{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":94391,"title":"High Resolution Plasmaphere Observatory Development","primaryTaxonomyNodes":[{"taxonomyNodeId":10741,"taxonomyRootId":8816,"parentNodeId":10740,"level":3,"code":"TX08.1.1","title":"Detectors and Focal Planes","definition":"Detectors, focal planes and readout integrated circuits provide large-format array technologies that require high quantum efficiency (QE); low noise, high resolution, uniform, and stable response; low power and cost; and high reliability. These technologies include low-noise, high-speed, low-power and radiation hardened readout integrated circuit (ROIC) electronics; superconducting sensors; spectral detectors; polarization-sensitive detectors; radiation-hardened detectors; and micro-Kelvin and sub-Kelvin high sensitivity detectors that cover the spectrum from submillimeter wave (Far-IR) to X-ray.","exampleTechnologies":"Backshort Undergrid bolometer arrays, Mercury Cadmium Telluride and Strained Superlattice Arrays, charge coupled devices, sidecar readout integrated circuits, radiometric calibration and abnormality correction algorithms (e.g. non-uniformity)","hasChildren":false,"hasInteriorContent":true}],"startTrl":2,"currentTrl":2,"endTrl":5,"benefits":"Support NASA's Heliophysics strategic science objectives to understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system, including space weather. This will be achieved by developing/demonstrating instrumentation technology necessary to address the following science goals: Explore the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun to the Earth and throughout the solar system; Advance our understanding of the connections that link the Sun, the Earth, planetary space environments, and the outer reaches of our solar system; Develop the knowledge and capability to detect and predict extreme conditions in space to protect life and society and to safeguard human and robotic explorers beyond Earth.","description":"Science Goal. The science goal of this proposal is to determine the system-level evolution of fine-scale (0.05 Earth radii, RE) density structure of the Earth's plasmasphere on 1 to 2 minute time scales. Fine-scale cold plasma structure can exert a critical influence on wave and particle dynamics of the magnetosphere and ionosphere. Method. To achieve the project science goal, we propose to develop the High Resolution Plasmasphere Observatory (HRPO), a prototype wide-field extreme ultraviolet (EUV) camera with order-of-magnitude improved spatial and temporal resolution compared to any previously flown plasmasphere imager. The IMAGE EUV imager featured a large (~30 degrees) field-of-view, but a relatively poor (~0.6 degrees) spatial resolution. IMAGE EUV was limited by a detector obscuring most of the entrance aperture (reducing throughput and design flexibility). IMAGE EUV included a spherical-surface detector that was expensive and difficult to manufacture. Improvements in reflective coatings, optical surface manufacturing, and detector sensitivity allow for a new two-mirror off-axis optical design with a flat focal surface. The prototype imager [Davis et al., 2014, Proc SPIE, doi:10.1117/12.2057020] will be built, aligned, calibrated, and environmentally tested over a three-year period, raising the TRL from 2 (software design) to 5 (prototype through environmental testing). There are two main driving requirements of this instrument development: (1) angular resolution less than or equal to 0.36 degrees, needed to resolve 0.05 RE structure (from a notional 8 RE orbit), and (2) effective area at or above 0.5 square cm, needed to observe tenuous fine structure with a 1 to 2 min image cadence. It is also important (but not a driving requirement) to maximize the camera field of view. There is significant margin in the HRPO software design, which has 0.07 degree angular resolution (factor of 5 better than required, and 9 times better than IMAGE EUV) and effective area 1.2 square cm (factor of 2.4 better than required, and 4 times better than IMAGE). The average margin on performance of individual camera elements (multilayer mirror, filter, and detector) is 20%. Work Plan. The objective of the proposed project is to advance the TRL of the prototype EUV imager from 2 to 5. The first year will be spent finalizing the optical design and procuring optics. Both primary and secondary mirrors are aspheric, so a year is an appropriate amount of time to spend in their design and fabrication. The second year will be spent applying a multilayer coating so that the mirrors reject 58.4 and 121.6 nm background light (corresponding to neutral He and H emissions) while reflecting 30.4 nm (He+ emission) signal light. The coating work will be followed by construction of a brassboard instrument utilizing the new optics and in-house EUV-sensitive detectors. The third year will be spent calibrating the system and environmentally testing the brassboard instrument over expected vibrational launch loads and operational thermal extremes. At the end of Year 3 we formulate a detailed plan to get from TRL 5 to TRL 6. Importance, Relevance to NASA. The plasmasphere holds most of the mass/inertia of the magnetosphere. It is of central importance in geospace, and highly relevant to the NASA SMD Science Plan and the Heliophysics Decadal Survey. A next-generation, state-of-the-art EUV camera advances the type of science that can be done with plasmaspheric imaging, by making system-level observation of cross-scale plasma structure a reality. The Decadal Survey's highest ranked new magnetospheric mission concept, MEDICI, requires an EUV camera with the same minimum requirements for spatial/temporal resolution (0.05 RE, 1 min) as HRPO. This ITD is an invaluable opportunity to qualify HRPO: an EUV camera that meets/exceeds relevant Decadal Survey requirements, and fills the need for high-resolution, system-level plasmaspheric imaging.","destinations":[{"lkuCodeId":1545,"code":"SUN","description":"Sun","lkuCodeTypeId":526,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"DESTINATION_TYPE","description":"Destination Type"}}],"startYear":2018,"startMonth":2,"endYear":2023,"endMonth":12,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":218910,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jerry","lastName":"Goldstein","fullName":"Jerry Goldstein","fullNameInverted":"Goldstein, Jerry","primaryEmail":"jgoldstein@swri.edu","publicEmail":false,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":413940,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Roshanak","lastName":"Hakimzadeh","fullName":"Roshanak Hakimzadeh","fullNameInverted":"Hakimzadeh, Roshanak","primaryEmail":"hakimzadeh@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":413940,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Roshanak","lastName":"Hakimzadeh","fullName":"Roshanak Hakimzadeh","fullNameInverted":"Hakimzadeh, Roshanak","primaryEmail":"hakimzadeh@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"coInvestigators":[{"contactId":411552,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Ronald","lastName":"Kalmbach","fullName":"Ronald B Kalmbach","fullNameInverted":"Kalmbach, Ronald B","middleInitial":"B","primaryEmail":"contracts@swri.org","publicEmail":false,"nacontact":false},{"contactId":376131,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Philippa","lastName":"Molyneux","fullName":"Philippa M Molyneux","fullNameInverted":"Molyneux, Philippa M","middleInitial":"M","primaryEmail":"pmolyneux@swri.edu","publicEmail":false,"nacontact":false},{"contactId":331549,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Michael","lastName":"Davis","fullName":"Michael W Davis","fullNameInverted":"Davis, Michael W","middleInitial":"W","primaryEmail":"mdavis@swri.edu","publicEmail":false,"nacontact":false}],"website":"","libraryItems":[],"transitions":[],"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"SMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4909,"organizationName":"Science Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"program":{"acronym":"H-TIDeS","active":true,"description":"
Low Cost Access to Space (LCAS) investigations may be science investigations in and of themselves or proof-of-concept experiments for techniques/detectors that enable new Heliophysics science. LCAS includes rides on research balloons, sounding rockets, the International Space Station, commercial reusable suborbital rockets, and CubeSats. LCAS investigations that launch into space in order to return scientific data are expected to make direct contributions to the science of Heliophysics.
Instrument and Technology Development (ITD) investigations have as their objective the development of instrument technologies that show promise for use in scientific investigations on future Heliophysics science missions, including the development of laboratory instrument prototypes, but not of flight hardware. Instrument development proposals are not necessarily expected to apply the results of their efforts to science questions within the time period of the proposed effort. They must, however, demonstrate that there are specific scientific problem(s), for which the development is a necessary precursor.
","parentProgram":{"active":true,"programId":92285,"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"SMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4909,"organizationName":"Science Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdId":4909,"title":"Heliophysics"},"parentProgramId":92285,"programId":32945,"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"SMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4909,"organizationName":"Science Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdId":4909,"title":"Heliophysics Technology and Instrument Development for Science"},"leadOrganization":{"acronym":"SWRI","canUserEdit":false,"city":"San Antonio","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"external":true,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4848,"organizationName":"Southwest Research Institute - San Antonio","organizationType":"Non_Profit_Institution","stateTerritory":{"abbreviation":"TX","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Texas","stateTerritoryId":29},"stateTerritoryId":29,"naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"Non-Profit Institution"},"statesWithWork":[{"abbreviation":"TX","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Texas","stateTerritoryId":29}],"lastUpdated":"2023-10-6","releaseStatusString":"Released","viewCount":459,"endDateString":"Dec 2023","startDateString":"Feb 2018"}}