Dissertation
A new fluxgate magnetometer design applied for spaceborne studies of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Summer 2024
DOI: 10.25820/etd.007624
Abstract
Fluxgate magnetometers are important tools for investigations of space plasmas, including spaceborne studies of auroral electrodynamics. They provide high fidelity, in-situ measurements of currents and waves that transport energy and mass in the linked magnetosphere-ionosphere system, as well as throughout the solar wind and planetary magnetospheres. Innovation in all development stages of reliable fluxgate technology, have played and will continue to play an important role in providing these measurements. This thesis is a compilation of four journal articles which describe the development and characterization of a new fluxgate magnetometer design concept and demonstrate its capability for making contributions to novel science as part of a space-based-experimental study of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. The design and optimization of the new ‘Tesseract’ fluxgate sensor concept is presented, and an initial characterization of the sensor’s stability is compared to that of a more traditional heritage sensor design. Changes in sensor temperature are known to degrade the stability of a fluxgate, so a custom-built laboratory apparatus is used to conduct an in-depth characterization of the effects of temperature and thermal gradients on Tesseract’s cores. Then, a complete flight model of the Tesseract magnetometer is assembled, characterized, and launched on its first spaceflight demonstration aboard the ACES-II sounding rocket mission into an active auroral arc. An evaluation of its inflight performance shows that Tesseract functioned successfully over the course of the flight. Measurements of small-scale magnetic, electric and density fluctuations made aboard ACES-II adjacent to the auroral arc are consistent with signatures of ionosphere feedback instability and are morphologically similar to the predictions of a numerical simulation of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling; suggesting that the ionosphere feedback instability mechanism may play a role in the structuring of the auroral arc.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A new fluxgate magnetometer design applied for spaceborne studies of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling
- Creators
- Kenton Greene
- Contributors
- David M Miles (Advisor)Jasper S Halekas (Committee Member)Casey T DeRoo (Committee Member)Mark B Moldwin (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Physics
- Date degree season
- Summer 2024
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- DOI
- 10.25820/etd.007624
- Number of pages
- 162 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2024 Kenton Greene
- Language
- English
- Date submitted
- 07/15/2024
- Description illustrations
- illustrations, graphs, tables
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 137-162).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
- Fluxgate magnetometers are important tools for studying the upper atmosphere and the northern lights as well as magnetic fields throughout the solar system. New advances in reliable fluxgate instrument designs are important for enabling future space-based studies of how the northern lights are formed. This thesis describes the development of a new fluxgate instrument design called ‘Tesseract’ from the conceptualization stage, through prototyping and testing, to launching it on a rocket for its first space flight. We show that the instrument worked as expected in space and made measurements of small-scale magnetic field features in the northern lights which may help understand how the upper atmosphere helps to create these features. These advances in the development and validation of new fluxgate instrumentation will help to enable and inform future missions to study the Earth’s magnetic field and the northern lights.
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984698250402771
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