Collaborative Research: RAPID--Focused Investigations of Relativistic Electron Burst Intensity, Range, and Dynamics (FIREBIRD) II

这是一项短期（不到一年）的工作，目的是为最初的“火鸟”使命进行初步运行和数据分析，并建造第二套"火鸟“立方体卫星，将于2014年8月发射。相对论电子暴强度、范围和动力学的重点研究（FIREBIRD）是NSF CubeSat的一个空间气象项目，该项目于2009年通过美国复苏和再投资法案获得资助。 由两颗相同的1.5U卫星组成的CubeSat使命将以前所未有的时间分辨率测量高倾角低地轨道上的相对论性电子沉降，以解决来自货车艾伦辐射带的电子微暴流的空间尺度大小和能量依赖性。火鸟是新罕布什尔州大学（UNH）和蒙大拿州立大学（MSU）之间的合作项目，计划于2013年10月作为美国宇航局纳米卫星教育发射计划的二级有效载荷发射。 支持初始使命操作和科学分析，以确保火鸟项目立即取得全面成功，并有机会在现有劳动力和专业知识到位的情况下，以原火鸟项目的一小部分成本开发一对相同的航天器（火鸟二号）。辐射带中所谓的“杀手”电子可在航天器部件中产生深层电介质放电，这是对卫星健康和运行的一个重大关切。微暴流被认为是相对论性电子的一种重要损失机制，但人们对它的了解仍然很少，从而使地球辐射带的空间天气预测模型不完整。 Firebird项目旨在解决有关产生相对论性微暴流的物理过程的重要问题。 FIREBIRD II提供了另外一对同时收集微暴流观测数据的卫星，大大提高了评估微暴流全球影响的能力，FIREBIRD和FIREBIRD II项目除了涉及基础空间物理学研究和空间气象应用外，还有助于对各种大学生进行培训和教育。MSU和UNH的学生将主要负责仪器和航天器的设计和实施，同时由每个专家领域的专业人员进行指导。其影响是，这项研究的成果将持续多年，如果不是几十年，因为20个或更多的学生谁“削减他们的牙齿”在这个科学使命成为实践的科学家和工程师。

This is a short-term (less than one-year) effort to conduct initial operations and data analysis for the original FIREBIRD mission and to construct a second set of FIREBIRD cubesats to be launched in August 2014. The Focused Investigations of Relativistic Electron Burst Intensity, Range, and Dynamics (FIREBIRD) is a space weather NSF CubeSat project that was selected for funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009. It is CubeSat mission consisting of two identical 1.5U satellites that will measure relativistic electron precipitation with unprecedented temporal resolution in a high inclination low-Earth orbit to resolve the spatial scale size and energy dependence of electron microbursts from the Van Allen radiation belts. FIREBIRD is a collaborative effort between the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Montana State University (MSU) and is scheduled for launch in October 2013 as a secondary payload under NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites program. Support for initial mission operations and science analysis to secure the immediate and full success for FIREBIRD as well as the opportunity to develop an identical pair of spacecraft (FIREBIRD II) at a fraction of the cost of the original FIREBIRD award while the present workforce and expertise is in place are the subject of this RAPID proposal. The so-called "killer" electrons in the radiation belt can produce deep dielectric discharging in spacecraft components, a significant concern for satellite health and operations. Microbursts are thought to be a significant loss mechanism for relativistic electrons but remain poorly understood, thus rendering space weather predictive models of Earth's radiation belts incomplete. The FIREBIRD project is design to address important questions about the physical process that generates relativistic microbursts. FIREBIRD II providing an additional pair of satellites that collect microburst observations at the same time greatly enhances the capability to assess the global impact of microbursts.In addition to addressing fundamental space physics research and space weather applications, the FIREBIRD and FIREBIRD II projects also contribute to the training and education of a diverse population of university students. Students at MSU and UNH will have major responsibility for the design and implementation of the instruments and the spacecraft while at the same time being mentored by professionals in each expert area. The impact is that the fruits of this investigation will continue strongly for years, if not decades, as the twenty or more students who "cut their teeth" on this science mission become practicing scientists and engineers.