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研究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。基于降雨的实验直接测量降水量，从而提供了一种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的X射线光谱仪和一个用于探测质子沉淀的光度计。气球将从Ft发射。丘吉尔，马尼托巴，2004/2005年冬季。拟议的活动将支持和利用一个已经存在的气球活动，该活动由美国国家科学基金会南极高层大气物理学和天体物理学计划资助，题为“MeV电子沉淀的气球观测”，由美国国家科学基金会领导。C.其中四个携带X射线仪器的小型气球有效载荷将从南非南极站SANAE发射。该项目将获得对MeV能量敏感的REP的第一个共轭气球观测。由于该项目对北方半球的观测将在北方的冬季进行，因此可以对质子降水进行敏感的光学测量，而在阳光充足的南极洲是无法进行这种测量的。该项目将有几名本科生参与研究，从而促进教育目标，并直接有助于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.