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Fuselier, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Fuselier, S..

8 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2010

The U.S. Rosetta Project at Its First Science Target: Asteroid (2867) Steins, 2008

On September 5, 2008, the International Rosetta Mission encountered its first formal science target of the mission, asteroid (2867) Steins. We report preliminary results from the U.S. experiments. NASA's contribution to the Rosetta mission consists of an ultraviolet (UV) spectrometer, a microwave spectrometer, a plasma instrument, and a portion of the electronics package for a mass spectrometer. The UV spectrometer (Alice) was used to obtain the first far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectrum of an asteroid. A ten-minute integration, surrounding the time of closest approach, averaging over a variety of geometries, showed very good signal from 850 Angstroms to 2000 Angstroms in the FUV. The microwave instrument (MIRO) obtained a high signal to noise measurement at both observing frequencies, enabling key thermal parameters to be derived. The plasma instrument (IES) obtained a brief measurement of the solar wind, and the Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer (DFMS) of the ROSINA instrument obtained a signal just at closest approach. Laboratory work with analogue materials was begun.

Alexander, C.↗
NASA NTRS2006

The U.S. Rosetta Project : eighteen months in flight

In this paper we will update the status of the instruments following the commissioning exercise, an exercise that was only partially complete when a report was prepared for the 2005 IEEE conference.We will present an overview of the 2005 Earth/Moon activities, and the Deep Impact set of observations. The paper will also provide an update of the role of NASA's Deep Space Network in supporting an ESA request for Delta Difference One-way Ranging to provide improved tracking and navigation capability in preparation for the Mars flyby in 2007.

Alexander, Claudia J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

High-Latitude Magnetic Reconnection in Sub-Alfvenic Flow as Observed by Interball Tail on 29 May 1996

The Interball/Tail spacecraft crossed the high latitude magnetopause near the cusp region under stable northward IMF conditions on 29 May 1996, with magnetic local time and magnetic latitude approx. 7.3 hours, approx. 65.4 degrees, respectively. The Interball Tail spacecraft observed quasi-steady reconnection and a relatively stable reconnection site at high latitudes. Observed sunward plasma flow and tangential stress balance indicated that reconnection occurred poleward of the magnetic cusp, above the spacecraft location. The spacecraft observed sub-alfvenic flow in the magnetosheath region adjacent to the magnetopause current layer near the reconnection site indicating that the reconnection site may have moved in the sunward direction. These observations suggest that the region of sub-alfvenic flow and stable, quasi-steady reconnection extend to very high latitudes under northward IMF conditions which is not consistent with the gas dynamic model predictions.

Smirnov, V. N.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Electron and Proton Auroral Dynamics

Data from the Wide-band Imaging Camera (WIC) sensitive to far ultraviolet auroras and from the Spectrographic Imager (SI) channel SI12, sensitive to proton precipitation induced Lyman alpha were analyzed during a high altitude orbit segment of the IMAGE spacecraft. This segment began during the expansive phase of a substorm. The aurora changed into a double oval configuration, consisting of a set of discrete pole-ward forms and a separate diffuse auroral oval equatorwards, Although IMF Bz was strongly southward considerable activity could be seen poleward of the discrete auroras in the region that was considered to be the polar cap. The SI12 Doppler shifted Lyman alpha signature of precipitating protons show that the proton aurora is on the equatorward side of the diffuse aurora. In the following several hours the IMF Bz field changed signed. Although the general character of the proton and electron aurora did not change, the dayside aurora moved equatorward when the Bz was negative and more bright aurora was seen in the central polar cap during periods of positive Bz.

Mende, S. B.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Observations of Ion Signatures of Magnetic Reconnection for Northward IMF

Magnetic merging at Earth's magnetopause produces distinct mixtures of ions and electrons as well as signatures in their distribution functions. High resolution measurements allow for the separation of the different distributions and quantification of their characteristics. This provides details on the temporal and spatial nature of the merging site and the resulting history of the merged fields. The event of May 29, 1996 resulted in remote observations of the effects of reconnection on both magnetosheath and magnetosphere populations for a period of approximately three hours. Three-dimensional ion distributions obtained by the Thermal Ion Dynamics Experiment on the Polar spacecraft show that field lines threading the spacecraft's location in the northern cusp region contained a mix of D-shaped ions from the magnetosheath and accelerated magnetospheric ions both moving parallel to the local magnetic field. This mix of ions resulted from transmission of magnetosheath ions across the magnetopause at speeds greater than the de-Hoffman-Teller speed and the reflection of cold, slow-moving plasmasphere-like ions at the magnetopause. These observations are used to conclude that these field lines were connected to the ionosphere in the northern hemisphere and, southward of the spacecraft, the interplanetary magnetic field and crossed the magnetopause in the equatorial region southward of the spacecraft.

Chandler, Michael O.↗
NASA NTRS1998

IMAGE Mission Science

Simultaneous, global measurement of major magnetospheric plasma systems will be performed for the first time with the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) Mission. The ring current, plasmasphere, and auroral systems will be imaged using energetic neutral and ultraviolet cameras. Quantitative remote measurement of the magnetosheath, plasmaspheric, and magnetospheric densities will be obtained through radio sounding by the Radio Plasma Imager. The IMAGE Mission will open a new era in global magnetospheric physics, while bringing with it new challenges in data analysis. An overview of the IMAGE Theory and Modeling team efforts will be presented, including the state of development of Internet tools that will be available to the science community for access and analysis of IMAGE observations.

Gallagher, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Giotto Ion Mass Spectrometer Measurements at Comet P/Grigg-Skjellerup

The Giotto Ion Mass Spectrometer High Intensity Spectrometer (IMS-HIS) measured fluxes of ions from about 260,000 km before (10:08:37 UT spacecraft time) to about 86,000 km after (17:01:33 UT spacecraft time) closest approach to comet P/Grigg- Skjellerup during the encounter on July 10, 1992. Although the HIS sensor was not designed to measure protons, the unusual flyby geometry at Grigg-Skjellerup allowed the sensor to detect these ions. Considerable temporal structure appears in the data, well- correlated with the data of other instruments onboard, especially those of the magnetometer. In particular, the proton count rate correlates with the direction of the magnetic field.

Rosenbauer, H.↗