Estimating high-energy electron fluxes by intercalibrating Reimei optical and particle measurements using an ionospheric model

• Published in: Journal of atmospheric and solar-terrestrial physics Vol. 89; pp. 8 - 17
• Main Authors: Whiter, D.K., Lanchester, B.S., Sakanoi, T., Asamura, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aurora; Calibration; Cameras; Earth, ocean, space; Electron energy; Electron precipitation; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Fluxes; Ionosphere; Ionospherics; Mathematical models; Optical measurement; Physics of the ionosphere; Physics of the magnetosphere; Reflection; Aurora; Calibration; Ionosphere; Electron precipitation; Electron flux; Energy spectrum; models; ESA; Total energy; Aurorae; snow; energy transfer; calibration
• ISSN: 1364-6826; 1879-1824
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2012.06.014

This paper describes a technique for intercalibrating particle and optical measurements from the Reimei microsatellite using an ionospheric model. Reimei has three auroral cameras (“MAC”), together with electron and ion energy spectrum analysers (“ESA/ISA”). The maximum electron energy measured is 12keV, which means that during high-energy events, the particle data are often missing an important part of the energy flux. Although the total electron energy flux can be estimated from the optical measurements, the MAC data must be accurately calibrated, which is complicated by an unknown and variable background from sources such as the moon and snow reflection. Using unsaturated ESA measurements of the complete electron spectrum as input for an ionospheric model, the coincident camera observations can be calibrated, allowing estimates to be made of the total electron energy flux at other times during the same event, when the maximum energy is well above that measured by ESA. ► Intercalibration of satellite-based optical and particle auroral observations. ► Demonstration of technique using an ionospheric model. ► Allows estimation of high-energy electron flux not observed by particle detector. ► Allows intensity calibration of optical measurements.