Wave-Telescope Analysis for Multipoint Observatories: Impact of Timing and Spatial Uncertainties

K. G. Klein, T. Broeren, O. Roberts, L. Schulz

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Abstract

The wave telescope technique is used to reconstruct spatial power distributions of space plasmas from multipoint spacecraft missions. This study aims to quantify the impact of uncalibrated uncertainties in the time synchronization and the spatial position on the accuracy of the wave telescope method for observatories with more than four spacecraft, for example, HelioSwarm a nine-spacecraft NASA observatory currently in Phase B. We simulate synthetic data with systemic timing and spatial errors modeled using geometries drawn from HelioSwarm's Design Reference Mission, applying the wave telescope technique to estimate wavevectors for two characteristic ion-scale waves. By carefully selecting optimal polyhedral configurations from the overall geometry, and combining signals from multiple polyhedra, the impact of systematic uncertainties and spatial aliasing can be significantly reduced, leading to more accurate wavevector identification for future multipoint missions.

Key Points
Timing and spatial uncertainties affect wavevector determination from multipoint analysis methods
Selecting optimal subsets of measurement points reduces the impact of timing and spatial errors, improving wavevector identification
Combining power spectra from multiple measurement subsets further enhances wavevector accuracy through reduction of spatial aliasing

Plain Language Summary

Understanding how energy, mass, and momentum moves through space is crucial for determining how fundamental plasma processes work in our solar system and throughout the universe. To study energy transport, scientists can rely on measurements taken from multiple spacecraft at the same time, using tools such as the wave telescope technique, which determines the amplitude and direction of travel of waves. Our research focuses on improving the accuracy of this method by looking at what happens when the spacecraft are not precisely synchronized in time or space. We simulate these errors, and find that by carefully choosing certain groups of spacecraft from an overall observatory, we can reduce the impact of these errors and get more accurate results. This is important for future space missions, like HelioSwarm and Plasma Observatory, which will use multiple spacecraft to study space plasmas in greater detail than ever before.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere2024JA033428
JournalJournal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Volume129
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10 Dec 2024

Keywords

  • plasma waves

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