Collaborative Research to Study Polar Electrodynamics Using The 2002-2003 Polar Patrol Balloons

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This project is a balloon-borne experiment whose main goals include 1) a focused program of investigation of high latitude ionospheric electrodynamics (the study of the properties of electromagnetic radiation and the way in which it interacts with charged matter) using multiple long duration balloons launched in Antarctica, and 2) the investigation of the fast penetration of electric fields from the outer to the inner magnetosphere in response to external inputs. The project is cooperative with Japanese X-ray and magnetometer investigators. The bulk of the proposed effort will be focused on investigation of outstanding problems of the polar and auroral ionosphere such as the nature of polar cap convection under varying solar wind conditions, dynamics of the dayside cusp, the transient and steady state coupling of the solar wind to the magnetosphere, transient phenomena on wholly closed magnetic fields lines such as traveling convective vortices (TCVs) and those related to magnetic pulsations with periods greater than one second. Another important effort will be to investigate the rapid transmission of ionospheric and magnetospheric electric fields from higher to lower latitudes in response to variations in the interplanetary magnetic field. This project consists of the construction, integration and testing of the electric field instruments for the geophysics payloads that are planned as part of the 2002-2003 continuation of the Polar Patrol Balloon Program managed by the Japanese National Institute of Polar Research Three balloons will be flown from the Japanese Antarctic Station, while one payload will be launched from McMurdo Station.