SPP group involvement in rocket and balloon experiments - Cascades-2 sounding rocket - PoGO Lite astrophysical balloon Hardware solutions - SMILE magnetometer - SMILE “Silverbox” and photometers Timeline - Cascades-2 campaign - PoGO Lite launch (Applications in progress - SPIDER - SEPAM)

Cascades2 ~reflight of ~ The Changing Aurora: in Situ and Camera Analysis of Dynamic Electron precipitation Structures PI: – Kristina A Lynch, Dartmouth Kevin Rhoads Lead CoIs: – Paul Kintner, Cornell Steve Powell – Marc Lessard, UNH Paul Riley – Hans Stenbaek-Nielsen, UAF/GI CoIs: – James LaBelle, Dartmouth – Mark Psiaki, Cornell – Tom Hallinan, UAF/GI Collaborators:– John Bonnell and Chris Chaston, SSL/UCB – Goran Marklund and Nickolay Ivchenko, KTH, Sweden – Charles Seyler, Cornell – Craig Heinselman, SRI

March 2005 PFRR 3rd stage failure Another chance Same team, same goals KTH: 1. Magnetometer 2. Ground Camera

BoBo PFRR AMISR Kaktovic E and B along B o e- across B o Fast e- down B o Image down B o Ground cameras Radar

Science Questions: space vs time (1) Does dynamic aurora move with respect to the background ionosphere? How much? Does it matter? (2) What is the spatial (as opposed to temporal) variation of auroral parameters like B and E? What does this mean for theories of energy transfer? (3) Alfven waves carry disturbances and changes down to and through the auroral zone, giving us structured and dancing aurora. They are pretty: do they matter? Are these structures significant for magnetosphere/ionosphere coupling? Do direct observations of these motions validate theories and models?

PoGOLite is a balloon-borne experiment which stands to open a new observational window on the Universe through measurements of the polarisation of gamma-rays in the energy range keV from compact astrophysical objects, such as pulsars, and accreting black holes. The polarisation is reconstructed using the modulation of Compton scattering angles in the segmented sensitive volume of the instrument composed of plastic scintillators. Lead PI in Sweden: prof. Mark Pearce (Astroparticle Physics, KTH)

PoGOLite detectors

PoGOLite first flight Location:Esrange, Kiruna Time:mid-August 2010 Duration:12-24 hours Objective:test payload, characterise background Targets: Crab ( RA: 05h 34m, DEC: ) Cyg X-1 ( RA: 19h 58m DEC: )

PoGOLite Auroral Background Millan, MAXIS balloon X rays.

PoGOLite Auroral Background Petrinec, Polar PIXIE observations of 2-12 keV X rays and AKR.

PoGOLite auroral diagnostics - Astrophysicists want to know when there is aurora, and what are its parameters (energy flux, characteristic energies). - We want to know whether auroral X-rays are polarised - The diagnostic package will consist of photometers (a la ASK) and a magnetometer (a la Cascades-2). - From photometer ratios the energies can be esimated. Challenges: Strong background→only red, IR emissions filter width? cooling? background channel or filter tilting?

SMILE – digital fluxgate magnetometer Sensor: dimension 20x20x21 mm weight21g cable weight4 g/m Electronics+box: dimension70x70x25 mm weight <200 g power <500 mW Prototype electronics PCB: 120x88 mm, 80 g

SMILE diagram FPGA Processor

SMILE 2.0 diagram FPGA Processor PC RS-232 NASA TM LVDS serial Memory GPS 1PPS, (UTC)

Sensor Electronics box

FPGA Processor PC RS-232 Memory GPS 1PPS, (UTC) Photometer counter for PoGOLite Photometer

”Black Box” for ASK timing

”Silver Box” for ASK timing

FPGA Processor PC RS-232 Memory GPS 1PPS, (UTC) ”Silver Box” diagram Photometer Camera

- better and faster synchronisation to GPS time - eliminates possible hangup of NI driver software - allows synchronisation of instruments at different locations - reduces the number of cables! - thermal control loop and light-sensitive switch can be implemented independently of the PC - run photometers as fast as you want! - store data in memory, and read out later - timetag data unambiguously ”Silver Box” advantages

It takes a while to make it! but … We will make several! ”Silver Box” drawbacks - ASK system - PoGOLite system & new EMCCD - SIF photometers? - ???

October 20 – get ASK up and running for the season October 29 – heating campaign at Tromsø, with new camera, PoGOLite photometers February – Cascades-2 campaign in Alaska, with new camera, PoGOLite photometers, (other cameras)? HD and GM will be at Toolik lake. Heating at HAARP, a campaign at AMISR? The plan