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PI: Dave McComas

Presented by: Dave McComas Southwest Research Institute San Antonio, Texas on Behalf of the IBEX Science Team. PI: Dave McComas

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PI: Dave McComas

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  1. Presented by: Dave McComas Southwest Research InstituteSan Antonio, Texas on Behalf of the IBEX Science Team PI: Dave McComas Co-Is: Peter Bochsler Maciej Bzowski Hans Fahr Horst Fichtner Priscilla Frisch Herb Funsten Steve Fuselier Mike Gruntman Vlad Izmodenov Paul Knappenberger Marty Lee Stefano Livi Don Mitchell Eberhard Möbius Tom Moore Ed Roelof Nathan Schwadron Peter Wurz Gary Zank Collaborators: Frederic Allegrini Mike Collier George Gloeckler David Hollenbach Dan Reisenfeld Martin Wieser Manfred Witte

  2. The Sun and Local Interstellar Medium (LISM) Image courtesy of L. Huff/P. Frisch

  3. Our Heliosphere

  4. ENA Observations Image the 3-D Heliosphere

  5. IBEX’s Sole, Focused Science Objective • IBEX’s sole, focused science objective is to discover the global interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium. • IBEX achieves this objective by taking a set of global energetic neutral atom (ENA) images that answer four fundamental science questions: • What is the global strength and structure of the termination shock? • How are energetic protons accelerated at the termination shock? • What are the global properties of the solar wind flow beyond the termination shock and in the heliotail? • How does the interstellar flow interact with the heliosphere beyond the heliopause?

  6. Global ENA Images and Energy Spectra Predicted ENA distributions near HSp nose for strong (black) and weak (green) TS [Gruntman et al., 2001]. ENAs >1 keV are accelerated inner heliosheath protons based on projecting observed distributions beyond TS. Extremes of differential ENA fluxes from 0.3-0.6 keV predicted for a strong gas-dynamical TS (top) and a TS weakened by a large pickup ion pressure (bottom) [Gruntman et al., 2001].

  7. IBEX S/C: Simple Sun-Pointed Spinner

  8. IBEX Payload • IBEX-Hi: • Energy range: 0.3-6 keV • Team: LANL (Lead), UNH, SwRI • IBEX-Lo: • Energy range: 0.01-2 keV • Team: LMATC (Lead), UNH, GSFC, APL • CEU: • Provides electronic support and control for payload • Developed by SwRI

  9. Mission Design Maximizes Heliospheric Viewing Routine Operations • Nominal orbit – 37 Re x 7000 km altitude, ~5 days per orbit • Sun-pointing spinning S/C (4 rpm) • Science Observations > 10 Re • Engineering < 10 Re • Data download and command upload • Adjust spin axis ~5° (Earth’s orbital motion) • Nearly full sky viewing each 6 months Earth’s Magnetosphere

  10. IBEX-Lo CEU IBEX-Hi Integration of IBEX Payload

  11. Launch Operations • Launch operations • Standard Pegasus XL • Orbit raising • STAR-27 Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) burn raises apogee to 37 RE • S/C hydrazine system boosts perigee to 7000 km

  12. Southwest Research Institute: PI Institution Various Institutions: Science Team Adler Planetarium: E/PO Payload Segment Ground Segment Spacecraft Segment LMATC: IBEX Lo OSC: Spacecraft SwRI: ISOC LANL: IBEX Hi SwRI: CEU ATK: Solid Rocket Motor OSC: MOC Lead Institutional Responsibilities

  13. Broad Science Opportunities • Critical new heliospheric observations • $2M IBEX-funded GI program • NASA peer-reviewed and selected • Supports researchers outside of IBEX science team • Astrophysical connections • Composition of LISM • Heliosphere – Astrosphere comparisons  ground truth • Team astrophysicists help ensure broad astrophysics connections • High sensitivity magnetospheric ENA observations

  14. Relevant to Exploration: GCR Shielding

  15. Interstellar Boundary Explorer Interstellar Boundary Explorer – IBEX It is time for IBEX’s breakthrough mission of exploration and discovery beyond the planets! Imaging the Edge of Our Solar System and Beyond Any Questions?

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