Application of Magnetospheric Imaging Techniques to Global Substorm Dynamics


ABSTRACT

The application of remote sensing techniques has a high potential of obtaining unprecedented data on the dynamics of storm and substorm processes and in particular determining the relationship between a variety of global phenomena. The Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) mission will have an impressive array of remote sensing instruments which will image a number of important phenomena such as the auroral zone, the geocorona, the ring current, the plasmasphere, auroral ion fountain, and the magnetopause on a time scale of 5 minutes. IMAGE will be placed in a polar orbit with apogee of about 7 Earth radii (RE) where it will be well situated to observe the structure and dynamics of the magnetospheric boundaries during geomagnetic storms. An example is given illustrating one aspect of substorm research which will be greatly facilitated by the IMAGE mission. Information on IMAGE can be obtained via the web at: http://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/



Web page prepared by:
Dan Isaac, disaac@isu.isunet.edu

Date: February 28, 1997