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| Dr. Aroh Barjatya of Embry‑Riddle Leads NASA Rocket Mission During 'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse |
On October 14, 2023, as a mesmerizing annular solar eclipse, known as the "ring of fire," graces the skies, Dr. Aroh Barjatya from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is set to launch three scientific rockets into space. Dr. Barjatya, a professor of Engineering Physics and the director of the Space and Atmospheric Instrumentation Lab (SAIL) at Embry-Riddle, has devised a collaborative NASA rocket mission involving multiple institutions. The objective: to delve deeper into the shifts occurring in Earth's upper atmosphere, which can impact both air and ground communication.
From the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Dr. Barjatya's team is planning to launch three data-gathering or "sounding" rockets in rapid succession—before, during, and after the eclipse. These solid, two-stage rockets, spanning approximately 53 feet in length, will soar up to 350 kilometers into the ionosphere, traversing over Route 70. Each rocket will carry a main payload and deploy four sub-payloads containing highly sensitive scientific instruments into space. Dr. Barjatya anticipates the recovery and relaunch of the main payloads atop new rocket motors, accompanied by new sub-payloads, during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
Understanding how an eclipse initiates distinct atmospheric wave patterns in the ionosphere constitutes a pivotal goal for Dr. Barjatya and his team. The Embry-Riddle ensemble includes Dr. Matthew Zettergren, a professor of Engineering Physics, and a group of researchers and students from various academic levels.
During an eclipse, the rapid recombination of highly charged ions and electrons occurs in the ionosphere, an atmospheric layer located 37-190 miles above Earth. This layer serves as a conduit for communication signals and experiences daily fluctuations in temperature, density, and chemical composition due to the setting and rising sun. These fluctuations are akin to the ebb and flow of tides, with plasma density decreasing as the sun sets and increasing as it rises. However, during an eclipse, these disturbances unfold more rapidly and in the specific region where the eclipse is most pronounced.
This disruption in the ionosphere generates atmospheric waves, likened to ripples on the surface of a pond, with an eclipse acting as a motorboat tearing through the water. This analogy helps illustrate the eclipse's impact on the ionosphere in three dimensions.
Although a solar eclipse appears tranquil when viewed from Earth through protective glasses, it propels a shadow at speeds of up to 1,100 miles per hour. This surge of energy disrupts the atmosphere and has the potential to affect communications with satellites navigating the ionosphere.
Given the rapid progress in space exploration and enterprise, Dr. Barjatya emphasizes the need to comprehend and model all disturbances and irregularities in the ionosphere.
To investigate the annular eclipse, researchers from Embry-Riddle and Dartmouth College developed instruments for a sounding rocket mission dubbed APEP, which stands for "Atmospheric Perturbations around the Eclipse Path." The mission's name is inspired by the ancient Egyptian mythological snake Apep, believed to cause eclipses as it pursued the sun god Ra.
Approximately every 35 minutes, Dr. Barjatya's team will launch three rockets over New Mexico to gather atmospheric data during the eclipse. These rockets will deploy scientific instruments to measure density, temperature, and changes in electric and magnetic fields. This approach enables researchers to capture crucial data across multiple spatial points and throughout the eclipse, a scientific milestone.
Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Kirtland Air Force Base will contribute ground-based measurements using instruments like ionosondes and a meteor wind radar to assess plasma density and neutral wind beneath the eclipse's central path. Collaborators at the MIT Haystack Observatory will employ radar to study ionospheric perturbations hundreds of miles from the eclipse path.
Embry-Riddle researchers will also launch high-altitude balloons designed to reach altitudes of 100,000 feet every 20 minutes for several hours. These balloons will examine how meteorological conditions change during an eclipse.
Dr. Matthew Zettergren at Embry-Riddle will engage in modeling and simulating eclipse-induced ionospheric dynamics in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Colorado-Boulder. The mission is a part of NASA's Heliophysics Big Year, attracting the attention of Dr. Peter Hoffman, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus.
Dr. Barjatya and his team plan to relaunch their APEP payloads from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia, during the total eclipse in the spring of 2024. Given the time-sensitive nature of eclipses, factors like wind conditions can affect rocket launches, adding to the mission's challenges.
Nonetheless, the mission offers invaluable opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience and skills. Students play a significant role in instrument design, flight operations, and data analysis, enhancing their marketability as they enter their careers.
Nathan Graves, a Ph.D. student in Engineering Physics, has been heavily involved in SAIL, contributing to firmware development for various instruments across multiple sounding rocket campaigns and a mission to Mars. He expressed excitement about exploring the dynamic ionosphere around an eclipse path using their finely-tuned instruments.
In a related development, undergraduate students from Embry-Riddle's Prescott, Arizona campus were selected by NASA to participate in the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project. Using weather balloons, these students will capture real-time data during both the annular eclipse and the forthcoming total eclipse.
For safe viewing of a solar eclipse, always use solar-filtering glasses, adhering to safety standards outlined by the American Astronomical Society's list of approved manufacturers.
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