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EP: Extraterrestrische Physik

EP 7: Magnetosph
äre, Erdatmosph
äre

EP 7.1: Fachvortrag

Thursday, March 11, 2004, 15:45–16:05, C

The energetic particle spectrometer RAPID on board Cluster–a three-year overview — •Patrick Daly — Max-Planck-Institut für Aeronomie

RAPID is an imaging ion and electron spectrometer on board the four Cluster satellites. The lowest energy threshold is ∼28 keV while the upper energy limit is 1.5 MeV for ions, and 400 keV for electrons. A time-of-flight method is used to distinguish ion masses, allowing separation of protons, helium, and CNO ions. Angular distibutions are obtained through 12 (ions) and 9 (electrons) directional sensors to the spin axis, and by binning the measurements into 16 spin sectors.

Since the start of the Cluster Mission in 2001, RAPID has made 3D energetic particle measurements in all important regions of the magnetosphere: the magnetopause, the cusp, the bow shock, the tail lopes and plasma sheet. An overview of some of the results is presented here.