GEO-X (GEOspace X-ray imager) is a small satellite mission to visualize the Earth’s magnetosphere through Solar Wind Charge eXchange (SWCX). SWCX is known as soft X-ray emissions generated by the charge exchange between highly charged-state heavy ions and neutral atoms in the Earth’s exosphere. The GEO-X satellite is aimed to be launched during the upcoming solar maximum around 2025-2027 and is planned to be injected to a low-latitude orbit which allows visualization of the magnetosphere from outside the magnetosphere. The satellite will carry a light-weight X-ray imaging spectrometer, dramatically improving the size and weight of those onboard past X-ray astronomy satellites.
The number of magnetospheric solar wind charge exchange (SWCX) soft X-ray events detectable with GEO-X was estimated using the latest calibrated ACE/SWICS data on solar wind O7+ ions. The OVII line flux at a certain solar wind O7+ flux was calculated from an magnetohydrodynamic simulation of 2001 March 31 geomagnetic storm and scaled to the sum of emission lines from other solar wind ions based on Suzaku magnetospheric SWCX events. The instrumental background including radiation noise mainly due to energetic protons was estimated using GOES >10 MeV proton flux and our previously developed GEANT4 simulation. The number of detectable magnetospheric SWCX events that meet a criterion of signal-to-noise ratios grater than 20 peaks near solar maximum, reaching 49.7 events per year with an average duration of 2.94 hours. Assuming an observation efficiency of 30%, we found that at least one event can be detected within a 4-month time frame with a 90% probability.
GEOspace X-ray imager (GEO-X) is a small satellite mission aiming at visualization of the Earth’s magnetosphere by X-rays and revealing dynamic couplings between solar wind and the magnetosphere. In-situ spacecraft have revealed various phenomena in the magnetosphere. X-ray astronomy satellite observations recently discovered soft X-ray emissions originating from the magnetosphere. We are developing GEO-X by integrating innovative technologies of a wide field of view (FOV) X-ray instrument and a small satellite for deep space exploration. The satellite combines a Cubesat and a hybrid kick motor, which can produce a large delta v to increase the altitude of the orbit to about 30 to 60 RE from a relatively low-altitude (e.g., geo transfer orbit) piggyback launch. GEO-X carries a wide FOV (5 × 5 deg) and a good spatial resolution (10 arcmin) X-ray (0.3 to 2 keV) imaging spectrometer using a micro-machined X-ray telescope and a CMOS detector system combined with an optical blocking filter. We aim to launch the satellite around the solar maximum of solar cycle 25.
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