Alfvén wave generation and electron energization in the KiNET-X sounding rocket mission

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Abstract
Active plasma experiments can be used to strongly perturb the space plasma environment. During the early phase of a chemical release (e.g., few to several seconds), the injected plasma cloud can excite a variety of waves rather than acting as “inert” tracer particles. It is during this early phase of the release that fundamental plasma processes can be studied. For example, the Trigger [Holmgren et al., J. Geophys. Res. 85, 5043 (1980)] and recent KINetic-scale Energy and momentum Transport eXperiment (KiNET-X) missions were both designed to study processes related to auroral electron energization. Early experiments relied primarily on ground-based optics to diagnose the plasma interaction. Advances in optical sensors have dramatically improved imaging capability of both the ion and neutral components of the injected cloud; therefore, optics remain an important part of these types of experiments. However, advances in plasma (fields and particles) instruments have enabled a new generation of possible experiments from the sounding rocket platform. In this article, we discuss previous sounding rocket (and orbital) active experiments, the related science objectives, and an overview of select results from the KiNET-X rocket mission. Specifically, KiNET-X produced an Alfvénic perturbation, a variety of high frequency waves, energized thermal electrons, and produced a field-aligned electron beam of ∼ 200 eV. The electron energization indicates non-ideal coupling of the injected barium cloud with the ambient ionospheric plasma.
Funding Information
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NSSC18K0797)
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NSSC21K2009)

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