Abstract New instrumental developments based on a floating-mode avalanche photodiode (APD) combined with an electrostatic energy-per-charge analyzer were conducted for comprehensive and accurate plasma measurements in wide energy ranges in future space plasma explorations. The advantages of APD, namely, rough energy analysis capability, low dark count, compact dimension, and lightweight, are promising as an advanced in-situ measurement technique. We conducted several types of electron/ion beamline experiments under different floating voltage conditions in order to investigate the properties of particle detections and energy analyses using the floating/normal-mode APD combined with/without the electrostatic energy-per-charge analyzer. The electron/ion post-acceleration associated with the operation of APD in floating mode reduces the lowermost energies detectable by APD. Applying a high voltage of ∼ ±5 kV to electrostatically float APD in the combination with an electrostatic analyzer, we can attain wide energy coverages (∼ eV – 100's of keV for electrons, ∼ 5 keV/q – 100's of keV/q for ions) with proper energy resolutions, noise reduction due to double energy discrimination, and ion mass discrimination capability particularly to distinguish energetic He2+ components of solar wind origin. This technique would also be useful to distinguish the terrestrial-origin O+ from H+ in energies of > a few tens of keV if the ions outflowing from the Earth’s upper atmosphere significantly affect the plasma population after some energization processes in the magnetosphere. When these advanced in-situ measurement techniques are employed in future exploration missions, wide-energy/angular distributions of both electrons and ions in space could be captured simultaneously by a single sensor head with triple-dome structure on spin-stabilized satellite.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    In-situ measurement techniques for space plasmas based on floating-mode avalanche photodiode and electrostatic energy-per-charge analyzer


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Advances in Space Research ; 72 , 11 ; 4934-4949


    Publication date :

    2023-09-07


    Size :

    16 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English





    LINEAR-MODE AVALANCHE PHOTODIODE ARRAYS FOR LOW-NOISE NEAR-INFRARED IMAGING IN SPACE

    Gilbert, James / Grigoriev, Alexey / King, Shanae et al. | TIBKAT | 2020


    The HgCdTe Electron Avalanche Photodiode

    IEEE | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2003


    The HgCdTe electron avalanche photodiode

    Beck, J.D. / Wan, C.-F. / Kinch, M.A. et al. | IEEE | 2003


    Hold-off time autotuning for a Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode

    Cronin, D. / D'Andrea, L. / Morrison, A.P. | IEEE | 2005