Next Generation Far Ultraviolet Hyperspectral Imager: GUVI-Plus

We need the next generation space weather sensor to enable us to predict and improve system performance and to do cutting edge basic research. The GUVI-Plus sensor differs from typical sensors in that it is not designed to... [ view full abstract ]

We need the next generation space weather sensor to enable us to predict and improve system performance and to do cutting edge basic research. The GUVI-Plus sensor differs from typical sensors in that it is not designed to work in just one region of geospace or supply just one product. GUVI-Plus is a far-ultraviolet (115-180nm) hyperspectral imager for monitoring space weather. GUVI-Plus produces the same proven data products that SSUSI and GUVI have provided to the community since 2002. This means GUVI-Plus produces altitude profiles of O, n2, and O2 in the dayside thermosphere, all-weaather day or night auroral imagery (including conductivity profiles, characteristic energy, energy flux, height of the E-region and peak density in the E-region) and ionospheric O+ profiles and maps of F-region TEC (avoiding the issue of plasmaspheric contribution to TEC). The SSUSI and GUVI sensors, its predecessors, have demonstrated their value as space weather monitors through over 500 publications. GUVI-Plus is a refresh of the Special Sensor Ultraviolet Spectrographic Imager (SSUSI) design that has flown on the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft F16 through F19 and as GUVI on the NASA TIMED program. The refresh updates the 25-year-old design and insures that the next generation of SSUSI/GUVI sensors can be accommodated on any number of potential platforms. GUVI-Plus maintains the same optical layout as SSUSI, includes updates to key functional elements, and reduces the sensor volume, mass, and power requirements. GUVI-Plus contains an improved scanner design that results in precise mirror pointing and allows for variable scan profiles. The detector electronics have been redesigned to employ all digital pulse processing. The largest decrease in volume, mass, and power has been obtained by consolidating all control and power electronics into one data processing unit.

The major advantage of the GUVI-Plus sensor for the space weather community is that GUVI-Plus can use the 75,000 lines of proven operational code to continue to provide space weather products (see http://ssusi.jhuapl.edu and http://guvitimed.jhuapl.edu). GUVI-Plus is relatively small at 10kgs and using only about 10Watts.  GUVI-Plus produces useful information over a wide range of orbital parameters. The carefully vaidated products are available on the SSUSI and GUVI websites in a variety of formats : Key products include O/N2; O, N2, H, NO and O2 altitude profiles; auroral images; auroral Eo and Q maps; auroral boundaries; O+ altitude profiles; O+ column densities; and tomographic reconstructions of the ionosphere.