Balloon-Borne Observations of Auroral Precipitation in Coordination with ISTP Spacecraft

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9223612 McCarthy The Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France is planning to launch four balloons equipped with scientific instruments in August 1994, and the University of Washington (UW) has been invited to participate. The purpose of the balloon flights is to study auroral wave-particle phenomena, and to support the ISTP spacecraft observations. Each balloon will carry a pinhole X-ray camera, a large X-ray spectrometer, a VLF sensor, an electric field boom, and a magnetometer. Data obtained by these instruments will complement the measurements made on the ISTP spacecraft, GEOTAIL, WIND, and POLAR, and other spacecraft (FREJA and INTERBOL). The balloon and spacecraft observations will also be supported by ground-based observations such as the incoherent radar facilities of EISCAT and the CANOPUS program in Canada. An opportunity thus exists to conduct a comprehensive study of both large- and small scale wave-particle phenomena using data obtained from different regions of space, from the ionosphere to the distant geomagnetic tail and interplanetary space. This coordinated program can yield a valuable data set that can help in the interpretation of complex geophysical data. This proposal requests support for the UW to participate in the French balloon program. We have been asked to provide the X-ray camera and data processing units (DPU). The other experiments, balloons, and the personnel to launch the balloons will be provided by France and Europe. ***