The Newly Formed LoCSST

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Alvin Strickland
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1 The Newly Formed LoCSST Lowell Center for Space Science and Technology 3 rd floor, Wannalancit Mill

2 LoCSST Older Research Institutions UMLCAR (Center for Atmospheric Research) SSL (Space Sciences Lab) All these projects have now merged under LoCSST

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH The Center for Atmospheric Research was founded in 1975 with the goal of conducting experimental and analytical research in the

development tie to solving real world problems.

CENTER PUBLICATIONS Space Weather Each year the center publishes over 20 papers in international journals resulting in over $3 Million in research grants

Qiugang Zong & Coworkers Killer electrons are extremely high energy electrons, deadly to astronauts, satellites, and space instrumentations.

Qingang Zong and coworkers used measurements from European Space Agency s Cluster satellites to reveal that killer electrons can be produced by

Space refers to the region above the atmosphere filled with plasma, which consists of an equal number of electrons and ions.

technological systems, and can endanger human life or health.

SPACE RADIATION Similar to hail in weather, radiation particles can penetrate into satellite shield and space suits, damaging electronics and threatening

The life times of the particles can be as long as a few years, while their dosage varies.

and tornadoes. They often result in enhanced radiation dosages and strong ionospheric plasma density fluctuations.

3 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH The Center for Atmospheric Research was founded in 1975 with the goal of conducting experimental and analytical research in the atmospheric and space sciences, to provide research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students, and to demonstrate how research and development tie to solving real world problems. Carrying out these objectives requires tapping the science and engineering expertise residing in the university. CENTER PUBLICATIONS Space Weather Each year the center publishes over 20 papers in international journals resulting in over $3 Million in research grants & contracts from NASA, USAF, NSF & other international institutions. FEATURED IN DISCOVER MAGAZINE HOW KILLER ELECTRONS FORM IN SPACE Studied by Prof. Qiugang Zong & Coworkers Killer electrons are extremely high energy electrons, deadly to astronauts, satellites, and space instrumentations. How they are produced in the first place is a highly contested space physics subject. Prof. Qingang Zong and coworkers used measurements from European Space Agency s Cluster satellites to reveal that killer electrons can be produced by low-frequency waves as a result of the impact of the interplanetary shocks upon the Earth s magnetosphere. Space refers to the region above the atmosphere filled with plasma, which consists of an equal number of electrons and ions. Space Weather, a concept started in 1994, refers to conditions in space that can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and groundbased technological systems, and can endanger human life or health. There are three major Space Weather threats: radiation particles, ionospheric plasma density fluctuations, and magnetic field fluctuations. SPACE RADIATION Similar to hail in weather, radiation particles can penetrate into satellite shield and space suits, damaging electronics and threatening astronauts safety. Most of their particles are concentrated in regions called radiation belts. The life times of the particles can be as long as a few years, while their dosage varies. IONOSPHERIC PLASMA EFFECTS MAGNETIC STORMS Magnetic Storms and substorms, periods of large geomagnetic disturbances, are space analogues of hurricanes and tornadoes. They often result in enhanced radiation dosages and strong ionospheric plasma density fluctuations. Strong geomagnetic disturbances can produce large currents underground, on conductors on the ground, such as power transmission lines and oil pipelines, and in space where satellites are flying. They have caused large power grid outages, satellite failures, and cell phone blackouts. On March 13, 1989, at 2:44 am, a transformer failure in the HydroQuebec power system precipitated a catastrophic collapse of the entire power grid. The transformer failure was a direct consequence of ground induced currents from a space weather disturbance high in the atmosphere. Similar to fog in weather, variations in the ionospheric plasma density can interrupt short wave communications, producing large errors in GPS and other spaceborne navigation systems.

Space Instrumentation Designed By UMLCAR RADIO PLASMA IMAGER NASA IMAGE satellite mounted

IMAGE mission studied magnetospheric plasma using RPI instrument designed by UMLCAR Four

space RPI instrument under acceptance testing at South West Research institute in San

conduct basic research designed to significantly advance DOD capability to operate in the

UMLCAR designs power transmitter and narrow band receiver for WIPER.

their effect on the trapped electron populations in the magnetosphere The Center recently

diverse measurements necessary for detection of subsurface oceans and for

4 Space Instrumentation Designed By UMLCAR RADIO PLASMA IMAGER NASA IMAGE satellite mounted inside Delta II rocket. IMAGE mission studied magnetospheric plasma using RPI instrument designed by UMLCAR Four 250 m antennas of the RPI instrument make it second largest manmade construction flown in space RPI instrument under acceptance testing at South West Research institute in San Antonio, TX DSX DOD SPACE MISSION PRIORITY #1 WIPER instrument on DSX spacecraft will conduct basic research designed to significantly advance DOD capability to operate in the harsh radiation environment. UMLCAR designs power transmitter and narrow band receiver for WIPER. The WIPER will transmit and receive VLF waves in the 10 to 50 khz range, and quantify their effect on the trapped electron populations in the magnetosphere The Center recently received a NASA grant to develop a high-capability Planetary Advanced Radio Sounder (PARS). This high-power, high-data rate remote-sensing instrument will provide critical and diverse measurements necessary for detection of subsurface oceans and for characterization of ionospheres of moons, magnetospheremoon interactions, and permanent or induced magnetic fields for missions to icy moons and other bodies in the solar system. is critical to This information determining if life is possible on moons of this type. Planetary Advanced Radio Sounder will combine five instruments in one enclosure.

WORLDWIDE REMOTE SENSING OF IONOSPHERIC PLASMA EVOLUTION OF DIGISONDE UMLCAR has built and installed over 100 Digisonde systems worldwide INTELLIGENT

to various scientific pursuits in 1.5 million image collection acquired by the RPI instrument on NASA s IMAGE spacecraft.

UMLCAR accepts real-time feeds from ~30 digisonde locations to service online data requests from a variety of organizations, including the US Air

The Digisonde network provides real-time sensor information for efficient mission planning of International Space Station (ISS) spacewalks.

on orbit. The Digisonde network of 15 systems in Australia is a part of the $A1.

5 WORLDWIDE REMOTE SENSING OF IONOSPHERIC PLASMA EVOLUTION OF DIGISONDE UMLCAR has built and installed over 100 Digisonde systems worldwide INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS ARTIST 5 software automatically interprets Digisonde ionogram images to derive ionospheric specification data for use in space weather forecasts. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT Web interface for remote commanding of Digisonde CORPRAL is an automatic image prospecting tool that locates images of interest to various scientific pursuits in 1.5 million image collection acquired by the RPI instrument on NASA s IMAGE spacecraft. ADRES and DIDBase are software projects at UMLCAR for efficient Digisonde data management. UMLCAR accepts real-time feeds from ~30 digisonde locations to service online data requests from a variety of organizations, including the US Air Force, Boeing Company, and North West Research Agency. Digisonde network state of health is monitored automatically. The Digisonde network provides real-time sensor information for efficient mission planning of International Space Station (ISS) spacewalks. Provided information is used to predict the amount of charging of the ISS that presents a serious hazard of electric shock to the astronauts working on orbit. The Digisonde network of 15 systems in Australia is a part of the $A1.8 billion Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) that monitors Northern coastline and Indian ocean for illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and unregistered air transports. JORN resolution allows Air Force commanders to see the aircraft turning on their approach to Indonesian airports, but accuracy of target location is low without knowledge of echo reflection height in the ionosphere that Digisondes provide 24/7. UMLCAR mission planning software is a candidate for USAF DSX mission

6 Exoplanets More than 1000 exoplanets have been found in the past 20 years No extrasolar system looks like ours. Why is that?

8 Binary Stars

9 X-ray Beaming

10 High-Mass X-ray Binaries

12 The Co-Op Program Co-Op Program at UML Open to 2 nd year students with good grades We have 3 projects listed in the website: Solar system modeling X-ray pulsars in the Magellanic Clouds LoCSST experimental work

13 Where is the Math? Everywhere Accretion disk theory with magnetic fields Modeling of pulsations in X-ray sources Magnetic fields in Active Galactic Nuclei Proto-disks forming planets before their stars Harmonic oscillators in all of physics The famous Lane-Emden equation for gases Gas disks in galaxies and (no) dark matter Large-scale 3D MHD simulations of astrophysical flows

IONOSPHERE EFFECTS ON GPS/RF COMMUNICATION, ELECTRIC, METAL NETWORKS AND SPACECRAFTS OSMAN AKGÜN

IONOSPHERE EFFECTS ON GPS/RF COMMUNICATION, ELECTRIC, METAL NETWORKS AND SPACECRAFTS 2119212 OSMAN AKGÜN IONOSPHERE IONOSPHERE EFFECTS POSSIBLE EFFECTS GPS errors Atomic oxygen attack Spacecraft charging