Analyser will study root causes of space weather disturbances

The European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed last week that the Orbiter will fly in 2017 as part of its Cosmic Vision programme.

SWA will study the root causes of space weather disturbances in a bid to provide advanced warning of major events. Specifically, it will analyse the electron, proton and alpha-particle populations that form the solar wind — which ultimately interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere.

As Prof Chris Owen of UCL explained to The Engineer, the practical challenges in doing so have been two-fold. The instrument to detect the highly scattered electrons has to be in the shadow of the spacecraft, while the instrument to detect heavy protons, which travel in a ‘bullet-like’ fashion, must be head-on to the Sun.

Due to these extremes in temperature, the team, which includes researchers in Italy, had to look at alternative materials and techniques.

Owen explained that the apertures for the proton detector, which control the entry of particles, have a ‘bespoke thermal shield’ to deflect heat. Meanwhile, the electron detector is equipped with a design incorporating insulation, as well as internal heating to prevent the temperature dropping too far. Nevertheless, as Owen explained, there may still be problems when the instrument is actually in flight.