The design of a rocket-borne high time resolution electron detector

[摘要] Instabilities operating in both the ionosphere and magnetosphere will produce an exponential growth of plasma waves. These waves could then act in resonance with precipitating auroral electrons at their local plasma and cyclotron frequencies (.5-10 MHz) to produce a modulation of the electron flux.The design of a rocket-borne experiment to measure flux modulation of 4-8keV auroral electrons in the previously unexplored frequency range of 10 kHz-10 MHz is described. The detector proposed for the experiment is a Johnston Laboratory MM-1 Electron Multiplier. A hemispherical electrostatic deflection system is used to provide large count-rates of the appropriate electrons, and to reduce the apparent modulation in the flux due tothe spin stabilization of the rocket. An on-board spectral analysis of the signal is performed, and the frequency spectrum is telemetered to the receiving station.Since the experiment is exploratory, the instrument is designed to measure only the amount and frequency of the occurring modulation.

[发布机构] Rice University