| Name | SWICS, Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer |
| Mission | Ulysses |
| URL | http://ufa.esac.esa.int/ufa/ |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-3xhblmc |
| Abstract | SWICS is designed to determine uniquely the elemental and ionic-charge composition, and the temperatures and mean speeds of all major solar-wind ions, from protons through Fe, at solar wind speeds ranging from 175 km/s (protons) to 1280 km/s (Fe+8). The instrument energy per charge range from 0.16 to 60 keV/e in ~13 min, it combines an electrostatic analyzer with post-acceleration, followed by a time-of-flight and energy measurement. |
| Description | The following ion moments are provided Alpha particles to oxygen 6+ density ratio, velocity and temperature Carbon 6+ to oxygen 6+ density ratio, velocity and temperature Oxygen 6+ density, velocity and temperature Neon 8+ to oxygen 6+ density ratio, velocity and temperature Magnesium 10+ to oxygen 6+ density ratio, velocity and temperature Silicon 9+ to oxygen 6+ density ratio, velocity and temperature Sulphur 10+ to oxygen 6+ density ratio, velocity and temperature Iron 11+ to oxygen 6+ density ratio, velocity and temperature The time resolution is 3 hours. |
| Publication | Gloeckler, G., et al., The solar wind ion composition spectrometer, Astron. Astrophys. Suppl., 92gwt-uid-127, 267, 1992; link to publication |
| Temporal Coverage | 1990.10.06 - 2009.30.06 |
| Mission Description | The joint ESA-NASA Ulysses deep-space mission conducted the first-ever out-of-ecliptic study of the heliosphere - the region of space influenced by the Sun and its magnetic field. The European-built Ulysses spacecraft was launched by the space shuttle Discovery on the 6th of October 1990, and remained operative until the 30th of June 2009, covering almost a full 22-year solar magnetic cycle. Wenzel, K.P., Marsden, R.G., Page, D.E., Smith, E.J., The ULYSSES Mission, Astron. Astrophys. Suppl., 92, 2, 207-219, 1992; link to publication |
| Creator Contact | Prof. George Gloeckler, Principal Investigator, University of Michigan, gglo@umic.edu |
| Publisher And Registrant | European Space Agency |
| Credit Guidelines | When publishing any works related to this experiment, please cite the DOI found herein. |