Atmospheric Neutral Analyzer: velocity-imaging space environment sensor

我们建议推进大气中性分析仪（ANA）仪器的开发，设计，建造和测试其射频（RF）质量分析仪子系统的原型。ANA的科学目标是观测热层（高层大气）的组成和动态。ANA将联合收割机电子碰撞电离、RF离子质量分析和基于电荷耦合器件（CCD）的粒子成像技术，测量热层中中性物质的详细二维速度分布，从而得出单个大气物质的成分、密度、温度和漂移速度。它将包括三个主要的子系统：一个电子电离源，一个RF离子质量分析器，和一个基于CCD的离子检测器。我们建议设计和建立一个原型RF质量分析器，并测试其离子质量分析能力和性能使用高真空室和低能离子校准源在卡尔加里大学。我们之前已经建立并测试了一个原型电子电离源，并成功地证明了其性能特征，我们将调整我们现有的基于CCD的粒子探测器的设计，以基于CCD的离子探测器。拟议的开发将把ANA的开发提高到5级技术准备水平，并为改造原型分系统以用于空间环境研究卫星并最终用于行星大气探测器铺平道路。

We propose to advance the development of the Atmospheric Neutral Analyzer (ANA) instrument by designing, building and testing a prototype for its radio frequency (RF) mass analyzer subsystem. The scientific objective of ANA is to observe both the composition and the dynamics of the thermosphere (upper atmosphere). ANA will measure the detailed 2-dimensional velocity distributions of neutral species in the thermosphere from which one can derive the composition, density, temperature, and drift velocity of individual atmospheric species.The ANA will combine the techniques of electron collision ionization, RF ion mass analysis, and charge coupled device (CCD) based particle imaging. It will comprise of three major subsystems: an electron ionization source, a RF ion mass analyzer, and a CCD-based ion detector.We propose to design and build a prototype RF mass analyzer, and test its ion mass analysis capability and performance using the high-vacuum chamber and low-energy ion calibration source at University of Calgary. We had previously built and tested a prototype electron ionization source and successfully demonstrated its performance characteristics, and we will adapt our existing design for CCD-based particle detectors to the CCD-based ion detector. The proposed development will advance the development of ANA to a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 5, and pave the way for the adaptation of the prototype subsystems for flight on space environment research satellites and eventually planetary atmospheric probes.