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Canadian Report to ILWS WG. William Liu Space Science Branch, Canadian Space Agency. Opening Remarks. Canada has benefited significantly from ILWS
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Canadian Report to ILWS WG William Liu Space Science Branch, Canadian Space Agency
Opening Remarks • Canada has benefited significantly from ILWS • The Canadian community and CSA have established a strong foundation for the program with a healthy mixture of ground-based and space-borne missions for the next 5 years • We are looking ahead for the next 10
The Canadian ST Program • Landmass and history have made ground-based auroral and geomagnetic observations a centerpiece of our program • CSA has made a long-term commitment to support this element • It is a no-brainer • It is cost-effective • It is hugely productive • Hundreds of papers • Dozens of highly qualified people in career positions • Media coverage and public interest
The Canadian ST Program • The CSA is aggressively purusing opportunities for space-borne missions in order to maximize the science that can be done • ePOP • SWARM • ORBITALS • Kuafu • PCW mission • SCOPE/Cross Scale
The Ground-Based Program • CGSM • THEMIS GBO • AMISR
Canadian Geospace Monitoring • The CSA concluded a successful AO last year for the next 5 years of CGSM • Selected projects are: • Fluxgate magnetometer array (CARISMA-A) for studies of global-scale current flow • Induction coil magnetometer array (CARISMA-B) for studies of VLF waves implicated, for example, in the acceleration of killer electrons • A multispectral auroral all-sky auroral imager array for substorm and related studies • A meridianal scanning photometer array for detailed characterization of precipitating particles
Canadian Geospace Monitoring • Selected projects (continued) • An arctic ionosonde/GPS/photometer array to characterize polar cap convection, transpolar ionospheric condition, and their effect on auroral activities • Support of the operation of Canadian SuperDARN (4 radars now, with PolarDARN providing complete northern polar cap coverage) • A data analysis and modeling module to tackle scientific questions behind the CSGM data • Also, the CSA is negotiating with its government partners on • Continuing Canada’s successful program in space weather forecasting and effect mitigation and management
THEMIS GBO • The CSA will continue to support GBO operation pursuant to NASA’s extension of the THEMIS mission • Canadian contributions are managed through two contracts • ASI operation (University of Calgary) • GMAG operation (University of Alberta)
AMISR • Canada has been interested in AMISR from early on as a major space science facility on Canadian soil • A ‘chancy meeting’ last October led to the opportunity for Canada to contribute one of the two Resolute AMISR faces at ~$15 M • Eric Donovan and Jean-Pierre St-Maurice have secured the necessary university allocation to make a bid to Canada Foundation for Innovation funding (a formality in most cases) • Resolute AMISR, starting operation in ~2010, will be the most advanced instrument to study the polar ionosphere and its connection to auroral ionosphere.
Intermission Science • Ground and space observations nail down the onset wave mode
The Space Component • The CSA has pursued a balanced approach in shaping our program. A space component is essential • Our space component is geospace-centric • Further, it has a strong IT flavor • However, we are venturing out to the magnetosphere and radiation belts • The following describes some ongoing projects
ePOP • To be launched in the second half of 2009 • Up to 2-year mission in an elliptical 300 1500 km, 70º orbit to study • Acceleration of ion outflow • O+ ions are a major factor in storms • Thermal and secondary auroral electrons (up to 100 eV) • Fast, DMSP-type, auroral imaging in IR/VIS • Radio tomagraphy of the ionosphere with radio receiver, SuperDARN, beacon, and GPS occulation • ePOP and C/NOFS form a nice high and low-latitude combo • Launch delay fortuitous push the mission to potentially overlap SWARM • Elliptical and circular orbit complementarity, as well as instrument synergy
SWARM • Three-satellite ESA mission to study geomagnetic field, 2010-2014 • Canada to build the electric field instrument (CEFI) • E-field measurement to remove geospace "noise" • Combined E and B instruments can measure the Poynting flux to W/m2 accuracy • Constellation plus precision will allow field-aligned current dynamics to be probed in greater detail • In conjunction with contempraneous magnetospheric missions, will open new doors on MI coupling research
ORBITALS • The CSA is finishing Phase A • A SRR will be conducted next month • A presentation to CSA Executive is planned in late summer for decision on the project • Continue to work with NASA on ways of cooperation • Time is pressing for the upcoming solar max
Kuafu • The Chinese space science community gave its seal of approval last June • The comprehensive review report accepted by CNSA • CNSA changed the terms of cooperation • International contributions of bus and launchers solicited • Situations in Europe also dicy • Scenarios of decoupling Kuafu A and Kuafu B discussed, but only sporadically • The September Kuafu meeting in Kunming will tell whether we have a mission or not, and if yes, what it is like
PCW • Polar Communications and Weather Satellites is a mission concept study at the CSA – it consists of a pair of Molnya satellites • Auroral imager is a ‘tertiary’ science payload (but increasing in importance)
SCOPE/Cross Scale • Canadian interest early on during Cross Scale proposal stage (University of Alberta part of the magnetometer team and will have CSA support to explore Canadian contribution to this element) • Interest heightened during my sabbatical at Imperial and almost daily lunch meeting with Steve Schwartz • The best way for Canada to make a contribution is through SCOPE, due to its spare launch capability • Discussion started • Optimistic that something will happen soon.
Concluding Remarks • Canada’s ST program is in good shape • There are some long-term concerns • Human resource is a greater worry than financial resource for Canada • The CSA is working with Canadian universities to explore a partnership through which a national institute for space science can be formed through joint Federal and Provincial funding, so that • Advanced instrument development can be conducted independent of missions • HQP can be trained in a cutting-edge and challenging environment • Promising scientists and engineers can be retained • Stay tuned