Scientific objectives and instrumentation of Mercury Plasma Particle Experiment (MPPE) onboard MMO

0366557 - ÚFA 2012 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Saito, Y. - Sauvaud, J. A. - Hirahara, M. - Němeček, Z. - Trávníček, Pavel M. - BepiColombo, MMO/MPPE team. … Total 89 authors
Scientific objectives and instrumentation of Mercury Plasma Particle Experiment (MPPE) onboard MMO.
Planetary and Space Science. Roč. 58, 1-2 (2010), s. 182-200. ISSN 0032-0633. E-ISSN 1873-5088
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517
Keywords : Mercury * Magnetosphere * Instrumentation * Plasma * Charged particles
Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics
Impact factor: 2.344, year: 2010
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032063308001529

Mercury is one of the least explored planets in our solar system. Until the recent flyby of Mercury by MESSENGER, no spacecraft had visited Mercury since Mariner 10 made three flybys: two in 1974 and one in 1975. In order to elucidate the detailed plasma structure and dynamics around Mercury, an orbiter BepiColombo MMO (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter) is planned to be launched in 2013 as a joint mission between ESA and ISAS/JAXA. Mercury Plasma Particle Experiment (MPPE) was proposed in order to investigate the plasma/particle environment around Mercury. MPPE is a comprehensive instrument package for plasma, high-energy particle and energetic neutral atom measurements. It consists of seven sensors: two Mercury electron analyzers (MEA1 and MEA2). Mercury ion analyzer (MIA), Mercury mass spectrum analyzer (MSA),. high-energy particle instrument for electron (HEP-ele), high-energy particle instrument for ion (HEP-ion), and energetic neutrals analyzer (ENA).
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0201509