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Completed TRL 4 (started at 3, targeting 4)
We are developing an Ion Velocity Spectrometer that can be used to measure the solar wind plasma protons and alphas, and has the capability to also measure the solar wind ion composition. This instrument will support future heliospheric and space weather missions that measure the solar wind plasma upstream of the Earth for space weather applications. This instrument will have unique ion composition capabilities and will be designed to work in the transient energetic particle events such as Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRS), Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events.
Results will allow one to build for the first time an ion velocity spectrometer with primary goal to measure the solar wind plasma and its ion composition. It can be used as an upstream monitor of the solar wind for the Earth with space weather applications.
Results will allow one to correctly model background from penetrating energetic particles into lower energy particle instruments from such missions as Galileo, Cassini, Van Allen Probes and the Europa Multiple Flyby Mission (EMFM).
Will allow one to properly design and shield low energy particle instrumentation against penetrating particles for future missions to the inner and outer heliosphere and the planetary magnetospheres.
Will allow one to design spacecraft and their instrumentation that must operate within the radiation belts of the Earth. This includes particle and photon counting detectors. In addition, IVS would be useful for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and space mining applications to assay abundances of water and high-demand trace elements.
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