Development of a Falling Sphere Technique for E-region Wind Measurements

Details Development of a Falling Sphere Technique for E-region Wind Measurements Development of a Falling Sphere Technique for E-region Wind Measurements

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufmsa53a1253c&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #SA53A-1253

Physics

[3332] Atmospheric Processes / Mesospheric Dynamics, [3394] Atmospheric Processes / Instruments And Techniques

Scientific paper

In this presentation we outline the development of a new falling sphere technique sensor for measuring the lower E-region neutral winds and density, which are critical for many of the electrodynamics and plasma physics studies that are carried out as part of the NASA suborbital rocket program. Currently, chemical releases are the primary technique for measuring winds in the lower E-region. Chemical release wind measurements provide detailed wind profiles with good accuracy and have a long flight history. However, they have a number of operational drawbacks, including the need for clear skies over a broad area for camera observations, limited viewing windows (e.g., only at nighttime in the case of trimethyl aluminum), and the need to follow strict handling procedures. Recent advances in low-cost commercial technology have made the falling sphere technique an attractive option to chemical release for E-region measurements. Falling sphere instruments (typically inflatable devices) have been used extensively to make wind measurements in the D-region. Similar measurements in the lower E-region require higher sensitivity accelerometers and a more careful design of the sphere (e.g., solid sphere structure for hypersonic speeds). This presentation demonstrates the design and laboratory testing and calibration of a next-generation solid falling sphere instrument for E-region measurements. Ultimately, the development of this new falling sphere instrument will enable the deployment of multiple falling spheres from one rocket for 3D volume determination of neutral wind measurements.

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