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Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
APPENDIX B
333
Deliberate investment in new instrument concepts is necessary to acquire the data needed to further
solar and space physics science goals, reduce mission risk, and maintain an active and innovative hardware development community. To demonstrate the need for a dedicated NASA-funded instrument and
technology development program, this section describes several notional instruments that could carry out
science investigations considered for this decadal survey. Several of these cut across disciplines and thus
serve a variety of important goals. These are representative examples, and specifics may change over time
as new technology becomes available and scientific progress occurs. The dynamic nature of the requirements underscores the need for proactive management. Adequate, strategic resources are needed for a
combination of basic development, system integration, and technology readiness level (TRL)-boosting steps,
the latter usually being the most costly.
Airglow Imaging in the Visible and Far Ultraviolet (AIMI and SWMI)
Earth’s upper atmosphere (30-1,000 km) plays a key role in the interaction with the magnetosphere. The
lower regions (<200 km) are virtually inaccessible by in situ probes. Improved instrumentation is needed to
effectively study the energy and plasma coupling by revealing the global interaction and providing altitudespecific information. Wind measurements are critical. Composition (ion/neutral) and temperature, as well
as the type and energy of precipitating particles, and ionospheric conductivities can be effectively deduced
from induced atmospheric emissions. This can be provided by auroral and airglow imaging in the visible
and far ultraviolet. Such an instrument requires mirrors with higher-reflectance coatings than are currently
available, as well as narrower-band filters and blazed gratings with high ruling densities. “Solar blindness”
in the ultraviolet regime needs to be improved substantially, and basic development of such components
has been completed. System integration and in-space testing are needed to boost the system TRL.
Visible and Infrared Lidar Probing of the Upper Atmosphere (AIMI and SWMI)
Optical techniques for remote sensing of the upper atmosphere are limited by the inherent line-ofsight integration. Improving lidar technology holds great promise. Like radar, lidar has three-dimensional
resolving capability and is increasingly used to measure density distributions, drift speeds, and temperatures
of atmospheric constituents and trace elements. Three-dimensional resolution is especially important in
characterizing atmospheric waves propagating from the lower atmosphere.
Ground-based resonance lidars currently probe altitudes of 80 to 110 km, and Rayleigh lidars probe
from 30 to 80 km with power apertures of 10 to 20 Wm 2 . To probe above 110 km requires a substantial
increase in power aperture. High-frequency, high-power lasers are now available, and with a 10 by 10
array of 1 m 2 telescopes, more than 1,000 times the current capability is possible. While the components
exist, system integration development is needed.
A space-based helium lidar could provide Doppler measurements over the entire 250- to 750-km
altitude range. From low Earth orbit, a 10-Wm 2 system is sufficient to provide spatial profiles at 10-km
altitude resolution. Technology development is necessary to bring such a system to spaceflight readiness,
whether on the International Space Station (ISS) or as a free-flyer.
Magnetosphere-to-Ionosphere Field-Line Tracing Technology (SWMI and AIMI)
Determining how magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere coupling controls system-level dynamics
requires accurate observational knowledge of the magnetic connection between magnetospheric and ionospheric phenomena. One technique that is ready for a technological boost involves firing a high-energy
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
APPENDIX B
333
Deliberate investment in new instrument concepts is necessary to acquire the data needed to further
solar and space physics science goals, reduce mission risk, and maintain an active and innovative hardware development community. To demonstrate the need for a dedicated NASA-funded instrument and
technology development program, this section describes several notional instruments that could carry out
science investigations considered for this decadal survey. Several of these cut across disciplines and thus
serve a variety of important goals. These are representative examples, and specifics may change over time
as new technology becomes available and scientific progress occurs. The dynamic nature of the requirements underscores the need for proactive management. Adequate, strategic resources are needed for a
combination of basic development, system integration, and technology readiness level (TRL)-boosting steps,
the latter usually being the most costly.
Airglow Imaging in the Visible and Far Ultraviolet (AIMI and SWMI)
Earth’s upper atmosphere (30-1,000 km) plays a key role in the interaction with the magnetosphere. The
lower regions (<200 km) are virtually inaccessible by in situ probes. Improved instrumentation is needed to
effectively study the energy and plasma coupling by revealing the global interaction and providing altitudespecific information. Wind measurements are critical. Composition (ion/neutral) and temperature, as well
as the type and energy of precipitating particles, and ionospheric conductivities can be effectively deduced
from induced atmospheric emissions. This can be provided by auroral and airglow imaging in the visible
and far ultraviolet. Such an instrument requires mirrors with higher-reflectance coatings than are currently
available, as well as narrower-band filters and blazed gratings with high ruling densities. “Solar blindness”
in the ultraviolet regime needs to be improved substantially, and basic development of such components
has been completed. System integration and in-space testing are needed to boost the system TRL.
Visible and Infrared Lidar Probing of the Upper Atmosphere (AIMI and SWMI)
Optical techniques for remote sensing of the upper atmosphere are limited by the inherent line-ofsight integration. Improving lidar technology holds great promise. Like radar, lidar has three-dimensional
resolving capability and is increasingly used to measure density distributions, drift speeds, and temperatures
of atmospheric constituents and trace elements. Three-dimensional resolution is especially important in
characterizing atmospheric waves propagating from the lower atmosphere.
Ground-based resonance lidars currently probe altitudes of 80 to 110 km, and Rayleigh lidars probe
from 30 to 80 km with power apertures of 10 to 20 Wm 2 . To probe above 110 km requires a substantial
increase in power aperture. High-frequency, high-power lasers are now available, and with a 10 by 10
array of 1 m 2 telescopes, more than 1,000 times the current capability is possible. While the components
exist, system integration development is needed.
A space-based helium lidar could provide Doppler measurements over the entire 250- to 750-km
altitude range. From low Earth orbit, a 10-Wm 2 system is sufficient to provide spatial profiles at 10-km
altitude resolution. Technology development is necessary to bring such a system to spaceflight readiness,
whether on the International Space Station (ISS) or as a free-flyer.
Magnetosphere-to-Ionosphere Field-Line Tracing Technology (SWMI and AIMI)
Determining how magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere coupling controls system-level dynamics
requires accurate observational knowledge of the magnetic connection between magnetospheric and ionospheric phenomena. One technique that is ready for a technological boost involves firing a high-energy