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Completed TRL 1 (started at 1, targeting 3)
Current neutral particle instrumentation relies on hot cathode filaments or an electron gun for ionizing the target medium. These ionization sources represent a potential Achilles Heel since such sources may require substantial power. This effort seeks to evaluate a commercially available 240-nm (5.17-eV) UV LED as an efficient, low-power ionizer for use in 2D neutral wind mass spectrometer instrumentation and for laboratory source applications.
The objective of this project is to develop and validate the efficiency and reliability of a prototype ionizer — that employs commercially available 240-nm (5.17-ev) UV LEDs — similar to that presented in Figure 1 — that would then be integrated into a 2D neutral wind mass spectrometer with a form factor applicable to platforms from CubeSat upward. This effort will result in the development of [basically] a self-contained ion “source” that will mount onto an existing vacuum system containing beam diagnostic instrumentation. This instrumentation will allow for the characterization of the resultant ion “beam” thereby allowing for determination of ionization efficiency as a function of UV LED intensity and power consumption.
Successful development of the “basic” UV ionizer technology would be immediately applicable to current efforts to develop/produce a CubeSat compatible neutral mass spectrometer at Goddard Space Flight Center.
Additionally, the subsequent development of a 2D thermospheric neutral wind mass spectrometer would serve as a key instrument on a future ROSES H-TIDeS LCAS proposal under development to study the origins and dynamics of the N2-vibrational minimum and photoelectron distribution in Earth’s ionosphere. Much of the underlying structure and dynamics of this thermospheric-ionospheric signature may well be controlled by the underlying composition and structure of neutral winds. Additionally, such an instrument would be a likely candidate for flight on the Ion-Neutral Coupling in the Atmosphere (INCA, STP#7) mission, a future constellation or Explorer — i.e., ionospheric dipper — mission, an upcoming cube-sat mission, or perhaps a future planetary mission.
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