A composition analysis tool for the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument on New Horizons

R. W. Ebert; D. J. McComas; B. Rodriguez; P. Valek; S. Weidner

doi:10.1007/s11214-010-9683-6

A composition analysis tool for the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument on New Horizons

R. W. Ebert, D. J. McComas, B. Rodriguez, P. Valek, S. Weidner

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

We describe the response of the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument (McComas et al. in Space Sci. Rev. 140:261, 2008) to 1-40 amu ions in order to assess whether it can be used to determine plasma composition. Our goal is to enhance the scientific return on the SWAP plasma measurements obtained during the New Horizons traversal down Jupiter's magnetotail in 2007. We present calibration data for the SWAP flight instrument and another largely flight-like SWAP sensor, dubbed "SWAP-II". SWAP's massdependent response was characterized by analyzing the count ratios from its two channel electron multipliers (CEMs). We observe significant differences in the instrument response between light (mass ≤ He) and heavy (mass > He) ions, especially for energies below ∼4 keV. We attribute these differences to the mass-dependent electron emission yield from SWAP's ultra-thin (∼1 μg/cm²) carbon foil. Using these results, we develop a plasma composition analysis technique to statistically distinguish between light and heavy plasma ions measured by the instrument.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1-12
Number of pages	12
Journal	Space Science Reviews
Volume	156
Issue number	1-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-010-9683-6
State	Published - Oct 2010
Externally published	Yes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Keywords

Jovian magnetotail
New Horizons
Plasma composition
Secondary electron emission
Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument
Thin carbon foil

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10.1007/s11214-010-9683-6

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title = "A composition analysis tool for the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument on New Horizons",

abstract = "We describe the response of the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument (McComas et al. in Space Sci. Rev. 140:261, 2008) to 1-40 amu ions in order to assess whether it can be used to determine plasma composition. Our goal is to enhance the scientific return on the SWAP plasma measurements obtained during the New Horizons traversal down Jupiter's magnetotail in 2007. We present calibration data for the SWAP flight instrument and another largely flight-like SWAP sensor, dubbed {"}SWAP-II{"}. SWAP's massdependent response was characterized by analyzing the count ratios from its two channel electron multipliers (CEMs). We observe significant differences in the instrument response between light (mass ≤ He) and heavy (mass > He) ions, especially for energies below ∼4 keV. We attribute these differences to the mass-dependent electron emission yield from SWAP's ultra-thin (∼1 μg/cm2) carbon foil. Using these results, we develop a plasma composition analysis technique to statistically distinguish between light and heavy plasma ions measured by the instrument.",

keywords = "Jovian magnetotail, New Horizons, Plasma composition, Secondary electron emission, Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument, Thin carbon foil",

author = "Ebert, {R. W.} and McComas, {D. J.} and B. Rodriguez and P. Valek and S. Weidner",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgements This work was funded by NASA under the New Horizons program. The authors wish to thank the members of the New Horizons and SWAP teams for making this work possible. We specifically thank Dave Cronk, Greg Dunn, Chris Kofoed, Matt Maple, Marce Martinez, Greg Miller, Tim Orr, Brent Randol, Robert Reardon, David White, and Mike Young for their contributions towards building and calibrating SWAP-II. R.W. Ebert would like to thank Roberto Livi for the useful discussion on error analysis and the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for their financial contribution to his work.",

year = "2010",

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doi = "10.1007/s11214-010-9683-6",

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AU - McComas, D. J.

AU - Rodriguez, B.

AU - Valek, P.

AU - Weidner, S.

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgements This work was funded by NASA under the New Horizons program. The authors wish to thank the members of the New Horizons and SWAP teams for making this work possible. We specifically thank Dave Cronk, Greg Dunn, Chris Kofoed, Matt Maple, Marce Martinez, Greg Miller, Tim Orr, Brent Randol, Robert Reardon, David White, and Mike Young for their contributions towards building and calibrating SWAP-II. R.W. Ebert would like to thank Roberto Livi for the useful discussion on error analysis and the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for their financial contribution to his work.

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N2 - We describe the response of the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument (McComas et al. in Space Sci. Rev. 140:261, 2008) to 1-40 amu ions in order to assess whether it can be used to determine plasma composition. Our goal is to enhance the scientific return on the SWAP plasma measurements obtained during the New Horizons traversal down Jupiter's magnetotail in 2007. We present calibration data for the SWAP flight instrument and another largely flight-like SWAP sensor, dubbed "SWAP-II". SWAP's massdependent response was characterized by analyzing the count ratios from its two channel electron multipliers (CEMs). We observe significant differences in the instrument response between light (mass ≤ He) and heavy (mass > He) ions, especially for energies below ∼4 keV. We attribute these differences to the mass-dependent electron emission yield from SWAP's ultra-thin (∼1 μg/cm2) carbon foil. Using these results, we develop a plasma composition analysis technique to statistically distinguish between light and heavy plasma ions measured by the instrument.

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KW - Jovian magnetotail

KW - New Horizons

KW - Plasma composition

KW - Secondary electron emission

KW - Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument

KW - Thin carbon foil

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A composition analysis tool for the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument on New Horizons

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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