Geospace imaging using Thomson scattering |
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| Authors: | RR Meier C Englert D Chua D Socker JM Picone T Carter J Huba S Slinker J Krall W Vincent |
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| Institution: | 1. Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA;2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA;3. Praxis Inc., Alexandria, VA 22303, USA;4. Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA;5. Naval Center for Space Technology, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA;1. Buchholz High School, Gainesville, FL 32606, United States;2. Department of Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8440, United States;1. Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Box 812, SE-98128 Kiruna, Sweden;2. Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland;1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom;2. Department of Engineering, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom;3. Normandie Université, IUT-Caen, Université de Caen Normandie, CNRS, CRISMAT-ENSICAEN, Caen, France;4. European Space Agency, ESTEC TEC-EP, Keplerlaan 1, 2201AZ, Noordwijk, The Netherlands;1. Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut St., Suite 300, Boulder, CO 80302, United States;2. LATMOS/IPSL, Université Versailles Saint Quentin, CNES, CNRS, Guyancourt, France;3. Johns Hopkins University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States;4. Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238, United States;1. Italian Space Agency, Rome, Italy;2. INAF - Institute of Space Astrophysics and Planetology, Rome, Italy;3. University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy;4. Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Orsay, France |
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| Abstract: | We evaluate the potential of imaging for the first time, the near-earth space plasma environment seamlessly from the ionosphere through the magnetosphere by remotely sensing Thomson scattering of solar visible light by geospace electrons. Using state of the art first principles models of the magnetosphere/ionosphere system, we show that the column emission rates are weak, generally less than 10 Rayleighs, but detectable with currently available instrument technology recently deployed for heliospheric imaging. We demonstrate that distinct features such as the bow shock, magnetosheath and magnetopause are detectable in synthetic images simulated using modified solar coronagraphs and white light imagers, providing that the large background signals are properly quantified. The availability of global geospace images of the electron concentration will enable major advances in our understanding of how Earth's near-space environment responds as a coupled system to changing solar forcings. Such images are expected to play a central role in space weather assessment and forecasting, from which significant capabilities will accrue, much as the imaging of the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere has advanced understanding and forecasting of tropospheric weather. |
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