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Instrument: EPACT
Instrument details
Acronym
EPACT
Full name
Energetic Particles Acceleration, Composition, Transport
Purpose
To investigate and monitor the properties of the solar wind
Short description
Measurements of the elemental and isotopic abundances of the minor ions making up the solar wind with energies in excess of 20 keV. Measurements at a rate of once per minute for ions and 20 times per minute for electrons. Deduction of solar-wind velocity, density, temperature, and heat flux. Energy ranges: 0.2-10 MeV (electrons), 1.4-120 MeV (protons), 0.16-2000 MeV (alpha-particles) and 0.02-300 MeV/n (ions with Z from 3 to 26)
Background
Part of a package of instruments to observe the solar wind
Scanning Technique
Interplanetary space from the L1 Lagrange libration point
Resolution
N/A
Coverage / Cycle
Nearly full interplanetary space
Mass
Power
Data Rate
Providing Agency
NASA
Instrument Maturity
Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period:
1995-02-15 to ≥2022
Last update:
2021-11-10
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 1 Solar wind at L1 - Electron sensor Solar wind at L1 - Proton sensor Solar wind at L1 - Alpha-particle sensor Solar wind at L1 - Heavy ion sensor Solar wind at L1 - Plasma density sensor Solar wind at L1 - Plasma temperature sensor Solar wind at L1 - Plasma velocity sensor
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives Alpha particles differential directional flux Electron differential directional flux Heavy ion flux energy and mass spectrum Proton differential directional flux
Secondary mission objectives Solar wind temperature Solar wind velocity Show all Show fewer
Tentative 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