1. Discovery and insights from DSX mission's high-power VLF wave transmission experiments in the radiation belts
- Author
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Song, P, Tu, J, Galkin, IA, McCollough, JP, Ginet, GP, Johnston, WR, Su, Y-J, Starks, MJ, Reinisch, BW, Inan, US, Lauben, DS, Linscott, IR, Farrell, WM, Allgeier, S, Lambour, R, Schoenberg, J, Gillespie, W, Stelmash, S, Roche, K, Sinclair, AJ, Sanchez, JC, İnan, Umran Savaş (ORCID 0000-0001-5837-5807 & YÖK ID 177880), Lauben, David S., Song, P., Tu, J., Galkin, I.A., McCollough, J.P., Ginet, G.P., Johnston, W.R., Su, Y.J., Starks, M.J., Reinisch, B.W., Linscott, I.R., Farrell, W.M., Allgeier, S., Lambour, R., Schoenberg, J., Gillespie, W., Stelmash, S., Roche, K., Sinclair, A.J., Sanchez, J.C., College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Song, Pingfan [0000-0003-3596-083X], and Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
- Subjects
Multidisciplinary ,4008 Electrical Engineering ,Electron ,Hiss ,Whistler ,Science and technology ,Other topics ,40 Engineering - Abstract
Space weather phenomena can threaten space technologies. A hazard among these is the population of relativistic electrons in the Van Allen radiation belts. To reduce the threat, artificial processes can be introduced by transmitting very-low-frequency (VLF) waves into the belts. The resulting wave-particle interactions may deplete these harmful electrons. However, when transmitting VLF waves in space plasma, the antenna, plasma, and waves interact in a manner that is not well-understood. We conducted a series of VLF transmission experiments in the radiation belts and measured the power and radiation impedance under various frequencies and conditions. The results demonstrate the critical role played by the plasma-antenna-wave interaction around high-voltage space antennae and open the possibility to transmit high power in space. The physical insight obtained in this study can provide guidance to future high-power space-borne VLF transmitter developments, laboratory whistler-mode wave injection experiments, and the interpretation of various astrophysical and optical phenomena., The DSX team acknowledges S. A. Reames, K. E. Carey, C. M. Straight, E. A. Kent, and the DSX Operations Cadre for their role in making this event possible, and J. S. Christmas and R. K. Delaney for program support. We also thank S. M. O’Malley and I. Vlad for their support in data processing and analysis. DSX research and activities are funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate under contract FA9453-18-C-0056.
- Published
- 2022