Cajun Probe Conceptual Design Review University of Louisiana

Cajun Probe Conceptual Design Review University of Louisiana at Lafayette Mark Roberts 10. 16. 2009

Table of Contents Ø Mission Overview Ø Narrative Ø Expectations Ø Cosmic Rays Ø Related Research ØMission Requirements Ø Success & Benefits Ø Design Ø Expected Results Ø Canister Compliance Ø Shared Logistic Plan Ø Management Ø Team Ø Timeline

Mission Overview Objectives Ø Design and implement a robust, compact payload to latter be integrated into a probe. Ø Develop improved Geiger Counter circuit. Ø Testing of payload’s durability and performance under space conditions. ØObtain and analyze data for a baseline of future experiments. Mission Overview

Expanding on Rock. On 2008 Previous experiments have proven inconclusive with Geiger Counter circuit. Therefore, a more robust circuit and improved Geiger-Muller tube is necessary. ard o B AVR ck. On (Ro 8) 200 Improved Geiger Counter Circuit GPS More Temperature Sensors Larger Memory Mission Overview • Narrative

Experiment Expectations • Cosmic Radiation ULL expects to quantify the cosmic radiation and analyze it’s relation to temperature(s) and pressure. • Further Development of Probe Again, this phase of the project is just a step towards ULL’s ultimate goal which is to develop a extremely robust probe to be launched into thunderstorms. • Finally have an Improved Geiger Counter Circuit that is robust enough to operate efficiently and properly in harsh environments. Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations

Cosmic Rays (CRs) Discovered by Victor Hess in 1912 Electrically charged particles that bombard Earth where the flux of the CRs will be different at different latitudes & altitudes. ØCRs led to the discovery of the first muon and pion, however the main focus of cosmic ray research is where they originate and how they are accelerated to such high velocities—their role in the dynamics of the Galaxy. Ø It is believed that CRs originate from outside our galaxy from active galactic nuclei, quasars, or gamma ray bursts. Ø Another belief is that galactic CR’s derive their energy from supernova explosions and evidence exists to suggest that CR’s are accelerated as the shock waves from these explosions, traveling through interstellar gas where the energy contributed to the Galaxy by the CRs is about that contained in galactic magnetic fields and in thermal energy of the gas that it passes through. Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays

Mission When high energy cosmic rays collide with Overview the atoms in Earth’s atmosphere • Narrative a shower • Expectations of secondary particles are produced, • Cosmic Rays correspondingly the frequency of particles reaching Earth’s surface is directly related to the energy of the cosmic ray(s) which can be measured with a Geiger counter.

Related Research Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays • Related Research

T-MAT H° 600 film showing cosmic ray tracks High Energy Particles (E > 250 Me. V) Low Energy Particles (E ≤ 250 Me. V) Measured fluence of high & low energy protons & electrons OSL Badges Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays • Related Research

Mission Requirements Requirement Method Status RBF Pin Design/Test GO Volume Constraints Design/Test Weight Constraints Design/Test Shock Constraints Design/Test Thermodynamic Protection Design/Test Electronic Noise Protection Design/Test Mission Objectives Design/Test Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays • Related Research • Mission Requirements

Success & Benefits Success for this mission is dependent on the performance of the Geiger counter. That is, an accurate measure of the total flux of the cosmic rays with respect to altitude. • Comparison of data and efficiency with previous cosmic ray measurements made with film and OSL badges. • UL Lafayette having an optimized Geiger circuit that will be integrated into future experiments and into our own High Power Rockets. • The optimized Geiger circuit will be developed into a kit and function as an introduction to Balloon & Sounding Rocket payloads to undergraduates and possibly used as an outreach program as well. Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays • Related Research • Mission Requirements • Success & Benefits

Functional Block Diagram Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays • Related Research • Mission Requirements • Success & Benefits • Design

Geiger Counter Circuit Tube Specifications Gas Filling Ne + Halogen Cathode Material 446 Stainless Max Length (inch) 7 Max Diameter (inch) 1. 5 Connector BNC Operating Temp (°C) -40 2 Areal Density (m. G/cm ) 1. 5 -2. 0 Effective Diameter (inch) 1. 13 Material Mica Operating Voltage (Volts) 500 Gamma Sensitivity Co 60 100 (CPS/MR/HR) Weights (grams) 200 Geiger-Muller Tube Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays • Related Research • Mission Requirements • Success & Benefits • Design

Schematic of Rock. On 2008 AVR Board Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays • Related Research • Mission Requirements • Success & Benefits • Design

Temperature Sensor GPS Trimble Lassen i. Q module External port for atmospheric measurements Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays • Related Research • Mission Requirements • Success & Benefits • Design

Expected Results Relevance ØComparison of data and efficiency with previous cosmic ray measurements made with film and OSL badges. Ø UL Lafayette having an optimized Geiger circuit will be integrated into a sub-system of a Probe that will be launch over and into thunderstorms in hopes to see if A. Thunderstorms emit gamma radiation and B. For the probe to collect vertical slices of the thunderstorm so it can be properly modeled analyzed in hopes to further understand this phenomena and to reduce error in modeling. Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays • Related Research • Mission Requirements • Success & Benefits • Design • Expected Results

Canister Compliance Type of Restriction Mass Allotment Volume allotment Payload's center of gravity Wallops No-Volt Compliance Structure Mounts Sharing Restriction ≈ 2 Kg 1/3 1''x 1'' envelope Status Yes Payload will only activate if and only if the following conditions have been satisfied: 1. RBF Pin has been shorted. 2. A vertical acceleration has engaged the G-switch for a finite amount of time. Only at this time will the payload become active and consume current. Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays • Related Research • Mission Requirements • Success & Benefits • Design • Expected Results • Canister Compliance

Logistics of Shared Canister UL Lafayette Mass Allotment Volume allotment Mass allotment Volume allotment ≈ 2 Kg 1/3 West Virginia University ? 1/5 Temple University ? ? Port requested ? Ø UL Lafayette Expansion of Rock. On 2008 with improved Geiger Counter, GPS, and other modifications. Ø West Virginia Multi-Instrumental payload measuring Ionosphere density, the magnetic field, and ambient temperature. Ø Temple Payload consists of a vibration isolation (damping) mechanism. Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays • Related Research • Mission Requirements • Success & Benefits • Design • Expected Results • Canister Compliance • Logistics of Shared Canister

Team Management Andy Hollerman superivsor Mark Roberts Graduate Student Compact Payload Programming Documentation Design Presentations Build Implementation Integrate Test Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays • Related Research • Mission Requirements • Success & Benefits • Design • Expected Results • Canister Compliance • Logistics of Shared Canister • Management

Timeline for project completion Mission Overview • Narrative • Expectations • Cosmic Rays • Related Research • Mission Requirements • Success & Benefits • Design • Expected Results • Canister Compliance • Logistics of Shared Canister • Management