Twins: A New Mission to Solve the Problem of Turbulence and Energy Dissipation at Electron Scales in the Solar Wind

Abstract:

The ESA/Cluster and the NASA/Themis missions have allowed for making a significant progress in understanding the problem of turbulence and energy dissipation at sub-ion and electron scales in the solar wind. Yet, several key questions cannot be addressed by these missions or by the upcoming ones (e.g., MMS, Solar Orbiter) because of instrumental limitations. We will discuss some of these scientific questions and instrumental limitations, then present a new mission concept, TWINS, designed to solve the problem of turbulence and energy dissipation at electron scales in the solar wind. This dual-spacecraft mission is based on the TOR concept, a single spacecraft mission proposed to the ESA/S1-class call in 2012. TWINS is one the mission concepts that is currently being discussed within the community in view of proposing it to the upcoming ESA/M4 call expected in 2014.