Medusa for Elvira Satellite.

摘要

LONG -TERM GOAL. The long term goal of this grant is to develop a low mass, power, and volume electron and ion electrostatic analyzer for measuring plasmas from a few eV to 10s of KeV energies. A parallel goal is to develop techniques that also lower the overall cost of building flight qualified units. The ultimate science long-term goal supported by this technology is the multipoint (in spacetime) measurement capability of low earth plasmas for input to space weather modeling. SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES. Currently, heavy interest is being placed on nowcasting and forecasting of space weather. Auroral plasma energy deposition, along with Joule dissipation, represents the majority of external, non solar photonic energy input into the earths ionosphere, thermosphere, and mesosphere. As such it is absolutely essential to have an accurate, global, space/time resolved determination of this energy source. To date this has not occurred with sufficient accuracy to be effectively used in now- and -fore-casting of space weather and its consequences. The chief reason is the high cost of instruments and missions which make it prohibitive to provide a dense enough observations matrix. A new approach is detailed in the next section to allow achievement of these space weather science goals.