The retarding potential analyzer and drift meter were carried aboard all three Atmosphere Explorer spacecraft. These instruments measure the total thermal ion concentration and temperature, the bulk thermal ion velocity vector and some limited properties of the relative abundance of H(+), He(+), O(+) and molecular ions. These instruments functioned with no internal failures on all the spacecraft. On AE-E there existed some evidence for external surface contamination that damaged the integrity of the RPA sweep grids. This led to some difficulties in data reduction and interpretation that did not prove to be a disastrous problem. The AE-D spacecraft functioned for only a few months before it re-entered. During this time the satellite suffered from a nutation about the spin axis of about + or - 2 deg. This 2 deg modulation was superimposed upon the ion drift meter horizontal ion arrival angle output requiring the employment of filtering techniques to retrieve the real data

Hanson, W. B.

Lippincott, C. R.

Sanatani, S.

Zuccaro, D. R.

English

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♦. - -./	 r
5
PLANAR ION TRAP
(RETARDING POTENTIAL ANALYZER)
EXPERIMENT
FOR
ATMOSPHERE EXPLORER
FINAL REPORT
For Contract No. NAS5-11407
TO
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS
CENTER FOR SPACE SCIENCES
W. B. Hanson 92
Principal Investigator y,s`o1
S. Sana tani d` OCT 103
Co-Investigator
N aECtIVED	 F
^FC. R. Lippincott DEM
Co-Investigator
D. R. Zuccaro 9-
Co-Investigator
DECEMBER 1982
(NASA-CE-170589)	 PLANAR ICN TRAP (RcEIARDING	 N83-36569
POTENTIAL ANALYZER) EXPEDICEDT ICE
ATMOSPHERE EXPLORER Final Fepert (Texas
univ.)	 7 p HC A02/MF A0 1 	 CSCL 04A	 Unclas
G3/46 44006
Nino	 I-A
A
FINAL REPORT
CONTRACT NO. NAS5-11407
PLANAR ION TRAP (RETARDING
POTENTIAL ANALYZER) EXPERIMENT
FOR
ATMOSPHERE EXPLORER
The Atmosphere Explorer program consisted of the study of data from three
satellites to further our understanding of the aeronomy of the earth's upper
atmosphere. Included in the satellites' payload was the capability to measure
the constituent composition and temper -ire of the neutral and ionized gas
as well as the motion of these atmospheric components. These data together
with measurements of the electron temperature, the energetic particle input
and the atmosphere airglow emissions ha y= provided the foundation upon which
giant strides in the understanding of our environment have been made.
The retarding potential analyzer and drift meter were carried aboard
all three Atmosphere Explorer spacecraft. These instruments measure the total
thermal ior. concentration and temperature, the bulk thermal ion velocity vector
and some limited properties of the relative abundance of H + , He 	 and molecu-
lar ions. These instruments functioned with no internal failures on all the
spacecraft. Or. AE-E there existed some evidence for external surface contam-
ination that damaged the integrity of the RPA sweep grids. This led to some
difficulties in data reduction and interpretation that did not prove to be a
disastrous problem. The AE-D spacecraft functioned for only a-few months
before it re-entered. During this time the satellite suffered from a nutation
about the spin axis of about t 2°. This 2° modulation was superimposed upon
the ion drift meter horizontal ion arrival angle output requiring the employment
1: s.
J^
	 f
of filtering techniques to retrieve the real data. This function proved to
be quite difficult in highly structured high latitude regions but, nevertheless,
high quality data was retrieved in most cases. The AE-C spacecraft functioned
without major incidents for about seven years. During that time a large data
base from the RPA/Drift Meter has been accumulated. The data have been of
high quality and data reduction algorithms have functioned smoothly throughout
the mission.
A great deal of fundamental and more detailed science has been performed
using the RPA/Drift Meter data. Data from all three spacecraft have contributed
in different fields,the highlights of which are described below.
The Ionosphere as a Plasma Laboratory
The elliptical orbit of the AE-C satellite allowed a number of measurements
to be made in a confined latitude and local time region but with varying neutral
and ionized gas concentrations by virtue of a changing altitude. Under such
conditions the details of many chemical reactions can be studied. In particular,
reaction rates for species that are extremely hard to produce in a laboratory
can be studied. The AE data base has been put to good use in this area with
the magnetic spectrometer and RPA providing details of the ionic constituents,
the airglow instrument providing information on excited neutral and ion species
and the bulk neutral gas densities provided by mass spectrometers. New informa-
tion on fundamental ion recombination rates has been returned as well as an
improved understanding of chemistry of minor ions such as 04+ and Nom.
In the plasma laboratory environment we have also learned more about the
conditions under which thermal equilibrium between the ion and neutral gases
is established and made use of a unique opportunity to examine the neutral
hydrogen envelope of the earth.
Ionospheric Irregularities
In addition to providing ion composition, velocity and temperature data
the RPA also functions in a mode that. allowed the properties of ion concentra-
tion irregularities to be determined down to scale sizes of about 125 meters.
Spectral analysis of this data has procuced information about the dominant
scale sizes of ionospheric irregularities as a function of position. In addition
the combination of high resolution measurements from the magnetic spectrometer
has allowed an investigation of the constituent ions in regions of high and
low density and a measure of their chemical lifetimes. Such data has also
been combined with measurements of the bulk ion velocity so that the motion
of ionospheric irregularities can be determined. Many different characteristics
have been discovered, some of which can be understood in terms of current
theoretical models and others which are a stimulus for future theoretical work
in plasma physics.
High Latitude Ionospheric Dynamics
The contribution of AE to ionosphere magnetosphere coupling studies and
our understanding of magnetospheric energy inputs to the atmosphere may not
have been anticipated initially but has turned out to be a significant lagacy
left by AE. The combination of ion composition measurements, ion velocity
measurements, and energetic particle measurements has led to a significant
advance in our understanding of the impact of each of these parameters on the
other. The data have led to new thinking on the geometry of the high latitude
convection pattern, to new ideas about the location of electric field and
particle sources in the magnet osphere and to a new generation of sophisticated
ionospheric models to include the effects of high latitude ionospheric
4M
dynamics. Significant advances have been made in our understanding of the
formation of ion concentration depletions, in the electric field structure
around auroral arcs and in the distribution and magnitude of ionospheric
conductivity.
There is no doubt that the AE mission has left us with unanswered
questions. However, most of these questions are new ones requiring new and
more specialized data. As a result the AE mission has been a huge success
that can be easily recognized by the large and significant amount of pub-
lished material that it has generated. Attached to this report is a list
of those publications either fully or partially supported by this contract.
F	 s
"The Atmosphere Explorer Mission," W. B. Hanson, A. Dalgarno, N. W. Spencer
and E. R. Schmerling, Radio Sci., 8, 263, 1973
"The Retarding-Potential Analyzer on Atmosphere Explorer," W. B. Hanson, D. R.
Zuccaro, C. R. Lippincott, and S. Sanatani, Radio Sci., 8, 333, 1973
"An Auroral F-Region Study Using in situ Measurements by the Atmosphere
Explorer-C Satellite," W. B. Hanson, M. R. Torr, D. G. Tour, R. A.
Hoffman, J. H. Hoffman, W. K. Peterson and J. C. G. Walker, Planet
Space Sci., 23, 1669, 1975
"Comparison of Neutral Temperatures Inferred from Instruments on the AE-C
Satellite," W. B. Hanson, A. E. Hedin, N. W. Spencer and P. Bauer,
Geophys. Res. Lett., 3, 469, 7976
"Characteristics of Auroral Electron Acceleration Regions Observed by
Atmosphere Explorer C," R. A. Heelis, J. L. Burch, S. A. Fields, W. B.
Hanson, R. A. Hoffman, and R. W. Janetzke, J. Geophys. Res., 81, 2223, 1976
"Ion Convection Velocity Reversals in the Dayside Cleft," R. A. Heelis, W. B.
Hanson, and J. L. Burch, J. Geophys. Res., 81, 3803, 1976
"Properties of Spikelike Shear Flow Reversals Observed in the Auroral Plasma
by Atmosphere Explorer C," R. A. Heelis, J. L. Burch, W. Lennartsson,
W. B. Hanson, J. H. Hoffman, and R. A. Hoffman, J. Geophys. Res., 81,
3886, 1976
"Discrepancy Between Electron Heating and Cooling Rates Derived from Atmos-
phere Explorer-C Measurements," W. B. Hanson, L. H. Brace, W. R. Hoegy',
H. G. Mayr, G. A. Victor, C. A. Reber, and H. E. Hinteregger, J. Geophys.
Res., 81, 5421, 1976
"Retarding Potential Analyzer Measurement of the Effect of Ion-Neutral
Collisions on the Ion Velocity Distribution in the Auroral Ionosphere,"
W. B. Hanson, J.-P. St.-Maurice and J. C. G. Walker, J. Geophys. Res., 81,
5438, 1976
"Electron and Ion Temperatures--A Comparison of Ground-Based Incoherent
Scatter and AE-C Satellite Measurements," W. B. Hanson, R. J. Benson, P.
Bauer, L. H. Brace, H. C. Carlson, J. Hagen, W. R. Hoegy, M. R. Torr, R.
H. Wand, and V. B. Wickwar, J. Geophys. Res., 82, 36, 1977
"Plasma Bubbles and Irregularities in the Equatorial Ionosphere," J. P. McClure
W. B. Hanson and J. H. Hoffman, J. Geophys. Res., 82, 2650, 7.977
"Determination of the N2+ Recombination Rate Coefficient in the Ionosphere,"
W. B. Hanson. N. Orsini, D, G. Torr, H. C. Brinton, L H. Brace, J. H.
Hoffman and A. 0. Nier, Geophys. Res. Lett., 4, 431, 1977
"Substorm Effects Observed in the Auroral Plasma," R. A. Heelis, J. L.
Burch and S. A. Fields, Proc. Int. Symp. Solar Terr. Phys., 2, 740, 1978
"Ion Convection and the Formation of the Mid Latitude F-Region Trough,"
R. A. Heelis, R. W. Spiro and W. B. Hanson, J. Geophys. Res., 83, 4255, 1978
"Ion Temperature Troughs and Interhemisphere Transport Observed in the
Equatorial Ionosphere," R. A. Heelis, G. J. Bailey and W. B. Hanson, J.
Geophys. Res., 83, 3683, 1978
"IMF Changes and Polar-Cap Electric Fields and Currents," R. A. Heelis, in
Dynamics of the Magnetosphere, ad. S.-I. Akasofu, pp 47-62, D. Reidel
Publishing Company, 1979
"An Experimental and Theoretical Study of the Mean Diurnal Variation of 0+,
NO+ , 02+ , and N2+ Ions in the Mid-Latitude F1 Layer of tha Ionosphere,"
W. B. Hanson, D. G. Torr, M. R. Torr, H. C. Brinton, L. H. Brace, N. W.
Spencer, A. E. Hedin, J. H. Hoffman, A. 0. Nier,	 C. G. Walker, and D.
W. Rusch, J. Geophys. Res., 84, 3360, 1979
"Direct In-Situ Measurements of Thermospheric Temperature," E. L. Breig,
D.C. Kayser, R.A. Pow(r, W.B. Hanson, and A.O. Nier, J. Geophys.
Res., 84, 4321, 1979
"Polar-Cap Electron Acceleration Regions," R. A. Heelis, J. L. Burch and S. A.
Fields, J. Geophys. Ras., 84, 5863, 1979
"Rapid Sub-Auroral Ion Drifts Observed by Atmosphere Explorer-C," R. A. Heelis,
R. W. Spiro and W. B. Hanson, Geophys. Res. Lett., 6, 657, 1979
"Ionospheric Convection at High Latitudes," R. A. Heelis, Proc. of
Magnetospheric Boundary Layers, ESA SP-148, 175, 1979
"Multi-Technique Study of Natural Midlatitude Irregularities," W. B. Hanson,
S. and S. Basu, S. Ganguly and J. A. Klobuchar, Proc. Satellite Beacon
Symposium, Warsaw, Poland, pg. 283, 1980
"Simultaneous Observations of Field Aligned Currents and Plasma Drift
Velocities by Atmosphere Explorer-C," P. F. Bythrow, R. A. Heelis, W. B.
Hanson, and R. A. Power, J. Geophys. Res., 85, 151, 1980
"The Spatial-Temporal Ambiguity in Auroral Modeling,"	 A. Heelis, M. H. Rees,
R. G. Roble; J. Kopp, et al., J. Geophys. Res., U, 1235, 1980
"High Latitude Ion Convection in the Nighttime F-Region," R. A. Heelis, W. B.
Hanson, J. Geophys. Res., 85, 1995, 1980
"The Relationships between High Latitude Convection Reversals and the Energetic
Particle Morphology Observed by Atmosphere Explorer," R. A. Heelis, J. D.
Winningham, W. B. Hanson and J. L. Burch, J. Geophys. Res., 85, 3315, 1980
"Interhemispheric Transport Induced by Neutral Zonal Winds in the F-Region,"
R. A. Heelis and W. B. Hanson (Brief Report), J. Geophys. Res., 85, 3045,
1980
"Co-ordinated Study of Equatorial Scintillation, In-Situ and Radar Observa-
tions of Nighttime F-Region Irregularities," W. B. Hanson, Santimay Basu,
Sunanda Basu, J. P. McClure, and J. Aarons, J. Geophys. Res., 85, 5119,
1980
"Cusp Region Particle Precipitation and Ion Convection for Northward Inter-
planetary Magnetic Field, R. A. Heelis, J. L. Burch, P. H. Reiff, R. W.
Spiro and S. A. Fields, Geophys. Res., Lett., 7, 393, 1980
"A Feature of the Behavior of He in the Nighttide Uigh Latitude Ionosphere
During Equinox," R. A. Heelis, J. A. Murphy and W. B. Hanson, J. Geophys.
Res., 86, 59, 1981
"Neutral Thermospheric Temperature from Ion Concentration Measurements,"
E. L. Breig, J.S. Donaldson, W.B. Hanson, D.C. Kayser, N.W. Spencer, J.H.
Hoffman, L.E. Wharton and R.A. Power, J. Geophys. Res., 86, 585, 1981
"Auroral Arc Electrodynamic Parameters Measured by Chatanika and AE-C," R. A.
Heelis, 0. de la Beaujardiere, R. Vondrak, W. Hanson, and R. Hoffman, J.
Geophys. Res., 86, 4671, 1981
"Spectral Characteristics of Medium-Scale Equatorial F Region Irregularities,"
W. B. Hanson, R. C. Livingstone, C. L. Rino and J. P. McClure, J. Geophys.
Res., 86, 2421, 1981
"Observational Evidence for a Boundary Layer Source of Dayside Region I Field-
Aligned Currents," P. F. Bythrow, R. A. Heelis, W. B. Hanson, and R. A.
Power, J. Geophys. Res., 86, 5577, 1981
"AE-C Observations of Electric Fields Around Auroral Arcs," R. A. Heelis ; W. B.
Hanson and J. L. Burch, AGU Geophysical Monograph No. 25, Physics of
Auroral Arc Formation, p. 154, 1981
"Electric Fields and Electrostatic Potentials in the High Latitude Ionosphere,"
R. A. Heelis, P. M. Banks, J. P. St.-Maurice and W. B. Hanson, in
Exploration of the Polar Upper Ionosphere, ed. Holtet and Deehr, 1981
"The Case of the Noisy Derivatives--Evidence for a Spacecraft-Plasma Inter-
action," W. B. Hanson and B. L. Cragin, J. Geophys. Res., 86, 10022, 1981
"Ion Sputtering from Satellite Surfaces," W. B. Hanson, S. Sanatani and J. H.
Hoffman, J. Geophys. Res., 86, 11350, 1981


Planar ion trap (retarding potential analyzer) experiment for atmosphere explorer

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