The Micro‐Broadband Receiver (μBBR) on the Very‐Low‐Frequency Propagation Mapper CubeSat

Marshall, R. A.; Sousa, A. P.; Reid, Riley; Wilson, G. R.; Starks, M.; Ramos, Daniel; Ballenthin, J. O.; Quigley, S.; Kay, Ron; Patton, James P.; Coombs, Joseph; Fennelly, J. A.; Linscott, I. R.; Inan, U. S.

doi:10.1029/2021ea001951

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The bursts lasted approximately 100 s as VPM made its closest pass to the estimated DSX magnetic field line footpoint. Bursts have a windowing pattern in which data is collected for 10 s and then data collection pauses for 2, 5, or 10 s before the pattern repeats, with up to a total of 60 s of data collected (Marshall et al., 2021).…”

Section: Vpm Data Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Very Low Frequency Propagation Mapper (VPM) mission is a companion satellite in low‐Earth orbit (LEO) supporting the WPIx scientific objective by attempting to measure transmissions from the WPIx dipole antenna and characterize the transmitting antenna radiation pattern (Marshall et al., 2021). VPM is a 6 U CubeSat carrying a single‐axis electric field dipole, with an effective length of 1.1 m, and a single‐axis magnetic field search coil antenna.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Active VLF Transmission Experiments Between the DSX and VPM Spacecraft

et al. 2022

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This study presents results from magnetic field line conjunctions between the medium‐Earth orbiting Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) satellite and the low‐Earth orbiting (LEO) very low frequencies (VLF) Propagation Mapper (VPM) satellite. DSX transmitted at VLF toward VPM, which was equipped with a single‐axis dipole electric field antenna, when the two spacecraft passed near the same magnetic field line. VPM did not observe DSX signals in any of the 27 attempted conjunction experiments; the goal of this study, therefore, is to explain why DSX signals were not received. Explanations include (a) the predicted power at LEO from DSX transmissions was too low for VPM to observe; (b) VPM's trajectory missed the “spot” of highest intensity due to the focused ray paths reaching LEO; or (c) rays mirrored before reaching VPM. Different combinations of these explanations are found. We present ray‐tracing analysis for each conjunction event to predict the distribution of power and wave normal angles in the vicinity of VPM at LEO altitudes. We find that, for low‐frequency (below 4 kHz) transmissions, nearly all rays mirror before reaching LEO, resulting in low amplitudes at LEO. For mid‐ and high‐frequency transmissions (∼8 and 28 kHz respectively), the power at LEO is above the noise threshold of the VPM receiver (between 0.5 μV/m and 1 μV/m). We conclude that the antenna efficiency and plasmasphere model are critical in determining the predicted power at LEO, and are also the two most significant sources of uncertainty that could explain the apparent discrepancy between predicted amplitudes and VPM observations.

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Section: Vpm Data Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active VLF Transmission Experiments Between the DSX and VPM Spacecraft

et al. 2022

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“…• LEO missions with VLF receivers included CASSIOPE (Yau et al, 2015) and VPM, with geomagnetic conjunction experiments possible for these spacecraft. VPM, or VLF Propagation Mapper (Marshall et al, 2021), was an AFRL CubeSat with objectives including coordinated VLF experiments with DSX. • LEO missions with particle sensors included the POES/METOP constellation (Yando et al, 2011) as well as FIREBIRD-4 (Johnson et al, 2020).…”

Section: Conjunction Planningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…LEO missions with VLF receivers included CASSIOPE (Yau et al., 2015) and VPM, with geomagnetic conjunction experiments possible for these spacecraft. VPM, or VLF Propagation Mapper (Marshall et al., 2021), was an AFRL CubeSat with objectives including coordinated VLF experiments with DSX.…”

Section: Dsx Mission Planningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overview of the Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) Mission

et al. 2023

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The Air Force Research Laboratory's Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) mission investigated wave‐particle interactions and the particle and space environment in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) from June 2019 to May 2021. Its Wave‐Particle Interactions Experiment conducted over 1,300 active high power very low frequency transmissions in the radiation belts providing observations of antenna performance and signal propagation from a controlled source. This included hundreds of transmissions while in magnetic conjunction with other satellites. The Loss Cone Imager and Space Weather Experiment suite observed electron and proton populations over a wide energy range, with several of these instruments providing pitch‐angle resolution. The Space Environmental Effects Experiment investigated effects of the MEO environment on electronics and materials. The Adaptive Controls Experiment demonstrated technology for on‐board identification and control of large structure vibrational modes. We describe the DSX instrument capabilities and on orbit performance, science planning and operations for carrying out an array of active and passive experiments, and some initial results in brief. We also describe plans for further work and data release.

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“…The science goals of the VPM mission are to measure VLF signals broadcasted by the AFRL Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) mission (Scherbarth et al., 2009), and to study natural and anthropogenic signals from 300 Hz to 40 kHz in the near‐Earth space environment. The VPM CubeSat was deployed into a 500 km orbit with 51.6° inclination and a nominal orbit period of 90 min in February 2020, and collected single electric field dipole antenna data for six months before communication with the spacecraft was lost (Marshall et al., 2021). For this study, we used VPM survey data recorded at a 26 s cadence and a 78 Hz frequency resolution.…”

Section: Instrumentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using VLF Transmitter Signals at LEO for Plasmasphere Model Validation

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Reid

et al. 2022

JGR Space Physics

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This study presents analysis of very low frequency (VLF) transmitter signal measurements on the Very‐Low‐Frequency Propagation Mapper (VPM) CubeSat in low‐Earth orbit. Six months of satellite operation provided good data coverage, used to build global statistical maps of VLF power distribution. The power distribution above four powerful transmitters is used as input for ray tracing to study signal propagation to the conjugate hemisphere in two plasmaspheric density models. The ray tracing results are further compared with VPM measurements to determine which model provides better agreement with observations. As ray propagation largely depends on the background plasma density distribution, this indirect method can be used for plasmaspheric density model validation as an alternative to multipoint in situ plasma measurements that may not be readily obtainable. In addition, it can be used to investigate Landau damping and ducted versus non‐ducted propagation of VLF signals.

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The Micro‐Broadband Receiver (μBBR) on the Very‐Low‐Frequency Propagation Mapper CubeSat

Cited by 8 publications

References 29 publications

Active VLF Transmission Experiments Between the DSX and VPM Spacecraft

Active VLF Transmission Experiments Between the DSX and VPM Spacecraft

Overview of the Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) Mission

Using VLF Transmitter Signals at LEO for Plasmasphere Model Validation

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