Project Title:

Miniaturized Ion Detector to Measure Space Plasmas

94-1	08.05	7673		

Miniaturized Ion Detector to Measure Space Plasmas

Abstract:

A simple flashlight-battery-sized sensor is proposed capable of 
measuring the ion composition, plasma temperature and bulk 
velocity of space plasmas. When used together with an added 
ionizing section, it will be used for detection of magnetospheric 
and heliospheric energetic neutral atoms (ENA). The miniaturized 
sensor would be suitable for use on missions with severe 
weight/power constraints, such as the Pluto Fast Flyby and the 
Interstellar Probe Mission. The sensor consists of a single 
microchannel plate (MCP) ion detector and thin foil, utilizing a 
single channel time-of-flight (TOF) technique with miniaturized 
electronics. It will have substantially reduced size, weight, and 
power consumption, with increased reliability, compared with much 
larger and more complex standard two-channel time-of-flight 
schemes. The proposed scheme will allow the precise measurement 
of the number density of protons, deuterium, helium, carbon, and 
oxygen ions as well as ions of heavier elements, at large 
distances from the sun. The innovations resulting from this 
program will lead to a substantial reduction in mass and power 
consumption of future small plasma instruments. 

environmental monitoring; noxious gas sensing; plasma 
diagnostics; mass spectrometry.

Key Words

NOVA Scientific, Inc.
54 Main Street, 7 Cedar Court
Sturbridge, MA 01566