High-Resolution Radiometer for Remote Sensing of Solar Flare Activity from Low Earth Orbit Satellites

This article has been withdrawn at the request of the author(s) and/or editor. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.For this Article Withdrawal Statement, please click on: https://ojs.bilpublishing.com/index.php/jasr/article/view/621Abstract: Solar flares, intense bursts of radiation, can disrupt the atmosphere and potentially affect communication, navigation and electrical systems. A newly developed miniaturised microwave radiometer used on a space-borne platform should offer astronomers unprecedented understanding of the largest explosive phenomena in our solar system. In this paper the activity and results of the EU funded research project FLARES are presented. Objective of FLARES has been the study, analysis and design of millimetre-wave (mm-wave) system-on-chip (SoC) radiometer for space-borne detection of solar flares. The proposed approach has contributed to reduce significantly the power consumption and weight with respect to the existing instruments for the observation and study of solar flares. In particular, the proposed SoC Dicke radiometer can achieve one order of magnitude improvement in terms of resolution, so allowing the detection of solar flares with relatively low intensity, i.e. about 100 times lower than those currently detected by the existing systems, owing to space-borne operations and the microchip-level miniaturization through silicon technology under space qualification

Study for the scientific development of the Sardinia Radio Telescope/SDSA configured for solar observations and radio-science aimed at Space Weather and Fundamental Physics applications

The Sun produces radiation across virtually the entire electromagnetic spectrum, each frequency range helps to better understand a different aspect of our star. In the radio domain, it is an interesting celestial object to study for the richness of physical phenomena that involve not only the astrophysical area of interest, but also plasma, nuclear and fundamental physics. However, even after decades of studies, our star still presents lots of mysteries. My PhD aims to investigate the Sun environment and its emission mechanism in the radio domain to better understand some of the complex solar phenomena, their connections and find applications in the Space Weather and Fundamental Physics fields. This work is possible thanks to new challenging development of the radio telescopes managed by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) in a joint collaboration. SRT is an ideal instrument for this Thesis project thanks to its double configuration: Sardinia Deep Space Antenna (SDSA)/radio astronomy for radio science experiments and solar imaging. The SDSA is in the implementation phase. We are inquiring the most stringent observation scientific requirements that would be necessary to prepare the antenna to perform interplanetary spacecraft tracking in radio-science configuration. The radio-astronomy configuration is already operative and has permitted us to monitor the Sun for the last few years in K-band (18-26 GHz). Moreover, the Medicina radio telescope is fully equipped to perform solar observation and has contributed considerably to the solar imaging studies. Starting 2018, we obtained more than 300 maps of the entire solar disk in the K-band, filling the observational gap in the field of solar imaging at these frequencies. I performed a new calibration procedure adopting the Supernova Remnant Cas A as a flux reference, which provided typical errors <3% for the estimation of the quiet-Sun level components. My work includes a study on the active regions brightness and spectral characterization. The interpretation of the observed emission as thermal bremsstrahlung components combined with gyro-magnetic variable emission paves the way for the use of our system for long-term monitoring of the Sun. We are also starting to explore possible interesting connections between macro-features in our data and explosive Space Weather Phenomena

MAX '91: An advanced payload for the exploration of high energy processes on the active sun

The results of a NASA science working group established to study a follow-on to the Solar Maximum Mission are given. A complement of instruments is suggested, with the primary objective of studying the physics of energetic processes in cosmic plasmas by observing high-energy phenomena in solar flares. High-quality flare observations will be possible with these instruments during the next peak in solar activity expected to last from 1990 through at least 1995. The primary objective of MAX '91 is to study energetic processes in cosmic plasmas by observing high-energy phenomena in solar flares. These processes, which are of general astrophysical importance, include energy release, particle acceleration, and energy transport. Results from comprehensive observing programs conducted during the last solar cycle have demonstrated the great scientific potential of high-energy emissions for addressing these central physical processes. Consequently, a payload optimized for observations of high-energy solar flare phenomena is suggested for MAX '91. It consists of the following four specific instruments: (1) a Fourier-transform X-ray and gamma-ray imager covering the energy range from a few keV to 1 MeV with arcsecond spatial resolution; (2) a cooled germanium X-ray and gamma-ray spectrometer with keV spectral resolution covering the energy range from 10 keV to 50 MeV; (3) Bragg spectrometers with high spectral resolution at wavelengths between 1 and 9 angstrons; and (4) a soft X-ray, EUV, or UV imaging instrument with arcsecond spatial resolution

Report on active and planned spacecraft and experiments

Information is presented, concerning active and planned spacecraft and experiments known to the National Space Science Data Center. The information included a wide range of disciplines: astronomy, earth sciences, meteorology, planetary sciences, aeronomy, particles and fields, solar physics, life sciences, and material sciences. These spacecraft projects represented the efforts and funding of individual countries as well as cooperative arrangements among different countries

Space physics missions handbook

The purpose of this handbook is to provide background data on current, approved, and planned missions, including a summary of the recommended candidate future missions. Topics include the space physics mission plan, operational spacecraft, and details of such approved missions as the Tethered Satellite System, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, and the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science

Aeronautics and space report of the President, 1980 activities

The year's achievements in the areas of communication, Earth resources, environment, space sciences, transportation, and space energy are summarized and current and planned activities in these areas at the various departments and agencies of the Federal Government are summarized. Tables show U.S. and world spacecraft records, spacecraft launchings for 1980, and scientific payload anf probes launched 1975-1980. Budget data are included

Earth Resources: A continuing bibliography with indexes, Issue 35

This bibliography list 587 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System between July 1, and September 30, 1982. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis

Atmospheric remote sensing and radiopropagation: from numerical modeling to spaceborne and terrestrial applications

The remote sensing of electromagnetic wave properties is probably the most viable and fascinating way to observe and study physical media, comprising our planet and its atmosphere, at the same time ensuring a proper continuity in the observations. Applications are manifold and the scientific community has been importantly studying and investing on new technologies, which would let us widen our knowledge of what surrounds us. This thesis aims at showing some novel techniques and corresponding applications in the field of the atmospheric remote sensing and radio-propagation, at both microwave and optical wavelengths. The novel Sun-tracking microwave radiometry technique is shown. The antenna noise temperature of a ground-based microwave radiometer is measured by alternately pointing toward-the-Sun and off-the-Sun while tracking it along its diurnal ecliptic. During clear sky the brightness temperature of the Sun disk emission at K and Ka frequency bands and in the under-explored millimeter-wave V and W bands can be estimated by adopting different techniques. Parametric prediction models for retrieving all-weather atmospheric extinction from ground-based microwave radiometers are tested and their accuracy evaluated. Moreover, a characterization of suspended clouds in terms of atmospheric path attenuation is presented, by exploiting a stochastic approach used to model the time evolution of the cloud contribution. A model chain for the prediction of the tropospheric channel for the downlink of interplanetary missions operating above Ku band is proposed. On top of a detailed description of the approach, the chapter presents the validation results and examples of the model-chain online operation. Online operation has already been tested within a feasibility study applied to the BepiColombo mission to Mercury operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and by exploiting the Hayabusa-2 mission Ka-band data by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), thanks to the ESA cross-support service. A preliminary (and successful) validation of the model-chain has been carried out by comparing the simulated signal-to-noise ratio with the one received from Hayabusa-2. At the next ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2019, Agenda Item 1.13 will address the identification and the possible additional allocation of radio-frequency spectrum to serve the future development of systems supporting the fifth generation of cellular mobile communications (5G). The potential impact of International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) deployments is shown in terms of received radio frequency interference by ESA’s telecommunication links. Received interference can derive from several radio-propagation mechanisms, which strongly depend on atmospheric conditions, radio frequency, link availability, distance and path topography; at any time a single mechanism, or more than one may be present. Results are shown in terms of required separation distances, i.e. the minimum distance between the earth station and the IMT station ensuring that the protection criteria for the earth station are met

Spaceborne monitoring of high temperature volcanic thermal features: studies using the ERS Along Track Scanning Radiometer

Satellite-based instruments have long been suggested as suitable for monitoring thermal phenomena occurring at the surface of active volcanoes. Past studies using data from high spatial resolution instruments indicated the effectiveness of this technique, but such data are expensive, time-consuming to obtain, and offer a poor temporal resolution. This thesis uses data from the European Remote Sensing satellites’ Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) to analyse infrared thermal emittance from a variety of volcanic thermal features at low spatial resolution (1 km2) but high temporal resolution (~ 3 days), with data from vegetation fires also being investigated. I calibrate the (previously uncalibrated) 1.6 μm channel of ATSR-1, and go onto show how nighttime data in this waveband can be used to characterise emittance from high temperature surfaces, even if these are significantly smaller than the ATSR pixel size. Procedures are developed to detect hotspots in ATSR data, filter out cloud contaminated observations, and quantitatively analyse the measurements of infrared thermal flux. ATSR time-series datasets are then used to study thermal emittance from active lava domes at Lascar Volcano (Chile) and Unzen Volcano (Japan), with volcanological interpretations being made from the observed variations in radiance. At both volcanoes the dominant source of nighttime shortwave infrared thermal flux is found to be high temperature surfaces heated by fumarolic degassing. During the monitoring period, decreases in shortwave infrared flux indicate an increased hazard at Lascar, such a change indicating blockage of the degassing system and an increased likelihood of a major pressure-driven explosive event. The reverse is found to be true at Unzen, where increases in shortwave infrared flux are found to be generally related to increases in magma supply (both being positively correlated with the flux rate of magmatic gas) and so to an increased frequency of hazardous pyroclastic flow from the growing dome. ATSR time-series studies of active lava flows at Fernandina Volcano (Galápagos Islands) and Mount Etna (Sicily) indicate that such data can also be used to document the thermal evolution of a developing lava flow field. Though necessitating assumptions regarding the flow-field thermal structure, ATSR-based estimates of the area of emplaced lava compare favourably with those obtained using higher spatial resolution imagery. For the 1991 - 1993 Etna flow, the estimates of flow surface temperature and area are used to investigate the importance of the various heat loss mechanisms. Results indicate that radiative losses dominate, but that basal conduction is also highly significant. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) of NASA’s Earth Observing System (EOS) will soon provide a new source of multi-waveband, high temporal resolution data, available to the general volcanological and remote sensing community via the EOSDIS data network. I recommend that consideration be given to nighttime operation of the MODIS shortwave infrared channels, since studies using ATSR suggest that these data have considerable potential for the thermal monitoring of active volcanoes