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Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation
July 9, 2001
pre-1981
1981 (DE-1/SAI)
J. L. Burch, Principal Investigator (SwRI)
T. E. Moore, Project Scientist (NASA/GSFC)
P. H. Reiff, Co-Investigator (Rice Univ.)
2000 (IMAGE/EUV)
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” - M. Proust
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
The extended IMAGE mission focuses on
geomagnetic activity during the declining
phase of the solar cycle.
The evolution of the IMAGE orbit provides
a new, mid- and low-latitude and ultimately
southern hemisphere viewing perspective.
IMAGE
Prime Mission
(2000-2002)
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
Extended Mission
(2002-2005)
• solar maximum
• declining phase of the solar cycle
• high-latitude, northern
hemisphere viewing
• mid- & low-latitude,
southern hemisphere viewing
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
Specific studies to be undertaken during the new mission include:
Solar Cycle Dependence of Ionospheric Outflow
Magnetic Field-aligned Plasma Dynamics
Dynamics and Structural Changes in the Magnetopause and Cusp
Cusp Plasma Injection
Field-aligned Densities and the Closed Field Line Length over
Substorm Time Scales
Ring Current Pitch Angle Distributions
The Plasmapause in Perspective
Plasmasphere Refilling Dynamics
High-resolution Ionospheric Imaging
Most of these studies are made possible by the new viewing perspective that
results from the precession of the IMAGE orbit to middle and low latitudes.
Open data policy encourages collaborations and new initiatives from non-team
members (Guest Investigators and others).
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
Geomagnetic Activity at Solar Max vs. during
Declining Phase of the Solar Cycle
How does the inner magnetosphere
respond to CIRs?
How does a cooler exosphere affect
polar ion outflow?
QuickTime™ and a
Cinepak decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Bastille Day Storm, 15-18 July 2000
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
Examples of New Science Results
Since Proposal Submission
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
IMAGE provides first global look at substorm tail dynamics.
Sun
contamination
Stretched tail field.
Dense plasmasheet
Dipolarization and
injections reach
geosynchronous.
Auroral onset.
Ions drift earthward
in dipolarization E-field
faster than they can be
replenished from tail
convection field
Injection
complete
Flux increase
due to conservation
of adiabatic invariance
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
IMAGE/RPI’s ability to observe ducted echoes makes possible
the determination of field-aligned densities and field-line length
and topology.
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
IMAGE discovers source of kilometric continuum radiation.
EUV imager observes previously unknown “bite
outs” in plasmasphere.
RPI demonstrates that kilometric continuum is
generated deep within bite outs and is beamed
along magnetic equator from a confined source
region.
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
IMF Dependence of Subauroral Proton
Emissions: the “Q” Aurora
QuickTime™ and a
GIF decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
In addition to its investigation of the geospace environment, IMAGE
will continue to exploit LENA’s unique capability to observe solar wind
and interstellar neutrals. Specifically, IMAGE will:
Study seasonal and solar cycle variations in solar wind
neutral flux
Search for ENAs formed by charge exchange between
solar wind ions and interstellar neutrals
Determine the angular width and start and stop dates of the
interstellar neutral signal observed between late December and early
February
Although primarily a magnetospheric mission, IMAGE contributes to understanding
of how the Sun and the galaxy interact (Quest III, SEC Roadmap 2000).
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
IMAGE detects solar wind and interstellar neutrals.
Seasonal variation
of solar wind
neutral atoms as
probe of gas and
dust in the
inner heliosphere
Observation: Annual Variation of Solar Wind ENA
100.0
Theory: Theory: Hydrogen Flux at Earth
LENA H rate [counts/s]
(sun sector apogee)
Mexican Aurora
Storm
radiation storm
10.0
1.0
IOC level (x4)
nominal ops level
ppsp level (x0.33)
ppsp stepping (x0.33)
ppsp level (x0.33)
Tsurutani et al., 1994 events
0.1
0
Years after Solar Maximum
100
200
300
day of year 2000/2001
sun_pulse_ltt_09.plt
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
IMAGE provides real-time auroral imaging to the
NOAA Space Environment Center.*
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/IMAGE/
*IMAGE will provide critical extended auroral imaging that
Polar will lose once its fuel is depleted.
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
The IMAGE / POETRY team will continue its highly successful
education and outreach activities...
Communication of
exciting results to
public via popular
press and Web
Development and
distribution of IMAGEbased educational
materials
Participation in
teacher workshops;
formal collaboration
with Earth & Space
Science Magnet
School in Houston
Participation in museum
and planetarium
programs
…with particular emphasis on:
Influencing the treatment of aurora and the geospace environment in both
undergraduate astronomy textbooks and K-12 science books adopted by county and
state curriculum committees
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
Like the prime mission, the IMAGE extended mission addresses
key NASA goals and objectives set forth in the Space Science
Enterprise Strategic Plan and the SEC Roadmap.
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
The IMAGE extended mission advances our efforts to:
• learn how galaxies, stars, and planets form,
interact, and evolve
• understand our changing Sun and its effects
throughout the solar system
• develop the knowledge to improve our understanding of space weather
• share the excitement and knowledge generated
by scientific discovery and improve
science education
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
IMAGE Makes Critical Contributions to the OSS Strategic Plan
Goal
Objective
IMAGE Contribution
Image s.w.-mag. Interactions.
Find long-term variation of ISNs.
Search for ISNs from termination
shock.
Compare CME and CIR storms
Chart the evolution of the
Universe from origins to destiny
and understand its galaxies,
stars, planets, and life.
Learn how galaxies, stars, and
planets form, interact, and evolve.
Share the excitement and knowledge generated by scientific
discovery and improve science
education.
Share the excitement of space
science discoveries with the public.
Popular articles, museum and
planetarium exhibits
Enhance the quality of science,
math, and technology education,
particularly at the pre-college level.
Teacher workshops, pre-college and
college curriculum development
Understand our changing Sun and its
effects throughout the Solar System.
Help create 21st century workforce.
Use robotic science missions as
forerunners to human exploration
beyond low-Earth orbit.
Develop the knowledge to improve
space weather.
Develop new technologies to
enable innovative and less
expensive research and flight
missions.
Acquire new technical approaches
and capabilities.
Validate new technologies in space.
Apply and transfer technology.
Undergraduate and graduate
research opportunities
Nearly continuous multi-spectral
imaging of geospace
Real-time data link for NOAA
Comprehensive set of new
magnetospheric imaging
technologies developed, validated
in space, and published.
IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation • July 9, 2001
The IMAGE extended mission addresses three of the four
fundamental quests set forth in the 2000 SEC Roadmap.
Quest II. How do the planets respond to
solar variations?
IMAGE provides nearly continuous global
imaging of the solar-wind magnetosphere
interaction at solar maximum and, during an
extended mission, during the declining
phase.
Quest III. How do the Sun and galaxy
interact?
IMAGE obtains measurements of interstellar
neutrals and is conducting a search for
neutral atoms produced at the termination
shock.
Quest IV. How does solar variability
affect life and society?
As the first space weather satellite,
IMAGE provides the only global monitor
of space weather.
And the IMAGE extended mission offers an effective and imaginative approach
to the SEC E/PO goals described in the Roadmap.