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The Giotto three-dimensional positive ion analyser
Coates, A. J.; Winningham, J. D.; Borg, H. +9 more
An instrument to measure the three-dimensional energy distribution of positive ions in order to study the interaction between the solar wind and ionized Halley cometary particles was designed. Two sensors measure the distribution from 10 eV to 20 keV once per spacecraft spin and the distribution from 90 eV to 90 keV, with coarse mass discriminatio…
The ion mass spectrometer on Giotto
Schwenn, R.; Altwegg, K.; Balsiger, H. +18 more
The design of the Giotto ion mass spectrometer (IMS) system, its calibration, and the initial flight performance are discussed. The IMS system consists of two sensors: one optimized for the outer coma, the other for the inner coma, with each sensor obtaining complementary information in the region for which it was not optimized. Both sensors featu…
The Giotto magnetometer experiment
Neubauer, F. M.; Ungstrup, E.; Burlaga, L. F. +9 more
The Giotto magnetometer experiment employs a low-mass (1.357 kg), low-power (818 mW) instrument in a dual magnetometer configuration using flux gate sensors of the ring core type. It has provided accurate vector magnetic field measurements on its way to and near comet Halley, working flawlessly from switch-on on August 22, 1985 to the formal end o…
The Giotto dust impact detection system
McDonnell, J. A. M.
The dust impact detection system (DIDSY) comprises six independent subsystems with the primary aim of registering the impacts of all particulates of significant mass incident on the Giotto probe during the post-perihelion encounter with comet Halley in 1986. Mounted on Giotto's front dust shield, the detectors determine the mass distribution of th…
The Giotto electron plasma experiment
Anderson, K. A.; Reme, H.; Korth, A. +11 more
The RPA-Copernic experiment aboard Giotto is described. The experiment is designed to measure the three-dimensional distributions of electrons between 10 eV and 30 keV (by the RPA-1 EESA spectrometer) and the composition and distribution, close to the comet, of thermal positive ions in the mass range 10-213 amu (by the RPA-2 PICCA electrostatic ma…
The heavy ion analyser PICCA for the Comet Halley fly-by with Giotto
Anderson, K. A.; Reme, H.; Korth, A. +12 more
The heavy ion analyzer RPA2-PICCA is designed to identify the composition and distribution of thermal positive ions in the coma of the comet Halley. The instrument is an electrostatic analyzer which takes advantage of the large relative flyby velocity and the fact that the ions in the inner coma should have low temperatures and be predominantly si…
The Halley multicolour camera
Wilhelm, K.; Keller, H. U.; Kramm, J. R. +22 more
The Halley multicolor camera (HMC) is a high-resolution imaging system on board the ESA Giotto spacecraft to comet Halley. The fast spin of this spacecraft (15 RPM) required a unique and highly specialized design and complex fully autonomous operation. Design criteria and trade-offs and operational aspects are emphasized in this instrument descrip…
The Giotto mission to Comet Halley
Reinhard, R.