Design of a Rocket-Borne In Situ Plasma Frequency Probe
Document ID: 23
Senior Honors Thesis
The Pennsylvania State University
Schreyer Honors College
Department Of Electrical Engineering
Abstract
This work explores the design of a digitally controlled Plasma Frequency Probe (PFP) instrument. Flight tests aboard a NASA sounding rocket (Terrier Improved-Orion 41.056) will demonstrate the validity of the complete instrument to measure atmospheric plasma frequency between altitudes of 60 to 180 km. Plasma frequency represents the settling time of the plasma to an externally applied field that the probe will radiate. The probe identifies the resonance frequency of the plasma by sweeping through a range of frequencies and recording the frequency at which the return signal exhibits a zero-phase difference and a maximum magnitude compared to the radiated signal. This represents the plasma resonance. Furthermore, as electrons collide with neutral particles, the quality factor of the resonance peak will degrade. Using these measurements and other known constants, the instrument can make a direct measure of plasma density as well as determine the ion collision frequency. Atmospheric and space science has been and continues to be an important topic of research within Penn State’s Department of Electrical Engineering. The investigation of atmospheric dynamics is relevant to our understanding of the propagation of radio waves in the atmosphere, the connection between the sun and our planet, and space weather.
Keywords: rocket flight instruments, D-region, E-region, ion and electron plasma
| Citation: | B. C. Schratz, "Design of a Rocket-Borne In Situ Plasma Frequency Probe", The Pennsylvania State University, Senior Honors Thesis, 2006, 73 pages |
Images
 | ESPRIT Launch 1 July 2006 ARR SWE |