BackForwardInstrument:  RIMS-A 

Instrument details
Acronym RIMS-A
Full name Radio-frequency mass spectrometer
Purpose Automatic analysis of neutral and ionic composition of the upper atmosphere
Short description Description not available. Presumably, mass spectrometer for two ranges of mass numbers (1-4 and 10-50 AU). Energy range: 1-100 keV/n for Z from 1 to 26, and 10-100 eV for Energetic Neutral Atoms
Background Part of the instrument package carried by the Zond satellite of the 5-satellite Ionozonde constellation
Scanning Technique Magnetosphere observation, including the Earth's limb, from a drifting LEO
Resolution N/A
Coverage / Cycle Magnetospheric volume and upper atmosphere, daily
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency Roscosmos
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 2025 to 2028
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 1
  • In-situ plasma probes, and energetic particle spectrometers and magnetometers at GEO and LEO, and magnetic field at GEO
  • Proton sensor at LEO
  • Alpha-particle sensor at LEO
  • Heavy ion sensor at LEO
  • Plasma density sensor at LEO
  • Plasma temperature sensor at LEO
  • Plasma velocity sensor at LEO
  • Subcomponent 3
  • Neutral and Ion Mass Spectrometer
  • Heavy ions mass spectrometer [from LEO and HEO]
  • Energetic Neutral Atom spectrometer [from LEO and HEO]
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Alpha particles differential directional flux
  • Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA)
  • 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*3 - highNo specific limitation.Interplanetary space, low and medium energy (up to 1000 keV)
Alpha particles differential directional flux*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Sun-pointing. Low-medium energy range (<10 up to 100 MeV/n)
Solar wind density3 - highNo specific limitation.Interplanetary space. Inferred from Proton and Alpha-particle spectroscopy
Solar wind temperature3 - highNo specific limitation.Interplanetary space. Inferred from Proton and Alpha-particle spectroscopy
Solar wind velocity3 - highNo specific limitation.Interplanetary space. Inferred from Proton and Alpha-particle spectroscopy
Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA)*3 - highNo specific limitation.Interplanetary space, low energy (over 10 up to 10000 eV)
Heavy ion flux energy and mass spectrum*3 - highNo specific limitation.Sun-pointing. Low-medium energy range (<10 up to 100 MeV/n)