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The Visible Imaging System (VIS) for the Polar SpacecraftThe Visible Imaging System (VIS) is a set of three low-light-level cameras to be flown on the POLAR spacecraft of the Global Geospace Science (GGS) program which is an element of the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) campaign. Two of these cameras share primary and some secondary optics and are designed to provide images of the nighttime auroral oval at visible wavelengths. A third camera is used to monitor the directions of the fields-of-view of these sensitive auroral cameras with respect to sunlit Earth. The auroral emissions of interest include those from N+2 at 391.4 nm, 0 I at 557.7 and 630.0 nm, H I at 656.3 nm, and 0 II at 732.0 nm. The two auroral cameras have different spatial resolutions. These resolutions are about 10 and 20 km from a spacecraft altitude of 8 R(sub e). The time to acquire and telemeter a 256 x 256-pixel image is about 12 s. The primary scientific objectives of this imaging instrumentation, together with the in-situ observations from the ensemble of ISTP spacecraft, are (1) quantitative assessment of the dissipation of magnetospheric energy into the auroral ionosphere, (2) an instantaneous reference system for the in-situ measurements, (3) development of a substantial model for energy flow within the magnetosphere, (4) investigation of the topology of the magnetosphere, and (5) delineation of the responses of the magnetosphere to substorms and variable solar wind conditions.
Document ID
19970026973
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
doi:10.1007/BF00751334
Authors
Frank, L. A. (Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA United States)
Sigwarth, J. B. (Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA United States)
Craven, J. D. (Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA United States)
Cravens, J. P. (Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA United States)
Dolan, J. S. (Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA United States)
Dvorsky, M. R. (Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA United States)
Hardebeck, P. K. (Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA United States)
Harvey, J. D. (Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA United States)
Muller, D. W. (Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1995
Publication Information
Publication: Space Science Reviews
Publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers
Volume: 71
Subject Category
Spacecraft Instrumentation
Report/Patent Number
NASA-CR-205243
NAS 1.26:205243
Accession Number
97N26089
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS5-30316
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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