The Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses (BARREL)

BARREL is a multiple-balloon investigation designed to study electron losses from Earth’s Radiation Belts. Selected as a NASA Living with a Star Mission of Opportunity, BARREL augments the Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission by providing measurements of relativistic electron precipitation with a pair of Antarctic balloon campaigns that will be conducted during the Austral summers (January-February) of 2013 and 2014. During each campaign, a total of 20 small (～20 kg) stratospheric balloons will be successively launched to maintain an array of ～5 payloads spread across ～6 hours of magnetic local time in the region that magnetically maps to the radiation belts. Each balloon carries an X-ray spectrometer to measure the bremsstrahlung X-rays produced by precipitating relativistic electrons as they collide with neutrals in the atmosphere, and a DC magnetometer to measure ULF-timescale variations of the magnetic field. BARREL will provide the first balloon measurements of relativistic electron precipitation while comprehensive in situ measurements of both plasma waves and energetic particles are available, and will characterize the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies. All data and analysis software will be made freely available to the scientific community.     

Gyro Misalignment and Encoder Quantization Effects During Multi-Axis Evaluation of Strapdown Gyros

This paper presents a quantitative discussion of two error sources which affect the accuracy of data comparison between instrument outputs and reference angle computations during multi-axis evaluation of strapdown gyros. The error due to misalignment of gyro input axes is formulated in terms of closed-form solutions for typical relationships between the three table gimbal rotation histories. If the angular positions of the table gimbal axes are measured by shaft encoders, then any measurement has an uncertainty in the range from plus to minus one-half of the quantization level. It is shown that the effect of encoder quantization error on the computer transformed angles in the bodyfixed coordinate system can be divided into two parts: the initial uncertainty of the zero positions of the gimbals before table motion is begun, and all subsequent error contributions during table test. Typical data for gyro misalignment and encoder quantization error effects are presented.