THIS PHASE I SBIR PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE A NEW, LOW-COST APPROACH TO ATOMIC MAGNETOMETRY THAT IS SUITED F…

Public award description

THIS PHASE I SBIR PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE A NEW, LOW-COST APPROACH TO ATOMIC MAGNETOMETRY THAT IS SUITED FOR OPERATION FROM UAVS AND RESEARCH BALLOONS. ATOMIC MAGNETOMETERS HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR DECADES, BUT THEY REMAIN EXPENSIVE AND RELATIVELY POWER-HUNGRY, RESTRICTING THEIR USE TO A SMALL RANGE OF PLATFORMS. THE PROPOSED APPROACH SHOULD RESULT IN A MAGNETOMETER SELLING AT A COST POINT SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW THAT OF CONVENTIONAL ATOMIC MAGNETOMETERS THAT CAN BE DEPLOYED ON UAVS AND STRATOSPHERIC BALLOONS. THE PHASE II RESEARCH WILL INVOLVE CONSTRUCTING A PROTOTYPE AND FLYING IT ON A RESEARCH BALLOON OR UAV TO STUDY PHENOMENA SUCH AS ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ION CYCLOTRON WAVES IN THE MAGNETOSPHERE AT ALTITUDES OF DATA FROM THESE PLATFORMS WILL FILL A SCIENTIFIC NICHE, AS THE EARTH'S FIELD IS UNDERSAMPLED AT THE SPATIAL WAVELENGTHS OF 30-100 KM ASSOCIATED WITH STRATOSPHERIC FLIGHT.