BackForwardInstrument:  RAPID 

Instrument details
Acronym RAPID
Full name Research with Adaptive Particle Imaging Detectors
Purpose To study suprathermal plasma distributions of electrons and ions
Short description Assemblage of two instruments: 1) an Imaging Ion Mass Spectrometer (IIMS) for ion distribution, energy range 2-1500 keV/n (Z from 1 to 8); and 2) Imaging Electron Spectrometer (IES) for measuring energetic electrons, range 20-400 keV
Background Part of a package of instruments for the study of the Magnetosphere
Scanning Technique Formation flight of 4 satellites in coordinated high-elliptical orbits cross the Magnetosphere for 3-D field reconstruction
Resolution N/A
Coverage / Cycle Magnetospheric volume
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency ESA
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 2000 to 2026
Last update: 2022-08-02
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]
  • 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 and medium energy (up to 400 keV)
Proton differential directional flux*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Cluster flown through the magnetosphere, low, medium and high energy (up to over 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)