AME: A Cross-Scale Constellation of CubeSats to Explore Magnetic Reconnection in the Solar-Terrestrial Relation
AME: A Cross-Scale Constellation of CubeSats to Explore Magnetic Reconnection in the Solar-Terrestrial Relation
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AME：跨尺度立方体卫星星座，探索日地关系中的磁重联
DOI：
10.3389/fphy.2020.00089
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发表时间：
2020-04-15
影响因子：
3.1
通讯作者：
Zhang, Yongcun
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Dai, Lei;Wang, Chi;Zhang, Yongcun
日地关系的一个主要子集是地球磁层和太阳风之间的相互作用，它特别负责驱动空间天气现象。磁重联是太阳风-磁层相互作用的重要模式之一，它调节着日地关系中的能量输运和能量释放。近地空间的原位测量对于理解磁重联至关重要。过去和现有的航天器星座任务主要集中在等离子体动力学尺度上的重联测量。解决磁重联的宏观尺度和跨尺度问题对于准确评估和预测其在空间天气背景下的作用是必要的。在这里，我们提出了AME（自适应磁重联探测器）任务，该任务由12+立方体卫星和一个母卫星组成的跨尺度星座组成。每个立方体卫星都配备了测量磁场和热等离子体粒子的仪器。利用多颗立方体卫星，AME星座旨在在多个尺度上同时进行测量，能够探索从动力学尺度到宏观尺度的跨尺度等离子体过程。
A major subset of solar-terrestrial relations, responsible, in particular, for the driver of space weather phenomena, is the interaction between the Earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind. As one of the most important modes of the solar-wind-magnetosphere interaction, magnetic reconnection regulates the energy transport and energy release in the solar-terrestrial relation. In situ measurements in the near-Earth space are crucial for understanding magnetic reconnection. Past and existing spacecraft constellation missions mainly focus on the measurement of reconnection on plasma kinetic-scales. Resolving the macro-scale and cross-scale aspects of magnetic reconnection is necessary for accurate assessment and predictions of its role in the context of space weather. Here, we propose the AME (self-Adaptive Magnetic reconnection Explorer) mission consisting of a cross-scale constellation of 12+ CubeSats and one mother satellite. Each CubeSat is equipped with instruments to measure magnetic fields and thermal plasma particles. With multiple CubeSats, the AME constellation is intended to make simultaneous measurements at multiple scales, capable of exploring cross-scale plasma processes ranging from kinetic scale to macro scale.