0350 Pressure; density; and temperature; 0355 Thermosphere: composition and chemistry; 0394 Instruments and techniques; 1616 Climate variability (1635; 3305; 3309; 4215; 4513); 7969 Satellite drag (1241)
Abstract :
[en] A new Small Explorer mission, the Neutral Ion Coupling Explorer (NICE) mission, was selected for study by NASA to specifically address neutral ion coupling in the Earth's atmosphere. The main goal of NICE is to study neutral-ion coupling at low latitudes where the densest plasma in geospace is created and where a number of remarkable interactions between the plasma and neutral gas occur even in the relative absence of high-latitude forcing. NICE will study this region from a ~24 degree inclination 550 km circular orbit, residing entirely on closed magnetic field lines. The relatively fast precession of low-inclination orbit is favorable for frequent sampling of all local times for the determination of tidal structures. It is now widely recognized that the neutral thermosphere has a strong influence on the ionosphere and that Earth's ionosphere at quiet times is actually tidally dominated. The NICE concept is unique in simultaneously providing measurements of the parameters relevant to ion production and motion across the entire altitude range of the low-latitude ionosphere. The science payload consists of 3 remote sensing instruments viewing the atmospheric limb (1) a dual Doppler Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FP), scanning in altitude to measure neutral wind vector and temperature altitude profiles in the E- and F-regions, (2) a Far Ultraviolet (FUV) imager to measure daytime neutral composition and image the nighttime F-layer intensity distributions, and (3) an Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) altitude profiler to retrieve daytime F-layer properties. In addition, an Ion Velocity Meter (IVM) measures the in-situ ion drifts. NICE will take advantage of an elegant choice of orbit and instrument viewing geometries to make coordinated and complementary observations at all local times, with optimal conjunction of measurements occurring near the equator. The observations are accompanied by a suite of advanced numerical models and analysis techniques.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Mende, S. B.; University of California Berkeley, Space Science Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Immel, T. J.; University of California Berkeley, Space Science Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
England, S.; University of California Berkeley, Space Science Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Frey, H. U.; University of California Berkeley, Space Science Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Swenson, G. R.; University of Illinois, 1901 South First Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States
Heelis, R.; University of Texas at Dallas University of Texas at Dallas, 2601 N. Floyd Road, Richardson, TX 75083,
Forbes, J.; University of Colorado, Campus Box 429, Boulder, CO Country Co, United States
Crowley, G.; ASTRA, 12703 Spectrum Drive, San Antonio, TX 78249, United States
Stephan, A. W.; Naval Research Laboratory, NRL, Washington, DC 20375, United States
Huba, J. D.; Naval Research Laboratory, NRL, Washington, DC 20375, United States
Picone, J. M.; Naval Research Laboratory, NRL, Washington, DC 20375, United States
Edelstein, J.; University of California Berkeley, Space Science Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Makela, J.; University of Illinois, 1901 South First Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States
Kamalabadi, F.; University of Illinois, 1901 South First Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States
Kintner, P.; Cornell University Cornell University, 120 Day Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
Siegmund, O.; University of California Berkeley, Space Science Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
Gérard, Jean-Claude ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Labo de physique atmosphérique et planétaire (LPAP)
Rochus, Pierre ; Université de Liège - ULiège > CSL (Centre Spatial de Liège) - Instrumentation et expérimentation spatiales
Hubert, Benoît ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Labo de physique atmosphérique et planétaire (LPAP)
