Calibration of the VIS-channel of meteosat-2

The “VIS-channel” (the channel is sensitive between about .4 and 1.1 μm wavelength) of the European geostationary satellite Meteosat-2 is calibrated by the method of “vicarious calibration by means of calculated radiances”. The calibration constant, which connects the 6-bit-counts of the VIS-channel of the Meteosat-2 with the corresponding “effective radiances” is determined to be c_SAT = 2.3 W·m^?2·sr^?1/count with an accuracy of ± 10% (preliminary values). The calibration constant is valid for “gain 0” and the period until October 1981. The result means, that the VIS-channel of Meteosat-2 at the beginning of its lifetime is about 15% more sensitive than that of Meteosat-1 was at its end.     

Some properties of the polar energy source and of the associated atmospheric perturbations

The magnitude, dissipation mechanism, and spatial distribution of the solar wind - magnetospheric energy source are discussed briefly. Using N₂ measurements of the ESRO 4 satellite, the temperature increase in the polar thermosphere associated with this energy source are investigated. Part of the locally dissipated energy is transported toward lower latitudes. Possible modes of energy transfer are reviewed, and local time variations are documented. Some suggestions are made with respect to future empirical models of the thermosphere.     

The Sixth Catalogue of galactic Wolf-Rayet stars,their past and present

This paper presents the Sixth Catalogue of galactic Wolf-Rayet stars (Pop. I), a short history on the five earlier WR catalogues, improved spectral classification, finding charts, a discussion on related objects, and a review of the current status of Wolf-Rayet star research.The appendix presents a bibliography on most of the Wolf-Rayet literature published since 1867.Visiting astronomer, Kitt Peak National Observatory and Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.Visiting astronomer, European Southern Observatory.     

The cold summer mesopause

One of the most characteristic features of the summer mesopause at high latitudes is the very low temperature. Earlier measurements have shown temperatures in the range down to 135 K around 86 km altitude, whereas the most recent $\text{in situ}$ measurements have revealed temperatures still much lower than that in a rather wide altitude region. The reasons for these low temperatures are to be found in the dynamics of the strato- and mesospheres. Upwinds and gravity wave activity over the summer hemisphere cause efficient cooling of the atmosphere.Also other effects are caused by the updrafts. The vertical transport velocity for important minor constituents is increased, which for instance causes the concentration of water vapor around the mesopause to be enhanced by large factors. This situation is of major importance for the possibility of forming noctilucent clouds (NLC).NLC are believed to be composed of small water ice particles, which because of the low temperatures can be formed on existing condensation nuclei. Two of the main questions regarding the formation of NLC concern the water vapor budget of the upper mesosphere and the origin of the condensation nuclei.This paper gives a general introduction to mesospheric physics and composition. Some results from recent satellite and rocket experiments are reviewed and the campaign layout and the performed experiments within the MAP project CAMP are described. The results from the different experiments are presented in four accompanying papers on CAMP results.     

IBEX—Interstellar Boundary Explorer

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) is a small explorer mission that launched on 19 October 2008 with the sole, focused science objective to discover the global interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium. IBEX is designed to achieve this objective by answering four fundamental science questions: (1) What is the global strength and structure of the termination shock, (2) How are energetic protons accelerated at the termination shock, (3) What are the global properties of the solar wind flow beyond the termination shock and in the heliotail, and (4) How does the interstellar flow interact with the heliosphere beyond the heliopause? The answers to these questions rely on energy-resolved images of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs), which originate beyond the termination shock, in the inner heliosheath. To make these exploratory ENA observations IBEX carries two ultra-high sensitivity ENA cameras on a simple spinning spacecraft. IBEX’s very high apogee Earth orbit was achieved using a new and significantly enhanced method for launching small satellites; this orbit allows viewing of the outer heliosphere from beyond the Earth’s relatively bright magnetospheric ENA emissions. The combination of full-sky imaging and energy spectral measurements of ENAs over the range from ～10 eV to 6 keV provides the critical information to allow us to achieve our science objective and understand this global interaction for the first time. The IBEX mission was developed to provide the first global views of the Sun’s interstellar boundaries, unveiling the physics of the heliosphere’s interstellar interaction, providing a deeper understanding of the heliosphere and thereby astrospheres throughout the galaxy, and creating the opportunity to make even greater unanticipated discoveries.     

IBEX Backgrounds and Signal-to-Noise Ratio

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission will provide maps of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) originating from the boundary region of our heliosphere. On IBEX there are two sensors, IBEX-Lo and IBEX-Hi, covering the energy ranges from 10 to 2000 eV and from 300 to 6000 eV, respectively. The expected ENA signals at 1 AU are low, therefore both sensors feature large geometric factors. In addition, special attention has to be paid to the various sources of background that may interfere with our measurement. Because IBEX orbits the Earth, ion, electron, and ENA populations of the Earth’s magnetosphere are prime background sources. Another potential background source is the magnetosheath and the solar wind plasma when the spacecraft is outside the magnetosphere. UV light from the night sky and the geocorona have to be considered as background sources as well. Finally background sources within each of the sensors must be examined.     

Locations of Atmospheric Photoelectron Energy Peaks Within the Mars Environment

By identifying peaks in the photoelectron spectrum produced by photoionization of CO₂ in the Martian atmosphere, we have conducted a pilot study to determine the locations of these photoelectrons in the space around Mars. The significant result of this study is that these photoelectrons populate a region around Mars bounded externally by the magnetic pileup boundary, and internally by the lowest altitude of our measurements (∼250 km) on the dayside and by a cylinder of approximately the planetary radius on the nightside. It is particularly noteworthy that the photoelectrons on the nightside are observed from the terminator plane tailward to a distance of ∼3 R _M, the Mars Express apoapsis. The presence of the atmospherically generated photoelectrons on the nightside of Mars may be explained by direct magnetic field line connection between the nightside observation locations and the Martian dayside ionosphere. Thus the characteristic photoelectron peaks may be used as tracers of magnetic field lines for the study of the magnetic field configuration and particle transport in the Martian environment.     

The Solar Energetic Particle Ionic Charge Analyzer (SEPICA) and the Data Processing Unit (S3DPU) for SWICS,SWIMS and SEPICA

The Solar Energetic Particle Ionic Charge Analyzer (SEPICA) is the main instrument on the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) to determine the ionic charge states of solar and interplanetary energetic particles in the energy range from ≈0.2 MeV nucl−1 to ≈5 MeV charge−1. The charge state of energetic ions contains key information to unravel source temperatures, acceleration, fractionation and transport processes for these particle populations. SEPICA will have the ability to resolve individual charge states and have a substantially larger geometric factor than its predecessor ULEZEQ on ISEE-1 and -3, on which SEPICA is based. To achieve these two requirements at the same time, SEPICA is composed of one high-charge resolution sensor section and two low- charge resolution, but large geometric factor sections. The charge resolution is achieved by the focusing of the incoming ions, through a multi-slit mechanical collimator, deflection in an electrostatic analyzer with a voltage up to 30 kV, and measurement of the impact position in the detector system. To determine the nuclear charge (element) and energy of the incoming ions, the combination of thin-window flow-through proportional counters with isobutane as counter gas and ion-implanted solid state detectors provide for 3 independent ΔE (energy loss) versus E (residual energy) telescopes. The multi-wire proportional counter simultaneously determines the energy loss ΔE and the impact position of the ions. Suppression of background from penetrating cosmic radiation is provided by an anti-coincidence system with a CsI scintillator and Si-photodiodes. The data are compressed and formatted in a data processing unit (S3DPU) that also handles the commanding and various automatted functions of the instrument. The S3DPU is shared with the Solar Wind Ion Charge Spectrometer (SWICS) and the Solar Wind Ion Mass Spectrometer (SWIMS) and thus provides the same services for three of the ACE instruments. It has evolved out of a long family of data processing units for particle spectrometers. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.