Is an electronic camera which images the earth's aurora
in x-rays. The x-rays measured by PIXIE are generated when energetic electrons
strike the upper atmosphere. By imaging these x-rays and measuring their
energies across a broad energy range, PIXIE determines the fluxes and characteristic
energies of the parent electrons. This information is used to determine
other important characteristics of the ionosphere, and of the interactions
between the earth's upper atmosphere, ionosphere, radiation belts, and
magnetosphere.
PIXIE is one of 11 instruments aboard the Polar
spacecraft, which is one of two satellites in the Global
Geospace Science (GGS) Program managed by NASA's
Goddard
Space Flight Center.. GGS represents a major US contribution to the
world-wide International Solar
Terrestrial Physics Program (ISTP) Program. Polar/PIXIE is
also a mission of the Sun-Earth-Connections NASA Research Program
|
