| Disturbance in the ionosphere, such as Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPB), can cause scintillations in satellite communication and navigation signals. Far ultraviolet (FUV) radiation is used as a diagnostic to investigate the plasma distribution, and therefore investigate the evolution and development of EPBs. This FUV airglow is measured by a photometer within the plane of the spacecraft's orbit continuously by way of an external rotating scanning mirror. Data from these measurements allows the application of a tomographic reconstruction algorithm to characterize the plasma densities within the spacecraft's orbital plane. Analysis of the expected airglow strength is used to design and confirm the photometer's component specifications. The windowless photometer makes use of multiple spectrally selective mirrors to increase noise rejection and isolate the FUV emission line before the airglow is detected by a photomultiplier tube (PMT). The photometer can be adapted for use on other spacecraft, satellite constellation, and sounding rocket missions. |
