The Auroral Spatial Structures Probe: magnetic and electric field measurements during an active aurora at fine spatial and temporal scales

Abstract:

The Auroral Spatial Structures Probe was a rocket campaign that launched from Poker Flat on January 28, 2015 at 10:41:01 UTC to make multi-point vector observations of the magnetic and electric fields during an active aurora. With 6 instrumented payloads deployed from the rocket in addition to the main payload, each payload making simultaneous measurements of the magnetic and electric fields, the goals of this mission are to resolve the temporal-spatial ambiguity concerning the structures of the electric and magnetic fields during an active auroral event. The vector nature of these measurements requires an accurate knowledge of attitude throughout the flight. Each payload was equipped with gyroscopes to obtain a post-processed attitude solution after the flight. While the main payload’s inertial sensors functioned well, the spin axis gyroscope on the subpayloads saturated due to a design flaw. To obtain the attitude and render the vector measurements useful, a least-squares based approach to estimate the attitude history of the payloads was devised using the magnetic and electric field measurements. Once the attitude solution was applied the temporal structures seen in the magnetic and electric fields while flying through the auroral arc are strongly correlated between payloads. We present the new attitude history estimation approach and discuss its strengths and weaknesses compared to traditional attitude methods. We also present preliminary findings from the magnetic and electric field instruments.The Auroral Spatial Structures Probe was a rocket campaign that launched from Poker Flat on January 28, 2015 at 10:41:01 UTC to make multi-point vector observations of the magnetic and electric fields during an active aurora. With 6 instrumented payloads deployed from the rocket in addition to the main payload, each payload making simultaneous measurements of the magnetic and electric fields, the goals of this mission are to resolve the temporal-spatial ambiguity concerning the structures of the electric and magnetic fields during an active auroral event. The vector nature of these measurements requires an accurate knowledge of attitude throughout the flight. Each payload was equipped with gyroscopes to obtain a post-processed attitude solution after the flight. While the main payload’s inertial sensors functioned well, the spin axis gyroscope on the subpayloads saturated due to a design flaw. To obtain the attitude and render the vector measurements useful, a least-squares based approach to estimate the attitude history of the payloads was devised using the magnetic and electric field measurements. Once the attitude solution was applied the temporal structures seen in the magnetic and electric fields while flying through the auroral arc are strongly correlated between payloads. We present the new attitude history estimation approach and discuss its strengths and weaknesses compared to traditional attitude methods. We also present preliminary findings from the magnetic and electric field instruments.