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THEMIS primary objectives

THEMIS primary objectives. Understand substorm onset and evolution (baseline mission, primary objective) As a minimum: Where does substorm eruption start? (ionosphere, CD, Rx ?). Themis overcomes: Meridional onset confinement (GBOs) Mapping distortions (in situ probes)

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THEMIS primary objectives

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  1. THEMIS primary objectives Understand substorm onset and evolution (baseline mission, primary objective) As a minimum: Where does substorm eruption start? (ionosphere, CD, Rx ?). Themis overcomes: Meridional onset confinement (GBOs) Mapping distortions (in situ probes) Global timing (GBOs-probes) SOLARWIND Aurora MAGNETOSPHERE EQUATORIAL PLANE

  2. Reconnection AuroralEruption CurrentDisruption Events that comprise the substorm

  3. ? ? ? P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Rarefaction wave Flows GBO …as implied by Themis,goddess of impartial justice Distinguishes among competing models: impartially answers a well-posed question… • Primary Objectives, Goals and Means • Onset and evolution of substorms • Time History of Events (Onset)… • Delineate cause and effect • Measure WhenWhere • … and Macroscale Interactionsduring Substorms (Evolution) • Coupling in the magnetosphere • Measure plasma flows and waves • Coupling to the ionosphere • Measure currents and structures

  4. : Ground Based Observatory Mission elements Probe conjunctions along Sun-Earth line recur once per 4 days over North America. … while THEMIS’s space-based probes determine onset of Current Disruption and Reconnection each within <10s. Ground based observatories completely cover North American sector; determine auroral breakup within 1-3s …

  5. First bonus: What producesstorm-time “killer” MeV electrons? Affect satellites and humans in space ANIK telecommunicationsatellites lost for days to weeksduring space storm • Source: • Radially inward diffusion? • Wave acceleration at radiation belt? • THEMIS: • Tracks radial motion of electrons • Measures source and diffusion • Frequent crossings • Measures E, B waves locally

  6. Second bonus: What controls efficiencyof solar wind – magnetosphere coupling? • Important for solar wind energy transfer in Geospace • Need to determine how: • Localized pristine solar wind features… • …interact with magnetosphere • THEMIS: • Alignments track evolution of solar wind • Inner probes determine entry type/size

  7. Mission Science Objectives in a Nutshell CSR, Table E-1 Minimum mission Design goal; Minimum Req’ment is less stringent (see next slide)

  8. Primary Objective Mission Requirements CSR, Figure E-1

  9. Secondary/Tertiary Objectives/Requirements CSR, Figure E-1 (continued)

  10. Mapping of Requirements to Subsystems SciRR tasks: To define therequirementsand interfaceslevied on orbits,instrumentsand their flowdownto subsystems

  11. Ground Rules Mission Level Science Adherence to requirement Minimum mission Primary Performance floor Primary Design driver Ancillary (HF modes) Design goal Baseline mission Secondary (Rad Belt) Design goal Tertiary (Dayside) Design goal Extended mission 3rd year baseline orbits At negligible impact if on target Phase F mission 4th, 5th year shock/pause At negligible impact if on target

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