Development of a non high voltage electron spectrometer for auroral studies

Completed TRL 4 (started at 4, targeting 7)

Description

Our objective is to design, build and test a prototype electron spectrometer focusing on detecting auroral electrons (1 to 20 keV) that does not use any high voltage. This will be accomplished by using a Charge-Coupled Device as the detector element, combined with a magnetic deflection system for the electron energy selection. Traditional electrostatic analyzers use a sweeping high voltage supply in order to select different energy particles as well as for powering the detector, usually a Micro-Channel Plate. We propose to eliminate both of these high voltage sources. Magnetic deflection can be used to select different energy particles and CCDs have been shown to produce a detectable response to electron impacts down to energies of around 500 eV. The combination of these two changes would lead to a very low resource instrument in terms of power as well as a low risk instrument in terms of operation in orbital and sub-orbital platforms. In the high latitude regions, where there is often high energy (kev to 10’s of keV) auroral electron precipitation, such a detector could be used at the low altitudes to measure the effects of the electron precipitation that causes ionization at altitudes between 80 and 100 km altitude, which is currently an unexplored region. In addition, the magnetic deflection technique for energy selection enables high time resolution measurements that are critical for fully resolving small scale structure and dynamics. The proposed prototype is relevant to objective 1.4 of NASA's strategic plan “to understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system, including space weather”.

Benefits

Support NASA's Heliophysics strategic science objectives to understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system, including space weather. This will be achieved by developing/demonstrating instrumentation technology necessary to address the following science goals: Explore the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun to the Earth and throughout the solar system; Advance our understanding of the connections that link the Sun, the Earth, planetary space environments, and the outer reaches of our solar system; Develop the knowledge and capability to detect and predict extreme conditions in space to protect life and society and to safeguard human and robotic explorers beyond Earth.

Details

Technology area	Sensors and Instruments > In Situ Instruments and Sensors > Field and Particle Detectors
Program	Heliophysics Technology and Instrument Development for Science (H-TIDeS)
Lead organization	Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Start date	2017-03-01
End date	2020-02-01

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

Maria Samara — marilia.samara@nasa.gov
David T Leisawitz — david.t.leisawitz@nasa.gov
Guy A Grubbs
Mahmooda Sultana — mahmooda.sultana@nasa.gov

How to get involved

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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