Satellite-assisted laser magnetometry with mesospheric sodium

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel satellite-assisted laser magnetometry technique that uses mesospheric sodium atoms to remotely detect magnetic fields at upper-atmospheric altitudes, enhancing geophysical sensing capabilities.

Contribution

It introduces a new remote magnetometry method employing mesospheric sodium and satellite-based detection, expanding the reach of magnetic field measurements.

Findings

Enables remote magnetic field detection at mesospheric altitudes.

Uses optical pumping and magneto-optical rotation measurements.

Complementary to existing space- and aircraft-based methods.

Abstract

Magnetic field sensing provides crucial insights into various geophysical phenomena such as atmospheric currents, crustal magnetism, and oceanic circulation. In this paper, a method for remote detection of magnetic fields using mesospheric sodium with an assisting satellite is proposed. Sodium atoms in the mesosphere are optically pumped with a ground-based laser beam. A satellite-borne detector is used to measure magneto-optical rotation of the polarization of a probe laser beam by the sodium atoms. This sensitive magnetometry method benefits from direct detection of laser photons and complements existing space- and aircraft-borne techniques by probing magnetic fields at upper-atmospheric altitudes inaccessible to those.