The Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) Instruments Aboard the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Spacecraft

• Published in: Space science reviews Vol. 179; no. 1-4; pp. 383 - 421
• Main Authors: Blake, J. B., Carranza, P. A., Claudepierre, S. G., Clemmons, J. H., Crain, W. R., Dotan, Y., Fennell, J. F., Fuentes, F. H., Galvan, R. M., George, J. S., Henderson, M. G., Lalic, M., Lin, A. Y., Looper, M. D., Mabry, D. J., Mazur, J. E., McCarthy, B., Nguyen, C. Q., O’Brien, T. P., Perez, M. A., Redding, M. T., Roeder, J. L., Salvaggio, D. J., Sorensen, G. A., Spence, H. E., Yi, S., Zakrzewski, M. P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.11.2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aerospace Technology and Astronautics; Astrophysics; Astrophysics and Astroparticles; Electrons; Energy; Instrumentation; Mass spectrometry; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Planetology; Probes; Radiation; Scientific apparatus & instruments; Space Exploration and Astronautics; Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics; Spacecraft; Spectrometers; Relativistic electron sensors; Energetic magnetospheric particles; Acceleration; Transport and loss of radiation belt particles
• ISSN: 0038-6308; 1572-9672
• DOI: 10.1007/s11214-013-9991-8

This paper describes the Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) instruments aboard the RBSP spacecraft from an instrumentation and engineering point of view. There are four magnetic spectrometers aboard each of the two spacecraft, one low-energy unit (20–240 keV), two medium-energy units (80–1200 keV), and a high-energy unit (800–4800 keV). The high unit also contains a proton telescope (55 keV–20 MeV). The magnetic spectrometers focus electrons within a selected energy pass band upon a focal plane of several silicon detectors where pulse-height analysis is used to determine if the energy of the incident electron is appropriate for the electron momentum selected by the magnet. Thus each event is a two-parameter analysis, an approach leading to a greatly reduced background. The physics of these instruments are described in detail followed by the engineering implementation. The data outputs are described, and examples of the calibration results and early flight data presented.