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Measuring Plasma Parameters With Thermal Noise Spectroscopy
Moncuquet, Michel; Issautier, Karine; Meyer-Vernet, Nicole +4 more
This paper describes the basic principles, the unique features and the limitations of thermal noise spectroscopy as a tool for in situ diagnostics in space plasmas. This technique is based on the analysis of the electrostatic field spectrum produced by the quasi-thermal fluctuations of the electrons and ions, which can be measured with a sensitive…
The Cassini CAPS Electron Spectrometer
Coates, A. J.; Linder, D. R.; Grande, M. +6 more
One of the major aims of the Cassini spacecraft is to characterize in detail the interaction of the solar wind with the Saturnian system. The Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) addresses this aim by measuring the plasma particles, ions and electrons, with a suite of three complementary sensors. One of these, the Electron Spectrometer (ELS), will m…
The 3-D Plasma Distribution Function Analyzers With Time-of-Flight Mass Discrimination for Cluster, FAST, and Equator-S
Balsiger, H.; Klecker, B.; Kistler, L. M. +39 more
A similar time-of-flight plasma analyzer system will be flown as CODIF (COmposition and DIstribution Function analyzer) on the four Cluster spacecraft, as ESIC (Equator-S Ion Composition instrument) on Equator-S, and as TEAMS (Time-of-flight Energy Angle Mass Spectrograph) on FAST. These instruments will for the first time allow the 3-dimensional …
The Cassini Ion Mass Spectrometer
McComas, D. J.; Young, D. T.; Berthelier, J. -J. +2 more
The joint NASA/European Space Agency Cassini mission to Saturn will carry the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS). This instrument consists of three sensors, including the Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS), a data processing unit, and an actuator that rotates CAPS in order to view a large fraction of the space environment. The IMS makes high sensitivity,…
The Cassini Ion Mass Spectrometer: Performance Metrics and Techniques
McComas, D. J.; Young, D. T.; Goldstein, R. +7 more
The Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS) uses a unique electric field configuration coupled with precise sub-nanosecond timing to produce a high mass-resolution plasma analyzer with both broad energy and mass ranges. The IMS maintains a spectrographic mass resolution (m/Δm) of ≥50 over a mass range of 1 to 40amu for singl…
Cassini Plasma Spectrometer Investigation
Coates, A. J.; Grande, M.; Johnson, R. E. +22 more
Cassini/Huygens is a joint project of NASA and the European Space Agency designed to explore the Saturnian system in depth during its four-year mission. Cassini, the orbiter spacecraft, will carry twelve hardware investigations while Huygens, the Titan atmospheric probe, will carry an additional six. The Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS), one of …
UV Rejection Design and Performance of the PEACE Electrostatic Analyzers
Alsop, C.; Scott, S.; Free, L.
The Plasma Electron and Current Experiment, PEACE, electrostatic analyzers are designed to measure electrons from 0.6 eV to 26,400 eV and will be directly exposed to sunlight in their operational environment. To minimize solar background counts, generated by direct interaction of the solar UV with the microchannel plate detectors or by the generat…
The Imaging Neutral Camera for the Cassini Mission to Saturn and Titan
Krimigis, S. M.; Mitchell, D. G.; Roelof, E. C. +8 more
The INCA sensor is the first Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) imager funded for flight by NASA. It is a part of the Cassini mission to Saturn, where it will be well suited to monitoring the global dynamics of the Saturn-Titan magnetospheric system throughout the orbital tour. The investigative requirement is to perform remote sensing of the magnetosph…
The Electron Drift Technique for Measuring Electric and Magnetic Fields
Torbert, R. B.; Quinn, J. M.; Paschmann, G. +2 more
The electron drift technique is based on sensing the drift of a weak beam of test electrons that is caused by electric fields and/or gradients in the magnetic field. These quantities can, by use of different electron energies, in principle be determined separately. Depending on the ratio of drift speed to magnetic field strength, the drift velocit…
Electron Gyro Time Measurement Technique for Determining Electric and Magnetic Fields
Paschmann, G.; Vaith, H.; Frenzel, R. +1 more
The paper describes the technique the Electron Drift Instrument (EDI) on CLUSTER employs to measure the flight times of the electrons between the time they are emitted and the time they return after having completed a gyration in the ambient magnetic field. In the presence of an electric field two different trajectories exist which return to the d…