BackForwardInstrument:  ECT/HOPE 

Instrument details
Acronym ECT/HOPE
Full name ECT Helium Oxygen Proton Electron
Purpose To measure slow particles that generate electromagnetic waves affecting higher energy particles trapped in the Van Allen belts
Short description Electrostatic top-hat analyzer and time-gated coincidence detectors to measure electrons, protons, alpha-particles and oxygen ions. Energy range 0.02-45 keV (electrons) and 0.02-45 keV/n (ions with Z from 1 to 8)
Background Part of the VAP (Van Allen Probe) instrument package ECT (Energetic Particle, Composition, and Thermal Plasma Suite), in association with MagEIS (Magnetic Electron and Ion Spectrometer) and REPT (Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope)
Scanning Technique 2 satellites moving to different positions into the Magnetosphere in a low.inclination HEO
Resolution N/A
Coverage / Cycle Large fraction of the magnetosphere and ionosphere
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency NASA
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 2012 to 2019
Last update: 2021-10-02
Detailed characteristics
Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Solar and space environment monitors
  • Energetic particle spectrometer
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 2
  • Magnetospheric energetic particles and magnetometers
  • Electron sensor [cross magnetosphere]
  • Proton sensor [cross magnetosphere]
  • Alpha-particle sensor [cross magnetosphere]
  • Heavy ion sensor [cross magnetosphere]
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Alpha particles differential directional flux
  • Electron differential directional flux
  • Heavy ion angular flux energy and mass spectrum
  • Heavy ion flux energy and mass spectrum
  • Proton differential directional flux
Evaluation of Measurements

The following list indicates which measurements can typically be retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable, click on the respective variable.

Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Note: * Primary mission objective.
VariableRelevance for measuring this variableOperational limitationsExplanation
Electron differential directional flux*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Cluster flown through the magnetosphere, low and medium energy (up to 400 keV)
Proton differential directional flux*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Cluster flown through the magnetosphere, low and medium energy (up to 1000 keV)
Alpha particles differential directional flux*3 - highNo specific limitation.Cross-magnetosphere satellite cluster. Low-medium energy range (<10 up to 100 MeV/n)
Heavy ion flux energy and mass spectrum*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Cross-magnetosphere satellite cluster. Low-medium energy range (<10 up to 100 MeV/n)
Heavy ion angular flux energy and mass spectrum*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Cross-magnetosphere satellite cluster. Low-medium energy range (<10 up to 100 MeV/n)