Chasqui II: Proposed CubeSat Mission to Study Energetic Particle Precipitation at Low L-shell caused by SuperBolts in South America

de la Roca S.R.; Romero-Minaya J.; Palomino S.C.; Antaurco P.P.; Teran R.M.F. · Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC (2024) · DOI: 10.52202/078365-0118

Resumen

The energetic particles precipitation (EPP) acquires relevance in space weather since studies show that they indirectly lead to ozone reduction in the stratosphere and mesosphere. EPP can be produced by different mechanisms, one of them is wave-particle interaction, by whistler waves generated by lightning. EPP studies normally focus on outer radiation belts since is highly dynamic but recently there are studies at low L-shell or inner radiation belt showing that EPP can happen in this region too. On the other hand, a type of lightning a thousand times more intense than the average called Superbolt has become relevant, with one of its hotspots located in the Andes in South America. Chasqui-II focuses on the study of EPP induced by superbolts at low L-shell values. Specifically, during the months of November to February, the period of greatest probability of occurrence of these events. The CubeSat's orbit will be in a low earth orbit (LEO), close to 400 km to have less resistance from the atmosphere. Seeking to cover latitudes from -30° to 30°, since low-inclination, non-equatorial missions offer the unique possibility of studying the EPP at low L-shell values. The proposed payload incorporates a Geiger counter based on a silicon PIN diode with an energy range of 0.2 - 10 MeV, allowing the detection of EPP. This data can be used to correlate with records from lightning stations on the ground, to study the superbolts influence over EPP at low L-shell values. The purpose of this paper is to encourage research in EPP at low L-shell that can contribute to future atmospheric models. Copyright

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería