About NASAs Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission MMS SMART MAGNETIC
About NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) SMART MAGNETIC RECONNECTION is a little-understood physical process at the heart of space weather. It can spark solar flares, cause coronal mass ejections and other phenomena that can imperil Earthorbiting spacecraft and disrupt power grids on Earth.
Much of what we know about the physics of Magnetic Reconnection comes from theoretical studies and computer models. SMART MMS will study this process in situ, measuring magnetic fields crossing, reconnecting, and releasing magnetic energy in the form of heat and charged-particle kinetic energy.
The MMS-FIELDS instruments will measure the electric and magnetic fields with unprecedented high (millisecond) time resolution and accuracy. SMART
Development of the instrument suite is Durham at the SMART MMS-FIELDS centered in University of New Hampshire’s Space Science Center
SMART Illustration: One of four MMS spacecraft with the FIELDS instruments identified
SMART SDP Spin-Plane Double Probe Electric Field Measurements
SMART Title One of four SDP deployers that will be on each of the four MMS spacecraft
The Spin-plane Double Probe (SDP) consists of four 60 -meter wire booms with spherical sensors at the end. SMART Specially coated Titanium hemispheres form each SDPs E-Field probe. These are provided to UNH by our colleagues in Sweden (KTH and IRFU) and Finland (University of Oulu)
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SDP Preamplifier SMART The SDP doors and preamplifiers are provided to UNH by our colleagues at the University of Colorado (LASP)
SMART The electronics to operate the SDP and process its E-field measurement are provided to UNH by our colleagues in Sweden (KTH)
SMART The mechanical design, fabrication, assembly and test of the SDP deployers is the responsibility of engineers at UNH
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SMART ADP Axial Double Probe Electric Field Measurement The ADP consists of two 12 -meter antennas deployed axially near the spacecraft spin axis.
SMART The Axial Double Probe (ADP) consists of two 12 -meter antennas deployed axially near the spacecraft spin axis.
SMART Title The photo shows one of two 12 -meter extensible booms on each spacecraft deployed from its stowed configuration in a small canister The design, fabrication, assembly and test of the ADP is the responsibility of our colleagues at the University of Colorado (LASP)
SMART ADP deployment test
SMART ADP Launch Latches
SMART ADP Preamplifiers
ADP Receiving Elements SMART These 2 -meter antennas launch in this folded configuration. Each will deploy on-orbit atop a 12 meter extensible boom.
SMART Thermal Vacuum test preparation for ADP Receiving Elements
SMART Title Vibration test preparation for a pair of ADP Receiving Elements
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SMART ADP Receiving Element Hinges
SMART The electronics to process the ADP E-field measurement are provided by our colleagues in Sweden (KTH) and calibrated with the booms by our colleagues at the University of Colorado (LASP)
SMART Title ADP Receiving Element testing in the clean room at the University of Colorado
SMART EDI Electron Drift Instrument Electric and Magnetic Field Measurements
SMART EDI Measurement Principle The EDI determines the electric and magnetic fields by measuring the drift of ~1 ke. V electrons emitted from a pair of Gun Detector Units (GDU). Each GDU sends and receives a coded beam to and from the other EDIGDU. The University of New Hampshire, in collaboration with the Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IWF) and the University of Iowa, provides the The EDI GDU and electronics.
SMART Setup for testing of the EDI Gun Detector Unit (GDU) in the UNH vacuum chamber
Electron Gun Electronics (IWF, Austria) SMART
SMART Calibration of the EDI Gun and electronics in the vacuum chamber at IWF (Austria)
SMART Title EDI GDU Assembly in the Clean Room at UNH
SMART EDI Sensor Stack (UNH)
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SMART SCM Search Coil Magnetometer AC Magnetic Field Measurement
SMART Title The SCM will measure the 3 axis AC magnetic field and will be used with the ADP and SDP to determine the contribution of plasma waves to the turbulent dissipation occurring in the diffusion region.
SMART SCM Development is at LPP, the Laboratory for Plasma Physics (France)
SMART Title This magnetically-quiet facility was built by LPP at Chambon la Forêt (France) for calibration of the Search Coil Magnetometers. The only metal in this building are the copper coils on these rings for controlling the magnetic field environment of the sensor in calibration at the center.
SMART AFG & DFG Analog & Digital Fluxgate Magnetometers DC Magnetic Field Measurement
SMART UCLA and the Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IWF) provide the AFG and DFG sensors and electronics with calibration support from the Technical University of Braunschweig (TU-BS, Germany).
SMART Two magnetometers provide redundant measurements of the DC magnetic field and structure in the diffusion region.
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SMART Magnetometer sensors (AFG, DFG, SCM) for one MMS spacecraft in a test setup at UNH
SMART The 3 -layer magnetic shield can is needed to isolate the magnetometers from the Earth’s magnetic field for testing in the laboratory
SMART CEB Central Electronics Box The CEB provides power, control and data processing for the suite of FIELDS sensors. The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH, Sweden) provides the power supply. The University of New Hampshire provides the CEB and the software with contributions from the sensor team institutions: KTH, LASP, UCLA and IWF.
SMART Title CEB Thermal Vacuum test at UNH
SMART Title Low Voltage Power Supply. 1 of 8 custommade electronics boards in each CEB
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SMART The first flight model CEB on the vibration table
SMART FIELDS suite testing at UNH Title
SMART Title UNH MMS-FIELDS Team
Quick Facts SMART Flight instrumentation integration and test is underway NOW at UNH The first of four FIELDS instrument suites will be delivered from UNH to NASA in May 2012. MMS-FIELDS is the largest research contract ever awarded to UNH.
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