Collaborative Research: CubeSat: Ionosphere Thermosphere Scanning Photometer for Ion-Neutral Studies (IT-SPINS)

合作研究：CubeSat：用于离子中性研究的电离层热层扫描光度计 (IT-SPINS)

• 批准号: 1445450
• 负责人: David Klumpar
• 金额: $ 50.07万
• 依托单位: Montana State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-08-15 至 2020-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1445450&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; CubeSat; Ionosphere; Thermosphere

This project is to design, develop, construct, operate and analyze the results of a spacecraft CubeSat mission named "Ionospheric-Thermospheric Scanning Photometer for Ion-Neutral Studies" (IT-SPINS). The ionosphere affects modern technologies such as civilian and military communications and navigation and surveillance systems. Reliable communication and navigation, therefore, often requires correction of the signals for effects imposed by the ionosphere. To do that the properties of the ionosphere, such as its variability with respect to magnetospheric disturbance, time of day, season of the year, and solar cycle variability must be well understood and modeled. The fundamental measurements of IT-SPINS are high-sensitivity line-of-sight observations of Ultra Violet nightglow radiance produced by the recombination of Oxygen ions with electrons in the upper ionosphere. IT-SPINS will rotate at two rotations per minute about the orbit normal and will acquire 60 radiance measurements per revolution. Observations from several rotations will then be combined in a tomographic inversion algorithm to produce two-dimensional altitude/in-track images of the emissions. In this way, IT-SPINS will provide the first-ever set of unambiguous, geographically-extended measurements of the Oxygen ion distributions within the nightside ionosphere. Specifically, IT-SPINS will provide crucial information on the ion gradient structures in the, so-called, Topside Transition Region, from approximately 500km to 1000km altitude, where a transition takes place in the plasma conditions from being dominated by Oxygen ions to being dominated by Hydrogen ions. Prior studies of the TTR have primarily used large incoherent scatter radars at only a few locations around the World. Consequently, a thorough climatological study of the TTR's dependence on latitude, local time, and solar and geomagnetic activity does not exist at present. Lacking fundamental understanding of the variability of the TTR and the detailed morphology of Oxygen ion distributions throughout the TTR is a critical limitation currently in our ability to accurately model and predict ionospheric variability. Beyond fundamental space weather objectives, the IT-SPINS project places a significant priority on experimental learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education at the university undergraduate level. Undergraduate students will participate in responsible roles on all aspects of the project. This provides the students with rare and valuable opportunities to learn and practice project management; systems engineering; engineering design, development and testing; and flight operations and data analysis skills through first-hand, project-based learning while being mentored by faculty and professional staff. In addition, through affiliation with the statewide Montana Space Grant Consortium(MSGC), the project will engage traditionally disadvantaged students at MSGC affiliated Tribal Colleges with IT-SPINS operational activities during the orbital phase. IT-SPINS can achieve compelling science results over a wide range of available orbit inclinations (40 degrees) and altitudes (500-700 km). This altitude range puts us at optimal viewing of the TTR above, and plasma structures below the satellite while ensuring a 25-year de-orbit criteria. The following primary and secondary science objectives and derived science questions are designed so that a subset of them can be addressed by IT-SPINS regardless of the satellite orbit it will be given. The primary science objective for the mission is to study the variability of the TTR and O+ altitude profiles. The following three questions will be addressed: 1) How does the altitude and thickness of the boundary between O+ dominated ionospheric physics and H+, He+ dominated plasmasphere physics vary as a function of magnetic L-shell, magnetic longitude, local time and geomagnetic activity? 2) How well do Geospace numerical models predict the observed variability of the TTR and O+ altitude profiles? 3) What is the importance of the charge exchange between O+ and neutral hydrogen to the TTR? Imaging the mesoscale structuring of equatorial plasma bubbles and polar cap patches constitutes a secondary science objective for the mission. The equatorial part of the secondary science objective can be addressed by both mid- and high inclination orbits, whereas the polar patch part can only be addressed for high inclination orbits(~70 degrees or higher).

该项目旨在设计、开发、建造、运行和分析名为“用于离子中性研究的电离层-热层扫描光度计”（IT-SPINS）的CubeSat航天器使命的结果。 电离层影响到民用和军用通信、导航和监视系统等现代技术。 因此，可靠的通信和导航往往需要根据电离层的影响对信号进行校正。要做到这一点，电离层的属性，如其相对于磁层扰动，一天中的时间，一年中的季节，和太阳周期的变化，必须很好地理解和建模。 IT-SPINS的基本测量是对上电离层氧离子与电子复合产生的紫外夜光辐射进行高灵敏度视线观测。 IT-SPINS将以每分钟两转的速度绕轨道法线旋转，每转将获得60个辐射测量值。 然后，将几次旋转的观测结果合并到层析成像反演算法中，以生成排放物的二维高度/轨迹图像。 通过这种方式，IT-SPINS将提供有史以来第一套明确的，地理上扩展的测量夜侧电离层内的氧离子分布。 具体而言，IT-SPINS将提供关于所谓的上部过渡区（从大约500公里到1000公里的高度）中离子梯度结构的关键信息，在该过渡区中，等离子体条件从氧离子为主转变为氢离子为主。以前的TTR研究主要使用大型非相干散射雷达，仅在世界各地的少数几个地点。因此，TTR的依赖于纬度，当地时间，太阳和地磁活动的彻底的气候学研究目前还不存在。缺乏对TTR的变化性和整个TTR中氧离子分布的详细形态的基本理解是目前我们准确建模和预测电离层变化性的能力的关键限制。 除了基本的空间气象目标外，IT-SPINS项目还将大学本科阶段科学、技术、工程和数学教育的实验学习作为一个重要优先事项。本科生将参与项目的各个方面的责任角色。 这为学生提供了学习和实践项目管理的难得和宝贵的机会;系统工程;工程设计，开发和测试;和飞行操作和数据分析技能，通过第一手的，基于项目的学习，同时由教师和专业人员指导。此外，通过与全州蒙大拿空间赠款联合会的联系，该项目将使蒙大拿空间赠款联合会附属部落学院的传统上处于不利地位的学生参与轨道阶段的IT-SPINS业务活动。 IT-SPINS可以在广泛的可用轨道倾角（40度）和高度（500-700公里）范围内取得令人信服的科学成果。这个高度范围使我们能够最佳地观察上面的TTR和卫星下面的等离子体结构，同时确保25年的离轨标准。以下主要和次要科学目标和衍生科学问题的设计，使其中的一个子集可以解决的IT-SPINS，无论它将被赋予的卫星轨道。使命的主要科学目标是研究TTR和O+高度剖面的可变性。 1）O ~+主导的电离层物理与H ~+、He ~+主导的等离子体物理之间的边界高度和厚度是如何随磁L壳层、磁经度、当地时间和地磁活动而变化的？ 2)地球空间数值模式对观测到的TTR和O+高度剖面的变化预测得如何？3)O+和中性氢之间的电荷交换对TTR的重要性是什么？ 对赤道等离子体气泡和极冠斑块的中尺度结构进行成像是使命的次要科学目标。次要科学目标的赤道部分可通过中倾角和高倾角轨道来处理，而极区部分只能通过高倾角轨道（~70度或更高）来处理。