We are currently preparing a proposal for the space mission “Debye” in response to ESA’s F-Class call. As the first dedicated electron-astrophysics mission, Debye will use the solar wind as a testbed to study universal small-scale electron processes throughout the universe. The mission's key science question is: “How are electrons heated in astrophysical plasmas?”
Debye will consist of up to four spacecraft that will orbit the Lagrange point L2. The main spacecraft will measure electron distribution functions with unprecedented cadence and very high resolution, electric fields, magnetic fields, and plasma ions. The deployable spacecraft will provide multi-point and multi-baseline measurements of the magnetic field to determine the nature of fluctuations on electron scales.
Debye has reached the second step in ESA’s down-selection process and is now in competition with five other F-Class candidates. The mission is led by University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory (Mission PI: Robert Wicks, Mission co-PI Science: Daniel Verscharen) and has important hardware contributions from countries across Europe and from partners in Japan and the US.
We will hold a Debye team meeting during the EGU General Assembly in Vienna on 10 April 2019 from 10:45 until 12:30. It will take place at the conference centre in Room 2.17 (Red Level 2, second floor). Please come and join us! The early-bird registration deadline for the EGU General Assembly is on Thursday (28 February 2019).