BackForwardInstrument:  ECT/REPT 

Instrument details
Acronym ECT/REPT
Full name ECT Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope
Purpose To observe relativistic electrons and protons stemming from most intense solar and galactic events
Short description Telescope to measure electrons in the energy range 4-10 MeV and protons in the energy range 20-75 MeV
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 HOPE (Helium, Oxygen, Proton, Electron)
Scanning Technique The telescope points perpendicular to the satellite spin axis to scan across the 3D volume as the 2 satellites move to different positions into the Magnetosphere, in a low-inclination HEO
Resolution N/A
Coverage / Cycle Large fraction of 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]
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Electron integral directional flux
  • Proton integral 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 integral directional flux*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Cluster flown through the magnetosphere, high energy (over 400 keV)
Proton integral directional flux*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Cluster flown through the magnetosphere, high energy (over 1000 keV)