A Hybrid Electrostatic Retarding Potential Analyzer for the Measurement of Plasmas at Extremely High Energy Resolution

Many space plasmas (especially electrons generated in planetary ionospheres) exhibit fine-detailed structures that are challenging to fully resolve with the energy resolution of typical space plasma analyzers (10% 20%). While analyzers with higher resolution have flown, generally this comes at the expense of sensitivity and temporal resolution. We present a new technique for measuring plasmas with extremely high energy resolution through the combination of a top-hat Electrostatic Analyzer (ESA) followed by an internally mounted Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA). When high resolutions are not required, the RPA is grounded, and the instrument may operate as a typical general-purpose plasma analyzer using its ESA alone. We also describe how such an instrument may use its RPA to remotely vary the geometric factor (sensitivity) of a top hat analyzer, as was performed on the New Horizons Solar Wind at Pluto and MAVEN SupraThermal and Thermal Ion Composition instruments. Finally, we present results from laboratory testing of our prototype, showing that this technique may be used to construct an instrument with 1.6% energy resolution, constant over all energies and angles

Extending the Dynamic Range of Microchannel Plate Detectors Using Charge-Integration-Based Counting

Microchannel plate (MCP) detectors provide a mechanism to produce a measureable current pulse (~0.1mA over several nanoseconds) when stimulated by a single incident particle or photon. Reductions of the device's amplification factor (i.e., gain) due to high incident particle flux can lead to significant degradation of detection system performance. Here we develop a parameterized model for the variation of MCP gain with incident flux. This model provides a framework with which to quantify the limits of high-flux MCP operation. We then compare the predictions of this model to laboratory measurements of an MCP's response to a pulsed charged particle beam. Finally, we demonstrate that through integration of the MCP output current in pulsed operation, effective count rates up to ~ 1 GHz can be achieved, more than an order of magnitude increase over conventional counting techniques used for spaceflight applications

Invited Article: First flight in space of a wide-field-of-view soft x-ray imager using lobster-eye optics: Instrument description and initial flight results

We describe the development, launch into space, and initial results from a prototype wide field-of-view soft X-ray imager that employs lobster-eye optics and targets heliophysics, planetary, and astrophysics science. The sheath transport observer for the redistribution of mass is the first instrument using this type of optics launched into space and provides proof-of-concept for future flight instruments capable of imaging structures such as the terrestrial cusp, the entire dayside magnetosheath from outside the magnetosphere, comets, the Moon, and the solar wind interaction with planetary bodies like Venus and Mars [Kuntz et al., Astrophys. J. (in press)]

Invited Article: First Flight in Space of a Wide-Field-of-View Soft X-Ray Imager Using Lobster-Eye Optics: Instrument Description and Initial Flight Results

We describe the development, launch into space, and initial results from a prototype wide eld-of-view (FOV) soft X-ray imager that employs Lobster-eye optics and targets heliophysics, planetary, and astrophysics science. The Sheath Transport Observer for the Redistribution of Mass (STORM) is the rst instrument using this type of optics launched into space and provides proof-of-concept for future ight instruments capable of imaging structures such as the terrestrial cusp, the entire dayside magnetosheath from outside the magnetosphere, comets, the moon, and the solar wind interaction with planetary bodies like Venus and Mars

The cusp plasma imaging detector (CuPID) cubesat observatory: instrumentation

The Cusp Plasma Imaging Detector (CuPID) CubeSat observatory is a 6U CubeSat designed to observe solar wind charge exchange in magnetospheric cusps to test competing theories of magnetic reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause. The CuPID is equipped with three instruments, namely, a wide field-of-view (4.6° × 4.6°) soft x-ray telescope, a micro-dosimeter suite, and an engineering magnetometer optimized for the science operation. The instrument suite has been tested and calibrated in relevant environments, demonstrating successful design. The testing and calibration of these instruments produced metrics and coefficients that will be used to create the CuPID mission's data product.NNX16AJ73G - NASAPublished versio

Dual Electron Spectrometer for Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission: Results of the Comprehensive Tests of the Engineering Test Unit

The Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) is designed to study fundamental phenomena in space plasma physics such as a magnetic reconnection. The mission consists of four spacecraft, equipped with identical scientific payloads, allowing for the first measurements of fast dynamics in the critical electron diffusion region where magnetic reconnection occurs and charged particles are demagnetized. The MMS orbit is optimized to ensure the spacecraft spend extended periods of time in locations where reconnection is known to occur: at the dayside magnetopause and in the magnetotail. In order to resolve fine structures of the three dimensional electron distributions in the diffusion region (reconnection site), the Fast Plasma Investigation's (FPI) Dual Electron Spectrometer (DES) is designed to measure three dimensional electron velocity distributions with an extremely high time resolution of 30 ms. In order to achieve this unprecedented sampling rate, four dual spectrometers, each sampling 180 x 45 degree sections of the sky, are installed on each spacecraft. We present results of the comprehensive tests performed on the DES Engineering & Test Unit (ETU). This includes main parameters of the spectrometer such as energy resolution, angular acceptance, and geometric factor along with their variations over the 16 pixels spanning the 180-degree tophat Electro Static Analyzer (ESA) field of view and over the energy of the test beam. A newly developed method for precisely defining the operational space of the instrument is presented as well. This allows optimization of the trade-off between pixel to pixel crosstalk and uniformity of the main spectrometer parameters

The DXL and STORM sounding rocket mission

International audienc