Photoemission Phenomena in the Solar System

Much of what we know about the atmospheres of the planets and other bodies in the solar system comes from detection of photons over a wide wavelength range, from X-rays to radio waves. In this chapter, we present current information in various categories—measurements of the airglows of the terrestrial planets, the dayglows of the outer planets and satellites, aurora throughout the solar system, observations of cometary spectra, and the emission of X-rays from a variety of planetary bodies.     

Earth observation and the public good

The term ‘public good’ is often used in satellite Earth observation to indicate that Earth observation data are of value or interest to the public. In fact, the term ‘public good’ has a more specific meaning, originating in the discipline of Economics, which carries with it a set of assumptions and implications about how markets operate. In this context a public good has two main characteristics: non-rivalry and non-excludability. In their most common digital format, Earth observation data can appear to be both non-rivalrous and non-excludable. However, it is not the digital medium itself which controls the ‘publicness’ of a good but the conditions of access to that good. This paper explores the meaning of the concept of public goods in an Earth observation context by, first, examining public good theory and related concepts of categories of goods and, second, applying the concepts to nine Earth observation missions, programmes and data.     

Plasma Flow and Related Phenomena in Planetary Aeronomy

Understanding the processes involved in the interaction of solar system bodies with plasma flows is fundamental to the entire field of space physics. The features of the interaction can be very different, depending upon the properties of the incident plasma as well as the nature of the obstacle. The properties of the atmosphere/ionosphere associated with the obstacle are of particular importance into understanding the plasma interaction process, especially for non-magnetized obstacle. This paper discusses in detail the roles of the atmosphere and ionosphere systems of plasma interaction around Venus, Mars, comets and some particular satellites. The coupling between magnetosphere and ionosphere is also discussed for Earth and Giant planets.     

Fragmentation of 1 GeV/nucleon iron ions in thick targets relevant for space exploration.

We have measured charged nuclear fragments produced by 1 GeV/nucleon 56Fe ions interacting with aluminium, polyethylene and lead. These materials are relevant for assessment of radiation risk for manned space flight. The data will be presented in a form suitable for comparison with models of nuclear fragmentation and transport, including linear energy transfer (LET) spectrum, fluence for iron and fragments, event-tack- and event-dose-averaged LET, total dose and iron contribution to dose.     

Modularity and Spacecraft Cost

From computers to aeronautics, many industries have achieved great cost savings through the use of modular engineering approaches. In standardizing interfaces between elements and by reusing functional units, projects can achieve direct reductions in required development labor and secondary savings from enhanced reliability via improved process control from manufacturing identical units. Issues involved in the extension of modular design to the space industry are discussed. A cost model is developed to resolve some of the conflicting advantages and disadvantages between modular and customized designs. Key regimes are identified that represent the best opportunities for applying modular concepts.     

Noise, Radar Moving-Window Detectors, and False Returns

Moving-window false report probability is shown to overestimate effects of noise. "False-report-start" probability is calculated and compared to the usual false report probability. The ratio of the two exceeds a simple function of window length, threshold, and noise probability, which is tabulated for some representative values.     

Proportional Tracking with Clipped-input Matched Filters

A proportional boresight-error measurement is described for tracking systems that is applicable to envelope-producing matched filters with hard-limited inputs. The error response is derived as a function of input SNR and the filter output SNR is estimated.     

Long-term manipulations of intact microbial mat communities in a greenhouse collaboratory: simulating earth's present and past field environments

Photosynthetic microbial mat communities were obtained from marine hypersaline saltern ponds, maintained in a greenhouse facility, and examined for the effects of salinity variations. Because these microbial mats are considered to be useful analogs of ancient marine communities, they offer insights about evolutionary events during the >3 billion year time interval wherein mats co-evolved with Earth's lithosphere and atmosphere. Although photosynthetic mats can be highly dynamic and exhibit extremely high activity, the mats in the present study have been maintained for >1 year with relatively minor changes. The major groups of microorganisms, as assayed using microscopic, genetic, and biomarker methodologies, are essentially the same as those in the original field samples. Field and greenhouse mats were similar with respect to rates of exchange of oxygen and dissolved inorganic carbon across the mat-water interface, both during the day and at night. Field and greenhouse mats exhibited similar rates of efflux of methane and hydrogen. Manipulations of salinity in the water overlying the mats produced changes in the community that strongly resemble those observed in the field. A collaboratory testbed and an array of automated features are being developed to support remote scientific experimentation with the assistance of intelligent software agents. This facility will permit teams of investigators the opportunity to explore ancient environmental conditions that are rare or absent today but that might have influenced the early evolution of these photosynthetic ecosystems.     

Michelson Interferometer for Global High-Resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI): Monolithic Interferometer Design and Test

The design and laboratory tests of the interferometers for the Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) instrument which measures thermospheric wind and temperature for the NASA-sponsored Ionospheric Connection (ICON) Explorer mission are described. The monolithic interferometers use the Doppler Asymmetric Spatial Heterodyne (DASH) Spectroscopy technique for wind measurements and a multi-element photometer approach to measure thermospheric temperatures. The DASH technique and overall optical design of the MIGHTI instrument are described in an overview followed by details on the design, element fabrication, assembly, laboratory tests and thermal control of the interferometers that are the heart of MIGHTI.     

Michelson Interferometer for Global High-Resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI): Instrument Design and Calibration

The Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) instrument was built for launch and operation on the NASA Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) mission. The instrument was designed to measure thermospheric horizontal wind velocity profiles and thermospheric temperature in altitude regions between 90 km and 300 km, during day and night. For the wind measurements it uses two perpendicular fields of view pointed at the Earth’s limb, observing the Doppler shift of the atomic oxygen red and green lines at 630.0 nm and 557.7 nm wavelength. The wavelength shift is measured using field-widened, temperature compensated Doppler Asymmetric Spatial Heterodyne (DASH) spectrometers, employing low order échelle gratings operating at two different orders for the different atmospheric lines. The temperature measurement is accomplished by a multichannel photometric measurement of the spectral shape of the molecular oxygen A-band around 762 nm wavelength. For each field of view, the signals of the two oxygen lines and the A-band are detected on different regions of a single, cooled, frame transfer charge coupled device (CCD) detector. On-board calibration sources are used to periodically quantify thermal drifts, simultaneously with observing the atmosphere. The MIGHTI requirements, the resulting instrument design and the calibration are described.