A new digital ion drift meter for thermal plasma measurement

Summary form only given. The Digital Ion Drift Meter (DIDM) is being developed as a replacement for analog spacecraft drift-meters. It combines the single-ion counting capability of a Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) with a position-determining anode. Careful electrostatic design is needed to create an ins...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chaplin, C.P., Rich, F., Pakula, W.A., Cooke, D.L., Lloyd, J.R., Zhenya Ma, Yaunzhong Zhou, MacGregor, R., Chung Chan, Enloe, C.L., Huber, A.C., Everest, A.W., Morgan, A.
Format: Conference Proceeding
Language:English
Subjects:
Acceleration
Anodes
Computational modeling
COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN
Density measurement
DIGITAL SYSTEMS
Electrostatic measurements
Instruments
ION DRIFT
IONOSPHERE
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PHYSICS
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
Plasma measurements
Plasma properties
Space vehicles
Voltage
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Summary:Summary form only given. The Digital Ion Drift Meter (DIDM) is being developed as a replacement for analog spacecraft drift-meters. It combines the single-ion counting capability of a Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) with a position-determining anode. Careful electrostatic design is needed to create an instrument that can simultaneously measure bulk and differential plasma properties at very low densities. A simple pinhole to image ions straight onto an MCP would be light-sensitive. Instead, the DIDM design turns ions around and accelerates them using the MCP's surface voltage. The imaging effect of the aperture is preserved by careful CAD modeling of the detector's geometry. Performance has been optimized by simulating the trajectories of ions entering the device. Computer programs are used to simulate trajectories over a comprehensive velocity spectrum. The models are evolved into manufacturing specifications and verified in a calibration facility. Comparisons between models and prototype performance are good. This approach speeds the design cycle and provides a capability to investigate effects beyond the reach of practical lab techniques, such as very-low-energy particles and finite-aperture effects.
ISSN:0730-9244
2576-7208
DOI:10.1109/PLASMA.1996.551463