Space Physics at Dartmouth -- LaBelle Group | Dartmouth Balloon Group | Theoretical Group
Lynch Rocket Lab
Research Overview
In this lab we are studying the structure and dynamics of the auroral ionosphere. This study has several parts. Sounding rocket missions such as Cascades use multiple-payload probes to look at spatial and temporal variations in auroral precipitation. Data analysis studies of the FAST and Cluster satellite data sets allow statistical investigations of auroral processes. Laboratory plasma studies in a large calibration/plasma vacuum chamber (the "Elephant") allow us to characterize the response of our particle detectors to the thermal auroral plasma, and the response of an ionospheric-like thermal plasma to the presence of our probes. Many students both undergraduate and graduate work in our lab, and the Greencube project is a student-run small-spacecraft design and launch project. Recent efforts are focussed toward the use of commercially available technologies such as Arduino platforms to low-resource spacecraft design, enabling low-cost reproduction of a large number of sensing platforms.
To keep up with laboratory news, click the link below:
Ongoing Projects
Small Rockets Campaign: 2012-2013
Investigation Title: Sounding rocket payload systems for in-situ measurement of ionosphere-thermosphere structure at small spatial scales
Principal investigator and institution: Mark Conde, UAF/GI A sequence of small (large amateur-class) rockets to be launched
from Poker Flat for technology development of the deployment of an array of small payloads from a deployer vehicle.
Dartmouth will be providing Arduino-based electronics for the deployables to measure their position, attitude, and
acceleration; and will investigate the use of 900MHz "DNT" radio systems for local communications.
Green Cube
Investigation Title: Green Cube
The undergraduates in the JPL-sponsored GreenCube project of the Lynch Rocket Lab, are developing a CubeSat-class autonomous sensor
payload, which they fly on balloons across New Hampshire and this spring will be floating in an array down the Connecticut (and other)
River(s). ``Cubesat'' is a small satellite prototype established by CalPoly and Stanford Universities. Similar satellites have been
used by many other universities and student satellite programs because of its relatively easy and inexpensive design. Our 3UCubeSat
payloads fly on bursting balloons that reach approximately 90,000 ft. in the air before falling back to earth with a parachute. The
total flight takes approximately two hours. We have flown 6 such flights across NH so far. This spring we will be floating an array of
20 Arduino-based GPS-enabled GreenCube payloads down rivers to study river transport of large woody debris, an important parameter in
geography studies of fluvial morphology and of recent importance in Vermont given the damage done by Hurricane Irene last year.
Elephant Laboratory Facility
Click here for current updates and photos!
Investigation Title: Elephant
Principal Investigator and Institutions: Kristina Lynch (Dartmouth College)
An NSF Career grant funds the ELEPHANT project.
MICA Campaign - February 2012
Investigation Title: MICA: Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling in the Alfvén Resonator
Principal Investigator Institution: Cornell
Launched February 18 2012 from Poker Flat, Alaska.
Click for larger image
RENU Campaign - November 2010
|
Investigation Title: RENU: Rocket Experiment for Neutral Upwelling Principal Investigator and Institutions: Marc Lessard, UNH Launched in 2010 from Andoya, Norway, over the EISCAT Svalbard radar. 
RENU Payload |
Cascades-2: Launched!!
Click here for recent updates.
Investigation Title: The Changing Aurora: In Situ and Camera Analysis of Dynamic Electron Precipitation Structures
Principal Investigator and Institutions: Kristina Lynch, Dartmouth College
Co-institutions: Cornell, UNH, UAF/GI
Click here for more information about this investigation.
Cascades-2 flew from Poker in 2009.
Photo by Robert Michell
Scifer-2 Launch - January 2008
|
Investigation Title: SCIFER-2: Sounding of the Cusp Ion Fountain Energization Region-2 The picture above shows the trajectory of the Scifer-2 rocket over Svalbard. Principal Investigator and Institutions: Paul M. Kintner, Jr., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Launched in 2008 from Norway over the EISCAT radar. |
Image constructed by Scott Hesh, NSROC |
ROPA Data Analysis
|
Investigation Title: ROPA: Rocket Observations of Pulsating Aurora The picture shows the launch of the ROPA rocket on February 12, 2007. Click here to see data analysis progress. Click here to follow progress of launch campaign. Principal Investigator and Institutions: Marc Lessard, UNH Launched in 2007 at Poker Flat, Alaska. |
Picture taken by Scott Hesh, NSROC |
DUST project successfully launched!
Click here for current updates and photos!
Investigation Title: DustOrions, a study of mesospheric meteoric dust layers
Principal Investigator and Instituions: Kristina Lynch (Dartmouth College); Co-Is Lynette Gelinas (Cornell), Richard Collins (UAF/GI)
Co-investigators and Institutions: Lynette Gelinas (Cornell), Richard Collins (UAF/GI)
Was launched March 2005 at Poker Flat. The DustDetector was flown again in February 2008 on the HotPay2 flight from Andoya, Norway, and in July 2008 on the ECOMA Project, also from Andoya.