The Plasma In Situ Detection on China’s Space Station Wentian Module: Instrument Description and First Results

Autor: Chao Liu, Aibing Zhang, Xianguo Zhang, Yueqiang Sun, Yibing Guan, Wenjing Wang, Bin Liu, Xiangzhi Zheng
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Atmosphere, Vol 14, Iss 12, p 1805 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2073-4433
DOI: 10.3390/atmos14121805
Popis: The plasma in situ detector is a multi-sensor package designed to in situ measure the bulk parameters of the local ionospheric plasma. The plasma in situ detector is comprised of three sensors: Langmuir probe (LP), retarding potential analyzer (RPA) and ion drift meter (IDM). LP measures electron density and temperature. RPA measures ion density, temperature and ion horizontal velocity. IDM measures the transverse horizontal component of the ram velocity. The plasma in situ detector has been installed outside the wentian module cabin, and the boom has been successfully deployed which extends the spherical sensor of LP beyond the sheath of the cabin. RPA and IDM were installed at the front of the experiment package, with the horizontal axis direction along the forward flight direction of the space station. This paper discusses the general performance characteristics of the in situ detector, the functional performance of each sensor, and initial results of some classical ionospheric features being observed.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals