CubeSat: Electron Losses and Fields INvestigation (ELFIN)

University Of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project is to design, develop, operate and analyze the results of a CubeSat mission named Electron Losses and Fields Investigation (ELFIN). The mission is designed to investigate the physical mechanisms responsible for removing high-energy electrons from the Earth?s radiation belts through precipitation into the upper atmosphere. Electrons at very high energy (near the speed of light) are part of the radiation environment in near-Earth space that poses a danger to satellite systems and instruments. The amount of radiation is highly variable especially during solar and geomagnetic storms known as space weather. It is governed by a delicate balance of acceleration and loss processes none of which are well understood at present. ELFIN measurements will provide unique observational evidence to help understand the physics behind the loss mechanisms at play. Beyond its impact on radiation belt physics, ELFIN aims to demonstrate that major breakthroughs in our understanding of the space environment can result from low-cost missions with meaningful student and young researcher participation. The project will form part of an effort to develop an inter-disciplinary program of education surrounding microsatellites. ELFIN will be used as an educational vehicle for dozens of undergraduate and graduate students from Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Earth and Space Sciences (ESS), either being employed on the project or receiving independent study credit. Outreach to local K-12 schools will be conducted as part of on-going efforts at UCLA. The project also builds on an established collaboration with the Aerospace Corporation on-going CubeSat development program. Components will be purchased through a subcontract to Aerospace, and mentorship will be provided by named participating collaborators at Aerospace. The project is also receiving partial support from NASA?s Low Cost Access to Space (LCAS) program. The ELFIN cubesat is specifically designed to provide the first pitch-angle resolved, high energy-resolution measurements of relativistic electron fluxes in the loss cone, extending to the high energies critical for understanding radiation belt dynamics. It will carry an energetic particle detector, measuring 50-500keV ions and 0.1-5MeV electrons and a flux gate magnetometer, which will be located at the end of a 0.75m extendable boom. Both instruments are miniaturizations of instruments developed by the PI and the proposing team for several previous NASA and DOD missions. The proposed measurements of electrons within the loss cone as a function of energy and pitch-angle will be examined and compared to recent theoretical predictions to determine whether the precipitation bears the characteristic signatures of resonant scattering by electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves or is due to other processes. In this way, the project aims to provide a crucial test of equatorial pitch angle scattering by (EMIC) waves as a leading candidate for radiation belt electron losses.