High-energy electron spectrometer on Macao Science Satellite-1

• Published in: Science China. Technological sciences 2024-12, Vol.67 (12), p.3909-3924
• Main Authors: Ye, YuGuang, Liu, Ying, Zou, Hong, Zong, QiuGang, Chen, JiaLi, Yu, XiangQian, Shi, WeiHong, Ou, JiaMing, Liu, JianBin, Sun, HuaLiang, Yuan, ShiGeng, Su, Wen, Suo, Le
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Energy; Energy resolution; Engineering; Field of view; Geomagnetic field; High energy astronomy; High energy electrons; Inner radiation belt; Jupiter; Low earth orbits; Radiation; Radiation belts; Satellite constellations
• ISSN: 1674-7321; 1869-1900
• DOI: 10.1007/s11431-023-2647-2

Macao Science Satellite-1 (MSS-1) is a two-star constellation mission sponsored jointly by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST). The mission aims to explore the geomagnetic field and space particle radiation environment in low-inclination low Earth orbit. The satellite A of MSS-1 (MSS-1A) carries the third-generation high-energy electron spectrometer (HES), developed by Peking University, to detect high-energy electrons. The HES sensor head utilizes a conventional ΔE-E silicon detector telescope, enabling measurements of high-energy electrons within a 45° cone angle field of view, ranging from 0.3 to 3.0 MeV. As a new generation of high-energy electron detectors (HEDs), the HES operates by default in the in-orbit multi-channel mode, allowing 128 segmented linear distributed energy bin counting measurements with a time resolution of 1 s. High energy resolution observations of high-energy electrons in the inner radiation belt by the HES onboard MSS-1A can help investigate the following questions: Do MeV electrons exist in the inner radiation belt? What is the production mechanism of relativistic electrons in the inner radiation belt?