Article

Abstract

• The Atmospheric Effects of Precipitation through Energetic X-rays (AEPEX) mission is a 6U CubeSat that will monitor energetic electron precipitation from the radiation belts into the upper atmosphere. The primary instrument will image energetic (50–300 keV) X-rays produced in the atmosphere by bremsstrahlung, providing a near-direct signature of electron precipitation. An energetic electron detector will measure the precipitating electron spectrum, while the X-ray observations will be used to determine the absolute flux. X-ray images will be produced with 10-s time resolution and 50–100 km spatial resolution. The 6U spacecraft uses flight heritage spacecraft bus subsystems, including the attitude determination and control, electrical power, and command & data handling systems. AEPEX is designed to be operated from low-Earth orbit at ~500 km altitude with a high inclination in order to cover the outer radiation belt. AEPEX will be the first spacecraft mission to measure X-rays in the 50–300 keV energy range emitted by Earth’s atmosphere in response to radiation belt precipitation, and the first to image that precipitation from above.

Creator

• Woods, Thomas
• Berland, Grant
• Spence, Harlan E
• Baker, Daniel N
• Davis, Elliott
• Xu, Wei
• Marshall, Robert Andrew
• Wold, Alexandra
• Cully, Christopher
• Randall, Cora Einterz
• McCarthy, Michael

Academic Affiliation

• Laboratory for Atmospheric & Space Physics
• Aerospace Engineering Sciences

Journal Title

• Advances in Space Research

Journal Issue/Number

• 1

Journal Volume

• 66

Last Modified

• 2022-02-01

Resource Type

• Postprint

Rights Statement

• In Copyright

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2020.03.003

ISSN

• 1879-1948

Language

• English [eng]

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