An Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) to Develop New Instrument Technology to Study the Auroral Ionosphere and Stratospheric Ozone Layer Using Ultralight Balloon Payloads

Abstract:

This project is currently engaging tweleve undergraduate students in the process of developing new technology and instrumentation for use in balloon borne geospace investigations in the auroral zone. Motivation stems from advances in microelectronics and consumer electronic technology. Given the technological inovations over the past 20 years it now possible to develop new instrumentation to study the auroral ionosphere and stratospheric ozone layer using ultralight balloon payloads for less than 6lbs and $3K per payload. The UH USIP undergraduate team is currently in the process of build ten such payloads for launch using1500 gm latex weather balloons to be deployed in Houston and Fairbanks, AK as well as zero pressure balloons launched from northern Sweden. The latex balloon project will collect vertical profiles of wind speed, wind direction, temperature, electrical conductivity, ozone and odd nitrogen. This instrument payload will also profiles of pressure, electric field, and air-earth electric current. The zero pressure balloons will obtain a suite of geophysical measurements including: DC electric field, electric field and magnetic flux, optical imaging, total electron content of ionosphere via dual-channel GPS, X-ray detection, and infrared/UV spectroscopy. Students will fly payloads with different combinations of these instruments to determine which packages are successful. Data collected by these instruments will be useful in understanding the nature of electrodynamic coupling in the upper atmosphere and how the global earth system is changing. Results and best practices learned from lab tests and initial Houston test flights will be discussed.