Graduation Year

2024

Graduation Month

December

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

School or Department

Physics and Astronomy

Major

Physics

Faculty Mentor Department

Physics and Astronomy

Faculty Mentor

Paul Janzen

Keywords

hydrogen, IBEX, energetic neutral atom, ENA, satellite, heliosphere

Subject Categories

Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics | Elementary Particles and Fields and String Theory | Engineering Physics | Instrumentation | Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing | Plasma and Beam Physics | Programming Languages and Compilers | Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy | The Sun and the Solar System

Abstract

The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) is a NASA Heliophysics mission that plans to investigate the interaction between the solar wind and the local interstellar medium. Three types of imagers will be used by IMAP for studying particles originating from this region of space, and this project studies the IMAP-Hi high energy single-pixel imager. Specifically, a 3D model of IMAP-Hi with the SIMION ion optics and trajectories program is used, along with a library of Python and Lua code, for predicting IMAP-Hi's behavior and comparing to laboratory calibration data. In particular, we predict that asymmetries in IMAP-Hi's detector subsystem change the preferred look angle for imaging energetic neutral atoms. If confirmed, this would change the ideal mounting orientation of the IMAP-Hi imagers.

Honors College Research Project

1

GLI Capstone Project

no

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