Selection of the key earth observation sensors and platforms focusing on applications for Polar Regions in the scope of Copernicus system 2020-2030

An optimal payload selection conducted in the frame of the H2020 ONION project (id 687490) is presented based on the ability to cover the observation needs of the Copernicus system in the time period 2020–2030. Payload selection is constrained by the variables that can be measured, the power consumption, and weight of the instrument, and the required accuracy and spatial resolution (horizontal or vertical). It involved 20 measurements with observation gaps according to the user requirements that were detected in the top 10 use cases in the scope of Copernicus space infrastructure, 9 potential applied technologies, and 39 available commercial platforms. Additional Earth Observation (EO) infrastructures are proposed to reduce measurements gaps, based on a weighting system that assigned high relevance for measurements associated to Marine for Weather Forecast over Polar Regions. This study concludes with a rank and mapping of the potential technologies and the suitable commercial platforms to cover most of the requirements of the top ten use cases, analyzing the Marine for Weather Forecast, Sea Ice Monitoring, Fishing Pressure, and Agriculture and Forestry: Hydric stress as the priority use cases.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

The Use of HepRep in GLAST

HepRep is a generic, hierarchical format for description of graphics representables that can be augmented by physics information and relational properties. It was developed for high energy physics event display applications and is especially suited to client/server or component frameworks. The GLAST experiment, an international effort led by NASA for a gamma-ray telescope to launch in 2006, chose HepRep to provide a flexible, extensible and maintainable framework for their event display without tying their users to any one graphics application. To support HepRep in their GUADI infrastructure, GLAST developed a HepRep filler and builder architecture. The architecture hides the details of XML and CORBA in a set of base and helper classes allowing physics experts to focus on what data they want to represent. GLAST has two GAUDI services: HepRepSvc, which registers HepRep fillers in a global registry and allows the HepRep to be exported to XML, and CorbaSvc, which allows the HepRep to be published through a CORBA interface and which allows the client application to feed commands back to GAUDI (such as start next event, or run some GAUDI algorithm). GLAST's HepRep solution gives users a choice of client applications, WIRED (written in Java) or FRED (written in C++ and Ruby), and leaves them free to move to any future HepRep-compliant event display.Comment: Talk from the 2003 Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics (CHEP03), La Jolla, Ca, USA, March 2003, 9 pages pdf, 15 figures. PSN THLT00

Oceanus.

v. 39, no. 1 (1996

Signatures of Interchange Reconnection: STEREO, ACE and Hinode Observations Combined

Combining STEREO, ACE and Hinode observations has presented an opportunity to follow a filament eruption and coronal mass ejection (CME) on the 17th of October 2007 from an active region (AR) inside a coronal hole (CH) into the heliosphere. This particular combination of `open' and closed magnetic topologies provides an ideal scenario for interchange reconnection to take place. With Hinode and STEREO data we were able to identify the emergence time and type of structure seen in the in-situ data four days later. On the 21st, ACE observed in-situ the passage of an ICME with `open' magnetic topology. The magnetic field configuration of the source, a mature AR located inside an equatorial CH, has important implications for the solar and interplanetary signatures of the eruption. We interpret the formation of an `anemone' structure of the erupting AR and the passage in-situ of the ICME being disconnected at one leg, as manifested by uni-directional suprathermal electron flux in the ICME, to be a direct result of interchange reconnection between closed loops of the CME originating from the AR and `open' field lines of the surrounding CH.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, accepted Annales Geophysica

U.S. Law of the Sea cruise to map the foot of the slope and 2500-m isobath of the US Arctic Ocean margin, cruise report for 2009

U.S. Law of the Sea cruise to map the foot of the slope and 2500-m isobath of the US Arctic Ocean margin CRUISES HE-0905 August 7 to September 16, 2009 Barrow, AK to Barrow, A

Low energy neutral atom imaging on the Moon with the SARA instrument aboard Chandrayaan-1 mission

This paper reports on the Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyzer (SARA) experiment that will be flown on the first Indian lunar mission Chandrayaan-1. The SARA is a low energy neutral atom (LENA) imaging mass spectrometer, which will perform remote sensing of the lunar surface via detection of neutral atoms in the energy range from 10 eV to 3 keV from a 100km polar orbit. In this report we present the basic design of the SARA experiment and discuss various scientific issues that will be addressed. The SARA instrument consists of three major subsystems: a LENA sensor (CENA), a solar wind monitor (SWIM), and a digital processing unit (DPU). SARA will be used to image the solar wind-surface interaction to study primarily the surface composition and surface magnetic anomalies and associated mini-magnetospheres. Studies of lunar exosphere sources and space weathering on the Moon will also be attempted. SARA is the first LENA imaging mass spectrometer of its kind to be flown on a space mission. A replica of SARA is planned to fly to Mercury onboard the BepiColombo mission

An Impacting Descent Probe for Europa and the other Galilean Moons of Jupiter

We present a study of an impacting descent probe that increases the science return of spacecraft orbiting or passing an atmosphere-less planetary body of the solar system, such as the Galilean moons of Jupiter. The descent probe is a carry-on small spacecraft (< 100 kg), to be deployed by the mother spacecraft, that brings itself onto a collisional trajectory with the targeted planetary body in a simple manner. A possible science payload includes instruments for surface imaging, characterisation of the neutral exosphere, and magnetic field and plasma measurement near the target body down to very low-altitudes (~1 km), during the probe's fast (~km/s) descent to the surface until impact. The science goals and the concept of operation are discussed with particular reference to Europa, including options for flying through water plumes and after-impact retrieval of very-low altitude science data. All in all, it is demonstrated how the descent probe has the potential to provide a high science return to a mission at a low extra level of complexity, engineering effort, and risk. This study builds upon earlier studies for a Callisto Descent Probe (CDP) for the former Europa-Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) of ESA and NASA, and extends them with a detailed assessment of a descent probe designed to be an additional science payload for the NASA Europa Mission.Comment: 34 pages, 11 figure

Use of satellite observations for operational oceanography: recent achievements and future prospects

The paper gives an overview of the development of satellite oceanography over the past five years focusing on the most relevant issues for operational oceanography. Satellites provide key essential variables to constrain ocean models and/or serve downstream applications. New and improved satellite data sets have been developed and have directly improved the quality of operational products. The status of the satellite constellation for the last five years was, however, not optimal. Review of future missions shows clear progress and new research and development missions with a potentially large impact for operational oceanography should be demonstrated. Improvement of data assimilation techniques and developing synergetic use of high resolution satellite observations are important future priorities

U.S. Law of the Sea Cruise to Map the Foot of the Slope and 2500-m Isobath of the U.S. Arctic Ocean Margin

U.S. Law of the Sea cruise to map the foot of the slope and 2500-m isobath of the US Arctic Ocean margin CRUISE HEALY 1102 August 15 to September 28, 2011 Barrow, AK to Dutch Harbor, A