Plasma Team Report

1
Plasma Team Report

• Overarching Concerns
• Both instrument measurements needed throughout
  extended encounter period (90 days at least)
• Solid characterization of baseline is critical
• Evaluation of upstream and downstream conditions
• Distant interaction effects
• Continuous measurement by both instruments
  throughout close approach
• Characterization of RTG Radiation Environment

2
NOTIONAL INTERACTION AT PLUTO
Characterize Solar Wind Upstream
Downstream Wake/Tail? Sheath? Shock?
Upstream Pick-up
3
Plasma Team Report

• PEPSSI
• We support MESSENGER EPS adaptation for Pluto
  conditions
• Foil
• Aperture
• Both plasma instruments are necessary throughout
  the encounter - low-power modes should be
  developed for PEPSSI if necessary.
• Action Item
• optimize mounting and orientation to obtain
  measurements of pick-up ions upstream and
  days/weeks downstream (RM).

4
Plasma Team Report

• SWAP
• NO Actuator
• NO Change rotation axis
• Mount SWAP on bracket w/Top Hat design
• No need to turn (SIMPLIFIES ENCOUNTER!!!)
• Mounted closer lessens thermal concerns
• Appears do-able with current resources
• Action Items
• Solar wind conditions _at_30AU (FB)
• Optimize mounting top hat (DMc)
• Estimate geometric factor science impact (DMc)

5
(No Transcript)
6
(No Transcript)
7
Plasma _at_ Jupiter - 0

• Jupiter flyby important opportunities for
  rehearsal, calibration and test of systems
• E.g. characterize PEPSSI performance under real
  environment pick-up ion observations
• Extensive science observations (upstream solar
  wind, plasma sheet, deep magnetotail)
• Both instruments optimized for Pluto - fluxes at
  Jupiter need to be examined

8
Plasma _at_ Jupiter - 1

• Encounter geometry similar to that of Pluto - but
  on the dusk (vs. dawn) side
• Rotate S/C by 180 to mimic Pluto flyby
  geometries (flip Z-axis)
• Upstream solar wind during auroral measurements
  (Alice, GB, HST - JMEX?) 90 days
• Earth-Jupiter solar wind monitoring for extended
  auroral torus observations from Earth-based
  telescopes (e.g. JMEX?). Need to check
  trajectory, instrument dynamic range

9
Plasma _at_ Jupiter - 2

• Extended pass through distant magnetotail
• Characterize the planetary wind variability
• Does magnetotail have multiple tail disruptions?
  Internal (Io) or external (SW) driver?
• Characterize magnetotail/solar wind coupling down
  stream

10
Plasma _at_ Jupiter - 3

• Magnetosphere - Plasmasheet
• If S/C flipped, SWAP gets corotational flow and
  ion density in plasmasheet crossings
• PEPSSI will see hot plasma population (heated
  Iogenic ions)
• Collaboration with remote sensing of auroral
  emissions - interleaving in situ particles with
  emissions they generate
• Action items
• Check fluxes to confirm non-saturation of SWAP
  (DMc) and PEPSSI (RM)