Collaborative Research: CubeSat: Ionosphere Thermosphere Scanning Photometer for Ion-Neutral Studies (IT-SPINS)

合作研究：CubeSat：用于离子中性研究的电离层热层扫描光度计 (IT-SPINS)

• 批准号: 1445477
• 负责人: Gary Bust
• 金额: $ 11.99万
• 依托单位: Johns Hopkins University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-08-15 至 2021-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1445477&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; CubeSat; Ionosphere; Thermosphere

This project is to design, develop, construct, operate and analyze the results of a spacecraft CubeSat mission named "Ionospheric-Thermospheric Scanning Photometer for Ion-Neutral Studies" (IT-SPINS). The ionosphere affects modern technologies such as civilian and military communications and navigation and surveillance systems. Reliable communication and navigation, therefore, often requires correction of the signals for effects imposed by the ionosphere. To do that the properties of the ionosphere, such as its variability with respect to magnetospheric disturbance, time of day, season of the year, and solar cycle variability must be well understood and modeled. The fundamental measurements of IT-SPINS are high-sensitivity line-of-sight observations of Ultra Violet nightglow radiance produced by the recombination of Oxygen ions with electrons in the upper ionosphere. IT-SPINS will rotate at two rotations per minute about the orbit normal and will acquire 60 radiance measurements per revolution. Observations from several rotations will then be combined in a tomographic inversion algorithm to produce two-dimensional altitude/in-track images of the emissions. In this way, IT-SPINS will provide the first-ever set of unambiguous, geographically-extended measurements of the Oxygen ion distributions within the nightside ionosphere. Specifically, IT-SPINS will provide crucial information on the ion gradient structures in the, so-called, Topside Transition Region, from approximately 500km to 1000km altitude, where a transition takes place in the plasma conditions from being dominated by Oxygen ions to being dominated by Hydrogen ions. Prior studies of the TTR have primarily used large incoherent scatter radars at only a few locations around the World. Consequently, a thorough climatological study of the TTR's dependence on latitude, local time, and solar and geomagnetic activity does not exist at present. Lacking fundamental understanding of the variability of the TTR and the detailed morphology of Oxygen ion distributions throughout the TTR is a critical limitation currently in our ability to accurately model and predict ionospheric variability. Beyond fundamental space weather objectives, the IT-SPINS project places a significant priority on experimental learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education at the university undergraduate level. Undergraduate students will participate in responsible roles on all aspects of the project. This provides the students with rare and valuable opportunities to learn and practice project management; systems engineering; engineering design, development and testing; and flight operations and data analysis skills through first-hand, project-based learning while being mentored by faculty and professional staff. In addition, through affiliation with the statewide Montana Space Grant Consortium (MSGC), the project will engage traditionally disadvantaged students at MSGC affiliated Tribal Colleges with IT-SPINS operational activities during the orbital phase. IT-SPINS can achieve compelling science results over a wide range of available orbit inclinations (40 degrees) and altitudes (500-700 km). This altitude range puts us at optimal viewing of the TTR above, and plasma structures below the satellite while ensuring a 25-year de-orbit criteria. The following primary and secondary science objectives and derived science questions are designed so that a subset of them can be addressed by IT-SPINS regardless of the satellite orbit it will be given. The primary science objective for the mission is to study the variability of the TTR and O+ altitude profiles. The following three questions will be addressed: 1) How does the altitude and thickness of the boundary between O+ dominated ionospheric physics and H+, He+ dominated plasmasphere physics vary as a function of magnetic L-shell, magnetic longitude, local time and geomagnetic activity? 2) How well do Geospace numerical models predict the observed variability of the TTR and O+ altitude profiles? 3) What is the importance of the charge exchange between O+ and neutral hydrogen to the TTR? Imaging the mesoscale structuring of equatorial plasma bubbles and polar cap patches constitutes a secondary science objective for the mission. The equatorial part of the secondary science objective can be addressed by both mid- and high inclination orbits, whereas the polar patch part can only be addressed for high inclination orbits (~70 degrees or higher).

该项目是为了设计，开发，构建，操作和分析一个名为“离子 - 中性研究的Ionspheric-inerpospheric扫描光度计”（IT-SPINS）的航天器立方体任务的结果。 电离层影响现代技术，例如平民和军事通信以及导航和监视系统。 因此，可靠的通信和导航通常需要校正信号，以确保电离层施加的效果。为此，必须充分了解和建模电离层的特性，例如其在磁层干扰，一天中的时间，一年的时间，一年的季节和太阳周期变异性方面的变异性。 IT旋转的基本测量是对氧气与电子上层中电子的重组产生的超紫罗兰色床上辐射的高度观察线观测。 IT旋转将以每分钟旋转两次旋转旋转，围绕轨道正常旋转，并将获得每次革命的60个辐射度测量。 然后，从多个旋转的观察结果将组合在层析成像倒置算法中，以产生排放的二维高度/轨道图像。 这样，IT旋转将提供有史以来第一组对夜间电离层中氧离子分布的明确的，地理上扩展的测量值。 具体而言，IT-Spins将提供有关所谓的，顶部过渡区域中离子梯度结构的关键信息，从约500公里到1000公里的高度，在等离子体条件下发生过渡，从被氧离子支配到由氢离子支配。先前对TTR的研究主要在世界各地的几个位置都使用了大型不连贯的散射雷达。因此，目前尚不存在对TTR对纬度，当地时间以及太阳能和地磁活动的依赖性的彻底气候研究。在整个TTR中缺乏对TTR的可变性以及氧离子分布的详细形态的基本了解是我们目前有能力准确建模和预测电离层变异性的关键限制。 除了基本的太空天气目标之外，IT-Spins项目还将大学本科生的科学，技术，工程和数学教育（STEM）教育方面的实验学习置于优先级。本科生将在项目的各个方面参与负责任的角色。 这为学生提供了学习和实践项目管理的罕见和宝贵的机会；系统工程；工程设计，开发和测试；以及通过第一手，基于项目的学习和教师和专业员工指导的飞行操作和数据分析技能。此外，通过与全州蒙大拿州太空赠款财团（MSGC）的隶属关系，该项目将在MSGC附属部落学院与传统上处于弱势群体的学生与IT-Spins Operations在轨道阶段进行操作。 IT旋转可以在广泛的可用轨道倾斜（40度）和高度（500-700 km）的范围内实现引人注目的科学结果。这个高度范围使我们在上面的TTR上进行了最佳观察，并在卫星下方的血浆结构，同时确保了25年的De-Orbit标准。设计了以下主要和二级科学目标以及衍生的科学问题，以便将其子集通过IT旋转来解决，而不管卫星轨道如何。该任务的主要科学目标是研究TTR和O+高度轮廓的变异性。 将解决以下三个问题：1）O+主导的电离层物理学和H+之间边界的高度和厚度如何，他+主导的质量质体物理学随着磁性L壳，磁性经度，局部时间和地磁活性而变化？ 2）地理空间数字模型如何预测TTR和O+高度轮廓的可变性？ 3）O+和中性氢与TTR之间的电荷交换的重要性是什么？ 成像赤道等离子体气泡和极性帽斑块的中尺度结构构成了该任务的二级科学目标。中等科学目标的赤道部分可以通过中和高倾斜轨道来解决，而极性斑点部分只能用于高倾斜轨道（〜70度或更高）。