Multiple Balloon Campaign (MINIS) to Study MeV Electron Precipitation

Details Multiple Balloon Campaign (MINIS) to Study MeV Electron Precipitation Multiple Balloon Campaign (MINIS) to Study MeV Electron Precipitation

Dec 2003

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003agufmsm41c0582s&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2003, abstract #SM41C-0582

Computer Science

Performance

2712 Electric Fields (2411), 2716 Energetic Particles, Precipitating, 2720 Energetic Particles, Trapped, 2788 Storms And Substorms, 2794 Instruments And Techniques

Scientific paper

A unique new Antarctic multiple balloon campaign MINIS (MINIature Spectrometer) is set for launch in December `04. Using small (7000m3) hand-launched balloons, four identical payloads will carry a suite of instruments principally designed to study the precipitation of relativistic (MeV) electrons from the radiation belts. The payloads will have the opportunity and the capability to study rare, recently discovered precipitation events that are short-lived and precipitate only the highest-energy electrons, (Foat et al. 1998, GRL 25, no. 22; Millan et al. 2002, GRL 29, no. 24). Understanding the loss mechanisms for the MeV electron radiation belt population is interesting in its own right, but may also help us to understand the origin and acceleration of these particles and better protect satellites from radiation damage. MeV electron precipitation events may even influence ozone depletion at mid to high latitudes, depending on the downward transport of odd nitrogen compounds. Each MINIS payload will include a NaI scintillator for the detection of bremsstrahlung X-rays as well as instruments to detect electromagnetic fields and waves which will help indicate the cause of a given precipitation event. The payloads will be launched successively in December 2004 from the South African National Antarctic Expedition IV (SANAE) base (72S,2E) such that they will be able to simultaneously study temporal and spatial variations in the precipitation of electrons in both the bounce-loss and drift-loss populations at L-values between 4 and 6. Having four balloons at different positions will also allow us to study magnetic local time effects in the precipitation processes and will also provide a new platform for studying substorm evolution in conjunction with existing instruments on the ground and in space. In preparation for the December '04 campaign from SANAE, a single balloon will be launched in December '03 from McMurdo Station, Antarctica in order to test the payload performance and begin to gather data on these unusual precipitation events.

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