NSSDCA ID: 1963-046A-01
Mission Name: IMP-AThe retarding potential analyzer was a three-element planar Faraday cup. It was mounted normal to the spacecraft spin axis and had an effective look angle of 5 sr. Coarse and fine resolution modes were programmed for both ions and electrons. These modes consisted of 15 steps each for retarding voltages of 0 to 28 V and 0 to 100 V. The entire ion and electron sequence was repeated once every 10.92 min, and each 15-step spectral analysis required 5.4 s. The experiment operated for about 20 h after launch, until a failure of a mechanical programmer switch terminated operations. The data were adversely affected by secondary electrons and no longer exist. For further details, see G. P. Serbu, "Results from the IMP-1 retarding potential analyzer," Space Research V, 1965.
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Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Dr. Eugene J. Maier | Other Investigator | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | |
Mr. Gideon P. Serbu | Principal Investigator | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center |