Low-energy neutral atom emission from the Earth's magnetosphere

Kurt R. Moore; Earl E. Scime; Herbert O. Funsten III; David J. McComas; Michelle F. Thomsen

doi:10.1117/12.155924

1 February 1994 Low-energy neutral atom emission from the Earth's magnetosphere

Kurt R. Moore, Earl E. Scime, Herbert O. Funsten III, David J. McComas, Michelle F. Thomsen

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 33, Issue 2, (February 1994). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.155924

Abstract

Imaging of the terrestrial magnetosphere is possible through the detection of low-energy neutral atoms (LENA5) produced by charge exchange between magnetospheric plasma ions and neutral atoms of the Earth's geocorona. We present calculations of both hydrogen and oxygen line-of-sight LENA fluxes expected on orbit for various plasma regimes as predicted by the Rice University Magnetospheric Specification Model. To decrease the required computation time, we are in the process of adapting our code for massively parallel computers. The speed gains achieved from parallel algorithms are substantial, and we present results from computational runs on the Connection Machine CM-2 data parallel supercomputer. We also estimate expected image count rates and image quality based on realistic instrument geometric factors, energy passbands, neutral atom scattering in the instrument, and image accumulation intervals. The results indicate that LENA imaging instruments will need a geometric factor (G) on the order of 0.1 cm² sr eV/eV to be capable of imaging storm time ring currents, and a G of 1.0 cm² sr eV/eV in order to image the quiet time ring current fluxes, ion injections from the tail, and subsequent ion drifts toward the dayside magnetopause.

Citation Download Citation

Kurt R. Moore, Earl E. Scime, Herbert O. Funsten III, David J. McComas, and Michelle F. Thomsen "Low-energy neutral atom emission from the Earth's magnetosphere," Optical Engineering 33(2), (1 February 1994). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.155924

Published: 1 February 1994

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available