Data Access
This data set contains total ion densities obtained at 16ms resolution from the DE 2 Retarding Potential Analyzer. Corrections for spacecraft potential were included in the density determinations. Data are available in ASCII from nssdcftp and in CDF format from CDAWeb (as well as CDAWeb plots and lists). The data span the 18-month DE 2 lifetime, except for a gap from 1981/317 to 1982/057.
Version:2.6.0
This data set contains total ion densities obtained at 16ms resolution from the DE 2 Retarding Potential Analyzer. Corrections for spacecraft potential were included in the density determinations. Data are available in ASCII from nssdcftp and in CDF format from CDAWeb (as well as CDAWeb plots and lists). The data span the 18-month DE 2 lifetime, except for a gap from 1981/317 to 1982/057.
| Role | Person | StartDate | StopDate | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | PrincipalInvestigator | spase://SMWG/Person/Roderick.A.Heelis | |||
| 2. | PrincipalInvestigator | spase://SMWG/Person/William.B.Hanson | |||
| 3. | MetadataContact | spase://SMWG/Person/James.M.Weygand | |||
| 4. | GeneralContact | spase://SMWG/Person/Robert.M.Candey | |||
| 5. | MetadataContact | spase://SMWG/Person/Lee.Frost.Bargatze |
The Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA) measured the bulk ion velocity in the direction of the spacecraft motion, the constituent ion concentrations, and the ion temperature along the satellite path. These parameters were derived from a least squares fit to the ion number flux vs energy curve obtained by sweeping or stepping the voltage applied to the internal retarding grids of the RPA. In addition, a separate wide aperture sensor, a duct sensor, was flown to measure the spectral characteristics of iregularities in the total ion concentration. The measured parameters obtained from this investigation were important to the understanding of mechanisms that influence the plasma; i.e., to understand the coupling between the solar wind and the earth's atmosphere. The measurements were made with a multigridded planar retarding potential analyzer very similar in concept and geometry to the instruments carried on the AE satellites. The retarding potential was variable in the range from approximately +32 to 0 volts. The details of this voltage trace, and whether it was continuous or stepped, depended on the operating mode of the instrument. Specific parameters deduced from these measurements were ion temperature; vehicle potential; ram component of the ion drift velocity; the ion and electron concentration irregularity spectrum; and the concentration of H+, He+, O+, and Fe+, and of molecular ions near perigee. Additional details are in W. B. Hanson et al., Space Sci. Instrum., v. 5, n. 4, p. 503, 1981.
For ftp retrieval of daily CDF files
In CDF via HTTP from CDAWeb
For CDAWeb subset, plot and list capabilities
Web Service to this product using the HAPI interface.
Dynamics Explorer 2 Retarding Potential Analyzer 16 ms data