latitude ionosphere. Spectral analysis of radio waves scattered from the ionosphere allows for the simultaneous determination of several important plasma state parameters as a function of range. In almost all cases, the relative concentrations of molecular and atomic ions must be assumed in order to extract ion and electron temperatures from the spectra. However, theoretical models have shown that strong electric fields change ion composition dramatically in the F-layer due to enhanced frictional heating which affects chemical reaction rates. Thus, assumptions made in ISR spectral analysis are readily violated in regions where electric fields are strong, as is expected in the vicinity of auroral arcs. This study investigates the magnitude and occurrence frequency of inaccuracies in ISR analysis resulting from incorrect assumptions about ion composition. Basic spatial and temporal characteristics of ion composition changes induced by electric fields are first reviewed using a physics-based ionospheric model. This model is then used in tandem with data from the Sondrestrom ISR to infer cases of inconsistency in the observed ion temperature profiles and electric fields. It is demonstrated that this inconsistency may be mostly resolved by adopting the modeled composition in the ISR spectral analysis. A determination of the relative importance of these severe composition changes is evaluated from multiple ISR data sets and model simulations. The significance of this work is that it provides some quantitative information about a systematic source of error in ISR data analysis and provides some initial results towards a solution to the issue of variable ion composition in ISR data analysis.
SM11B-1633
Raw Data Analysis of PFISR NEIALs in Conjunction With High Resolution Auroral Imaging
Understanding NEIALs is important for interpreting ISR data. We present NEIAL observations from the PFISR radar, taken during February and March of 2008. PFISR was operated with one beam position, in order to maximize the time resolution (12 ms) of the raw voltage samples being recorded. In addition, high-resolution (12 x 16 deg FOV, 33 ms) auroral imagers were operated to locate the NEIAL observations within the context of the auroral fine structure present. The frequency of the returned power will be examined to determine any altitude dependence. The high-resolution raw radar data allow flexibility in choosing specific time intervals for integration, in order to maximize the SNR of the NEIALs. Four NEIAL events will be examined with both imager and radar data, to gain insight into the processes associated with their generation.
SM11B-1634
An Antarctic Incoherent Scatter Radar - The Next Big Step in Ground-based Solar-Terrestrial Research
An international workshop held in Chicago in August 2008, with support from the NSF, considered the opportunities and problems associated with establishing a new Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR), and related instrumentation, at high latitude in the southern hemisphere. Quasi-continuous ISR observations in the southern auroral oval and polar cap have huge potential for solar- terrestrial physics (STP) easily justifying the effort, and cost, of creating such a capability. The workshop identified two general locations, in the vicinity of the US station at McMurdo or the Australian station at Davis. Each site would have conjugate ties to existing northern hemisphere instrumentation, at Resolute Bay and Svalbard respectively, and each offers exciting and relevant scientific opportunities to both the research and service communities. In this poster we will present some of the main science drivers requiring the construction of a high latitude southern ISR as well indicating the differences between the studies which could be potentially conducted at the two locations. In addition to the strong and developing science case, we will also illustrate some early concepts for installation and management, the technological challenges, and a possible development timeline which could lead to the first ever availability of an Antarctic incoherent scatter radar even before the next solar maximum in four to five years' time.
SM11B-1635
Implications of tomographic reconstruction algorithms on instrumentation for observing the night time ionospheric air glow
Utah State University has been exploring the mission and instrument requirements for tomographic observations of ionospheric air glow. Such a mission would employ a rotating field of view photometer making line of sight measurements and using tomographic processes to produce a two dimensional cross section of the atmosphere. The implications of the spacecraft velocity, field of view, rotation rate, sampling rate and signal to noise effects on the resulting tomographic reconstruction quality are difficult to determine. The tomographic reconstruction method is based upon the natural pixel representation and a relatively fast implementation has been developed in both MatLab and C. In this formulation, image reconstruction requires solution of a large nonsparse set of equations involving a Grammian matrix whose elements depend upon the geometry of the orbit and region being imaged. We present detailed discussion of how to stably compute the elements of the Grammian matrix and an efficient algorithm for reconstructing the image from the projection weights. Results on simulated data indicating spatial resolution and contrast will be presented for various sensor parameters. Emphasis is placed on the possibility of observing equatorial plasma bubble signatures from a small satellite using 135.6 nm emissions from Oxygen ion recombination.