New Synergistic Opportunities for Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Coupling Investigations Using Swarm and CASSIOPE e-pop

Transcription

1 New Synergistic Opportunities for Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Coupling Investigations Using Swarm and CASSIOPE e-pop Andrew W. Yau 1, R. Floberghagen 2, Leroy L. Cogger 1, Eelco N. Doornbos 3, Gregory A. Enno 1, Gauthier Hulot 4, H. Gordon James 1, David J. Knudsen 1, Richard B. Langley 5, David M. Miles 6, Nils Olsen 7, Claudia Stolle 8 1 University of Calgary 2 ESRIN 3 Delft University of Technology 4 Institute de Physique du Globe de Paris 5 University of New Brunswick 6 University of Alberta 7 Technical University of Denmark 8 GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences Fourth Swarm Science Meeting & Geodetic Missions Workshop March 20-24, 2017 Banff, Canada

2 Strong overlap in Magnetic Field and Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere (MIT) Coupling! 2 Swarm and e-pop: Mission Science Objectives Swarm [Friis-Christensen et al., 2008] e-pop [Yau and James, 2015] Earth s magnetic field and its temporal evolution with unprecedented accuracy Core dynamics, geo-dynamo processes, coremantle interaction Map lithospheric magnetization; its geological interpretation Determine 3-D electrical conductivity of the mantle Investigate electric currents in the magnetosphere and ionosphere Micro-scale plasma outflow, neutral escape in polar ionosphere; auroral currents, acceleration Topside ion upflow and acceleration Thermospheric heating and escape Auroral currents and acceleration Radio wave propagation Active ionospheric heating

3 Swarm and e-pop: Science Payloads Swarm e-pop RRI GAP SEI IRM CER FAI MGF NMS Absolute scalar magnetometer Laser reflector Fast Auroral Imager Magnetic Field Instrument Accelerometer Star trackers Imaging Rapid Mass spectrometer Radio Receiver Instrument GPS receiver/antenna Thermal ion imager Neutral Mass Spectrometer GPS Attitude, Radio Profiling Langmuir probe Vector magnetometer Suprathermal Electron Imager Coherent EM Radio Tomography 5 3

4 Swarm and e-pop: Mission Orbits Satellite Inclination I Altitude (km) Swarm A, C Swarm B e-pop I = LT/ t = 1 min/day e-pop/ Swarm B Conjunction e-pop/swarm A,C Conjunction 4

5 Swarm and e-pop: Mission Science Objectives Swarm [Friis-Christensen et al., 2008] e-pop [Yau and James, 2015] Earth s magnetic field and its temporal evolution with unprecedented accuracy Core dynamics, geo-dynamo processes, coremantle interaction Map lithospheric magnetization; its geological interpretation Determine 3-D electrical conductivity of the mantle Investigate electric currents in the magnetosphere and ionosphere Micro-scale plasma outflow, neutral escape in polar ionosphere; auroral currents, acceleration Topside ion upflow and acceleration Thermospheric heating and escape Auroral currents and acceleration Radio wave propagation Active ionospheric heating Synergistic Swarm/e-POP 1. Magnetic field: Auroral dynamics, field aligned current; contribute to main field modeling 2. Ionosphere-Thermosphere (IT): Neutral density variations, plasma irregularities; IT coupling 3. Magnetosphere-Ionosphere (MI): Electrodynamics of auroral arcs, MI coupling (MIC) 5

6 Near conjugate e-pop and Swarm A and C pass: March 11, 2016 Miles et al. (2017); cf. Tues 8:30 am Oral Paper L: FAI image at 06:49:36 UT; cross-track magnetic perturbations B on e-pop, Swarm A, Swarm C Swarm A Swarm C R: FAI images at 3-s intervals and difference between successive images showing equatorward (poleward) auroral motion in the southern (northern) arc e-pop e-pop cross-track B auroral intensity at magnetic footprint Band-pass filtered ( Hz) cross-track B showing envelope of potential wave activity 6

7 Courtesy Eelco Doornbos (2016) Thermospheric Density Variations : GAP Model density variations along e-pop orbit and F 10.7 and Ap GAP is and operates like 2-in-1 instrument GAP-A: zenith antenna ( 4) GAP-O: anti-ram occultation antenna Thermospheric Density Variations GAP-A data (1-20 Hz) yields spacecraft position down to sub-decimeter RMS uncertainty Derive spacecraft acceleration on short time-scale Relate acceleration to mass density near perigee Low e-pop perigee higher (>5X) density smaller error See Nicholson and Langley, Poster #19 (ID 67) 7

8 Plasma Density Irregularities : GAP 8 Watson et al. (2017) GAP is and operates like 2-in-1 instrument GAP-A: zenith antenna ( 4) GAP-O: anti-ram occultation antenna Plasma Density Irregularities Correct GAP data at 20, 50, 100 Hz for receiver bias to derive Total Electron Content (TEC) between e-pop and occulting GPS satellite Transform TEC into electron density profiles via Abel transform GAP-A data to derive TEC above spacecraft

9 Small-scale Auroral Electrodynamics: Jun 16, Perry et al. (2017) Poster No. 2 (ID 137) Top: FAI NIR images showing traversal of double auroral arcs in 6 s. Mid: RRI wave spectra (0-30 khz) showing VLF coincident with (inferred) upward FAC/downward FAC density and FAI auroral intensity in vicinity of IRM skin current variation Up Ram Down Bot: IRM energy-pixel vs. time spectrograms showing upward ion flow at/near the aurora and downward ion flow poleward

10 Synergistic Swarm/e-POP MIT Coupling Investigations New synergistic studies on magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere (MIT) coupling Complementary nature of orbital (altitude and local time) coverage Unique e-pop measurement capabilities part of added component to Swarm constellation Coordinated e-pop (MGF, GAP, FAI etc.) operation with Swarm enable new studies Earth s magnetic field and current systems: magnetic field perturbations at high latitudes, small scale structures, altitude distribution and longitudinal extent Upper atmospheric dynamics: thermospheric density variations, plasma density irregularities, density forecasts for orbit prediction Auroral dynamics and related MIT coupling: electrodynamics of auroral arcs, MI coupling. Contribute to two of Swarm s four primary research objectives Advance knowledge on MIT coupling and space weather effects on Earth s magnetic field, ionosphere, and thermosphere 10

11 Swarm and e-pop: Mission Science Objectives Swarm [Friis-Christensen et al., 2008] Earth s magnetic field and its temporal evolution with unprecedented accuracy 1. Core dynamics, geo-dynamo processes, core-mantle interaction 2. Map lithospheric magnetization; its geological interpretation 3. Determine 3-D electrical conductivity of the mantle 4. Investigate electric currents in the magnetosphere and ionosphere e-pop [Yau and James, 2015] Micro-scale plasma outflow and neutral escape in polar ionosphere; effects of auroral currents and acceleration 1. Topside ion upflow and acceleration 2. Thermospheric heating and escape 3. Auroral currents and acceleration 4. Radio wave propagation 5. Active ionospheric heating

12 Synergistic Swarm/e-POP Science Investigations Swarm [Friis-Christensen et al., 2008] 1. Core dynamics, geo-dynamo processes, core-mantle interaction 2. Lithospheric magnetization; geological interpretation 3. 3-D electrical conductivity of mantle 4. Electric currents in magnetosphere and ionosphere e-pop [Yau and James, 2015] 1. Topside ion upflow and acceleration 2. Thermospheric heating and escape 3. Auroral currents and acceleration 4. Radio wave propagation 5. Active ionospheric heating Synergistic Swarm/e-POP 1. Magnetic field: Auroral dynamics, field aligned current; contribute to main field modeling 2. Ionosphere-Thermosphere (IT): Neutral density variations, plasma irregularities; IT coupling 3. Magnetosphere-Ionosphere (MI): Electrodynamics of auroral arcs, MI coupling (MIC)