A space-borne plasma analyser for three-dimensional measurements of the velocity distribution
Abstract
A new type of plasma analyzer, capable of covering the three-dimensional energy distribution of charged particles from a spinning spacecraft, has been built for the AMPTE and GIOTTO spacecraft. The novel features are the use of 260 deg of deflection in a spherical plate electrostatic analyzer to obtain energy discrimination simultaneously with dispersion in angle and the use of a microchannel plate with position-sensitive readout to obtain the angular distribution. The sensor achieves a field of view greater than 140 deg; a well-defined and nearly-ideal shape for the acceptance volume in velocity space and a relatively large geometric factor.
- Publication:
-
IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science
- Pub Date:
- February 1985
- DOI:
- 10.1109/TNS.1985.4336809
- Bibcode:
- 1985ITNS...32..139J
- Keywords:
-
- Angular Distribution;
- Plasma Dynamics;
- Satellite-Borne Instruments;
- Space Plasmas;
- Spacecraft Environments;
- Giotto Mission;
- Microchannel Plates;
- Particle Energy;
- Plasma Probes;
- Readout;
- Spaceborne Experiments;
- Velocity Distribution;
- Spacecraft Instrumentation