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MIMI Experiment on Cassini
/ de / projekte / cassini / mimi /

Magnetosphere Imaging Instrument (MIMI)

onboard the CASSINI spacecraft

MIMI mounted at the CASSINI spacecraft The Magnetosphere Imaging Instrument (MIMI) is a neutral and charged particle detection system on the CASSINI orbiter spacecraft designed to study the overall configuration and dynamics of Saturn's magnetosphere, and its interaction with the solar wind, Saturn's atmosphere, Titan, and the icy satellites.

 

The subsystems of the MIMI instrument MIMI consists of three different sensors which were built at different institutions in Europe and the United States. The principal Investigator is S.M. Krimigis from the Applied Physics Laboratory of the Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland, USA.

The different subsystems are:

  • INCA (Ion Neutral Camera) built at the Applied Physics Laboratory JHU/APL Laurel, Maryland, USA
  • CHEMS (Charge Energy Mass Spectrometer) built at the University of Maryland, College Park, USA
  • LEMMS (Low Energy Magnetospheric Measurement System) built at Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
  • MEU (Main Electronic Unit) built at CESR, Toulouse, France and JHU/APL Laurel, Maryland, USA

> Science objectives
> Investigators
> Instrument description
> People involved
> Calibration Campaigns
> Daily updated summary plots
> Periapsis data
> MIMI publications by MPS members


Science objectives

Saturn

  • Determine the global configuration and dynamics of hot plasma in the magnetosphere of Saturn through energetic neutral particle imaging of ring current, radiation belts, and neutral clouds.
  • Study the sources of plasmas and energetic ions through in situ measurements of energetic ion composition, spectra, charge state, and angular distributions.
  • Search for, monitor, and analyze magnetospheric substorm-like activity at Saturn.
  • Determine through the imaging and composition studies the magnetosphere- satellite interactions at Saturn and understand the formation of clouds of neutral hydrogen, nitrogen, and water products.
  • Investigate the modification of satellite surfaces and atmospheres through plasma and radiation bombardment.
  • Study Titan’s cometary interaction with Saturn’s magnetosphere (and the solar wind) via high-resolution imaging and in situ ion and electron measurements.
  • Measure the high energy (Ee > 1 MeV, Ep 15 MeV) particle component in the inner (L < 5 RS) magnetosphere to assess cosmic ray albedo neutron decay (CRAND) source characteristics.
  • Investigate the absorption of energetic ions and electrons by the satellites and rings in order to determine particle losses and diffusion processes within the magnetosphere.
  • Study magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling through remote sensing of aurora and in situ measurements of precipitating energetic ions and electrons.

Jupiter

  • Study ring current(s), plasma sheet, and neutral clouds in the magnetosphere and magnetotail of Jupiter during Cassini flyby, using global imaging and in situ measurements.

Interplanetary

  • Determine elemental and isotopic composition of local interstellar medium through measurements of interstellar pickup ions.
  • Study the compositional evolution at low energies of shock-accelerated ions in the interplanetary medium.
  • Monitor cosmic ray intensity variations (Ep > 70 MeV/nuc) and anomalous cosmic rays, and compare with similar measurement in both the inner heliosphere (Advanced Composition Explorer, ACE) and the outer heliosphere (Voyager 1, 2).


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MIMI Investigators

MIMI Investigators
MIMI-Team leading investigators from left to right:
B.H. Mauk, D.J. Williams, S. Livi, D. Mitchell, E.C. Roelof, S.M. Krimigis, A.F. Cheng, D.C. Hamilton


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MIMI Team, July 2009

MIMI Team
MIMI Team Meeting, Cologne, July 2009

Principal Investigator S.M. Krimigis The Johns Hopkins University
Applied Physics Laboratory
Laurel, MD 20723
USA
 
Office for Space Research and Applications
Academy of Athens
Athens
Greece
Team members @ APL A.F. Cheng
E.P. Keath (ret.)
B.H. Mauk
R.W McEntire (ret.)
D.G. Mitchell
E.C. Roelof
D.J. Williams (ret.)
M. Hill
P. Brandt
A. Rymer
T.Smith
The Johns Hopkins University
Applied Physics Laboratory
Laurel, MD 20723
USA
Team members @ Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research N. Krupp
J. Woch
A. Lagg
E. Roussos
E. Kirsch (ret.)
Z. Bebesi
A. L. Müller
P. Kollmann
Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
Max-Planck-Str. 2
D-37191 Katlenburg-Lindau
Germany
Team members @ University of Cologne J. Saur
A. L. Müller
University of Cologne
Institute for Geophysics and Meteorology
Zülpicher Str. 49a
D-50674 Cologne
Germany
Team members @ Academy of Athens S. M. Krimigis
N. Sergis
K. Dialynas
Office for Space Research and Applications
Academy of Athens
Athens
Greece
Team members @ UMD G. Gloeckler
D.C. Hamilton
University of Maryland
Department of Physics and Astronomy
College Park, MD 20742
USA
Team member @ UKANS T.P. Armstrong Fundamental Technology
Lawrence, Kansas
USA

affiliated with:
University of Kansas
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Lawrence, KS 66044
USA
Team member @ ARIZO K.C. Hsieh University of Arizona
Department of Physics
Tucson, AZ 85721
USA
Team member @ SWRI S. Livi Southwest Research Institute
San Antonio
TX 28510
USA
Team member @ MSSL G.H. Jones Mullard Space Science Laboratory
Holmbury St. Mary
Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT
UK
Team member @ NJIT L.J. Lanzerotti New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark, NJ 07102
USA
Team member @ NCU W.H. Ip Institute of Astronomy
National Central University
No. 300, Jungda Rd
Jungli City, Taoyuan
Taiwan 320, R.O.C.

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Detailed instrument description of MIMI-LEMMS

LEMMS FM LEMMS is designed to measure the energy and spatial distribution of energetic particles (electrons and ions separately) in the interplanetary medium and in the magnetosphere of Saturn.
The LEMMS sensor is sponsored by the DLR (Deutsche Luft- und Raumfahrtagentur). DLR is the German counterpart of NASA.

LEMMS is based on a similar type of particle spectrometer which is currently flying on the NASA spacecraft >GALILEO orbiting the planet Jupiter.

LEMMS consists of the following subsystems:
>low energy detector head with collimator
>high energy detector head with collimator
>programmable turntable (manufactured in Finland by VTT)
>electronics

The measurements of energetic particles are based on the loss of energy in semiconductor detectors. LEMMS has 11 different detectors E1, E2, F1, F2, A, B, D1, D2, D3a, D3b, D4

 

MIMI-LEMMS - Low Energy End

LEMMS Low Energy End The low energy end of LEMMS is designed to measure low energy ions and electrons separately. An internal permanent magnet separates ions and electrons magnetically. The particles are detected with different detector systems inside the low energy end. The figure is the result of a simulation for the response of the low energy end of LEMMS (for details of the simulation contact Andreas Lagg (lagg@mps.mpg.de). Energetic particles enter the low energy end aperture from the left. Electrons are deflected by the magnet and counted by detectors E1, E2 (shown in green) and F1, F2 (blue) dependend on their energy. Ions are detcted by detectors A and B (shown in yellow).

The whole assembly of the low energy end including the detectors E1, E2, F1, F2, A, and B and the permanent magnet are caged by a platinum box and a mu-metal shielding.

Parameter of the low energy end detectors:

Detector   Thickness [µm]   Active area [mm2]  
E1 300±15 90
E2 300±15 90
F1 700±15 90
F2 300±15 90
A 150±15 35
B 700±25 35

Between detectors B and the stack of D1..D4 of the high energy end a Gold-Absorber (1000 µm, 75 mm2) is inserted to stop particles not stopped in A or B.

 

MIMI-LEMMS - High Energy End

The high energy end of LEMMS is designed to measure high energy ions and electrons with a stack of 4 detectors D1, D2, D3, D4. In front of detector D1 a 25 µm Al-foil suppresses incoming light on results.

Parameter of the high energy end detectors:

Detector   Thickness [µm]   Active area [mm2]  
D1 150±15 100
D2 700±25 150
D3a 700±25 150
D3b 700±25 150
D4 700±25 150
(Note: Detector D3 consists of two identical detectors D3a and D3b)

 

MIMI-LEMMS - Turntable

LEMMS Turntable The programmable turntable was manufactured by >VTT in Finland.

 

MIMI-LEMMS - Characteristics

order of 
accumulator
readout
channel
name
species logic low or high
energy end
1 A0 ions A1(A2)(B1) L
2 A1 ions A2(A3)(B1) L
3 A2 ions A3(A4)(B1) L
4 A3 ions A4(A5)(B1) L
5 A4 ions A5(A6)(B1) L
6 A5 ions A6(A7)(B1) L
7 A6 ions A7(A8)(B1) L
8 A7 ions A8(A9)(B1) L
9 A8 ions A9(B1) L
10 B0 ions A8(A9)B1(B5)(D41) L
11 B1 ions A6(A8)B4(B5)(D41) L
12 B2 ions A9B1(B5)(D41) L
13 B3 ions A9B5(D41) L
14 BE ions A2(A7)B1(B3)(D41) L
15 C0 electrons E11(E12)(E21) L
16 C1 electrons E12(E13)(E21) L
17 C2 electrons E13(E14)(E21) L
18 C3 electrons E14(E15)(E21) L
19 C4 electrons E15(E16)(E21)+F11(F12)(F21) L
20 C5 electrons F12(F13)(F21) L
21 C6 electrons F13(E14)(F21) L
22 C7 electrons F14(F15)(F21) L
23 AS singles A1 L
24 BS singles B1 L
25 E11 singles E11 L
26 E2F2 singles E21 L
27 F11 singles F11 L
28 E0 electrons D11(D12)(D21) H
29 E1 electrons D11(D12)D21(D31) H
30 E2 electrons (D11)D21(D22)(D31) H
31 E3 electrons (D12)D21(D22)(D31) H
32 E4 electrons (D12)D21(D22)D32(D33)(D41) H
33 E5 electrons D21(D22)D32(D33) H
34 E6 electrons D32(D33)D41(D42)(B1) H
35 E7 electrons D41(D42)B1(B2) H
36 G1 (gammas) (D21)D31(D32)(D41) H
37 P1 ions D13(D15)(D21) H
38 P2 ions D15(D16)(D21) H
39 P3 ions D15(D16)D21(D23)(D31) H
40 P4 ions D12(D16)D23(D24)(D31) H
41 P5 ions D12(D15)D24(D25)(D31) H
42 P6 ions D24(D25)D32(D34)(D41) H
43 P7 ions D21(D25)D33(D35) H
44 P8 ions D12(D15)D22(D23)D33 H
45 P9 ions D22(D23)D32(D33) H
46 H1 ions D16(D17)(D21) H
47 H2 ions D16(D17)D21(D26) H
48 H3 ions D25(D26)D32 H
49 H4 ions D23(D25)D35 H
50 H5 ions D22D34(D35)D45 H
51 Z1 ions D17(D21) H
52 Z2 ions D17D21(D31) H
53 Z3 ions D26D32 H
54 D1 singles D11 H
55 D2 singles D21 H
56 D3 singles D31 H
57 D41 singles D41 H


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People involved with MIMI-LEMMS @ Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS)

name position email
Dr. N. Krupp scientist krupp @ mps.mpg.de
Dr. J. Woch scientist woch @ mps.mpg.de
Dr. A. Lagg scientist lagg @ mps.mpg.de
Dr. G. Jones scientist ghj @ mssl.ucl.ac.uk
Dr. E. Roussos scientist roussos @ mps.mpg.de
Dr. Z. Bebesi scientist bebesi @ mps.mpg.de
A. L. Müller PhD student muellera @ mps.mpg.de
P. Kollmann PhD student kollmann @ mps.mpg.de
H. Sommer engineer --
A. Loose engineer loose @ mps.mpg.de
K. Heerlein engineer heerlein @ mps.mpg.de


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MIMI-LEMMS Calibration Campaigns

date location calibration with
Dec 1995 Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
electrons
Mar 1996 Kernforschungszentrum (KFA)
Jülich, Germany
high energy protons and helium
1996-1997 Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research,
Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
low energy protons, helium, oxygen
Feb 1997 Goddard Spaceflight Center (GSFC) 
Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
electrons, H-
Mar 1997 LBL, Berkeley, 
California, USA
high energy protons, helium, carbon, oxygen


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