The Climatology of Anthropogenic and Natural VLF wave Activity in Space (CANVAS) CubeSat mission

Powerful Very-low-frequency (VLF) waves are radiated from the Earth’s surface by lightning and ground-based transmitters. A significant fraction of the radiated wave power propagates through the ionosphere and into the inner magnetosphere, where it provides a source of energy to the plasmasphere and to radiation belt electrons. Past work has sought to quantify the scattering of radiation belt electrons by lightning-generated whistler waves, and the impact these waves on radiation belt precipitation. More recently, it has been suggested that ground-based VLF transmitters may have a significant role in scattering ultra-relativistic radiation belt electrons into the loss cone, thus constituting an anthropogenic mechanism of radiation belt modification. However, quantification of the effect of these waves on radiation belt populations requires an accurate quantitative assessment of the population of these waves.

The CANVAS mission is a 3U CubeSat designed to measure the climatology and wave properties of whistlers injected into space by both lightning and VLF transmitters. The spacecraft will measure three components of the wave magnetic field and two components of the wave electric field between ~1 kHz and 40 kHz. With five wave components we can determine wave properties including the Poynting flux and wave normal angles, which will inform the ultimate destination of these waves in the inner magnetosphere. The magnetic field components will be measured by a three-axis search coil (TASC) deployed on a 1-meter carbon-fiber boom. The electric field components will be measured by deployed dipole antennas ~70 cm in length. Accurate position and attitude knowledge, provided by the Blue Canyon Technologies XACT system, will enable assessment of the local B-field direction and thus wave normal angles. In this talk we will provide an overview of the science and mission goals, the science instruments, the spacecraft and subsystems design, and the mission design and concept of operations.