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The The Synchronous Orbit Particle Analyzer (SOPA) instrument is
designed to provide high spatial, high-resolution energetic
particle measurements at geo-synchronous orbit on spinning
satellites. As such it monitors electrons, protons, helium,
carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen ions individually and all particles
with Z > sulfur and all particles with Z > strontium above
certain energies. Finally, the SOPA E by dE/dx capability is
exploited to provide dual parameter pulse height analysis
(PHA). This feature extends the ion coverage, in principal, to
all ions. The SOPA instrument, because it collects many samples
of the surrounding particle populations (64 per spin period),
can be used to determine the symmetry axis of the distribution
thus providing the magnetic field orientation. The reader is
referred to Belian, et al., 1992, for further information.
The instrument consists of three solid-state detector telescopes
(T1, T2 and T3) that accept particles from three different
directions relative to the spacecraft spin axis. Each telescope
consists of a thin, 4 ?m, 10 mm2 front detector followed by a
thick, 3000 ?m, 25 mm2 back detector. A collimator, with 11?
(full width) field of view fronts the detector stack. High and
low Z passive shielding completely surround the active
solid-state detectors providing protection from side penetrating
particles. The shielding is sized to stop 50% of the 6 MeV
electrons and 65 MeV protons incident normal to the shielding
surface.
Additional information available at
"http://leadbelly.lanl.gov/psm/dickb.html"
[Summary provided by Leadbelly]
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