BackForwardInstrument:  TIMAS 

Instrument details
Acronym TIMAS
Full name Toroidal Imaging Mass-Angle Spectrograph
Purpose To study the properties, location, and morphology of the polar cusp, which is the principal source region for entry of solar wind plasma and hot ionospheric plasma into the magnetosphere
Short description The instrument samples ions (Z from 1 to 8) of resolved mass that are either energized ions of ionospheric origin or stored particles of solar wind origin. Energy range: 0.03-64 keV/q
Background Part of a package of instruments to explore the Magnetosphere
Scanning Technique Travelling across the magnetosphere in a highly-elliptical orbit
Resolution N/A
Coverage / Cycle Nearly full magnetospheric volume
Mass 15.7 kg Power 14 W Data Rate 4.1 kbps

 

Providing Agency NASA
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 1996 to 2008
Last update: 2017-06-05
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
  • Heavy ion sensor [cross magnetosphere]
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Alpha particles 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
Proton differential directional flux*2 - very highNo specific limitation.Magnetosphere, low and medium energy (up to 1000 keV)
Alpha particles differential directional flux*4 - fairNo specific limitation.Cross-magnetosphere. Low-medium energy range (<10 up to 100 MeV/n)
Heavy ion flux energy and mass spectrum*2 - very highNo specific limitation.Cross-magnetosphere. Low-medium energy range (<10 up to 100 MeV/n)
Heavy ion angular flux energy and mass spectrum*2 - very highNo specific limitation.Cross-magnetosphere. Low-medium energy range (<10 up to 100 MeV/n)