PACKMAN – A portable instrument to investigate space weather
PACKMAN (PArticle Counter k-index Magnetic ANomaly) is an autonomous, light and robust space weather instrument for operation within the subsurface, surface and atmosphere (as payload in stratospheric balloons) of the Earth. It has been designed using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components to re...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-04-01
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| Series: | HardwareX |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246806722030078X |
| _version_ | 1818641556796604416 |
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| author | Thasshwin Mathanlal Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran Maria-Paz Zorzano Javier Martin-Torres |
| author_facet | Thasshwin Mathanlal Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran Maria-Paz Zorzano Javier Martin-Torres |
| author_sort | Thasshwin Mathanlal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | PACKMAN (PArticle Counter k-index Magnetic ANomaly) is an autonomous, light and robust space weather instrument for operation within the subsurface, surface and atmosphere (as payload in stratospheric balloons) of the Earth. It has been designed using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components to reduce the cost of each unit and to allow to have multiple units monitoring simultaneously at different sites and also incorporate an open-access citizen science approach. The hardware-core of each PACKMAN units, weights around 600 g and consumes about 500 mA of current at 12 V. PACKMAN has been deployed at multiple latitudes and altitudes ranging from stratospheric heights (corroborating its TRL8 maturity) to subsurface depths of around 1 km. The data from PACKMAN have been compared with the state-of-the-art ground-based observatories, and satellites and scientific observations have been documented. A 3-D network of PACKMAN units operating continuously around the globe, from the subsurface to the stratosphere, would help to improve the understanding of the space weather phenomena, and its implications on the climate and infrastructures. PACKMAN is also an excellent tool for education and outreach. This article outlines the building instructions of two types of PACKMAN units: PACKMAN-S for ground-based measurements and PACKMAN-B for stratospheric measurements aboard high-altitude balloons. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:29:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1f6bff8391134f7b8a2fd0f775e6e3bc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2468-0672 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:29:03Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | HardwareX |
| spelling | doaj.art-1f6bff8391134f7b8a2fd0f775e6e3bc2022-12-21T22:11:56ZengElsevierHardwareX2468-06722021-04-019e00169PACKMAN – A portable instrument to investigate space weatherThasshwin Mathanlal0Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran1Maria-Paz Zorzano2Javier Martin-Torres3Group of Atmospheric Science, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå, University of Technology, Luleå 97 187, Sweden; Corresponding author.Group of Atmospheric Science, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå, University of Technology, Luleå 97 187, SwedenCentro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Torrejon de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain; Group of Atmospheric Science, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå, University of Technology, Luleå 97 187, Sweden; School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Meston Building, King's College, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, UKSchool of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Meston Building, King's College, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, UK; Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), 18100 Granada, Spain; Group of Atmospheric Science, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå, University of Technology, Luleå 97 187, SwedenPACKMAN (PArticle Counter k-index Magnetic ANomaly) is an autonomous, light and robust space weather instrument for operation within the subsurface, surface and atmosphere (as payload in stratospheric balloons) of the Earth. It has been designed using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components to reduce the cost of each unit and to allow to have multiple units monitoring simultaneously at different sites and also incorporate an open-access citizen science approach. The hardware-core of each PACKMAN units, weights around 600 g and consumes about 500 mA of current at 12 V. PACKMAN has been deployed at multiple latitudes and altitudes ranging from stratospheric heights (corroborating its TRL8 maturity) to subsurface depths of around 1 km. The data from PACKMAN have been compared with the state-of-the-art ground-based observatories, and satellites and scientific observations have been documented. A 3-D network of PACKMAN units operating continuously around the globe, from the subsurface to the stratosphere, would help to improve the understanding of the space weather phenomena, and its implications on the climate and infrastructures. PACKMAN is also an excellent tool for education and outreach. This article outlines the building instructions of two types of PACKMAN units: PACKMAN-S for ground-based measurements and PACKMAN-B for stratospheric measurements aboard high-altitude balloons.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246806722030078XSpace weatherRadiationCOTSOpen-sourceMagnetic anomalyEarth observation |
| spellingShingle | Thasshwin Mathanlal Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran Maria-Paz Zorzano Javier Martin-Torres PACKMAN – A portable instrument to investigate space weather HardwareX Space weather Radiation COTS Open-source Magnetic anomaly Earth observation |
| title | PACKMAN – A portable instrument to investigate space weather |
| title_full | PACKMAN – A portable instrument to investigate space weather |
| title_fullStr | PACKMAN – A portable instrument to investigate space weather |
| title_full_unstemmed | PACKMAN – A portable instrument to investigate space weather |
| title_short | PACKMAN – A portable instrument to investigate space weather |
| title_sort | packman a portable instrument to investigate space weather |
| topic | Space weather Radiation COTS Open-source Magnetic anomaly Earth observation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246806722030078X |
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