BackForwardInstrument:  FPI 

Instrument details
Acronym FPI
Full name Fast Plasma Instrument
Purpose Measurement of 3D ion and electron flux distributions
Short description Dual Ion Sensors and Dual Electron Sensors, to measure ions with energy range 0.01-30 keV/n for Z from 1 to 8; and electron spectra over the energy range 0.01-30 keV with an energy resolution of 20 %. Electrons will be measured with a time resolution of 30 ms, ions with a time resolution 150 ms
Background Part of a package of instruments to implement the SMART (Solving Magnetospheric Acceleration, Reconnection, and Turbulence) mission
Scanning Technique 4 satellites co-flying in tetrehedral pattern, moving to different positions into the Magnetosphere for 3-D field reconstruction
Resolution N/A
Coverage / Cycle Full magnetospheric volume
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency NASA
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 2015 to 2024
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)