IMAGE

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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
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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.
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IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation July 9, 2001
Prime Mission (2000-2002)
Extended Mission (2002-2005)
solar maximum
declining phase of the solar cycle
high-latitude, northern hemisphere viewing
mid- low-latitude, southern hemisphere
viewing
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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
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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?
Bastille Day Storm, 15-18 July 2000
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IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation July 9, 2001
New Science Results (Since Proposal Submission)
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IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation July 9, 2001
IMAGE provides first global look at substorm
tail dynamics.
Sun contamination
Dipolarization and injections reach geosynchronou
s. Auroral onset.
Injection complete
Stretched tail field. Dense plasmasheet
Ions drift earthward in dipolarization
E-field faster than they can be replenished from
tail convection field
Flux increase due to conservation of adiabatic
invariance
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IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation July 9, 2001
IMAGE/RPIs ability to observe ducted echoes
makes possible the determination of field-aligned
densities and field-line length and topology.
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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 the magnetic equator from a confined source
region.
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IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation July 9, 2001
IMF Dependence of Subauroral Proton Emissions
the Q Aurora
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IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation July 9, 2001
In addition to its investigation of the geospace
environment, IMAGE will continue to exploit
LENAs 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
shock- accelerated 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).
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IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation July 9, 2001
IMAGE detects solar wind and interstellar
neutrals.
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Seasonal variation of solar wind neutral atoms
as probe of gas and dust in the inner
heliosphere
Theory
Theory Hydrogen Flux at Earth
Years after Solar Maximum
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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.
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IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation July 9, 2001
The IMAGE / POETRY team will continue its highly
successful education and outreach activities...
Participation in teacher workshops formal
collaboration with Earth Space Science Magnet
School in Houston
Development and distribution of IMAGE-based
educational materials
Participation in museum and planetarium programs
Communication of exciting results to public via
popular press and Web
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
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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.
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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
under- standing of space weather
share the excitement and knowledge generated by
scientific discovery and improve science education
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IMAGE
Senior Review Presentation July 9, 2001
IMAGE addresses OSS Strategic Plan
Goal
Objective
IMAGE Contribution
Image s.w.-mag. Interactions. Find long-term
variation of ISNs. Search for ISNs from
termination shock.
Learn how galaxies, stars, and planets form,
interact, and evolve. Understand our changing Sun
and its effects throughout the Solar System.
Chart the evolution of the
Universe from origins to destiny and understand
its galaxies, stars, planets, and life. Share
the excitement and know- ledge generated by
scientific discovery and improve
science education. Use robotic science
missions as forerunners to human
exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. Develop new
technologies to enable innovative and
less expensive research and flight missions.
Compare CME and CIR storms
Share the excitement of space science discoveries
with the public. Enhance the quality of science,
math, and technology education, particularly at
the pre-college level. Help create 21st century
workforce.
Popular articles, museum and planetarium exhibits
Teacher workshops, pre-college and college
curriculum development
Undergraduate and graduate research opportunities
Develop the knowledge to improve space weather.
Nearly continuous multi-spectral imaging of
geospace Real-time data link for NOAA
Acquire new technical approaches and
capabilities. Validate new technologies in
space. Apply and transfer technology.
Comprehensive set of new magnetospheric imaging
technologies developed, validated in space, and
published.
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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.