NSSDCA ID: 1969-053A-02
Mission Name: IMP-GThis experiment was designed to measure energetic charged particle populations in and beyond the earth's outer magnetosphere and the dynamic processes that influence these populations. The instrumentation consisted of a 4-in-diameter Neher-type integrating ionization chamber and three pairs of GM tubes. The ionization chamber responded omnidirectionally to electrons above 700 keV, protons above 12 MeV, and X rays above 20 keV. Each pair of GM tubes had one member normal to, and the other parallel to, the spacecraft spin axis. All but one tube had 70-deg full-width acceptance cones. The members of one pair of GM tubes responded to electrons above 80 keV and protons above 1.5 MeV. The second pair of GM tubes responded to electrons above 45 keV scattered from gold foils. The third tube, normal to the spin axis, responded to electrons above 120 keV, protons above 2.3 MeV, and X rays from 3 to 20 keV (0.1% efficiency). The other member of the third set of GM tubes responded to electrons above 18 keV and protons above 250 keV. Pulses from the ionization chamber and counts from each of the GM tubes were accumulated for 9.92 s and read out four times each 40.96 s. The experiment performed normally from launch until the spacecraft decayed from orbit on December 23, 1972, except that the ionization chamber operated intermittently throughout the mission. NSSDC has all the useful data that now exist.
Questions and comments about this experiment can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Mr. George H. Pitt | Other Investigator | University of California, Berkeley | |
Prof. Robert P. Lin | Other Investigator | University of California, Berkeley | |
Prof. Kinsey A. Anderson | Principal Investigator | University of California, Berkeley | anderson@ssl.berkeley.edu |