Status of SD-RBSP Coordination: November 12, 2012 Contents (13 slides): 1) Background of SuperDARN coordination with the RBSP mission 2) Explanation of CT-TRIG and ST-APOG modes Compiled by Mike Ruohoniemi Note: The Radiation Belt Storm Probes were renamed the Van Allen Probes on November 9, Full name: NASA’s Living with a Star Program’s (LWS) Van Allen Probes

Buonsanto LectureMike Ruohoniemi SuperDARN Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Satellites Launched on August 30, 2012 Twin-satellite mission to study Earth’s radiation belts during geomagnetic storms

Footpoint traces for RBSP craft – Nov 1, 2012 Fields of view of SuperDARN radar indicated by shading

Status of RBSP – SuperDARN coordination: Friday, November 9, 2012 VT web site for listing relevant itemshttp://vt.supedarn.org SD-RBSP Coordination Planning 1) RBSP was launched on Aug. 30, 2012 and began its two-year primary science phase on Oct. 28, ) Ephemeris information on the RBSP APL web site has been extended well into We have been advised by Rob B. that it might not be accurate beyond a few months. 3) Rob F. is producing footpoint plots for scheduling purposes. These are being distributed via the Spacecraft and Satellite Working Groups and are posted on the VT SD-RBSP web site. 4) Sebastien has posted a footpoint plotting tool to the SD-RBSP link which makes it possible to view satellite footpoint tracks for any date. It also list the times and positions of Apogee conjunctions.

RBSP Planning: General Observations 1) All the SuperDARN radars will contribute to analysis of geomagnetic storms on global scales, however, only the mid-latitude radars will be conjunctive with the satellites at really good ranges. 2) In the northern hemisphere, the mid-latitude SuperDARN chain now reaches from Wallops in the east to Adak in the Aleutian Islands; construction of the Adak radar pair was completed in September ) In the southern hemisphere, mid-latitude coverage is provided by the TIGER radars, one in Tasmania and the other on the south island of New Zealand, both operated by La Trobe University. Note that there is good hemispheric conjugacy between their fields of view and those of the Adak radars in the north, suggesting that conjunctions with the Adak or TIGER radars should be a scheduling priority.

SuperDARN Coverage in the NH – November 1, 2012

RBSP Planning so far: CT-TRIG mode 1) Beginning November 1, the radars are configured to switch to a special RBSP mode during disturbed periods. The mode is called CT-TRIG, for Common Time Triggered. The mode features a 3-beam sub-scan with a cadence of ~20 sec that is interspersed with a regular 16 or 24 beam scan at 2 min cadence. Tim made the selection of beams for each radar with the idea of imaging ULF pulsations of importance for radiation belt processes. Kevin and Jeff have devised a ‘scheduler’ which is a program that runs on each radar. The scheduler consults the real-time Kyoto Dst monitor and switches from the scheduled mode to the CT-TRIG mode if Dst drops below -50 nT. The schedule switches back to the scheduled mode when Dst recovers above -30 nT. Note that CT-TRIG is not a scheduled mode. 2) Kevin distributed the scheduler code to the other SD groups in October with instructions for installation. 3) The first Dst event occurred on Nov 1 beginning at 6-12 UT. The VT radars and Wallops switched to CT-TRIG mode. The scheduler over-rode the ST-APOG mode which had been scheduled for that time period. (Kap did not switch owing to an internet outage.) We saw good storm-time scatter. 4) Did the other radars switch over to CT-TRIG? Ask PIs for their files for that day. 5) Time scheduled as Discretionary Time (DT) is protected from over-ride by the CT-TRIG mode.

CT-TRIG mode for Storm periods Features a 3-beam fast miniscan interleaved with the usual 16- or 24-beam scan Will be triggered initially by Dst turning through -50 nT The possibility of switching the radars to the triggered mode began Nov 1

RBSP Planning so far: ST-APOG mode 1) Also beginning November 1, the schedule now includes runs of a mode called ST-APOG (Special Time – Apogee). These have been selected by Rob F. on the basis of radar- satellite conjunction during satellite apogee. The ionospheric footpoint of the RBSP satellite can dwell within a radar field of view for several hours. These periods are determined from orbit analysis and sent to the scheduling working Group for incorporation into the monthly schedule. Rob has to downselect for a subset of apogee periods because there are too many conjunctions. Only the conjunctive radars run ST- APOG; the other radars are left to run a standard Common Time mode. 2) At the moment the scanning mode for ST-APOG is the same as for CT-TRIG. We are open to suggestions as to how to specially design radar operations during apogee conjunction periods. 3) The ST-APOG modes has been running on conjunctive radars as prescribed by the schedule Or have they? Check with the other groups. 4) The apogee period and the conjunctive radars can be viewed for any day with Sebastien’s footpoint plotting tool. 5) Make suggestions to Rob F. about how to prioritize the apogee conjunction periods to include, for example, conjunction with Millstone Hill Observatory.

Spacecraft Working Group – Footpoint plots (Rob F) January 1, 2013

Spacecraft Working Group – Field of View Plots (Rob F) January 1, 2013 Scheduled radar conjunctions: 01: :12 (b) ade, bks, cve, fhe, fhw, sto, wal

Footpoint plots and Solution of Apogee Conjunctions - Nov 9, 2012 (Sebastien’s web tool)

Links Planning VT SuperDARN web page Leicester / Rob’s plots APL mission page NASA mission page