UiO has earlier developed an E-field experiment for use on sounding rockets for the Investigation of Cusp Irregularities (ICI) sounding rocket program. It is of great interest to develop the next generation E-field instrument, which is adapted for use on Microsatellites such as the Norwegian satellites in the NORSAT satellite programme. Measurements of the electric field in the ionosphere from satellites is one of the key capabilities for space weather monitoring and forecasting.
To miniaturize the current E-field experiment a new design is required, based on the experiences and building blocks from earlier space instrument designs in the 4DSpace initiative. The proposed master thesis will require efforts in PCB design, analog front-end modelling and design, and digital design either in a Microsemi Flash-based FPGA or a suitable Microcontroller. In addition, a new boom system to support the measurement probes needs to be developed in collaboration with the Mechanical Workshop at the Department of Physics.
The thesis work will be carried out with co-supervision from an industrial partner, Eidsvoll Electronics AS, which has developed space instrumentation for decades.
For further details on EIDEL see www.eidel.no, or contact Dr. Tore André Bekkeng.