Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Similar Documents
Comprehensive plasma instrumentation (cpu) for the geotail spacecraft
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Frank, Louis A. |
| Copyright Year | 1994 |
| Description | Geotail was launched on 24 July 1992 as the first new spacecraft of the International Solar Terrestrial Physics Program (ISTP). A primary objective of the Geotail mission is the acquisition of particles and fields measurements in the tail region of the magnetosphere. Some of the specific scientific objectives of the Geotail mission are; (1) assessment of the relative importance of solar-wind and ionospheric sources to the plasmas of the magnetotail, (2) a search for plasmoids and flux ropes, (3) direct observation of the effects of plasma acceleration and heating in the current sheet, and (4) measurements of currents and convective flows carried by magnetotail plasmas. The Comprehensive Plasma Instrumentation (CPI) aboard the Geotail spacecraft provides observations of the charged particles that comprise the plasma populations of the magnetosphere and the solar wind. In many cases the physical processes that contribute to the flow of energy and mass through the Solar-Terrestrial plasma system can be understood only through a detailed examination and analysis of the distribution of the particle velocities in the ambient plasmas. The CPI provides detailed measurements of these distributions. It employs three plasma analyzers: (1) the Hot Plasma analyzer (CPI-HP) for hot electrons and ions found in the plasma sheet and the inner magnetosphere; (2) a Solar Wind analyzer (CPI-SW) for cool plasmas with high bulk speeds such as those found in the solar wind and magnetosheath; and (3) an Ion Composition analyzer (CPI-IC) for identification of ion species such as H(+), He(+), He(++), and O(+). Along with measurements from other fields and particles instrumentation on Geotail, the CPI measurements provide a fundamental experimental base for investigations of solar-terrestrial plasmas and fields. |
| File Size | 670962 |
| Page Count | 16 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19960041496 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t4tj3fb8q |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1994-06-10 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Spacecraft Instrumentation Plasma Layers Geomagnetic Tail Satellite Instruments Hot Electrons Magnetically Trapped Particles Ions Plasma Acceleration Inner Radiation Belt Charged Particles Solar Wind Space Plasmas Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Technical Report |
