HESTO Project Portfolio

2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018

HESTO is proud to present its technology projects portfolio (2018-present). For more information about a specific project or technology, contact hesto@mail.nasa.gov.

ITD: The HTIDS Instrument Technology Development program element supports instrument and technology development, with a goal of maturation and infusion into future flight missions to enable and advance Heliophysics science.

LNAPP: The HTIDS Laboratory Nuclear, Atomic, and Plasma Physics program element supports studies that probe fundamental nuclear, atomic, and plasma physical processes and produce chemical and spectrographic measurements that support spacecraft observations and atmospheric models.

HFOS: The Heliophysics Flight Opportunities Studies program element supports Heliophysics science mission concept studies at the pre-Phase A level.

Heliosphere: Investigations into the origins and behavior of the solar wind, energetic particles, and magnetic fields in the heliosphere, including their interactions with Earth, other planets, and the interstellar medium.

ITM: Investigations into the physics of Earth’s ionosphere, thermosphere, and mesosphere, including their coupling to the Earth’s lower atmosphere and to the magnetosphere.

Magnetosphere: Investigations into the physics of the magnetosphere, including the fundamental interactions of plasmas and particles with fields and waves and their coupling to the solar wind and ionosphere.

Solar Science: Investigations into the Sun, including the processes taking place throughout the solar interior and atmosphere, as well as the evolution and cyclic activity of the Sun.

2023

Proposal ID23-HTIDS23-0001
PI: Moldwin, Mark
Institution: University of Michigan
Award: ITD

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Research Regime: ITM
Hybrid AC/DC Magnetometer with Attitude Determination and Control System
This project will develop an attitude control and determination system that can make research quality magnetic measurements from DC to 1 kHz by developing a new hybrid magnetometer and attitude control system. The system will enable boom-less magnetometry on science and commercial small satellites.
Proposal ID23-HTIDS23-0004
PI: Goldstein, Jerry
Institution: Southwest Research Institute
Award: ITD

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Research Regime: ITM
Optics for Compact Two-dimensional Energetic Atom (OCTEA)
This project will develop a compact (1U-cubesat-sized) two-dimensional ENA imager to determine the dynamics of stormtime ring current losses. More specifically this effort will raise the TRL of the central optics module for the imager.
Proposal ID23-HTIDS23-0008
PI: Gall, Amy
Institution: SAO
Award: ITD-LNAPP

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Research Regime: Solar Science
Laboratory XUV Spectroscopy: Increasing the Scientific Return of Solar Missions
The project will measure and identify lines from Fe VIII to Fe XXII ions by surveying the 50-200 Å XUV wavelength regime. These lines are important for advancing our understanding of the Sun and the solar corona. This project result in updates to atomic databases such as CHIANTI solar database.
Proposal ID23-HTIDS23-00011
PI: Yoo, Jongsoo
Institution: Princeton University
Award: ITD-LNAPP

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Research Regime: Magnetosphere
Study of electron acceleration during magnetic reconnection by soft x-ray tomography
This laboratory experiment will investigate energetic electron generation during magnetic reconnection on multiple scales and plasma regimes by conducting laboratory experiments at the Facility for Laboratory Reconnection Experiment (FLARE). It will develop a soft x-ray tomography diagnostic to study where and when electron acceleration occurs with respect to the magnetic geometry.
Proposal ID23-HTIDS23-00012
PI: Turner, Drew
Institution: JHU/APL
Award: ITD

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Research Regime: Heliosphere
Development of the Suprathermal Particle and Relativistic Electron Magnetic Spectrometer (SuPREMeS)
This project will develop a new magnetic spectrometer which can operate in high intensity radiation environments such as Jupiter’s radiation belts and solar energetic particle events to measure relativistic electrons and high-energy ions.
Proposal ID23-HTIDS23-0016
PI: Vievering, Juliana
Institution: JHU/APL
Award: ITD

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Research Regime: Solar Science
Scanning Coronal and Heliospheric Imager (SCHI)
This project will develop a new visible light telescope that provides high-resolution, wide field-of-view maps of the white light solar corona using novel achromatic hybrid metasurface Risley prisms (MRPs) to significantly reduce instrument size and complexity.
Proposal ID23-HTIDS23-0017
PI: Ogasawara, Keiichi
Institution: Southwest Research Institute
Award: ITD

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Research Regime: Heliosphere
A Miniature Solar Wind Sensor (MSWIS) for future low-cost, constellation, and deep-space missions
This project will develop a compact, low-power, and high-performance solar wind analyzer, the Miniature Solar WInd Sensor (MSWIS), to measure ion velocity distribution functions and determine bulk solar wind moments with accuracies comparable to state-of-the-art solar-wind sensors with minimal resources.
Proposal ID23-HTIDS23-0022
PI: Thiemann, Ed
Institution: University of Colorado, Boulder (LASP)
Award: ITD

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Research Regime: ITM
A Spaceborne Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS)
This project aims to develop a new space-qualified sensor based on the new all-reflective Fourier Transform Spectrometer developed at the SOLEIL Synchrotron which is capable of measuring down to 40 nm with a resolving power of 10^6 to quantify the velocity distribution of H in Earth’s exosphere.

Proposal ID23-HTIDS23-0023
PI: Barjatya, Aroh
Institution: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Award: ITD-SWE

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Research Regime: ITM
Development and Testing of a Multi-Needle Langmuir Probe for the Detection of Extremely Small Spatial Structures in Low Earth Orbit
The project will develop an enhanced Langmuir probe (>= 80 KHz sample rate) to enable CubeSat constellations that can perform high spatial resolution and high-fidelity plasma-density measurements. These density measurements will address space weather science objectives but also detect and characterize micro-meteoroid orbital debris signatures.
Proposal ID23-HTIDS23-0024
PI: Maldonado, Carlos
Institution: LLNL
Award: ITD

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Research Regime: Magnetosphere
A New HOPE for Ionospheric Outflow and Cold Magnetospheric Plasma Measurements
This project will develop a new modified Helium, Oxygen, Proton, and Electron (HOPE) ion mass spectrometer to obtain high energy resolution observations of low-energy (0.5 eV to 100 eV) ion populations in ionospheric outflows and cold magnetospheric space plasmas.
Proposal ID23-HTIDS23-0025
PI: Eskin, Joshua
Institution: Ball Aerospace
Award: ITD

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Research Regime: Heliosphere
Multi-detector Experiment for next-Generation Applications in Heliophysics (MEGA-H)
This project will develop a 395-megapixel, multi-detector, camera system which uses an optical imaging system whose exit beam is split onto four individual detectors that can be located conveniently apart from each other enabling a gapless image.
Proposal ID23-HFOS23-0003
PI: Zhao, Hong
Institution: Auburn University
Award: HFOS

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Research Regime: Magntosphere
CubeSat: On the Radiation belt electron Acceleration (CORA)
This project will study the CubeSat: On the Radiation belt electron Acceleration (CORA) mission whose goal is to understand relativistic and ultrarelativistic electron acceleration and quantify the effect of inward radial diffusion as an acceleration mechanism in the radiation belts to GEO using a novel method of probing electron flux oscillations.

2022

Proposal ID22-HFOS22-0003
PI: Chartier, Alex
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Award: HFOS

______________________
Research Regime: ITM
Satellite Auroral Plasma Sounders
The mission will explore the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun to the Earth and to develop the knowledge and capability to detect and predict extreme conditions in space to protect life and society.  By targeting Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) and related plasma irregularities. It will determine how SAPS fit within broader system dynamics, how irregularities form within them, and how they affect radio signals. 
Proposal ID22-HFOS22-0002
PI: Knapp, Mary
Institution: MIT
Award: HFOS

______________________
Research Regime: Heliosphere
Space Weather Impact on Planetary Emissions (SWIPE)
SWIPE will track the impact of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and other solar wind disturbances on planetary magnetospheres. It will observe enhancements in planetary auroral radio emission caused by space weather events.
Proposal ID22-HFOS22-0007
PI: Shumko, Mykhaylo
Institution: JHU/APL
Award: HFOS

______________________
Research Regime: Magnetosphere
The Loss Through Auroral Microburst Pulsations Satellite (LAMPsat) Flight Opportunity Study
The LAMPsat CubeSat mission is the progression of the LAMP sounding rocket. Fundamentally, LAMPsat will advance our understanding of the pulsating aurora phenomenon, and its connection to relativistic electron microburst precipitation, by testing the theory that relativistic microburst pulsating aurora are two observational manifestations of the same mechanism.
Proposal ID22-HTIDS22-0004
PI: Newmark, Jeffrey
Institution: NASA GSFC
Award: ITD

______________________
Research Regime: Solar Science
Goddard Miniature Coronagraph
Multi-point observations of CMEs and heliospheric structures are key to reducing the ambiguities inherent in observing an optically thin medium and can be possible using low-cost Smallsat platforms launched into various orbits off the Earth-Sun line and out of the ecliptic plane. The Goddard Miniature Coronagraph aims to support such platforms with a design that is low Size, Weight, and Power (SWAP) and therefore extremely cost/resource effective by making use of an extendable boom external occulter.
Proposal ID22-HTIDS22-0005
PI: de Nolfo, Georgia
Institution: NASA GSFC
Award: ITD

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Research Regime: Solar Science
Solar Neutron TRACking Instrument (SONTRAC) Follow-on
The measurement of solar neutrons provides a game-changing observation in a previously poorly measured radiation channel, leading to a better understanding of particle acceleration at the Sun. Neutrons also represent an important component of space weather, affecting both satellite operations and the health of astronauts and flight crews.  SONTRAC will advance the current instrument development to provide a fully-integrated prototype that demonstrates suitability for SmallSAT opportunities.
Proposal ID22-HFOS22-0001
PI: Akhavan-Tafti, Mojtaba
Institution: Univ of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Award: HFOS

______________________
Research Regime: Heliosphere
Space Weather Investigation Frontier (SWIFT)
SWIFT will aim at making major discoveries on the three-dimensional structure and dynamics of heliospheric structures that drive space weather. The science is compelling because it aims to focus on interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) that originate from massive expulsions of plasma and magnetic flux from the solar corona. ICMEs cause the largest geomagnetic storms and solar energetic particle events, which can endanger life and disrupt technology on Earth and in space.
Proposal ID22-HTIDS22-0019
PI: Li, Feiyu
Institution: New Mexico Consortium
Award: HTIDS-LNAPP

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Research Regime: Heliosphere
Scaling Studies of Seeded Alfven Wave Parametric Decay Instability in the Laboratory
Alfven waves are ubiquitous in magnetized plasmas throughout the heliosphere. The dissipation of large Alfvenic fluctuations originating from the Sun is key to many processes such as solar coronal heating and solar wind acceleration. Parametric decay instability (PDI) is a nonlinear dissipation process of large-amplitude Alfven waves, where a forward pump Alfven wave decays into a backward daughter Alfven wave and a forward ion acoustic wave. 
Proposal ID22-HTIDS22-0020
PI: McVey, John
Institution: Aerospace Corp
Award: HTIDS-ITD

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Research Regime: Heliosphere
Space Debris Detection and Characterization using an in-situ LIDAR Sensor Platform
The goal of this project is to mature an Aerospace LIDAR instrument and enable an inflight demonstration.
Proposal ID22-HTIDS22-0023
PI: Lee, Justin
Institution: Aerospace Corp
Award: HTIDS-ITD

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Research Regime: Magnetosphere
Miniaturized Charging Mitigation Shell Instrument for Magnetospheric Cold Plasma Sensors
The mission will improve the capability of next generation plasma instrumentation through the development of a miniaturized charging mitigation shell (CMS) instrument subsystem.
Proposal ID22-HTIDS22-0007
PI: Mayyasi, Majd
Institution: Boston University
Award: HTIDS-ITD

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Research Regime: Heliosphere
HIRSL: a High-Resolution Spectrograph in Lyman-alpha
A recent multi-year NASA study of an Interstellar Probe mission to the solar system and into the interstellar medium (ISM) resulted in a consensus for a set of baseline scientific instruments for the Probe mission. One of these instruments is a UV spectrograph to measure the velocity distribution of neutral hydrogen atoms both from the ISM and from charge exchange reactions with solar wind protons. 
Proposal ID22-HTIDS22-0018
PI: Clayton, Robert
Institution: Embry-Riddle
Award: HTIDS-ITD

______________________
Research Regime: ITM
Development and Testing of a miniaturized Double Langmuir Probe for Small-Satellite Platforms
The mission will design, simulate, prototype, and demonstrate the ability of a novel low size-weight-and-power (SWaP) double Langmuir probe to measure thermal electron temperature and high-rate density from small-satellite platforms.
Proposal ID22-HTIDS22-0006
PI: Nicholas, Andrew
Institution: NRL
Award: HTIDS-ITD

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Research Regime: System-Interdisciplnary
Lightsheet Anomaly Resolution And Debris Observation – Neuromorphic (LARSDO-N)
LARSDO-N seeks to upgrade improve the LARADO system. The LARADO sensor is an on-orbit instrument designed to detect small debris that too small to be seen from the ground but have enough kinetic energy to do catastrophic damage to space assets. It will enhance detection capability, increase signal to noise and reduce science data bandwidth, and move to a dial-lightsheet configuration which will provide speed and direction characterization of the observed debris.
Interdisciplinary
Proposal ID22-HTIDS22-0008
PI: Kalogerakis, Konstantinos
Institution: SRI International
Award: HTIDS-LNAPP

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Research Regime: ITM
Production Pathways of the OH Meinel Band Emission Required for TIMED/SABER Observations
The HIRSL (a High-Resolution Spectrograph in Lyman-a) UV instrument will improve past/existing measurements of the interaction dynamics between the solar wind and interstellar medium at the heliospheric boundary. It will include a high dispersion capability to resolve atomic motions through their doppler shift in scattering the bright solar Lyman-a emission.
Proposal ID22-HTIDS22-0013
PI: Martinovic, Mihailo
Institution: Univ of Arizona, Tucson
Award: HTIDS-ITD

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Research Regime: Heliosphere
Measuring Plasma Parameters and Waves in the Ionosphere of Earth
This project will redesign solar wind instrumentation for the ionospheric environment with a sensor that can be installed on a CubeSat. The proposed instrument Waves, Instabilities & Noise Spectrometer (WINS) will measure plasma parameters and waves as accurately as the well-established solar wind payloads.
Proposal ID22-HTIDS22-0014
PI: Malaspina, David
Institution: Univ of Boulder, Colorado
Award: HTIDS-ITD

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Research Regime: System-Interdisciplnary
Debris and meteoroid ENvironment Sensor (DENTS): Instrument Technology Development
The DENTS instrument technology will develop an innovative impact detection instrument. It will make the measurements required to close observational gaps for small debris in Low Earth Orbit.
Interdisciplinary

2021

Proposal ID: 21-HFOS21-0001
PI: Li, Xinlin
Institution: Univ CO-Boulder
Award: HFOS

______________________
Research Regime: Heliosphere
Dual Cluster Mission Concept Study
This study will determine the number of spacecraft and their optimal orbits, optimum instrumentation, costs associated with implementation options for a mission to determine the characteristics of the precipitation of energetic electrons and quantify their total precipitation loss. It will also determine and quantify the physical processes responsible for the various types of precipitation, i.e., microbursts, precipitation bands, and drift-loss-cone. It will thus enable the quantification of the acceleration mechanisms of energetic electrons and also enable more accurate specification and forecasts of these electrons.
Proposal ID: 21-HFOS21-0002
PI: Filwett, Rachael
Institution: Univ of Iowa
Award: HFOS

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Research Regime: Magnetosphere
LabOratory for the Behavior of the SloT Region (LOBSTR)
The LOBSTR objective is to understand the electron distributions on the inner edge of outer radiation belt, including slot region injection events, and to understand the proton distribution on the outer edge of the inner belt, due to trapping (and loss) of particles from solar energetic particle events. It will provide insight to the magnetic local time dependence of these events.
Proposal ID: 21-HTIDS-21-0010
PI: Beltran, Sam Tun
Institution: NRL
Award: HTIDS-ITD

______________________
Research Regime: Solar Science
An Imaging Polarimeter for Hydrogen Lyman-α
By developing instrumentation for imaging polarimetry of the hydrogen Lyman-α transition, with applications to observations of Hanlé depolarization in the solar corona, photon polarization as a diagnostic of shock physics and particle acceleration in coronal mass ejection (CME) driven collisionless shock waves, and polarization resulting from the scattering of solar Lyman-α by the Earth’s hydrogen geocorona.
Proposal ID: 21-HTIDS-21-0004
PI: Zhang, Xiaojia
Institution: UCLA
Award: HTIDS-ITD

______________________
Research Regime: Heliosphere
High-Frequency Magnetic Loop for Heliophysics Exploration
This mission will develop a compact and lightweight magnetic field instrument for 3D radio burst exploration on small satellites, paving the way for a robust space weather surveillance system and creating a new experimental tool for planetary radio astronomy. 
Proposal ID: 21-HTIDS-21-0002
PI: Lejosne, Solene
Institution: CA Berkeley
Award: HTIDS-ITD

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Research Regime: Magnetosphere
Development of Grotifer: a CubeSat for Three-Dimensional Electric Field Measurements
Grotifer is a CubeSat that will provide accurate three-dimensional (3D) electric field (E-field) measurements in all environments of the heliosphere, while enabling lower cost missions and constellation missions in deep space. E-fields are a fundamental quantity of the universe that play a key role in Heliophysics research.
Proposal ID:21-HTIDS-21-0012
PI: Clemmons, James
Institution: Univ of New Hamsphire
Award: HTIDS-ITD

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Research Regime: ITM
Low-Resource Instrumentation for Scientific Measurements in Planetary Thermospheres
By developing new instrumentation that will be capable of measuring winds in planetary atmospheres, the instruments measure the winds at the location of their host spacecraft. The objective is to miniaturize the previous instruments so that they can be hosted by small platforms, such as cubesats and other smallsats.
Proposal ID: 21-HTIDS-21-0003
PI: Egedal, Jan
Institution: Univ of Wisconsin-Madison
Award: HTIDS-LNAPP

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Research Regime: Magnetosphere

Exploring 3D Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection in the Laboratory

Magnetic reconnection plays a fundamental role in nearly all magnetized plasmas as it enables magnetic energy to be converted into high-speed flows and thermal energy.  This project will characterize the 3D structure and dynamics of the electron diffusion region (EDR) for parameters relevant to space plasma. It will document the range of parameters, including plasma beta, density asymmetry and guide magnetic field, where the lower hybrid drift instability (LHDI) becomes active within the EDR.

2020

Proposal ID: 20-HFOS20-0001
PI: Cohen, Ian
Institution: JHU-APL
Award: HFOS

______________________
Research Regime: Magnetosphere
Uranus Orbiter Mission: Determining the Scope and Feasibility of a Dedicated Heliophysics Mission
This study will investigate the feasibility and potential scope of a dedicated Heliophysics orbiter mission to study the complex and dynamic magnetosphere of Uranus as either an independent mission or a potential rideshares to complement a future Planetary Science mission. From the planet’s tilted and offset, rapidly rotating non-dipolar magnetic field to its seasonally extreme interactions with the solar wind to its unexpectedly intense electron radiation belts, the Uranian system hosts a range of outstanding and compelling mysteries of interest to Heliophysics.  
Proposal ID: 20-HFOS20-0009
PI: Mlynczak, Martin
Institution: LaRC
Award: HFOS
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Research Regime: ITM
Nitric Oxide Infrared Emissions Cubesat
The mission will conduct science and engineering trade studies leading to the design of a Cubesat sentinel sensor, capable of accurately measuring the vertical profile of infrared limb emission from nitric oxide in the terrestrial thermosphere. This is motivated by the long-standing problem of accurately forecasting thermospheric density during geomagnetic storms. Forecasts of satellite and high value space asset positions require accurate density forecasts. Reliable density forecasts, prior to, during, and after geomagnetic storm events remain elusive as thermospheric density can increase or decrease rapidly during a storm event.
Proposal ID: 20-HFOS20-0002
PI: de Wijn, Alfred
Institution: UCAR
Award: HFOS
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Research Regime: Solar Science
The Solar Transition Region UltraViolet Explorer
The STRUVE CubeSat mission will advance our understanding of the energy build-up and storage in the solar atmosphere, and its eventual release through flares and coronal mass ejections. STRUVE will allow us to determine the parameters of the magnetized plasma in the volume of the solar atmosphere from the photosphere through the chromosphere, and into the transition region at the base of the corona. 
Proposal ID: 20-HFOS20-0011
PI: Frank, Wendy
Institution: Univ CO-Boulder
Award: HFOS
______________________
Research Regime: Magnetosphere
Plasmasphere Tomography (PlaTo) Mission Study
The proposed work is a mission and trade study for a heliophysics mission consisting of a constellation of spacecraft that use radio tomography to investigate the density structure and evolution of the plasmasphere.  Tomographic inversion can be performed to produce 2D maps of the plasma density which would be used to answer questions about the structure and evolution of the plasmasphere. 
Proposal ID: 20-HFOS20-0008
PI: Maruca, Bennett
Institution: Univ of Delaware
Award: HFOS
______________________
Research Regime: Heliosphere
A Large Constellation of Spacecraft for Mapping the 3D Magnetic Structure of the Solar Wind
This mission would focus on providing 3D images which would directly show the topology and morphology of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and definitively distinguish among competing theories for the dynamics of solar-wind turbulence.
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0020
PI: Amatucci, Bill
Institution: NRL
Award: HTIDS-ITD
______________________
Research Regime: Magnetosphere
Development of a Novel Magnetic Nano-Transmitter Plasma Wave Antenna
This collaborative research will provide data from a quantitative analysis of the Lower Hybrid Drift Waves (LHDW) and associated electron heating within or near the electron diffusion region (EDR) during magnetic reconnection with a guide field. The obtained results will be used to interpret space data in order to address one of key questions on wave-particle interaction during magnetic reconnection, which is one of the primary physical processes that determine the dynamical response of magnetospheric plasmas to the incoming solar wind.
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0012
PI: Maldonado, Carlos
Institution: Triad National Security, LLC
Award: HTIDS-ITD
______________________
Research Regime: Magnetosphere
A Compact Ion Mass Spectrometer (CIMS) for Ionospheric Outflow and Cold Magnetospheric Plasma Measurements
CIMS is a highly compact low-resource ion mass spectrometer capable of high-mass resolution for low-energy ionospheric and magnetospheric ions.  The concept and operation enable ultrafast measurement of plasma ion composition to provide new understanding of the physical processes that drive the complex plasma dynamics in space.
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0027
PI: Fish, Chad
Institution: Orion Space Solutions (formerly known as Atmospheric & Space Technology Research Associates)
Award: HTIDS-ITD
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Research Regime: ITM
Mass Spectrometry of the Turbopause Region (MSTR)
The turbopause region remains one of the most poorly explored, yet crucial regions of the upper atmosphere. In the vicinity of this altitude, the atmosphere reaches its lowest temperature and the compositional structure changes from being governed by turbulent mixing processes to diffusive processes. Few measurement techniques work well at this altitude, and it is too low for satellites. Addressing the knowledge gap associated with this region requires making composition measurements aided by strong modeling efforts. 
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0034
PI: Zhao, Hong
Institution: Auburn University
Award: HTIDS-ITD
______________________
Research Regime: Magnetosphere
The miniaturized High-Energy-Resolution relativistic electronic Telescope (HERT)-Auburn
Understanding the radiation environment at Earth is critical due to both scientific interests and practical needs.  A miniaturized, High-Energy-Resolution relativistic electron Telescope (HERT) can be easily accommodated into future CubeSat/SmallSat missions to understand and quantify the effect of acceleration mechanism throughout the entire radiation belts to GEO using a novel method of probing electron flux oscillations. 
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0028
PI: Hosseini, Seyedeh Sona
Institution: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Award: HTIDS-ITD
______________________
Research Regime: Solar Science
CLASS, a Compact Lyman-Alpha Spatial heterodyne Spectrometer
The detection of suprathermal ions near the Sun will be a giant leap in our understanding of the role they play in particle acceleration by coronal mass ejection shocks. This project advances the development of a high étendue, ultra-miniature spectrometer module, to understand the creation of solar energetic particles (SEPs) in the solar corona and the physical processes that impact the variability in SEP output by observing the coronal H I Lyman-alpha spectral profile.
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0009
PI Cohen, Ian:
Institution: JHU/APL
Award: HTIDS-ITD
______________________
Research Regime: System-Interdisciplnary
Plasma and Radiation Combined IN-situ Instrument (PRCINI)
PRCINI will integrate the electrostatic analyzer (ESA) from the Cassini/Charge-Energy-Mass-Spectrometer (CHEMS) instrument into a modified version of the Parker Solar Probe/Energetic Particle Instrument (EPI)-Lo sensor, resulting in a combined suprathermal and energetic ion instrument that measures energy, angular distribution, and compositional distributions from ~1 keV to ≳15 MeV, as well as ion charge-state composition from ~15 (protons) to ~220 keV/q, over co-planar fields-of-view.
Interdisciplinary
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0014
PI: de Nolfo, Georgia
Institution: NASA GSFC
Award: HTIDS-ITD
______________________
Research Regime: Solar Science
Solar Neutron TRACking Instrument (SONTRAC)
The measurement of solar neutrons provides a game-changing observation in a previously poorly measured radiation channel, leading to a better understanding of particle acceleration at the Sun. Neutrons also represent an important component of space weather, affecting both satellite operations and the health of astronauts and flight crews.  SONTRAC will advance the current instrument development to provide a fully-integrated prototype that demonstrates suitability for SmallSAT opportunities.
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0021
PI: Michell, Robert
Institution: NASA GSFC
Award: HTIDS-ITD
______________________
Research Regime: ITM
Multi Look-Direction Magnetic Electron Spectrometer for Auroral Studies
The main objective of this project is to build, test and calibrate a prototype of a magnetic electron spectrometer that will have 16 different look-directions with the capability of making measurements of electron spectra in each look direction with a cadence of 1 ms.
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0002
PI:Casini, Roberto
Institution: University Corporation For Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
Award: HTIDS-ITD
______________________
Research Regime: Solar Science
The Solar Imaging Metasurface Polarimeter (SIMPol)
This imaging spectro-polarimeter capable of capturing 2D images of the Sun with full polarization information, over a narrow spectral band will enable spectro-polarimetric studies of solar magnetism. It will measure the full state of polarization over the entire region of interest with every camera frame, without the need for moving mechanisms. This project will advance the field of metasurfaces and apply these to the construction of a unique prototype instrument for solar studies.
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0004
PI: Sewell, Scott
Institution: University Corporation For Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
Award: HTIDS-ITD
______________________
Research Regime: Solar Science
Advancement of a Lyot Filter Demonstration Instrument (LFDI) for Space-Borne Solar Physics Investigations
Dynamic conditions in the solar atmosphere can lead to events such as filament eruptions and coronal mass ejections and to understand such events requires observations of dynamic phenomena. Spectroscopic imaging is a powerful tool which possess a large field of view for tracking dynamic activity while providing diagnostics such as line-of-sight velocities and line widths giving insight into turbulence and wave broadening. The LFDI will enable a variety of missions and science objectives in the heliophysics community.
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0010 Bonnell, John
PI: Bonnell, John
Institution: University of California, Berkeley
Award: HTIDS-ITD
______________________
Research Regime: Magnetosphere
LIEFSI – Laboratory Investigation of Electric Field Sensor Instabilities
The quantitative study of space plasma electrodynamics requires the accurate measurement of in situ electric fields. In order to optimize the accuracy of the double probe method for both DC and AC field measurements a variety of sensor and antenna geometries and biasing schemes have been used on past and present missions.  LIEFSI will significantly improve our practical knowledge of electric field sensor design, and to support the investigation of fundamental plasma processes that contribute to all aspects of space physics.
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0031
PI: Mouikis, Christopher
Institution: University of New Hampshire, Durham
Award: HTIDS-ITD
______________________
Research Regime: Magnetosphere
Increasing the Dynamic Range of Spaceflight Charged Particle Instruments
Covering the dynamic range of the plasma ion fluxes over disparate regions of the heliosphere and over the full range of conditions, is a challenge. A hardware system for achieving a large dynamic range by a single ion instrument that can be used to address the determination of the coupling between the solar-wind interplanetary events and the magnetosphere – ionosphere system.
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0015
PI: Harding, Leon
Institution: Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Award: HTIDS-ITD
______________________
Research Regime: ITM
Development of an EMCCD Space Camera for UV Spectroscopy: Probing Nitric Oxide in the Polar Night
A novel ultraviolet (UV) instrument, compatible with a CubeSat spacecraft, that uses a delta-doped electron multiplying CCD (EMCCD) Camera System designed to measure nighttime lower thermospheric nitric oxide. This instrument will determine the altitude profile of aurorally-induced nitric oxide and determine nitric oxide’s peak altitude concentration.
Proposal ID: 20-HTIDS-20-0017
PI: Yamada, Masaaki
Institution: Princeton University
Award: HTIDS-LNAPP
______________________
Research Regime: Solar Science
Study of Coronal X-ray Jet formation Using Advanced Numerical Simulations and Laboratory Experiments
This study will contribute to a better understanding of solar flare dynamics in a testable way in a controlled laboratory setting and help improve interpretation of data from NASA satellite missions by providing ground truth for the many theoretical/modeling groups working on simulations of the solar flare models. This research should importantly contribute to the better understanding of solar flare dynamics.
Proposal ID 20-HTIDS-20-0018:
PI: Ji, Hantao
Institution: Princeton University
Award: HTIDS-LNAPP
______________________
Research Regime: Magnetosphere
Lower Hybrid Drift Waves and Associated Electron Heating During Guide Field Reconnection
This proposed research will systematically vary the strength of the guide field, current density and collisionality, and compare experimental results with predictions from a local, linear theoretical model and 3D nonlinear Particle-In-Cell  simulations. The obtained results will be used to interpret space data in order to address one of key questions on wave-particle interaction during magnetic reconnection.

2019

Proposal ID: 19-HTIDS-19-0019
PI: Walsh, Brian
Institution: Boston University
Award: HTIDS-ITD
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Research Regime: Heliosphere
ACSEPT: A Compact Solar Energetic Particle Telescope
The emission of the Sun at wavelengths from 3 to 100 um is a relatively unexplored region of the solar spectrum, but one that has raised some intriguing questions. A new class of high-cadence imaging detectors in this wavelength range has novel polarization and spectral properties that can address these questions and characterize the layer of the solar atmosphere that is sensitive to these wavelengths. 
Proposal ID: 19-HTIDS-19-0030
PI: Hampton, Donald
Institution: Geophysical Institute
Award: HTIDS-LNAPP
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Research Regime:  ITM
Development of the Alaska Cubesat Auroral Plasma Spectrometer (ACAPS)
The ACAPS will design, build and perform beam testing and vibration testing on a prototype ESA mechanical model that meets specified performance and environmental requirements. It will demonstrate function of a non-distorting MCP sensitivity control for position sensitive counting instruments. It will design, build and perform beam testing and vibration testing on a prototype MCP detector and front end electronics for a 1D imaging system that meets specified requirements. ACAPS will integrate the ESA/Detector and perform end-to-end beam test to verify performance.
 
Proposal ID: 19-HTIDS-19-0027
PI: Yee, Sam
Institution: HTIDS-ITD
Award: HTIDS-ITD
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Research Regime: ITM
Development and Demonstration of an All Solid-State 4.7 THz Spectrometer Enabling Measurements of Thermospheric Winds, Temperature, and O Density
Development of the 4 THz channel of the THz Limb Sounder (TLS) instrument will be demonstrated under this proposed Heliophysics Technology and Instrument Development for Science Program (H-TIDeS) investigation. It can, for the first time, measure neutral wind profiles globally during both day and night in an altitude region where most of the ion-neutral energy/momentum coupling takes place and the neutral atmosphere responds to external energy inputs. These measurements provide critical observational constraints to the complex dynamics in the coupled lower atmosphere/thermosphere/ionosphere/magnetosphere system.
Proposal ID: 19-HTIDS-19-0002
PI: Hurlburt, Neal
Institution: Lockheed Martin Inc.
Award: HTIDS-ITD
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Research Regime: Solar Science
MICRO – A Magnetograph using Interfermetric and Computational Imaging for Remote Observations
One of the top questions for NASA Heliophysics is: “What causes the Sun to vary?”. The solar magnetic field plays a fundamental role in this variation and hence its measurement, made with magnetographs, is essential. Traditional magnetographs are large optical systems with elaborate designs and exquisite engineering and are heavy and expensive — which place limits on their use in space. A novel magnetograph leverages advances in Photonics Integrated Circuits (PICs) and low-noise lasers that are being developed by the evolving telecommunications industry. 
Proposal ID: 19-HTIDS-19-0017
PI: Moore, Christopher
Institution: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Award: HTIDS-ITD

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Research Regime: Solar Science
Technology Development of High Speed CMOS Detectors and Multilayer Mirrors for Dynamic Solar Soft X-ray Spectral Imaging Technology Development of High Speed CMOS Detectors and Multilayer Mirrors for Dynamic Solar Soft X-ray Spectral Imaging
The emission of the Sun at wavelengths from 3 to 100 um is a relatively unexplored region of the solar spectrum, but one that has raised some intriguing questions. This new class of high-cadence imaging detectors in this wavelength range that has novel polarization and spectral properties can address these questions and characterize the layer of the solar atmosphere that is sensitive to these wavelengths.
Proposal ID: 19-HTIDS-19-0001
PI: Li, Xinlin
Institution: University of Colorado
Award: HTIDS-ITD
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Research Regime: Magnetosphere
Medium Energy Electron Telescope (MEET)
Understanding the radiation environment at Earth is critical due to both scientific interests and practical needs.  Developing a miniaturized, High-Energy-Resolution relativistic electron Telescope (HERT) that can be easily accommodated into future CubeSat/SmallSat missions will quantify the effect of acceleration mechanism throughout the entire radiation belts to GEO using a novel method of probing electron flux oscillations.
Proposal ID: 19-HTIDS-19-0008
PI: Bernstein, Gary
Institution: University of Notre Dame
Award: HTIDS-ITD
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Research Regime: Solar Science
Fast, Multi-spectral, Polarization-Sensitive IR Detectors for Solar Astronomy from 5 to 100 Microns
The emission of the Sun at wavelengths from 3 to 100 um is a relatively unexplored region of the solar spectrum, but one that has raised some intriguing questions. This new class of high-cadence imaging detectors in this wavelength range that has novel polarization and spectral properties can address these questions and characterize the layer of the solar atmosphere that is sensitive to these wavelengths.
Proposal ID: 19-HTIDS-19-0005
PI: Savin, Daniel
Institution: Columbia University
Award: HTIDS-LNAPP
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Research Regime: Solar Science
Fe IX Line Survey and Density Sensitivity Studies in Support of the NASA Heliophysics Program
One of the top questions for NASA Heliophysics is: “What causes the Sun to vary?”. The solar magnetic field plays a fundamental role in this variation and hence its measurement, made with magnetographs, is essential. Traditional magnetographs are large optical systems with elaborate designs and exquisite engineering and are heavy and expensive — which place limits on their use in space. A novel magnetograph leverages advances in Photonics Integrated Circuits (PICs) and low-noise lasers that are being developed by the evolving telecommunications industry. 
Proposal ID: 19-HTIDS-19-0026
PI Tejero, Erik:
Institution: NRL
Award: HTIDS-LNAPP
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Research Regime: Magnetosphere
Investigating Magnetospheric Whistler-Mode Chorus Features using SPSC Laboratory Experiments
Whistler chorus waves are among the most intense natural plasma instabilities generated in the Earth’s magnetosphere and have been shown to play a dominant role in the electron dynamics in the outer radiation belts. Laboratory experiments will be used to directly observe the wave-particle interactions responsible for chorus wave generation and address the aforementioned scientific questions. This mission will result in a significant step towards understanding the fundamental physics of the generation of whistler chorus and the consequent impact on the space environment.
Proposal ID: 19-HTIDS-19-0003
PI: Kalogerakis, Konstantinos
Institution: SRI International
Award: HTIDS-LNAPP
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Research Regime: ITM
Laboratory Studies of OH(v) + O Multi-quantum Vibrational Relaxation Required for TIMED/SABER Observations
One of the top questions for NASA Heliophysics is: “What causes the Sun to vary?”. The solar magnetic field plays a fundamental role in this variation and hence its measurement, made with magnetographs, is essential. Traditional magnetographs are large optical systems with elaborate designs and exquisite engineering and are heavy and expensive — which place limits on their use in space. A novel magnetograph leverages advances in Photonics Integrated Circuits (PICs) and low-noise lasers that are being developed by the evolving telecommunications industry.
 
Proposal ID: 19-HTIDS-19-0006
PI: An, Xin
Institution: University of California, Los Angeles
Award: HTIDS-LNAPP
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Research Regime: Magnetosphere
Excitation of Whistler-Mode Chorus Waves in a Laboratory Plasma
This project will improve the understanding and prediction of space weather. It is known that the chorus waves play an important role in the radiation belt physics. The laboratory experiments are able to determine what plasma parameters control the various characteristics (e.g., the lower and upper frequency limits, the frequency sweep rate, the saturation amplitude and the wave normal angle distribution) of chorus waves by performing detailed parameter scans. This will ultimately help us construct a wave model that can be used in the quasi-linear modeling of the radiation belt.

2018

Proposal ID: 18-HTIDS-18-0008
PI: Wiedenbeck, Mark
Institution: JPL
Award: HTIDS-ITD
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Research Regime: Heliosphere
Extension of the dE/dx-E Technique Using Silicon Detectors to Below 1 MeV/nucleon
Understanding the acceleration and transport of energetic particles accelerated
at the Sun, in interplanetary space, and at the boundary of the heliosphere requires detectors that can characterize high energy particles. This project develops silicon detector telescopes optimized for measurements in the energy range ~0.5 MeV/nuc to >~5 MeV/nuc. This work builds on the successful development EPI-Hi instrument on Parker Solar Probe. This project will reduce the energy threshold of silicon detector telescopes to ~0.5 MeV/nuc, enable multiple dE/dx measurements for ions down to ~1 MeV/nuc to reduce backgrounds and resolve ambiguities among element response tracks.
Proposal ID: 18-HTIDS-18-00025
PI: Pillinski, Marcin
Institution: University of Colorad0, Boulder
Award: HTIDS-LNAPP
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Research Regime: ITM
Laboratory Investigation of Satellite Gas-Surface Interactions for Accurate Construction of Atmospheric Models
Accurate estimates of neutral mass densities obtained from satellite drag are vital to NASA science objectives, including the construction of, validation, and assimilation into, atmospheric models. The interpretation of these measurements depends strongly on the assumptions made about atomic or molecular interactions with satellite surfaces. Such assumptions have been known to introduce errors into the construction of atmospheric models by modifying the aerodynamic coefficients that determine scaling factors between observed drag and atmospheric density. This project will investigate the interaction of atmospheric gases with spacecraft surfaces under conditions consistent with atmospheric pressures and composition near and above ~500 km altitude.

Proposal ID: 18-HTIDS-18-0050
PI: Schaeffer, D.B.
Institution: University of California, Los Angeles
Award: HTIDS-LNAPP
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Research Regime: Magnetosphere
Understanding Electron and Ion Heating by Collisionless Shocks in Laboratory and Space Plasmas
As a fundamental process for converting kinetic to thermal energy, collisionless shocks are ubiquitous throughout the heliosphere, from planetary bow shocks to coronal mass ejections. While they have been studied for decades by
spacecraft and numerical simulations, there remains a key open question of how energy is partitioned between particles across a shock. The goal of this project is to study this shock heating process in well-controlled and well-diagnosed laboratory experiments, which will both complement ongoing observations by the MMS spacecraft and help benchmark simulations that bridge the gap between laboratory and space systems.
Proposal ID: 18-HTIDS-18-0060
PI: Immel, Thomas
Institution: SSL/UCB
Award: HTIDS-ITD
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Research Regime: ITM
Small UV Imager for Heliophysics Science Investigations
This effort seeks to develop a basic, reference transmissive imager with high spatial resolution and large field of view. Referred to as MUVI (Miniaturized UV Imager), the goal is to prove the system with a simple MgF lens focusing UV light on heritage UV sensitive intensifier tube, while implementing first a heritage 1k x 1k imaging capability, and then developing algorithms for spot centroiding that would result in up to 4k effective spatial resolution (i.e. sub pixel resolution). The advancements also will include reduction of size of the imaging electronics (readout and post-processing). Implementation of a centroiding algorithm will reduce the noise budget to Poisson statistics, obviating sources of noise inherent in most detector schemes. Overall, the expected reductions in mass, power and volume from any previous UV geospace imager will enable multiple cameras on large spacecraft/missions, or single implementations on smallsats, down to possibly a 6U cubesat.