Data Visualization and Selection for NASA’s MMS Mission
Mitsuo Oka, Research Scientist
Space Sciences Laboratory
Closed. This professor is continuing with Fall 2023 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Spring 2024.
NASA’s Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) mission consists of a fleet of four spacecraft orbiting Earth. Since its launch in 2015, it has made significant progress in our understanding of the planet's plasma environment, in particular the electron-scale physics of explosive energy-release phenomena. In 2024, NASA will change the fleet formation from the current tetrahedral configuration to the so-called string-of-pearl configuration. This shift enables us to better explore the multiscale aspects of the plasma phenomena. However, this evolution introduces complexities to the process of visualizing and selecting data, which is crucial for reducing the volume of data transmitted to the ground. Therefore, the EVA software, initially coded in Interactive Data Language (IDL) for the purpose of visualizing and selecting MMS data, is presently undergoing updates to accommodate these changes.
Role: In this project, the students will be tasked with developing a Python version of EVA, because the number of Python users within the MMS team has increased over the past years. The students are expected to take advantage of the pySPEDAS library, which has been used in various NASA space missions. The students will gain experience in coding for scientific data analysis, along with gaining familiarity with the basic concepts of space plasma physics.
Qualifications: Substantial experience in coding is required. If selected for an interview, applicants are expected to show some codes they have written before. Experience with GUI programming is a plus.
Hours: to be negotiated
Off-Campus Research Site: The students are welcome to work either remotely or on-site at Space Sciences Laboratory (7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720).
Related website: https://github.com/spedas/pyspedas
Related website: https://github.com/spedas/pyspedas