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A simple wave particle correlator for the Parker Solar Probe Mission - Invited Paper 491142

Authors :
Larson, D. E.
Goetz, K.
Verniero, J.
Howes, G. G.
Bale, S. D.
Bonnell, J. W.
Pulupa, M.
Dudok de Wit, Thierry
Macdowall, R. J.
Malaspina, D.
Harvey, P.
Livi, R.
Whittlesey, P. L.
Kasper, J. C.
Case, A. W.
Korreck, K. E.
Stevens, M. L.
Klein, K. G.
POTHIER, Nathalie
Publication Year :
2019
Publisher :
HAL CCSD, 2019.

Abstract

Modern spacecraft missions have an enormous problem: the instruments can sample extremely high-resolution measurements, but telemetry restrictions often prevent the collection of data at a sufficient time resolution to allow correlations at the wave period of interest. The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) / correlator is a joint venture between the Solar Wind Electron Alpha Proton particle instrument suite, SWEAP, and the electromagnetic fields instrument suite, FIELDS, which interfaces with a DPU called the SWEAP Electronics Module (SWEM). A single interface cable was placed between the SWEAP and FIELDS instruments through the Data Processing Unit/Time Domain Sampler (DPU/TDS), enabling a novel approach to explore wave-particle interactions in the near Sun environment. Particle pulses from any combination anodes from the electrostatic analyzers, called the Solar Probe ANalyzers (SPAN) are sent through a single channel to the FIELDS DPU. Wave-particle correlations can be seen up to 1 MHz, so both electron and ion scale kinetic physics can be studied. Particle count rates and field measurements are made simultaneously and captured in the same data packet eliminating potential timing errors. We also show an example of real data from laboratory calibration of the flight instrumentation PSP FIELDS/SWEAP particle correlator. During this measurement, the particle flux from an (ion) gun was modulated by a sinusoidal voltage applied to a modulation grid. Individual particles detected by the PSP/SPAN-Ion sensor were transmitted as short voltage pulses to the FIELDS/TDS instrument and recorded at extremely high time resolution. The same modulation signal was also provided to the FIELDS/TDS instrument. Complimentary ground-based analysis of wave-particle interactions will guide data downlink selection from the correlator and help develop this concept for future missions.

Details

Language :
English
Database :
OpenAIRE
Accession number :
edsair.od.......166..441bfdfcf1912b2fdbf6e603ba11b21c