NSSDCA ID: 1963-046A-06
Mission Name: IMP-AA quadrispherical electrostatic analyzer with a current collector and an electrometer amplifier was used to detect and analyze the positive ion component of the incident plasma and to study its gross flow characteristics. Protons were analyzed in 14 energy channels between 0.025 and 16 keV. The instrument was mounted on the satellite equatorial plane and had a view angle of 15 deg in this plane and of 90 deg in the plane containing the spin axis. The satellite's equatorial plane was divided into three contiguous sectors (111.8 deg, 111.8 deg, and 136.4 deg) by use of an optical aspect sensor. The peak flux in one sector was recorded at one analyzer plate potential per revolution of the satellite (no information about the position within the sector in which the peak flux occurred was retained). After 14 revolutions, all energy channels had been scanned, and the process was repeated for the next sector. A complete scan in energy and sector was repeated every 5.46 min. No data were obtained for the brief periods when the satellite was in the magnetosphere. The instrument operated well until April 1964 when it started operating intermittently. Its operation continued to degrade thereafter. For further details, see J. H. Wolfe et al., J. Geophys. Res., v.71, p. 1319, 1966. NSSDC has all the useful data that now exist.
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Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Mr. Richard W. Silva | Other Investigator | TRW Systems Group | |
Dr. John H. Wolfe | Principal Investigator | NASA Ames Research Center |