| 1. |
- Maksimovic, M., et al.
(author)
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First observations and performance of the RPW instrument on board the Solar Orbiter mission
- 2021
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 656
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Radio and Plasma Waves (RPW) instrument on the ESA Solar Orbiter mission is designed to measure in situ magnetic and electric fields and waves from the continuum up to several hundred kHz. The RPW also observes solar and heliospheric radio emissions up to 16 MHz. It was switched on and its antennae were successfully deployed two days after the launch of Solar Orbiter on February 10, 2020. Since then, the instrument has acquired enough data to make it possible to assess its performance and the electromagnetic disturbances it experiences. In this article, we assess its scientific performance and present the first RPW observations. In particular, we focus on a statistical analysis of the first observations of interplanetary dust by the instrument's Thermal Noise Receiver. We also review the electro-magnetic disturbances that RPW suffers, especially those which potential users of the instrument data should be aware of before starting their research work.
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| 2. |
- Maksimovic, M., et al.
(author)
-
The Solar Orbiter Radio and Plasma Waves (RPW) instrument
- 2020
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP SCIENCES S A. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 642
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Radio and Plasma Waves (RPW) instrument on the ESA Solar Orbiter mission is described in this paper. This instrument is designed to measure in-situ magnetic and electric fields and waves from the continuous to a few hundreds of kHz. RPW will also observe solar radio emissions up to 16 MHz. The RPW instrument is of primary importance to the Solar Orbiter mission and science requirements since it is essential to answer three of the four mission overarching science objectives. In addition RPW will exchange on-board data with the other in-situ instruments in order to process algorithms for interplanetary shocks and type III langmuir waves detections.
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| 3. |
- Kissling, W. Daniel, et al.
(author)
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Building essential biodiversity variables (EBVs) of species distribution and abundance at a global scale
- 2018
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In: Biological Reviews. - : Wiley. - 1464-7931 .- 1469-185X. ; 93:1, s. 600-625
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- © 2017 Cambridge Philosophical Society. Much biodiversity data is collected worldwide, but it remains challenging to assemble the scattered knowledge for assessing biodiversity status and trends. The concept of Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) was introduced to structure biodiversity monitoring globally, and to harmonize and standardize biodiversity data from disparate sources to capture a minimum set of critical variables required to study, report and manage biodiversity change. Here, we assess the challenges of a 'Big Data' approach to building global EBV data products across taxa and spatiotemporal scales, focusing on species distribution and abundance. The majority of currently available data on species distributions derives from incidentally reported observations or from surveys where presence-only or presence-absence data are sampled repeatedly with standardized protocols. Most abundance data come from opportunistic population counts or from population time series using standardized protocols (e.g. repeated surveys of the same population from single or multiple sites). Enormous complexity exists in integrating these heterogeneous, multi-source data sets across space, time, taxa and different sampling methods. Integration of such data into global EBV data products requires correcting biases introduced by imperfect detection and varying sampling effort, dealing with different spatial resolution and extents, harmonizing measurement units from different data sources or sampling methods, applying statistical tools and models for spatial inter- or extrapolation, and quantifying sources of uncertainty and errors in data and models. To support the development of EBVs by the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON), we identify 11 key workflow steps that will operationalize the process of building EBV data products within and across research infrastructures worldwide. These workflow steps take multiple sequential activities into account, including identification and aggregation of various raw data sources, data quality control, taxonomic name matching and statistical modelling of integrated data. We illustrate these steps with concrete examples from existing citizen science and professional monitoring projects, including eBird, the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring network, the Living Planet Index and the Baltic Sea zooplankton monitoring. The identified workflow steps are applicable to both terrestrial and aquatic systems and a broad range of spatial, temporal and taxonomic scales. They depend on clear, findable and accessible metadata, and we provide an overview of current data and metadata standards. Several challenges remain to be solved for building global EBV data products: (i) developing tools and models for combining heterogeneous, multi-source data sets and filling data gaps in geographic, temporal and taxonomic coverage, (ii) integrating emerging methods and technologies for data collection such as citizen science, sensor networks, DNA-based techniques and satellite remote sensing, (iii) solving major technical issues related to data product structure, data storage, execution of workflows and the production process/cycle as well as approaching technical interoperability among research infrastructures, (iv) allowing semantic interoperability by developing and adopting standards and tools for capturing consistent data and metadata, and (v) ensuring legal interoperability by endorsing open data or data that are free from restrictions on use, modification and sharing. Addressing these challenges is critical for biodiversity research and for assessing progress towards conservation policy targets and sustainable development goals.
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| 4. |
- Soucek, J., et al.
(author)
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Solar Orbiter Radio and Plasma Waves - Time Domain Sampler : In-flight performance and first results
- 2021
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 656
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context. The Radio and Plasma Waves (RPW) instrument on board Solar Orbiter has been operating nearly continuously since the launch in February 2020. The Time Domain Sampler (TDS) receiver of the RPW instrument is dedicated to waveform measurements of plasma waves and dust impact signatures in an intermediate frequency range from 0.2 to 200 kHz. Aims. This article presents the first data from the RPW-TDS receiver and discusses the in-flight performance of the instrument and, in particular, the on-board wave and dust detection algorithm. We present the TDS data products and its scientific operation. We demonstrate the content of the dataset on several examples. In particular, we study the distribution of solar Langmuir waves in the first year of observations and one Type III burst event. Methods. The on-board detection algorithm is described in detail in this article and classifies the observed waveform snapshots, identifying plasma waves and dust impacts based on the ratio of their maximum amplitude to their median and on the spectral bandwidth. The algorithm allows TDS to downlink the most scientifically relevant waveforms and to perform an on-board statistical characterization of the processed data. Results. The detection algorithm of TDS is shown to perform very well in its detection of plasma waves and dust impacts with a high accuracy. The initial analysis of statistical data returned by TDS shows that sporadic Langmuir waves that are not associated with Type III events are routinely observed in the inner heliosphere, with a clear increase in occurrence rate closer to the Sun. We also present an example of RPW observations during an encounter of the source region of a Type III burst, which exploits the on-board calculated histograms data.
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| 5. |
- Jones, Geraint H., et al.
(author)
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The Comet Interceptor Mission
- 2024
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In: Space Science Reviews. - : Springer Nature. - 0038-6308 .- 1572-9672. ; 220:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Here we describe the novel, multi-point Comet Interceptor mission. It is dedicated to the exploration of a little-processed long-period comet, possibly entering the inner Solar System for the first time, or to encounter an interstellar object originating at another star. The objectives of the mission are to address the following questions: What are the surface composition, shape, morphology, and structure of the target object? What is the composition of the gas and dust in the coma, its connection to the nucleus, and the nature of its interaction with the solar wind? The mission was proposed to the European Space Agency in 2018, and formally adopted by the agency in June 2022, for launch in 2029 together with the Ariel mission. Comet Interceptor will take advantage of the opportunity presented by ESA’s F-Class call for fast, flexible, low-cost missions to which it was proposed. The call required a launch to a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point. The mission can take advantage of this placement to wait for the discovery of a suitable comet reachable with its minimum Δ V capability of 600 ms − 1 . Comet Interceptor will be unique in encountering and studying, at a nominal closest approach distance of 1000 km, a comet that represents a near-pristine sample of material from the formation of the Solar System. It will also add a capability that no previous cometary mission has had, which is to deploy two sub-probes – B1, provided by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, and B2 – that will follow different trajectories through the coma. While the main probe passes at a nominal 1000 km distance, probes B1 and B2 will follow different chords through the coma at distances of 850 km and 400 km, respectively. The result will be unique, simultaneous, spatially resolved information of the 3-dimensional properties of the target comet and its interaction with the space environment. We present the mission’s science background leading to these objectives, as well as an overview of the scientific instruments, mission design, and schedule.
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| 6. |
- Salvatores, M., et al.
(author)
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Scenarios for P/T implementation in Europe within a regional approach
- 2007
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In: GLOBAL 2007. - 0894480553 - 9780894480553 ; , s. 304-309
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A regional approach is proposed in order to implement the innovative fuel cycles associated to Partitioning and Transmutation in Europe. It is shown the impact of different deployment strategies and of different policies in different countries. Regional facilities characteristics and potential deployment schedule are also discussed.
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