Proposed Priority Science Operations Topic
Topic 2: 'Sheath (Dayside Boundary Layer)'
TOPIC DESCRIPTION
Background:
When the orbit of the POLAR spacecraft is near the noon-midnight
plane, there will be times, primarily when the solar wind pressure is
intense, when the sheath will penetrate into or near regions sampled
by the POLAR spacecraft. Past investigations of the plasma processes
occurring there have been limited by the spatial/temporal resolution
and angular coverage of the energetic ion data as well as by the limited
correlative electron and plasma wave data.
Science Investigation:
We want to acquire a coordinated set of in-situ plasma particle and
field measurements and ground-based measurements during several
intervals when the POLAR spacecraft samples the plasma near the dayside
magnetopause and Geotail samples the plasma and fields just outside the
magnetopause.
EPOCH/ORBIT CHARACTERISTICS
POLAR at radial distances greater than 7.5.
MLT from 9.0 to 15.0 hours.
Geotail on the dayside between 6 and 18 hours MLT.
IMP 8 or WIND monitoring the solar wind.
Try to schedule based on possibility of high solar
wind pressure.
SPECIAL POLAR DATA REQUIRED
CAM: Emphasis on H+/He++/ and O5+, O6+ and O7+.
CEP: Highest time resolution data for electrons
and He++
EFI: TBD by investigator
HYD: Highest time resolution electron measurements
MFE: TBD by investigator
PIX: Images centered on the cusp
PWI: Wideband coverage of the low frequency part of
the spectrum icluding the lower hybrid frequency.
TID: High time resolution measurements of H+ and
He++ over the full energy range. O+ and He+ to
be acquired to the extent possible.
TIM: Same as TID.
VIS: TBD by investigator.
UVI: TBD by investigator.
SPECIAL DESPUN PLATFORM OPERATIONS
TBD
OTHER ISTP REQUIREMENTS
Geotail: Highest time resolutions
(All investigators should be notified of the
opportunities, especially the US PIs)
WIND: Solar wind monitoring
SUPERDARN: acquire as much high latitude data as
possible.
Topic Proposed by: E. G. Shelley
e-mail: shelley@agena.spasci.com