Japan's spacecraft PLANET-B will be launched to Mars in 1998. An extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) measurement of 30.4-nm wavelength is proposed for an interplanetary He⁺ observation during the cruising phase from Earth to Mars. This measurement will help our understanding of the creation and loss of interplanetary He⁺. Another objective is to image the plasmasphere and magnetotail of the Earth. The EUV scanner we have designed for the PLANET-B mission will provide the opportunity to observe both interplanetary and magnetospheric He⁺. In addition, we describe another improved design of this EUV scanner, which covers wavelengths from 30 to 90 nm. This improved scanner will measure scattered light from helium (58.4 nm) and oxygen ions (83.4 nm) in addition to He II.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Masato Nakamura (1993) studied this question.