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，为最初的火鸟任务进行初始操作和数据分析，并建造第二套火鸟立方体卫星，将于2014年8月发射。相对论电子爆发强度、范围和动力学重点研究（火鸟）是美国国家科学基金会的一个空间气象立方体卫星项目，2009年通过美国复苏和再投资法案获得资助。这是由两颗相同的1.5U卫星组成的CubeSat任务，将在高倾角低地球轨道上以前所未有的时间分辨率测量相对论性电子降水，以解决范艾伦辐射带电子微爆发的空间尺度、大小和能量依赖性。火鸟是新罕布什尔大学（UNH）和蒙大拿州立大学（MSU）的合作成果，计划于2013年10月作为NASA纳米卫星教育发射计划的二次有效载荷发射。支持初始任务操作和科学分析，以确保火鸟的直接和全面成功，以及以原始火鸟合同的一小部分成本开发相同的一对航天器（火鸟II）的机会，同时现有的劳动力和专业知识到位，是该RAPID提案的主题。辐射带中所谓的“杀手”电子可以在航天器部件中产生深电介质放电，这是对卫星健康和运行的重大关切。微爆发被认为是相对论性电子的重要损失机制，但人们对其了解甚少，因此使得地球辐射带的空间天气预测模型不完整。“火鸟”项目旨在解决有关产生相对论性微爆发的物理过程的重要问题。火鸟二号提供了另外一对同时收集微爆发观测数据的卫星，大大提高了评估微爆发全球影响的能力。除了解决基础空间物理研究和空间天气应用之外，“火鸟”和“火鸟II”项目还有助于培养和教育各种各样的大学生。密歇根州立大学和新罕布什尔大学的学生将主要负责仪器和航天器的设计和实施，同时接受每个专家领域的专业人士的指导。其影响是，这项研究的成果将持续数年，如果不是几十年的话，因为20多名在这项科学任务中“初涉”的学生将成为实践科学家和工程师。

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.