NSSDCA ID: 1965-098B-05
Mission Name: DME-AA magnetic sector field mass spectrometer was used to measure the abundances of the ionospheric positive ion species in the mass range 1 to 20 atomic mass units. The mass range was swept every 3 s by an exponentially decreasing accelerating voltage, which varied from -4000 to -150 volts. The ions were separated according to mass-to-charge ratio in the magnetic analyzer section of the spectrometer. A particular ion species, depending on the accelerating voltage, was then passed through the analyzer into an electron multiplier. The output ion current from the multiplier was measured by a logarithmic electrometer amplifier and converted to a voltage. The experiment operated normally and yielded useful data from launch on November 29, 1965, until about April 1967. Then low battery voltage resulted in a voltage regulator problem. The experiment provided useful data only intermittently after that, and it failed in March 1968. NSSDC has all the useful data that exist from this investigation.
Questions and comments about this experiment can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Dr. John H. Hoffman | Principal Investigator | University of Texas, Dallas |