01-093

Planetary Atmospheres

Cover Page/Proposal Summary

ROSS-00    NRA 00-OSS-01

Date Due: 4/28/2000

NASA PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING PROPOSALS

This proposal shall be used and disclosed for evaluation purposes only, and a copy of this Government notice shall be applied to any reproduction or abstract thereof. Any authorized restrictive notices that the submitter places on this proposal shall also be strictly complied with. Disclosure of this proposal for any reason outside the Government evaluation purposes shall be made only to the extent authorized by the Government.

Proposal Type: New Proposal

Proposal Category: Laboratory

Major Equipment Proposal? No

Do you intend to submit an Education/Public Outreach (E/PO) proposal? No

Proposal Title:
Laboratory Simulation of Charge-Transfer-Induced Soft X-Ray Spectra from Comets and Planetary Atmospheres

Abbreviated Proposal Title:
Soft X-Ray Spectra from Comets and Planets

Principal Investigator:
Dr. Peter Beiersdorfer
Department of Physics L-421
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
7000 East Ave
Livermore, CA 94550
Phone: (925)423-3985   Fax: (925)423-2302   E-mail: beiersdorfer@llnl.gov

SignatureDate
_________________________________________________

Co-Investigators and Collaborators:
Type    Name    Affiliation    E-mail
Sci Co-I   Dr. Carey M. Lisse   Space Telescope Science Institute   lisse@stsci.edu
Sci Co-I   Prof. Steven M. Kahn   Columbia University   skahn@astro.columbia.edu
Sci Co-I   Dr. Richard L. Kelley   Goddard Space Flight Center   kelley@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov
Sci Collab   Dr. Keith Gendreau   Goddard Space Flight Center   kcg@collette.gsfc.nasa.gov
Sci Collab   Dr. Scott Porter   Goddard Space Flight Center   porter@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov
Sci Collab   Dr. Kevin Boyce   Goddard Space Flight Center   Kevin.R.Boyce@gsfc.nasa.gov
Sci Collab   Dr. Caroline Stahle   Goddard Space Flight Center   ckstahle@lheapop.gsfc.nasa.gov


Proposal Summary:

The discovery of soft X-ray emission from comets has opened up a new wavelength band for studying the dynamical interactions between cometary comae and the Sun. A search is now under way to detect similar emission from planetary atmospheres. Charge transfer of solar wind heavy ions is thought to be the main production mechanism for the observed X-ray emission. Charge-transfer-induced X-ray production is, however, only poorly understood, and simplified assumptions have been made in X-ray emission models. We propose to obtain extensive laboratory data of the emission lines produced in the low-energy collision environment of cometary or planetary atmospheres. Knowing the shape and content of the X-ray spectrum, which depend on the collision energy, could provide excellent diagnostic signatures for studying ion-gas interactions in atmospheres exposed to solar wind heavy ions. Our laboratory measurements will provide definitive data for developing such spectral diagnostics as well as for constructing accurate and reliable X-ray emission models. We will use our unique experimental capabilities to simulate the low-energy collisions with the heavy ion species found in the solar wind and use our advanced X-ray detectors to systematically record the charge-transfer-induced K-shell, L-shell, and M-shell X-ray emission. Our measurements will show the dependence of the line emission on collision energy and on the chemical composition of the respective atmospheres, extending the potential utility of X-ray observations of solar system objects beyond measurements of intensity and composition of the solar wind.



Certification of Compliance with Applicable Executive Orders and U.S. Code


By submitting the proposal identified in this Cover Sheet/Proposal Summary in response to this NRA or AO, the Authorizing Official of the proposing institution (or the individual proposer if there is no proposing institution) as identified below:

  • certifies that the statements made in this proposal are true and complete to the best of his/her knowledge;
  • agrees to accept the obligations to comply with NASA award terms and conditions if an award is made as a result of this proposal; and
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