A new method to improve particle moments: Effects of cutoffs and spacecraft potential on PEACE measurements

Details A new method to improve particle moments: Effects of cutoffs and spacecraft potential on PEACE measurements A new method to improve particle moments: Effects of cutoffs and spacecraft potential on PEACE measurements

Dec 2001

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001agufmsm22a0836s&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2001, abstract #SM22A-0836

Physics

2794 Instruments And Techniques, 7819 Experimental And Mathematical Techniques, 7894 Instruments And Techniques

Scientific paper

We have developed a new semi-analytic method in order to improve moments derived from low energy particle detectors on board spacecraft. The aim is to tackle the problems introduced both by the energy cutoffs of the instruments, which can miss the dense low energy part of the distribution, and by the spacecraft potential, which shifts the whole distribution function in energy. The measured moment values (density, velocity, temperature) and the spacecraft potential are used to compute the new moments by reference to a Maxwellian distribution function. These new moments are the solutions of a nonlinear system which is solved numerically. We applied this method to the moments obtained by the PEACE instrument on board CLUSTER. The numerical algorithm shows a satisfactory convergence except in regions where the temperature is too small and/or the spacecraft potential is too large. The method works well under solar wind and magnetosheath conditions. The results are then compared to the density calculated from the plasma frequency with the WHISPER instrument and with ion density from the CIS instrument.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

A new method to improve particle moments: Effects of cutoffs and spacecraft potential on PEACE measurements does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with A new method to improve particle moments: Effects of cutoffs and spacecraft potential on PEACE measurements, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and A new method to improve particle moments: Effects of cutoffs and spacecraft potential on PEACE measurements will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1383799