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Spicher, Andres; LaBelle, James William; Bonnell, John W.; Roglans, Roger; Moser, Chrystal & Fuselier, Stephen A.
[Show all 18 contributors for this article]
(2022).
Sounding rocket investigation of multi-scale (density) irregularities in the cusp region.
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Spicher, Andres; Moen, Jøran Idar; LaBelle, James William; Bonnell, John W; Roglans, Roger & Moser, Chrystal
[Show all 18 contributors for this article]
(2021).
Sounding rocket studies of ionospheric turbulence above Svalbard.
Show summary
Every morning between about 06 UT and 11 UT, Svalbard rotates just below the cusps (dayside aurora), where direct coupling between the solar wind, magnetosphere and ionosphere occurs. This provides a unique window to study the dayside aurora and the highly dynamic processes associated with it, examples of which include electron and ion precipitation and heating, electrostatic and electromagnetic waves, as well as turbulence.
In this work, we focus on the turbulence which, alongside with being of pure scientific interest, can also have societal impacts. Indeed, the “irregular” electron density structures associated with it can affect our technology infrastructures by for instance degrading High Frequency (HF) communication and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals.
After briefly reviewing some of the mechanisms believed to be important in the development of turbulence in the high-latitude ionosphere, we present recent observations of density irregularities obtained by sounding rockets above Svalbard. We focus on measurements made as a part of the
Grand Challenge Initiative (GCI) Cusp, an international project combining sounding rockets missions and ground-based instruments to study the cusps. We show detailed characterization of the nature of the irregularities including their phase velocity and wavelengths, helping shedding light onto the process(es) involved in their formation, especially at the scales important for Space weather applications.
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Spicher, Andres; Moen, Jøran Idar; Rowland, Douglas E.; LaBelle, James William; Kletzing, Craig A. & Blix, Kolbjørn
[Show all 7 contributors for this article]
(2021).
Sounding rocket studies above Svalbard: the grand challenge initiative cusp.
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Zhang, Qing-He; Zhang, Yongliang; Wang, Chi; Lockwood, Michael; Yang, Huigen & Tang, Bin-Bin
[Show all 13 contributors for this article]
(2021).
Multiple Transpolar Auroral Arcs Reveal New Insight About Coupling Processes in the Earth’s Magnetotail.
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Zhang, Qing-He; Zhang, Yongliang; Wang, Chi; Lockwood, Michael; Yang, Huigen & Tang, Bin-Bin
[Show all 12 contributors for this article]
(2021).
Multiple Transpolar Auroral Arcs Reveal New Insight About Coupling Processes in the Earth’s Magnetotail.
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Spicher, Andres; LaBelle, James William; Bonnell, John W; Bounds, Scott; Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock & Di Mare, Francesca
[Show all 16 contributors for this article]
(2020).
On multi-scale density irregularities observed by sounding rockets within regions of enhanced scintillations in the cusp ionosphere.
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Zhang, Qing-He; Zhang, Yongliang; Wang, Chi; Lockwood, Michael; Yang, Huigen & Tang, Bin-Bin
[Show all 13 contributors for this article]
(2020).
Multiple transpolar auroral arcs reveal insight about coupling processes in the Earth’s magnetotail.
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Di Mare, Francesca; Spicher, Andres; Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock; Miloch, Wojciech Jacek & Moen, Jøran Idar
(2020).
Turbulent Signatures in the Polar Cusp Ionosphere
using sounding rocket mission observations
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Di Mare, Francesca; Spicher, Andres; Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock; Miloch, Wojciech Jacek & Moen, Jøran Idar
(2020).
Turbulence Signatures in the Polar/Cusp Ionosphere based on ICI sounding rocket missions
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Di Mare, Francesca; Spicher, Andres; Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock & Moen, Jøran Idar
(2019).
Turbulence observations in the Polar/Cusp Ionosphere using ICI sounding rocket data.
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Di Mare, Francesca; Spicher, Andres; Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock & Moen, Jøran Idar
(2019).
Mapping of turbulence at the high-latitude Ionosphere using ICI-2 and ICI-3 sounding rocket data.
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Di Mare, Francesca; Spicher, Andres; Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock & Moen, Jøran Idar
(2019).
Turbulence observations in the Polar/Cusp Ionosphere using ICI data missions.
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Røed, Ketil; Moen, Jøran Idar; Mann, Ian R.; Blix, Kolbjørn; jaynes, Allison N. & McWilliams, Kathryn A.
[Show all 9 contributors for this article]
(2019).
The CaNoRock Undergraduate Student Rocket School.
Show summary
The Canada-Norway Sounding Rocket student rocket and exchange program CaNoRock, sponsored by the Norwegian Space Centre and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is a well established and extremely successful student rocket program. Twice a year 20 undergraduates from the participating institutions in Canada and Norway spend a week on site at the Andøya Space center, gaining hands-on experience in sounding rocket and payload instrument design. During this week the students work together in smaller groups to prepare a sounding rocket for flight, they take an active role in the rocket operation, and analyse the data from the rocket which is presented to their peers on the final day. A series of lectures on topics like introduction to rockets and rocket physics, balloons and radiosondes, payload integration, telemetry, and data analysis are also given by the staff at the rocket range. Additional lectures are also offered by the academic staff of the participating institutions, covering their state of the art research on space physics and measurement instrumentation.
Besides the technical and scientific skills and theory the students gain during this intensive field school, they also develop soft and inter-cultural skills when working together in smaller teams of mixed nationalities and backgrounds.
So far more than 300 Canadian and Norwegian students have participated in the school, and in the most recent editions US students have also been welcomed. The ultimate goal of the CaNoRock school is to inspire students to continue their studies within space physics and technology, and to expand their national and international network motivating them continue with a career in space-related industry or research.
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Spicher, Andres; Moen, Jøran Idar; Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock & Miloch, Wojciech Jacek
(2019).
On the source and nature of ionospheric plasma irregularities: advances made through the Investigation of Cusp irregularities sounding rocket program .
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Clemmons, J.H.; Rowland, Douglas E.; Hecht, J. H.; Pfaff, Robert F.; Michell, Robert & Moen, Jøran Idar
[Show all 10 contributors for this article]
(2019).
VISIONS-2 Observations of Electron Dynamics and Alfvén Waves.
Show summary
Results from last year’s VISIONS-2 sounding rocket mission to investigate the physics of the cusp are presented and discussed. The focus is on the relationship of the highly-structured, field-aligned, dispersed electron fluxes and the concurrently-measured low frequency electric and magnetic fields, which are taken to be Alfvén waves. The discussion centers on the copious appearance of these phenomena within the VISIONS-2 measurements, and discusses the distinct characteristics of the electron bursts in the context of the waves. Featured are Poynting flux calculations (magnitude and direction) of the waves and a characterization of the wave polarization relative to the direction of the mean plasma flow. Energy analyses of the electrons and waves are used to elucidate their interrelationship, and time-of-flight analyses are used to constrain the interaction domain in the vertical direction.
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Pfaff, Robert F.; Rowland, Douglas E.; Freudenreich, H.; Clemmons, J.H.; Moen, Jøran Idar & Oksavik, Kjellmar
[Show all 8 contributors for this article]
(2019).
Dual Sounding Rocket Observations of Plasma Convection and Shear, Field-aligned Currents, and Alfven waves and Irregularities in the Cusp during IMF Bz Negative Conditions.
Show summary
On December 7, 2018, two NASA Black Brant X sounding rockets were launched simultaneously from Ny Ålesund, Spitzbergen (79˚ N) into the dayside cusp and subsequently cut across the open/closed field line boundary, reaching apogees of 601 km and 807 km. The launches occurred during Bz negative conditions. We provide an overview of the electrodynamic observations and focus on the DC electric field results, available from the lower altitude rocket, and field-aligned currents, observed on both rockets. The in situ DC electric fields reveal highly dynamic, structured flows within the cusp with steady flow towards the north and afternoon sector poleward of the cusp. Just equatorward of the cusp, strong meridional electric fields associated with westward plasma flow is observed in conjunction with zonal magnetic field perturbations, indicative of strong field-aligned currents. We discuss the large scale electrodynamics, including plasma shears and currents, as signatures of the open/closed character of the cusp/low latitude boundary layer as a function of the IMF. The electric field, magnetic field, and plasma density data also reveal strong ULF/ELF plasma waves and irregularities that exist within the open magnetic field line cusp region yet disappear when the payload was equatorward of the cusp on closed magnetic field lines. We present detailed wave characteristics and discuss them in terms of Alfvén waves and static irregularities that pervade the cusp region yet change character as a function of altitude.
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Spicher, Andres; Deshpande, Kshitija; Zettergren, Matthew D.; Oksavik, Kjellmar; Jin, Yaqi & Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock
[Show all 7 contributors for this article]
(2019).
Modeling scintillation produced by ionospheric Kelvin Helmholtz in the cusp ionosphere using GEMINI-SIGMA.
Show summary
Ionospheric irregularities are known to cause fluctuations in radio signals called scintillation in the phase and amplitude of the complex signal. The turbulent structures responsible for the scintillation are a few hundreds of meters to few tens of kilometers scale sizes (intermediate scale sizes). With the growing interest in high latitude scintillation, we would like to investigate the effect of typical physical mechanisms on the radio scintillation.
Here we present our modeling studies of Global Positioning System (GPS) scintillation through Kelvin Helmholtz instability (KHI) in the cusp region. For modeling we use the first principles based Geospace Environment Model of Ion-Neutral Interactions (GEMINI) and Satellite-beacon Ionospheric-scintillation Global Model of the upper Atmosphere (SIGMA). We utilize a cusp event study with detailed observations from the EISCAT Svalbard Radar (ESR) and scintillations detected from a network of four Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) receivers in Svalbard. The event presents evidences of the role of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling in the generation of plasma irregularities and scintillations in the cusp. Using numerical simulations, we investigate the potential role of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in producing such scintillation. Furthermore, we compare the results with characteristics of GPS scintillations associated with a polar cap patch and the gradient drift instability to deduce distinctive characteristics of the respective plasma irregularities.
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Moser, Chrystal; LaBelle, James William; Kletzing, Craig A.; Bounds, Scott; Hatch, Spencer Mark & Oksavik, Kjellmar
[Show all 12 contributors for this article]
(2019).
CAPER-2 and TRICE-2 Sounding Rocket Investigations: Whistler and Upper-Hybrid Waves in the Polar Cusp.
Show summary
The CAPER-2 and TRICE-2 sounding rockets launched 4 January 2019 and 8 December 2018, respectively, into the cusp of earth’s magnetic field as part of the Grand Challenge Initiative to study cusp dynamics. Both of these missions carried receivers to examine auroral radio emissions ranging from a few hertz to several megahertz allowing for fine structures within the spectra to be observed. For instance, on field lines from 300-1300 km equator-ward of the estimated cusp boundary, CAPER-2 VLF receivers observed saucer-like features in its time-frequency spectra. Although superficially similar to those seen by James [1976], these features extend over a far greater spatial extent implying a much more distant source, perhaps > 10,000 km above the space- craft. Because the plasma and the magnetic field are not uniform over such a large altitude range, ray tracing will be required to interpret these features, and determine whether or not they originate in the cusp. HF receivers aboard TRICE-2 observed several intervals of intense non-thermal upper-hybrid waves with banded-structures, having 4-12 bands with spacings and bandwidths of about 5 kHz. Two possible explanations for these features are: 1) modulation from wave-wave interactions of upper-hybrid waves with lower-hybrid/whistler waves, or 2) the HF antennas have a separation equal to an integral number of the observed wavelength resulting in nulls within the spectra. Data from the UCB VLF receivers shows lower-hybrid cutoff near 5 kHz, suggesting the presence of a wave-wave interaction. Consideration of rocket probe attitude is required to test these and other mechanisms. Both CAPER-2 and TRICE-2 observed a host of other wave and particle phenomena in the cusp that need to be investigated further to enhance our understanding of the auroral ionosphere and magnetospheric-ionospheric interactions.
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Follestad, Anna Kristine Fæhn; Herlingshaw, Katie; Ghadjari, Hossein; Knudsen, David J.; McWilliams, Kathryn A. & Moen, Jøran Idar
[Show all 9 contributors for this article]
(2019).
Birkeland Current Impacts on Cusp Ionospheric Irregularities.
Show summary
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) scintillations at high latitudes have traditionally been attributed to the Gradient Drift Instability (GDI) associated with polar cap patches and flow shear instabilities such as the Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability (KHI). Previous studies have also shown that electron precipitation may play an important role for scintillations in the cusp. In this study, we combine in situ Swarm data with GNSS observations from a network of three ground based receivers around Svalbard, Norway, to further investigate the role of particle precipitation on phase scintillations in the cusp region. In particular, we examine the relation between strong scintillations and finely structured Birkeland currents. For this purpose, we identified 23 events in the winter time cusp with phase scintillations >0.45 radians. We show consistent colocation between enhanced cusp scintillations and regions of filamented Birkeland currents. In addition, we relate the observations to the presence of turbulence and dispersive Alfvén waves. The observations suggest that the filamentary field aligned currents and related particle precipitations in themselves together may act as the primary driver for the creation of irregularities responsible for ground based phase scintillations measured underneath the cusp.
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Rowland, Douglas E.; Moen, Jøran Idar; Pfaff, Robert F.; Clemmons, J.H.; Spicher, Andres & Freudenreich, H.
[Show all 16 contributors for this article]
(2019).
VISIONS-2 observations of ion heating and energization near the exobase, and the role of wave-particle interactions.
Show summary
The VISIONS-2 sounding rocket mission, launched Dec 7, 2019 into the cusp, was predominantly designed to study ion outflow acceleration mechanisms. It carried a variety of in situ particles and fields sensors to diagnose ion energization and heating mechanisms, as well as remote sensing instrumentation to image the energy inputs (rocket-borne visible wavelength multispectral auroral imager) and ion outflow (energetic neutral atom imager). The Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO) optical instruments and the EISCAT radar were used to measure the conditions before, during, and after the VISIONS-2 launch. VISIONS-2 observed strong cusp outflow of <20 eV ions at altitudes at and below 600 km. Uniquely, VISIONS-2 flew two payloads on nearly the same set of field lines, but separated by 200 km. They both observed intense VLF wave activity, but only the higher one (~800 km apogee) observed significant ELF wave activity. We will describe the VISIONS-2 observations of the ion acceleration and compare to simple models of wave-particle heating by VLF and ELF waves, and discuss the overall mechanism (potentially Alfven waves coupling to LH which then directly heat the ions).
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Rowland, Douglas E.; Moen, Jøran Idar; Pfaff, Robert F.; Clemmons, J.H.; Spicher, Andres & Freudenreich, H.
[Show all 16 contributors for this article]
(2019).
VISIONS-2 observations of the electrodynamics of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling.
Show summary
The VISIONS-2 sounding rocket mission, launched Dec 7, 2019 into the cusp, was predominantly designed to study ion outflow acceleration mechanisms. However, its rocket-borne and ground-based instrument complement was well suited to study the electrodynamics of the cusp, including the pathways of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. VISIONS-2 launched southward from Ny Alesund, Svalbard, under active cusp conditions, with southward Bz and positive Bx and negative By. The Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO) optical instruments and the EISCAT radar were used to measure the conditions before, during, and after the VISIONS-2 launch. VISIONS-2 observed strong convection indicative of a potential penetration into the afternoon convection cell, strong Alfvénic activity, and intense filamentary soft precipitation. VISIONS-2's unique combination of rocket borne multispectral imagery along with in situ instrumentation of particles and fields as well as the ground-based measurements provide a unique view of the M-I coupling processes taking place at this time. We will describe the VISIONS-2 observations of the large-scale electrodynamics and discuss how the observations fit into our understanding of cusp processes.
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Spicher, Andres; Oksavik, Kjellmar; Jin, Yaqi; Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock; Zettergren, Matthew D. & Deshpande, K. B.
[Show all 8 contributors for this article]
(2019).
A reverse flow event as the onset of ionospheric scintillation irregularities in the cusp.
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Spicher, Andres; Oksavik, Kjellmar; Jin, Yaqi; Moen, Jøran Idar; Baddeley, Lisa & Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock
(2019).
On the sources of Cusp Ionospheric Scintillation Irregularities.
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Mann, Ingrid; Moen, Jøran Idar; Blix, Kolbjørn; Fredriksen, Åshild; Graversen, Rune & Havnes, Ove
[Show all 7 contributors for this article]
(2019).
MESOSPHERIC AND MIDDLE ATMOSPHERIC STUDIES IN NORWAY AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION.
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Hatch, Spencer Mark; Baddeley, Lisa; Oksavik, Kjellmar; Sigernes, Fred; Moen, Jøran Idar & LaBelle, James William
(2019).
EDGAR: Energy Deposition in the Geomagnetic Cusp Alfvén Resonator.
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Spicher, Andres; Moen, Jøran Idar; Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock; Miloch, Wojciech Jacek & Blix, Kolbjørn
(2018).
4DSpace long term plans towards a multi-satellite M-Class mission.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2018).
Nordlys: Vakkert, spennende og utfordrende.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2018).
Northern Light Research and its relevance for Safety in the Arctic.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2018).
Hvordan kan Nordlyset påvirke menneskelig aktivitet som luftfart m.m.
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Moen, Jøran Idar; Hoang, Huy Minh; Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock & Trondsen, Espen
(2018).
The multi-Needle Langmuir probe system for exploration of the global ionosphere.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2018).
Grand Challenge Initiative Cusp Rocket data handling.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2018).
4DSpace Plasma Turbulence.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2018).
Physics of the Grand Challenge Initiative Cusp Rocket Project.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2018).
How to determine GCI Cusp rocket launch conditions by ground based multi-instrument techniques.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2018).
Physics of the Grand Challenge Initiative Cusp Rocket Project.
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Spicher, Andres; Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock; Miloch, Wojciech Jacek; Jin, Yaqi; Lofstad, Victoria Emilie & Moen, Jøran Idar
(2018).
Polar cap patch climatology based on Swarm density data.
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Spicher, Andres; Moen, Jøran Idar; Hoang, Huy Minh; Røed, Ketil; Trondsen, Espen & Miloch, Wojciech Jacek
[Show all 7 contributors for this article]
(2018).
The Investigation of Cusp irregularities 5 sounding rocket: multi-point measurement of turbulence.
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Spicher, Andres & Moen, Jøran Idar
(2018).
How to successfully launch a sounding rocket from Norway.
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Moen, Jøran Idar; Oksavik, Kjellmar; Carlson, Herbert C; Spicher, Andres; Bekkeng, Tore Andre & Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock
[Show all 11 contributors for this article]
(2018).
The Investigation of Cusp Irregularities Rocket Program.
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Jin, Yaqi & Moen, Jøran Idar
(2017).
The cusp ionosphere as driven by dayside transient.
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Røsæg, Erik & Moen, Jøran Idar
(2017).
Vi trenger romværs-Yr.
Nordlys.
ISSN 0805-5440.
Show summary
Om lag en tredjedel av trafikken i Arktis er i norsk sektor. Både som kyststat, flaggstat og polarstat har Norge et spesielt ansvar for sikker ferdsel i Arktis. Men noen strategi for å takle dette har Norge ikke.
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Skjæveland, Åsmund; Carlson, H.C. & Moen, Jøran Idar
(2017).
A statistical survey of heat inputs into the cusp thermosphere.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2017).
4DSpace Research at UiO and the Prospect of the Grand Challenge Initiative Cusp Rocket Program.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2017).
Introduction to the Physics of the Grand Challenge Initiative Cusp Rocket Program.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2017).
Vision for the International Space Master.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2017).
Multi-scale physics, ionosphere space weather challenges for navigation.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2017).
Multi-scale physics, ionosphere space weather challenges for navigation and communication.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2017).
Possible synergies with other supporting assets (magnetometer, ionosondes, all-sky cameras, GPS network.
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Moen, Jøran Idar & Blix, Kolbjørn
(2017).
Cusp multi-mission rocket program, Birkeland 150 year Anniversary Symposium.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2017).
Space weather : A research grand challenge.
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Moen, Jøran Idar
(2017).
The m-NLP system and instability studies.
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Moen, Jøran Idar & Blix, Kolbjørn
(2017).
Grand Challenge Initiative – Cusp multi-mission rocket program.
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Brinkman, D. G.; Walterscheid, R. L.; Clemmons, J.H.; Hecht, J. H.; Lessard, Marc R. & Fritz, B
[Show all 11 contributors for this article]
(2017).
High Resolution Modeling of the Thermospheric Response to Energy Inputs during the RENU-2 Rocket Flight.
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Moen, Jøran Idar; Oksavik, Kjellmar; Carlson, Herbert C; Stausland, Christoffer T; Clausen, Lasse Boy Novock & Daabakk, Yvonne
[Show all 12 contributors for this article]
(2017).
Kelvin Helmholtz and Gradient Drift instabilities in ionosphere cusp flow channels.
