Web and Desktop Solutions for Cusp Analysis of TRACERS Satellite Data
Abstract
The TRACERS mission, led by the University of Iowa and supported by NASA, aims to study the interactions between the magnetic fields of the Sun and Earth. By employing two satellites orbiting in tandem, TRACERS will provide insights into the spatial and temporal variations of magnetopause reconnection within the magnetosphere's cusp region. This research contributes to our understanding of space weather phenomena and protection of Earth's electrical infrastructure from potentially catastrophic solar events. To support this mission, our team at the Southwest Research Institute developed desktop and web interfaces using web technologies and Python (e.g., PySide6, Plotly, Flask) that allow scientists to view and analyze plots of instrument data from cusp crossings for both TRACERS satellites in both spatial and temporal dimensions. These interfaces provide scientists with annotation and visualization capabilities, including drawing tools, slicing, and free-text notetaking, facilitating analysis of cusp ion dispersion signatures. In addition, we developed an API that enables technical users to directly interact with the data, thus supporting a collaborative, extensible framework for space weather research. By providing interfaces developed with direct input from space scientists, our solutions facilitate a deeper understanding of the complex processes governing space weather. In this presentation, we describe the development of our integrated interfaces, the underlying API and database architecture, and the potential for interoperability and collaboration facilitated by our system.