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Photoelectron Spectrometer (PES)

ResourceID
spase://SMWG/Instrument/AE-C/PES

Description

This experiment was designed to provide information on the intensity, angular distribution,
energy spectrum, and net flow along field lines, of electrons in the thermosphere with energies between
1 and 500 eV. The instrument consisted of two identical oppositely directed hemispherical electrostatic
analyzers, and 30 operating modes. Each spectrometer had a relative energy resolution of plus or minus
2.5% and a geometric factor on the order of 0.001 sq cm sr, independent of electron energy. Three separate
energy ranges could be sensed: 0 to 25, 0 to 100, or 0 to 500 eV. Measurements from these intervals could
be sequenced in five different ways. Data could be taken from either sensor separately, or alternately with
time resolution varying from 0.25 to 8 s. There were two deflection voltage scan rates determined by
spacecraft clock. This voltage was changed in 64 steps, and was done at 4 or 16 steps per telemetry frame.
With 16 frames/s, this allowed a choice of either one 64-point spectrum, or four 16-point spectra in 1 s.
The longest (8 s) cycle of data involved observations using increasing voltage steps for the lowest,
middle, lowest, then highest energy ranges (in that order) for 1 s each. A repeat for decreasing voltage
step completed the cycle. A more detailed description of this experiment may be found in
J. P. Doering et al., Radio Sci., v. 8, n. 4, p. 387, 1973. NSSDC has all the useful data that
exist from this investigation.

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Details

Version:2.0.0

Instrument

ResourceID
spase://SMWG/Instrument/AE-C/PES
ResourceHeader
ResourceName
Photoelectron Spectrometer (PES)
AlternateName
PES
ReleaseDate
2019-05-05 12:34:56Z
Description

This experiment was designed to provide information on the intensity, angular distribution,
energy spectrum, and net flow along field lines, of electrons in the thermosphere with energies between
1 and 500 eV. The instrument consisted of two identical oppositely directed hemispherical electrostatic
analyzers, and 30 operating modes. Each spectrometer had a relative energy resolution of plus or minus
2.5% and a geometric factor on the order of 0.001 sq cm sr, independent of electron energy. Three separate
energy ranges could be sensed: 0 to 25, 0 to 100, or 0 to 500 eV. Measurements from these intervals could
be sequenced in five different ways. Data could be taken from either sensor separately, or alternately with
time resolution varying from 0.25 to 8 s. There were two deflection voltage scan rates determined by
spacecraft clock. This voltage was changed in 64 steps, and was done at 4 or 16 steps per telemetry frame.
With 16 frames/s, this allowed a choice of either one 64-point spectrum, or four 16-point spectra in 1 s.
The longest (8 s) cycle of data involved observations using increasing voltage steps for the lowest,
middle, lowest, then highest energy ranges (in that order) for 1 s each. A repeat for decreasing voltage
step completed the cycle. A more detailed description of this experiment may be found in
J. P. Doering et al., Radio Sci., v. 8, n. 4, p. 387, 1973. NSSDC has all the useful data that
exist from this investigation.

Contacts
RolePersonStartDateStopDateNote
1.PrincipalInvestigatorspase://SMWG/Person/John.P.Doering
InformationURL
Name
NSSDC's Master Catalog
URL
Description

Information about the Photoelectron Spectrometer (PES) experiment on the AE-C mission.

InformationURL
Name
Radio Science Journal Article
URL
Description

Detailed information about the Photoelectron Spectrometer (PES) experiment on the AE-C mission.

InstrumentType
ElectrostaticAnalyser
InvestigationName
Photoelectron Spectrometer (PES) on AE-C
ObservatoryID