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January 7th, 2008
SCIFER 2 (Sounding of the Cleft Ion Fountain Energization Region Two)Monday January 7, 2008 Update
This is sixth update for SCIFER 2 collaborators and friends participating in the SCIFER 2 campaign. If you do not wish to be included in these emails, please ask to be removed from future mailings.
Breaking news:
The sixth count was held on Monday January 7, 2008 with the window opening at 0600 UT. The ground winds at Andoya Rocket Range permitted raising the rocket to the vertical position. The science team drove directly to KHO Auroral observatory without using the band wagon with the adventure level increasing as the snow depth increases in the trench created by the snow plow. The winds aloft were too strong to count down below 15 minutes until the last hour of the window. Also 4 hours of the window were blocked by an air ambulance traveling from Tromso (on the main land) to Longyearbyen and returning. At 1010 UT a stable arc appeared over Svabard. The countdown was started and then held at 3:00 min waiting for the science conditions to improve. The auroral arc declined to cooperate and the window was closed at 1050 UT. The next count down begins at 0300 UT (0400 Norway time). Science station time is 0330 UT (0430 Norway time) at UNIS IPY room. A decision will be made whether to stay in town or to proceed to the KHO Auroral Observatory. The forecast tomorrow is for colder and clearer weather.
Space Weather Conditions
The space weather conditions were moderate today. The solar wind velocity continued to be strong gusting 700 km/s but the density (1/cm^3) and magnetic field (5 nT) were small. The STEREO B satellite indicates that the solar wind speed and density will continue for tomorrow’s window. Several substorms produced aurora over Longyearbyen both before and during the window. However the solar wind density and magnetic field were less than two days ago making the desired ion upflow conditions less likely and only sporadic ion upflows were observed. Unfortunately the winds aloft were too strong for launching regardless of the space weather until the last hour of the window. We remain optimistic for tomorrow when there will be clearing skies over all of Svalbard.
Current Weather Conditions:
Longyearbyen: Temperature -7.4 C (18.7 F), wind speed 2.3 m/s (5.1 mph), overcast
Andenes: Temperature 0 C (32 F), wind speed 3.1 m/s (6.9 mph), sunny
Rocket/Payload status: The payload is mounted on the launcher and is operating nominally. The payload was in the vertical position and nominal for the window today.
Local color: Although the weather has improved substantially with milder temperatures and periods of light snow, we thought that you might appreciate a picture of some scientists braving the weather a few days earlier. Attached is a photo made on the front steps of the KHO Observatory showing from left to right Marc Lessard from UNH, Eric Lundberg from Cornell, and Meghan Mella from Dartmouth. Notice the 2.5 m snow bank behind them. Also we have a correction concerning the Svalbard reindeer and polar bears. Evidently polar bears do not hunt the reindeer because it takes more energy to catch them than the reindeer fat content is worth. I guess once one has tasted seal nothing else is as good.
Phone numbers for science launch operations
Backup Science Center at UNIS, Longyearbyen 79 02 64 48
KHO Auroral Observatory 79 02 64 70 or 71
EISCAT 79 02 12 36
CUTLASS Ops 44-116-252-3520