Auroral Spatial Structures Probe Sub-Orbital Mission Preliminary Results

Abstract:

The NASA Auroral Spatial Structures Probe, 49.002, was launched January 28, 2015 from the Poker Flat Research Range into active aurora over the northern coast of Alaska. The primary objective of this mission was to determine the contribution of small spatial and temporal scale fluctuations of the electric fields to the larger-scale energy deposition processes associated with the aurora. The Auroral Spatial Structures Probe Sub-Orbital Mission consisted of a formation of 7 spacecraft (a main payload with 6 deployable sub-payloads) designed for multiple temporally spaced co-located measurements of electric and magnetic fields in the earth’s ionosphere. The mission was able to make observations at a short time scale and small spatial scale convergence that is unobservable by either satellite or ground-based observations. The payloads included magnetometers, electric field double probes, and Langmuir probes as well as a sweeping impedance probe on the main payload. We present here preliminary results from the measurements taken that hint at the underlying spatial structure of the currents and energy deposition in the aurora. The Poynting flux derived from the observations is shown and implications are discussed in terms of the contribution of small spatial scale, rapid temporal scale fluctuations in the currents that deposit energy in the auroral region.

Funding provided by NASA Grants NNX11AE23G and NNX13AN20A.