1. Background Info/Purpose
Mapping Satellite Movement and Remote Measurement Locations Ujwal Kiran Mentor: Brian Harding
Leading Inquiry
Find where and when MIGHTI takes ionospheric measurements, and how they line up with each other and the earth.
Role in the Solution
I was able to:
Convert the stored orbital data to latitude-longitude-altitude (LLA) coordinates, and plot it on a map
Calculate the placement of the two MIGHTI vectors, and convert that into LLA coordinates for each time step
Compare each position of the first sensor to the closest second sensor position, and find the difference in distance and magnitude between the two
Compile and map all of this data into a format that is easy to visualize
Background Info/Purpose
The ionosphere is the area km above the surface, and is influenced by space weather
ICON is a satellite taking ionospheric measurements
MIGHTI is the instrument specifically taking wind vector measurements
Each of the two MIGHTI sensors makes a measurement at different angles to the satellite
These two measurements then need to be paired on the earth and interpolated
Skills and Knowledge
I learned:
To effectively use Python for the purpose of numerical simulation
The different methods of mapping coordinates in space, and how to switch between them
The mathematics behind linear transformation and coordinate manipulation
The skills to create my own proposals and posters for more research in the future
Airglow emission over the earth
Map of MIGHTI and ICON in relation to the Earth
Comparison of MIGHTI positions over time
Measurement position of MIGHTI sensors
Position of ICON
Accuracy of lineup of the MIGHTI vectors
MIGHTI 1 position
MIGHTI 2 position
Position of ICON
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank my mentor, Brian Harding, and adviser, Jonathan Makela for helping me with my research investigation and teaching me the skills I needed to pursue this project.
References