Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Earth's ionosphere is primarily generated by the Sun's ionization of atoms in the upper atmosphere. This plasma environment is highly dynamic, exhibits strong spatial and temporal, variations and significantly impacts power systems, navigation, and satellite and ground communications. The University of Delaware Ionospheric Probe (UDIP) was developed as a hands-on learning experience for University of Delaware students on the ionosphere itself and on the development of space technology. Students (mostly undergraduates) have led all aspects of the experiment including mission planning, electronics development, mechanical development, software development, and scientific data analysis. The present study is intended as a guide to readers on how the development of space and near-space flight missions can be successfully incorporated into an undergraduate physics curriculum. The fourth version of the experiment (UDIP-4) flew along with student experiments from across the USA on the 2024 RockSat-C sounding rocket, which was launched from NASA Wallops Flight Facility. During the flight, UDIP-4's Langmuir probe successfully measured the ionosphere's density profile -- electron density as a function of altitude -- up to an apogee of 114 km. Though the measured density profile agrees well overall with the predictions of theoretical models, UDIP-4 identified a thin layer of enhanced electron density at an altitude of approximately 110 km that is consistent with a sporadic E layer.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Goodwill, Joshua, Tomaszewski, Timothy, Bieber, Jarrod, Brown, Carson P., Southwick, Ashton, Auerbach, Samuel, Banda, Sreenidhi, Bruce, Alex, Olais, Marisol Catalan, Duey, Markos, Khan, Ranyah, McCleery, Connor, Rosado, Jonathan, Swenson, Amanda, Ward, Matthew, Dagney, Jarod, Sundkvist, David, Bonnell, John W., Matthaeus, William H., Maruca, Bennett A.
Language: English
Subfield: Space and Planetary Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G6269915654, G7613881431, G8004184865
OpenAlex ID: W7220476058