Shaped charge injection of field-aligned barium and calcium plasma to investigate the physics of mass-dependent ion acceleration.

Régions: South Slave Region

étiquettes: physical sciences, atmospheric sciences, aurora borealis

chercheur principal: Wescott, E.M. (2)
Nᵒ de permis: 12776
Organisation: Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska
Année(s) de permis: 1995 1994
Délivré: janv. 01, 1995
Équipe de projet: H.C.S. Neilsen

Objectif(s): To investigate processes responsible for the aurora. By sending beams of barium and calcium ions through the region we should be able to differentiate between curreent theories of electrstatic acceration and wave-particle interactions.

Description du projet: Beams of barium and calcium ions, from a rocket launched from Poker Flats, Alaska, will be released into the aurora. These beams will be observed using two low-light-level TV systems set up outside the Upper Air Station in Fort Smith. Each system will be filtered for barium ion light and calcium ion light respectively. The data will be recorded on video tape. The experiment will take place near midnight on a clear night with aurora over northern Alaska.