An Arctic Winter Balloon Campaign to Study Mechanisms of Relativistic Electron Precipitation

对辐射带中相对论性电子变率的定量理解是当前辐射带研究的一个主要焦点。量化和理解电子损失现在被认为是理解这种可变性的一个组成部分。一个主要问题是如何量化加速过程与损失过程的相对重要性。基于气球的实验直接测量降水，从而提供了量化和研究损失的方法。该项目将使用两个小气球，每个气球携带一个用于测量相对论电子沉淀（REP）的x射线光谱仪和一个用于探测质子沉淀的光度计。这些气球将于2004/2005年冬季从马尼托巴省的丘吉尔堡发射。拟议的活动将支持并利用由美国国家科学基金会南极航空和天体物理学计划资助的一个已经存在的气球活动，名为“MeV电子沉淀的气球观测”，由加州大学伯克利分校牵头，其中四个携带x射线仪器的小型气球将从南非南极站SANAE发射。该项目将首次获得对MeV能量敏感的REP的共轭气球观测。由于该项目对北半球的观测将在北半球冬季进行，因此可以使用敏感的光学测量质子沉淀，而这在阳光充足的南极是无法做到的。该项目将有几名本科生参与研究，从而促进教育目标，并直接促进我们对辐射带的了解。

Attaining a quantitative understanding of relativistic electron variability in the radiation belts is a major focus of current radiation belt research. Quantifying and understanding electron losses in now recognized as an integral part of understanding this variability. A major question is how to quantify the relative importance of acceleration processes versus the loss processes. Balloon-based experiments directly measure precipitation and thus provide a method for quantifying and studying losses. This project will use two small balloons, each carrying an X-ray spectrometer for measuring relativistic electron precipitation (REP) and a photometer tuned to detect proton precipitation. The balloons will be launched from Ft. Churchill, Manitoba during winter 2004/2005. The proposed campaign will support and take advantage of an already existing balloon campaign funded by the NSF Antarctic Aeronomy and Astrophysics Program entitled, "Balloon Observations of MeV Electron Precipitation", lead by U. C. Berkeley, in which four small balloon payloads carrying X-ray instrumentation will be launched from the South African Antarctic station, SANAE. This project will obtain the first conjugate balloon observations of REP sensitive to MeV energies. Since the northern hemisphere observations being made by this project will take place during the northern winter, it allows the use of sensitive optical measurements of proton precipitation, which cannot be done in the sunlit Antarctic. The project will involve several undergraduates in the research and thus promotes educational goals as well as directly contributing to our knowledge of the radiation belts.