Proposal for a new type of ion tracer experiment using an ion mass spectrometer at the geostationary orbit
Abstract
A new concept in ion tracer experiments in the magnetosphere is proposed. Barium or lithium ions injected at the foot of the 6.6 R sub E field line by conventional shaped-charge release might be detectable in the equatorial plane by a mass-energy spectrometer of the type to be flown on the GEOS satellite. Comparison of optical and mass-spectrometric detection techniques shows the latter to be more sensitive in some cases by several orders of magnitude. An analysis shows Coulomb collisions to be insufficient for scattering the necessary fraction of beam ions into the pitch-angle viewing range of the detector. The GEOS spectrometer is shown to be sensitive enough to detect isotropic tracer ion densities of 0.0001 to approximately 0.00001/cucm depending on ion species and energy.
- Publication:
-
European Sounding Rocket and Scientific Balloon Activity at High Latitudes, with Emphasis on the International Magnetospheric Study (IMS)
- Pub Date:
- February 1975
- Bibcode:
- 1975srbr.rept..195Y
- Keywords:
-
- Earth Magnetosphere;
- Geos Satellites (Esa);
- Mass Spectrometers;
- Optical Measurement;
- Satellite-Borne Instruments;
- Barium;
- Earth Ionosphere;
- Lithium;
- Magnetospheric Ion Density;
- Pitch (Inclination);
- Satellite Observation;
- Stationary Orbits;
- Threshold Detectors (Dosimeters);
- Geophysics