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Impact-driven mobilization of deep crustal brines on dwarf planet Ceres

Ceres, the only dwarf planet in the inner Solar System, appears to be a relict ocean world. Data collected by NASA's Dawn spacecraft provided evidence that global aqueous alteration within Ceres resulted in a chemically evolved body that remains volatile-rich(1). Recent emplacement of bright deposits sourced from brines attests to Ceres being a persistently geologically active world(2,3), but the surprising longevity of this activity at the 92-km Occator crater has yet to be explained. Here, we use new high-resolution Dawn gravity data to study the subsurface architecture of the region surrounding Occator crater, which hosts extensive young bright carbonate deposits (faculae). Gravity data and thermal modelling imply an extensive deep brine reservoir beneath Occator, which we argue could have been mobilized by the heating and deep fracturing associated with the Occator impact, leading to long-lived extrusion of brines and formation of the faculae. Moreover, we find that pre-existing tectonic cracks may provide pathways for deep brines to migrate within the crust, extending the regions affected by impacts and creating compositional heterogeneity. The long-lived hydrological system resulting from the impact might also occur for large impacts in icy moons, with implications for creation of transient habitable niches over time.High-resolution data of Ceres's bright spots (faculae), obtained by Dawn's second extended mission, suggest the existence of a deep brine-rich reservoir that emerged to the surface through long-lived cryovolcanic activity as a consequence of the impact that created Occator crater.

C. A. Raymond↗

Power Hibernation for Low-Cost Solar Powered Lunar Missions

Because the surface of the Moon drops to cryogenic temperatures, no solar-powered lunar spacecraft have reliably operated beyond a single lunar day. Passive thermal control cannot keep a spacecraft sufficiently warm for the 354-hour lunar night, and active thermal control requires a dramatic increase in battery mass at the expense of payload mass. Extreme conditions seen on the lunar surface suggest a radioisotope solution is ideal, but mass, cost, and schedule are inconsistent with low-cost frequent flight intent of the commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) program. To solve the issue of lunar night survivability without radioisotope sources of power and heat, a lunar power hibernation approach is being developed at the Glenn Research Center, which exploits the ability of common 18650 Lithium-ion cells to passively survive cryogenic freeze-thaw cycles and recover without apparent performance degradation. A key aspect of this hibernation approach is the use of cryogenically operable electronics that safely manage the restoration of the battery thermal environment at lunar dawn. A spacecraft utilizing this strategy will operate into the lunar night on batteries until the state of charge or spacecraft temperature reaches a predetermined threshold. At this point, systems are shut down and the battery is isolated from the main bus to prevent charge or discharge during the freezing and thawing transitions. The system remains passive until lunar dawn, where temperatures can reach as low as 50 K. All electronics must be tolerant to these conditions. When the solar arrays are finally illuminated at lunar dawn, the main bus power electronics will initiate a “cold start” and begin regulating array power. The main bus electronics must be designed to operate at cryogenic temperatures. Array power is used to warm the battery and passive electronics back to operational temperatures. Once batteries are returned to normal temperatures, diagnostics and precharging is performed, as needed, and the battery is reconnected. The overall spacecraft system reboots and returns to nominal operations until lunar night returns. To assure that we can develop batteries suited for many hibernation freeze/thaw cycles, STMD Space Technology Research Grant Program (STRG) has selected two principal investigators that will thoroughly characterize of the Li-ion cell through the freeze-thaw process, investigate degradation mechanisms, and identify potential diagnostic techniques. STMD STRG is also funding an investigation of Gallium-Nitride semiconductors for cryogenic power applications. This work includes physics-informed modeling that considers cryogenic conductivity, carrier mobility, and quantum effects that govern semiconductor performance at cryogenic temperatures. These models can enable engineers to develop accurate cryogenic simulation models that assist in the design of power controls stable over the entire lunar surface temperature range. Meanwhile, Glenn is performing cryogenic testing of batteries and electronics, establishing design guidelines for power applications in extreme cold lunar environment, and potentially developing a hibernation technology demonstrator. The hibernation approach will enable low-cost lunar robotic missions to extend their operating lifetime to many months while minimizing development costs and impact on payload capacity. The need for cryogenically operable electronics is restricted to only main bus power and battery controls, as the majority of systems simply need to passively tolerate cryogenic temperatures. This allows developers to continue to exploit the cost savings of legacy and COTS hardware with minimum modification. For these reasons, lunar power hibernation is a viable near-term solution for lunar night survivability for solar powered commercial landers.

Space power↗

Reliable Power Hibernation and Recovery for Solar Powered Lunar Missions

NASA Glenn Research Center has been working on a solution to surviving the lunar night based on the discovery that Li-Ion cells can survive the freeze/thaw process. This implies that a lunar surface spacecraft could hibernate through the coldest portions of the night and recover at lunar dawn. Survival and recovery also depend on power electronics capable of tolerating the cold and reliably starting at lunar dawn based on solar array output alone. GRC is working with STMD Space Technology Research Grant investigators to characterize Li-ion cells through the freeze-thaw process and fully understand the electro-chemical and thermal-mechanical processes to assure reliable cell hibernation and recovery. Further, we are working with investigators to determine what power semiconductor material, transistor technology, and power architecture is best suited for reliable cold start at lunar dawn and methodically restoring the power system to full operation for the next lunar cycle.

Spacecraft Power↗

Statistical Study of the Non-Thermal Continuum Radiation Beaming Angle Measured By the High Frequency Receiver on Van Allen Probes-A

The nonthermal continuum (NTC) radiation beaming angle is computed over the entire Van Allen Probes-A mission when the spacecraft was in the dawn sector. The conditions in the dawn sector are favorable for the wave vector to lie near/in the spacecraft's spin plane allowing a favorable estimate of the beaming angle, and the dawn sector is also advantageous in that previous studies show NTC occurrence to peak in this sector. We found that scatter plots, over the entire mission, of beaming angle versus magnetic latitude form a distinct inverted-V pattern, with the apex at/near the magnetic equator. This pattern was sharpest for frequencies (f) ≲ 100 kHz. Using the NTC beaming formula from the linear mode conversion theory (LMCT), we show that such an inverted-V pattern is expected due to the large variation in the plasmapause location over the entire mission. The theoretical derived pattern qualitatively reproduces the observed pattern but not quantitatively. The lack of quantitative agreement is discussed and is attributed to several factors, one factor is off-centered emissions from the radio window. The qualitative agreement strongly supports LMCT as being the dominant mechanism generating NTC for f ≲ 100 kHz. For f ≳ 100 kHz, the inverted-V pattern becomes less distinct, and strong near-equatorial beaming is observed. After considering contamination of our selections by left-handed polarized AKR, our study suggests that besides LMCT another unidentified NTC generation mechanism becomes important for f ≳ 100 kHz.

Linear Mode Conversion Theory↗

Automated Generation and Assessment of Autonomous Systems Test Cases

This slide presentation reviews some of the issues concerning verification and validation testing of autonomous spacecraft routinely culminates in the exploration of anomalous or faulted mission-like scenarios using the work involved during the Dawn mission's tests as examples. Prioritizing which scenarios to develop usually comes down to focusing on the most vulnerable areas and ensuring the best return on investment of test time. Rules-of-thumb strategies often come into play, such as injecting applicable anomalies prior to, during, and after system state changes; or, creating cases that ensure good safety-net algorithm coverage. Although experience and judgment in test selection can lead to high levels of confidence about the majority of a system's autonomy, it's likely that important test cases are overlooked. One method to fill in potential test coverage gaps is to automatically generate and execute test cases using algorithms that ensure desirable properties about the coverage. For example, generate cases for all possible fault monitors, and across all state change boundaries. Of course, the scope of coverage is determined by the test environment capabilities, where a faster-than-real-time, high-fidelity, software-only simulation would allow the broadest coverage. Even real-time systems that can be replicated and run in parallel, and that have reliable set-up and operations features provide an excellent resource for automated testing. Making detailed predictions for the outcome of such tests can be difficult, and when algorithmic means are employed to produce hundreds or even thousands of cases, generating predicts individually is impractical, and generating predicts with tools requires executable models of the design and environment that themselves require a complete test program. Therefore, evaluating the results of large number of mission scenario tests poses special challenges. A good approach to address this problem is to automatically score the results based on a range of metrics. Although the specific means of scoring depends highly on the application, the use of formal scoring - metrics has high value in identifying and prioritizing anomalies, and in presenting an overall picture of the state of the test program. In this paper we present a case study based on automatic generation and assessment of faulted test runs for the Dawn mission, and discuss its role in optimizing the allocation of resources for completing the test program.

Testing challenges↗

Geologic Mapping of Vesta

We report on a preliminary global geologic map of Vesta, based on data from the Dawn spacecraft's High- Altitude Mapping Orbit (HAMO) and informed by Low-Altitude Mapping Orbit (LAMO) data. This map is part of an iterative mapping effort; the geologic map has been refined with each improvement in resolution. Vesta has a heavily-cratered surface, with large craters evident in numerous locations. The south pole is dominated by an impact structure identified before Dawn's arrival. Two large impact structures have been resolved: the younger, larger Rheasilvia structure, and the older, more degraded Veneneia structure. The surface is also characterized by a system of deep, globe-girdling equatorial troughs and ridges, as well as an older system of troughs and ridges to the north. Troughs and ridges are also evident cutting across, and spiraling arcuately from, the Rheasilvia central mound. However, no volcanic features have been unequivocally identified. Vesta can be divided very broadly into three terrains: heavily-cratered terrain; ridge-and-trough terrain (equatorial and northern); and terrain associated with the Rheasilvia crater. Localized features include bright and dark material and ejecta (some defined specifically by color); lobate deposits; and mass-wasting materials. No obvious volcanic features are evident. Stratigraphy of Vesta's geologic units suggests a history in which formation of a primary crust was followed by the formation of impact craters, including Veneneia and the associated Saturnalia Fossae unit. Formation of Rheasilvia followed, along with associated structural deformation that shaped the Divalia Fossae ridge-and-trough unit at the equator. Subsequent impacts and mass wasting events subdued impact craters, rims and portions of ridge-and-trough sets, and formed slumps and landslides, especially within crater floors and along crater rims and scarps. Subsequent to the formation of Rheasilvia, discontinuous low-albedo deposits formed or were emplaced; these lie stratigraphically above the equatorial ridges that likely were formed by Rheasilvia. The last features to be formed were craters with bright rays and other surface mantling deposits. Executed progressively throughout data acquisition, the iterative mapping process provided the team with geologic proto-units in a timely manner. However, interpretation of the resulting map was hampered by the necessity to provide the team with a standard nomenclature and symbology early in the process. With regard to mapping and interpreting units, the mapping process was hindered by the lack of calibrated mineralogic information. Topography and shadow played an important role in discriminating features and terrains, especially in the early stages of data acquisition.

Vesta↗

Shifts in hydropower operation to balance wind and solar will modify effects on aquatic biota

To avoid negative consequences to freshwater biota from climate change, society must complete the transition from fossil to renewable electricity sources. However, temporal patterns in hydropower generation (and flow releases that affect aquatic biota) may change with increased wind and solar penetration. We used power cost modeling to characterize current and future within-day and seasonal patterns in hydropower generation across the Eastern Interconnection in a wet and a dry year. Compared to the baseline, future hydropower generation across the grid decreased during the day and increased before dawn and after dusk. At a project level, such a pattern would suggest 'double peaking' operation (up- and down-ramping before dawn and after dusk, with lower releases midday). Variation in generation was higher in wet years than dry years, foreshadowing possible flow constraints on hydropower flexibility. At the grid scale, projected ramping rates were higher in all seasons. A review of the ecological literature suggests that these changes would shift the timing of invertebrate drift and elevate the risk of nest scouring during up-ramping and the risk of stranding or dewatering during down ramping. Thermal conditions may be moderated by increased ramping. Strategies for adapting to future shifts in the renewable portfolio range from re-regulation in reservoir cascades to providing flow refuge (structures and vegetation) below individual projects. Coordinated basin-scale operation can distribute peaking operation to maintain grid support while restricting local ramping at critical ecological times. In addition, research to design hybrid renewable systems that add battery storage is needed to understand how we can mitigate future risks to aquatic communities while promoting the use of renewable energy. This study, which is among the first to examine ecological side-effects of the shift to renewable energy in freshwater ecosystems, lays out a path toward understanding and navigating changes to flow regimes under the energy transition.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Light-responsive expression atlas reveals the effects of light quality and intensity in Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi, a plant with crassulacean acid metabolism

Abstract Background Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), a specialized mode of photosynthesis, enables plant adaptation to water-limited environments and improves photosynthetic efficiency via an inorganic carbon-concentrating mechanism. Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi is an obligate CAM model featuring a relatively small genome and easy stable transformation. However, the molecular responses to light quality and intensity in CAM plants remain understudied. Results Here we present a genome-wide expression atlas of K. fedtschenkoi plants grown under 12 h/12 h photoperiod with different light quality (blue, red, far-red, white light) and intensity (0, 150, 440, and 1,000 μmol m–2 s–1) based on RNA sequencing performed for mature leaf samples collected at dawn (2 h before the light period) and dusk (2 h before the dark period). An eFP web browser was created for easy access of the gene expression data. Based on the expression atlas, we constructed a light-responsive co-expression network to reveal the potential regulatory relationships in K. fedtschenkoi. Measurements of leaf titratable acidity, soluble sugar, and starch turnover provided metabolic indicators of the magnitude of CAM under the different light treatments and were used to provide biological context for the expression dataset. Furthermore, CAM-related subnetworks were highlighted to showcase genes relevant to CAM pathway, circadian clock, and stomatal movement. In comparison with white light, monochrome blue/red/far-red light treatments repressed the expression of several CAM-related genes at dusk, along with a major reduction in acid accumulation. Increasing light intensity from an intermediate level (440 μmol m-2 s-1) of white light to a high light treatment (1,000 μmol m–2 s–1) increased expression of several genes involved in dark CO2 fixation and malate transport at dawn, along with an increase in organic acid accumulation. Conclusions This study provides a useful genomics resource for investigating the molecular mechanism underlying the light regulation of physiology and metabolism in CAM plants. Our results support the hypothesis that both light intensity and light quality can modulate the CAM pathway through regulation of CAM-related genes in K. fedtschenkoi.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Inhomogeneous energy injection in the 21-cm power spectrum: Sensitivity to dark matter decay

The 21-cm signal provides a novel avenue to measure the thermal state of the Universe during cosmic dawn and reionization (redshifts z ~ 5–30), and thus to probe energy injection from decaying or annihilating dark matter (DM). These DM processes are inherently inhomogeneous: both decay and annihilation are density-dependent, and furthermore, the fraction of injected energy that is deposited at each point depends on the gas ionization and density, leading to further anisotropies in absorption and propagation. In this work, we develop a new framework for modeling the impact of spatially inhomogeneous energy injection and deposition during cosmic dawn, accounting for ionization and baryon density dependence, as well as the attenuation of propagating photons. We showcase how this first completely inhomogeneous treatment affects the predicted 21-cm power spectrum in the presence of exotic sources of energy injection, and forecast the constraints that upcoming HERA measurements of the 21-cm power spectrum will set on DM decays to photons and to electron/positron pairs. These projected constraints considerably surpass those derived from CMB and Lyman-a measurements, and for decays to electron/positron pairs they exceed all existing constraints in the sub-GeV mass range, reaching lifetimes of ~10 28 s. Our analysis demonstrates the unprecedented sensitivity of 21-cm cosmology to exotic sources of energy injection during the cosmic dark ages. Our code, dm21cm, includes all these effects and is publicly available in an accompanying release.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Oxygen torus and its coincidence with EMIC wave in the deep inner magnetosphere: Van Allen Probe B and Arase observations

We investigate the longitudinal structure of the oxygen torus in the inner magnetosphere for a specific event found on 12 September 2017, using simultaneous observations from the Van Allen Probe B and Arase satellites. It is found that Probe B observed a clear enhancement in the average plasma mass (M) up to 3–4 amu at L = 3.3–3.6 and magnetic local time (MLT) = 9.0 h. In the afternoon sector at MLT ~ 16.0 h, both Probe B and Arase found no clear enhancements in M. This result suggests that the oxygen torus does not extend over all MLT but is skewed toward the dawn. Since a similar result has been reported for another event of the oxygen torus in a previous study, a crescent-shaped torus or a pinched torus centered around dawn may be a general feature of the O + density enhancement in the inner magnetosphere. We newly find that an electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave in the H + band appeared coincidently with the oxygen torus. From the lower cutoff frequency of the EMIC wave, the ion composition of the oxygen torus is estimated to be 80.6% H + , 3.4% He + , and 16.0% O + . According to the linearized dispersion relation for EMIC waves, both He + and O + ions inhibit EMIC wave growth and the stabilizing effect is stronger for He + than O + . Therefore, when the H + fraction or M is constant, the denser O + ions are naturally accompanied by the more tenuous He + ions, resulting in a weaker stabilizing effect (i.e., larger growth rate). From the Probe B observations, we find that the growth rate becomes larger in the oxygen torus than in the adjacent regions in the plasma trough and the plasmasphere.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Triton Field Trials Changes in Habitat 360-degree Underwater Videos

This dataset contains the underwater 360-degree video files recorded with a Boxfish 360 camera in La Jolla, CA, near a gravity base anchor of the CalWave xWave wave energy converter in December 2021 over three days, at dawn, noon, and dusk. It was generated to test the ability of using this type of camera mounted on an aluminum frame as a video lander to monitor the artificial reef effect of marine energy devices and associated seafloor structures. The Boxfish 360 is made of 3 cameras each recording its own set of videos. The videos are MOV files that can be viewed individually with any video reader but need to be stitched together to create the 360-degree footage. This dataset contains all the raw video files collected at dawn, noon and dusk on 11/30/2021, 12/01/2021 and 12/02/2021, for about 1h each time. This dataset is associated with the journal manuscript below (linked in resources): Hemery, L.G.; Mackereth, K.F.; Gunn, C.M.; Pablo, E.B. Use of a 360-Degree Underwater Camera to Characterize Artificial Reef and Fish Aggregating Effects around Marine Energy Devices. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10, 555. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10050555

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Diurnal leaf water potential on four tree species, San Lorenzo, Panama, 2020

This data package contains pre-dawn and diurnal leaf water potential (LWP) measured on four trees at the STRI San Lorenzo crane site between January and March 2020. These data were collected from four of the core trees instrumented for sap flux (Guatteria dumetorum, Miconia minutiflora, Terminalia amazonia,Vochysia ferruginea), with measurements made on a single tree on each day. For each tree, leaf samples were harvested from fully sunlit, top of canopy positions pre-dawn (06:00 local time), and then hourly for the subsequent 12 hours. Leaf water potential was measured on 6 - 10 leaves from each time point. Harvested leaves were stored in a cool humid bag in the dark for no more than 40 minutes before LWP was measured. These data were collected as part of a 2020 dry season campaign led by Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). Refer to related datasets for further sample details, and paired leaf mass area (LMA), survey gas exchange, and leaf chemistry data. The files included in this data package are in .csv format, and include one data file and three metadata files.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Three-Dimensional Imaging Lidar for Characterizing Particle Fields and Organisms in the Mesopelagic Zone

The ocean’s mesopelagic zone is largely uncharacterized despite its vital role in sustaining ocean ecosystems. The composition, cycling, and fate of particle fields in the mesopelagic lacks an integrative multi-scale understanding of organism migration patterns, distribution, and diversity. This problem is addressed by combining complementary technologies with overlapping size spectra, including profiler mounted optical scattering sensors, profiler, and ship mounted acoustic devices, and a custom Unobtrusive Multi-Static Lidar Imager (UMSLI). This unique sensor suite can observe distributions of particles including organisms over a six order of magnitude dynamic size range, from microns to meters. Overlapping size ranges between different methods allows for cross-validation. This work focuses on the lidar imaging measurements and optical backscattering and attenuation, covering a combined particle size range of 0.1 mm to several cm. Particles at the small end of this range are sized using an existing backscattering time series inversion method after Briggs et al. (2013). Larger particles are resolved with UMSLI over an expanding volume using three-dimensional photo-realistic laser serial imaging. UMSLI’s image rectifying ability over time allows for derivation of particle concentration, size, and spatial distribution. Technical details on the development and post-processing methods for the novel UMSLI system are provided. Image resolved particle size distributions (PSDs) revealed a size shift from smaller to larger particles (>0.5 mm) as indicated by flatter slopes from dawn (slope = 2.6) to dusk (slope = 3.0). PSD trends are supported by an optical backscatter and transmissometer time series inversion analysis. Size shifts in the particle field are largely attributed to aggregation effects. Images support evidence of temporal variation between dusk and dawn stations through statistical analysis of particle concentrations for particle sizes 0.50–5.41 mm. Spatial analysis of the particle field revealed a dominantly uniform distributed marine snow background. The importance and potential of integrated approaches to studying particle and organism dynamics in ocean environments are discussed.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

A study of the electric field in an open magnetospheric model

Recently, Svalgaard and Heppner reported two separate features of the polar electromagnetic field that correlate with the dawn-dusk component of the interplanetary magnetic field. This work attempts to explain these findings in terms of properties of the open magnetosphere. The topology and qualitative properties of the open magnetosphere are first studied by means of a simple model, consisting of a dipole in a constant field. Many such properties are found to depend on the separation line, a curve connecting neutral points and separating different field line regimes. In the simple model it turns out that the electric field in the central polar cap tends to point from dawn to dusk for a wide variety of external fields, but, near the boundary of the polar cap, electric equipotentials are deformed into crescents.

Stern, D. P.↗

Intensity variation of ELF hiss and chorus during isolated substorms

Electromagnetic ELF emissions (100-1000 Hz) observed on the polar-orbiting OGO-6 satellite within three hours of the dawn-dusk meridian consistently exhibit a predictable response to isolated substorm activity. Near dawn, the emissions intensify during the substorm and then subside following the magnetic activity; the waves are most intense at L greater than 4, exhibit considerable structure and have been primarily identified as chorus. At dusk the response is entirely different; the wave intensity falls to background levels during substorm activity but subsequently intensifies, usually reaching levels well in excess of that before the disturbance. The emissions near dusk extend to low L, are relatively featureless, and have been identified as plasmaspheric hiss. These features are interpreted in terms of changes in the drift orbits of outer-zone electrons which cyclotron resonate with ELF waves.

Thorne, R. M.↗

Observation of bow shock protons at the lunar orbit

Protons with energies ranging from about 500 eV to 3,500 eV were observed by the Suprathermal Ion Detector Experiment (SIDE) on both the dusk and dawn sides of the magnetosphere. On each lunation these particles appeared as a rather continuous phenomenon for 3 to 5 days after crossing from the dawn-side magnetosheath into the solar wind and for about 2 days prior to entering the dusk-side magnetosheath. Data from the SIDE and from the Explorer 35 lunar orbiting magnetometer were analyzed and these data indicated that the transverse ion flows observed by the SIDE in the pre and post bow shock crossing regions of the lunar orbit are due to these deviated solar wind particles. A computer model based on drift trajectories for particles leaving the shock was developed and synthetic particle data produced by this model are in good agreement with the observed data.

Benson, J. L.↗

Continuum radiation associated with low-energy electrons in the outer radiation zone

A weak nonthermal continuum radiation is generated by the earth's magnetosphere in the frequency range from about 500 Hz to greater than 100 kHz. During magnetically disturbed periods the intensity of this continuum radiation increases significantly. The paper presents a series of observations obtained during a period of greatly enhanced continuum radiation intensity. The enhanced continuum radiation intensities observed during this event are found to be closely correlated with the injection of very intense fluxes of energetic (about 1-30 keV) electrons into the outer radiation zone. Direction-finding measurements of the continuum radiation observed during this event show that the radiation is primarily coming from the dawn side of the magnetosphere, in agreement with the observed dawn-dusk asymmetry in the 1- to 30-keV electron distribution. These results suggest that the continuum radiation may be generated by a coherent plasma instability involving relatively low-energy (about 1-30 keV) electrons rather than by gyrosynchrotron radiation from very energetic (200 keV-1 Mev) electrons as has been previously suggested.

Gurnett, D. A.↗

Plasmapause signatures in the ionosphere and magnetosphere

Isis 2 observations of a variety of topside ionospheric 'signatures' of the plasmapause are compared with simultaneously acquired equatorial electron-density profiles obtained by the whistler technique. The satellite data were acquired at about 1400-km altitude at dusk and dawn in the sunlit Northern Hemisphere summer ionosphere within about 15 deg longitude of the VLF receiver. Results suggest that the dynamics of plasma coupling between the ionosphere and plasmasphere dominate the topside data and obscure the location of the equatorial plasmapause field line. The total density and light-ion troughs begin 2 to 10 deg equatorward of the field line through the equatorial plasmapause and are not clear plasmapause signatures. The invariant latitude of the region of steep spatial gradient in thermal plasma density, the plasmapause, appears to increase with altitude. Thus measurements of its position at different altitudes may give different results. Plasma-sheet electrons, however, are observed on field lines just outside the equatorial plasmapause at both dawn and dusk. Their low-latitude extent at 1400-km altitude can be used as a signature of the equatorial plasmapause position.

Foster, J. C.↗