1 / 13

Nitrogen Ion TRacing Observatory (NITRO) for ESA's M-class call

Nitrogen Ion TRacing Observatory (NITRO) for ESA's M-class call. M. Yamauchi, I. Dandouras, H. Rème, P. Rathsman, and NITRO proposal team.

rnoriega
Download Presentation

Nitrogen Ion TRacing Observatory (NITRO) for ESA's M-class call

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Nitrogen Ion TRacing Observatory (NITRO) for ESA's M-class call M. Yamauchi, I. Dandouras, H. Rème, P. Rathsman, and NITRO proposal team. IRF (Kiruna, Sweden), IRAP (Toulouse, France), OHB-Sweden (Kista, Sweden), NASA/GSFC (USA), UNH (Durham, USA), LATMOS/IPSL (Guyancourt, France), U. Bern (Switzerland), UCL/MSSL (London, UK), IWF (Graz, Austria), IASB-BIRA (Brussels, Belgium), IAP/ASCR (Prague, Czech), LPC2E (Orleans, France), Inst Space Sci. (Bucharest, Romania), Tohoku U. (Sendai, Japan), IAXA/ISAS (Sagamihara, Japan), UCB/SSL (Berkeley, USA), SwRI (San Antonio, USA), U. Athens (Greece), LPP (Paris, France), Aalto U. (Helsinki, Finland), FMI (Helsinki, Finland), U. Tokyo (Kashiwa, Japan), SRC-PAS, (Warsaw, Poland), U Sheffield (UK), GFZ, (Potsdam, Germany),UCLA (Los Angeles, USA), etc. poster R436@ST2.1 (EGU2015-4104), Wednesday (2015-4-15)

  2. Primary objective:Investigate Nitrogen budget of near-Earth space in comparison with Oxygen budget,because the N/O ratio of escape is poorly understood but important for: Earth evolution / origin of life: Amino acid formation depends on oxidation state of N (NH3 or N2 or NOx) and the relative abundance of N, O, & H near surface. Current measurements can be used to determine how the atmosphere evolved on geological time scales. Planetary atmosphere: N on Mars is only 0.01% of Earth ~ Venus ~ Titan). To understand the abundances on other planets, we first have to understand the Earth case. Magnetosphere: cold N+/O+ escape correlates with F10.7 & Kp. With similar M/q, but with different ionospheric scale heights, they are good tracers to understand ion outflow dynamics and circulation. Exosphere and Ionosphere: Our knowledge of exosphere > 1000km is very poor, and variability of ionospheric N+/O+ ratio is poorly understood. Space Plasma Physics: Different V0 between M/q=14 and M/q=16 gives extra information on plasma energization mechanisms.

  3. Nitrogen is an essential element for life • Miller’s experiment (Miller and Urey, 1959). • Pre-biotic type atmosphere + discharges •  formation of amino-acids ! • The result depends on the oxydation state of N • reduced form (NH3) • neutral form (N2) • oxidized form (NOx) • Formation of pre-biotic molecules is most likely related to the relative abundance of N, O, and H near the surface • (not only the amount !)

  4. Open questions on Nitrogen N/O ratio @ ancient Earth? 2. Why N/O ratio @ Mars << @ the Earth, Venus, Titan N < 0.01% of Earth/Venus exist rich in N Earth Venus Mars comet 4

  5. Our knowledge on Earth’s N+ behavior is poor (a) Dependence on geomagnetic activities is larger for N+ than O+ for both <25 eV (Yau et al., 1993) and > 30 keV (Hamilton et al., 1988). (b) N+/O+ ratio varies from <0.1 (quiet time) to ≈ 1 (large storm). What we call O+ is a mixture of N+and O+. This also applies to O++. (c) [CNO group]+ at <10 keV range is abundant in the magnetosphere. (d) Ionization altitude of N (eventually N2) is likely higher than for O in the ionosphere (when O+ is starting to be heated, majority of N is still neutral). (e) N/O ratio at Mars (and C/O ratio at Moon) are extremely low compared to the other planets. (f) Molecular N2 was detected even Martian soil and comet (Rosetta). (g) Isotope ratio (e.g., 15N/14N) is different between different planets/comets. (But instrumentation related to this requires M/∆M > 1000, i.e., large mass, and is outside our scope.) One thing clear is that O+ behavior and N+ behavior are completely different!

  6. What should be observed • Magnetospheric density distribution for N+ and N2+, O+, H+, He+, and He++. • - Average 3D magnetospheric distribution and its orbit-to-orbit variation • - Spatial and temporal variability of imaged line-of-site column density • (2) Energy distribution of each species in the magnetosphere. • - Energy distribution (degree of energization and its direction) • - Time delay between direct low-energy filling and convective high-energy filling • (3) Neutral density and ion flux in the upper exosphere/ionosphere > 1500 km • - Average altitude distribution • - Spatial and temporal variability • - Relation between the ionospheric/exospheric density and magnetospheric density/energy: • (4) Quantities that significantly controls the ion energization and escape • - Correlation between wave and ion velocity distributions of N and O in the magnetosphere • (5) Extra measurements that take advantage of basic spacecraft configuration • - Correlation between wave and ion velocity distributions of N and O in the ionosphere: • - Relation between sunward return flow and ion dynamics in the magnetosphere. • - Heavy ion precipitation flux above the ionosphere.

  7. Possible methods of separating N+ & O+ • In-situ method • Mass Spectrometer (cold): high M/∆M • Mass Spectrometer (energetic): high M/∆M • Ion (Mass) Analyser (hot): high g-factor & marginal M/∆M is improving • — Magnet, grid-TOF, reflection-TOF, MCP-MCP TOF, shutter-TOF, etc — • Photoelectron: exact M but it gives only connectivity from ionosphere • Wave (ΩO+≠ΩN+): a challenge because of ∆f/f  ∆M/M < 7% • (2) Remote sensing of emission (line-of-sight integration) from above the ionosphere (>1800 km) & outside the radiation belt (>60° inv) • N+ (91nm, 108nm), N2+ (391nm, 428nm), NO+ (4.3 µm), NO+ (123-190nm=weak), • O+ (83nm, 732/733 nm): exact M but must fight against contamination from ionosphere and sensitive to radiation belt background ⇒ By combining both methods (i.e., with two spacecraft), we have 3-D mapping of N/O in the magnetosphere

  8. Unique Orbit

  9. Payloads Remote sensing & monitoring (3-axis) * Optical (emission) (LATMOS & TokyoU) (1) N+: 91 nm, 108 nm (2) N2+: 391 nm, 428 nm (3) O+: 83 nm * Mass spectrometer (cold N+ and neutrals)(Goddard) * Ion analyzer (< 0.1 keV) (Kiruna) * Ionospheric optical camera(Tohoku) * Langmuir Probe (Brussels) * Magnetometer (Graz) * Electron analyzer (London) * Waves analyser (Prague) * Search Coil (ΩN≠ΩO) (Orleans) * Ion analyzer (< 50 keV) (ISAS) In-situ #1 mother (spinning) * Ion mass spectrometer (ion) (Bern) * Ion mass analyzers (0.03 – 30 keV): (1) Heavy ions only (Kiruna) (2) Wide mass range (Toulouse) * Ion mass analyzer (> 30 keV) (UNH) * Magnetometer(Graz) * Langmuir Probe (Brussels) * Waves analyser (Prague) * Search Coil (ΩN≠ΩO)(Orleans) * Electron analyzer (London) * Radiation belt vertual detector (Athens) * ENA monitoring substorm (Berkeley) * (Potential Control=SC subsystem) * colored: nominal, * black: optional

  10. Mass coverage 10

  11. Summary With an unique orbital configuration and recently developed reliable instrumentation, NITRO can target nitrogen’s 3-D dynamics for the first time in the Earth’s magnetosphere. This is the first step in understanding of the evolution "planet Earth", which is a mandatory knowledge in estimating the ancient Earth's chemical condition for amino-acid formation (Astrobiology), as well as the nitrogen differences between the terrestrial planets (Planetology). The required instrumentation can also reveal key questions on Magnetospheric, Ionospheric, Exospheric dynamics and basic Space Plasma Physics.

  12. Spectra line (Å) Hot ion (lab calibration) Cold ion (lab calibration) 12

  13. Remote sensing SC In-situ SC

More Related