BackForwardInstrument:  ESA 

Instrument details
Acronym ESA
Full name Electrostatic Analyzer
Purpose To measure thermal electrons and ions to identify and track high-speed flows through the magnetotail and identify pressure pulse
Short description Measures the number of electrons and ions with a specified energy from a certain direction at a given time (the particle distribution function) over the energy range 0.003-30 keV (electrons) and 0.003-30 keV/n (ions with Z from 1 to 8)
Background Part of a package of instruments to study the Magnetosphere
Scanning Technique 5 satellites moving to different positions into the Magnetosphere for 3-D field reconstruction
Resolution N/A
Coverage / Cycle Full magnetospheric volume
Mass 3 kg Power 1.7 W Data Rate

 

Providing Agency NASA
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 2007 to 2025
Last update: 2021-12-16
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]
  • Subcomponent 3
  • Neutral and Ion Mass Spectrometer
  • Heavy ions mass spectrometer [from LEO and HEO]
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
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 energy (up to 40 keV)
Proton differential directional flux*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Cluster flown through the magnetosphere, low energy (up to 40 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)