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Secondary electron emission from distributed ion scattering off surfaces for space instrumentation
P Devoto1, J-L Médale, J-A Sauvaud
1Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, Université Paul Sabatier, CNRS, 9 av. du Colonel Roche, BP 44346, 31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France. pierre.devoto@cesr.fr
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|May 2, 2008
Summary
This study introduces a new method using kinetic electron emission from microchannel plates to generate start electrons for time of flight (TOF) space plasma analyzers, improving mass resolution.
Area of Science:
- Space Plasma Physics
- Particle Detection Instrumentation
Background:
- Time of flight (TOF) analyzers require precise start electron generation.
- Traditional methods can introduce uncertainties in TOF measurements.
- Kinetic electron emission is a known physical process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present an alternative method for generating start electrons for TOF space plasma analyzers.
- To improve mass resolution in TOF measurements.
- To leverage kinetic electron emission for enhanced particle analysis.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing kinetic electron emission from particle scattering off a surface.
- Employing a thin microchannel plate as the scattering surface.
- Distributing the scattering surface along a plane normal to particle velocity.
Main Results:
- Minimized uncertainty in TOF distance.
- Achieved a mass resolution of 10 for a 10 keV beam energy.
- Demonstrated the feasibility of the new electron generation technique.
Conclusions:
- The proposed method offers an effective way to generate start electrons for TOF analyzers.
- This technique significantly enhances mass resolution capabilities.
- The use of microchannel plates provides a practical implementation for space plasma analysis.
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