Development and performance of a suprathermal electron spectrometer to study auroral precipitations
Creators
- 1. Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, Texas 78238 (United States)
- 2. Goddard Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 8800 Greenbelt Rd, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 (United States)
- 3. University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA circle, San Antonio, Texas 78249 (United States)
Description
The design, development, and performance of Medium-energy Electron SPectrometer (MESP), dedicated to the in situ observation of suprathermal electrons in the auroral ionosphere, are summarized in this paper. MESP employs a permanent magnet filter with a light tight structure to select electrons with proper energies guided to the detectors. A combination of two avalanche photodiodes and a large area solid-state detector (SSD) provided 46 total energy bins (1 keV resolution for 3−20 keV range for APDs, and 7 keV resolution for >20 keV range for SSDs). Multi-channel ultra-low power application-specific integrated circuits are also verified for the flight operation to read-out and analyze the detector signals. MESP was launched from Poker Flat Research Range on 3 March 2014 as a part of ground-to-rocket electrodynamics-electrons correlative experiment (GREECE) mission. MESP successfully measured the precipitating electrons from 3 to 120 keV in 120-ms time resolution and characterized the features of suprathermal distributions associated with auroral arcs throughout the flight. The measured electrons were showing the inverted-V type spectra, consistent with the past measurements. In addition, investigations of the suprathermal electron population indicated the existence of the energetic non-thermal distribution corresponding to the brightest aurora.
Additional details
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1063/1.4950901;
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Review of Scientific Instruments
- Journal Volume
- 87
- Journal Issue
- 5
- Journal Page Range
- vp.
- ISSN
- 0034-6748
- CODEN
- RSINAK
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United States
- Country of Input or Organization
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- INIS RN
- 48042568
- Subject category
- S46: INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY;
- Descriptors DEI
- DISTRIBUTION; ELECTRODYNAMICS; ELECTRON SPECTROMETERS; ELECTRONS; FILTERS; INTEGRATED CIRCUITS; IONOSPHERE; KEV RANGE; PERMANENT MAGNETS; PHOTODIODES; PRECIPITATION; READOUT SYSTEMS; SIGNALS; SPECTRA; TIME RESOLUTION
- Descriptors DEC
- EARTH ATMOSPHERE; ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; ENERGY RANGE; EQUIPMENT; FERMIONS; LEPTONS; MAGNETS; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS; RESOLUTION; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; SEMICONDUCTOR DIODES; SEPARATION PROCESSES; SPECTROMETERS; TIMING PROPERTIES
Optional Information
- Notes
- (c) 2016 Author(s)