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Thermal Ion Dynamics Experiment (TIDE)
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PSI is a source of low energy Xenon ions and electrons that serves to "ground" the POLAR spacecraft electrically to the space plasma environment. Without PSI, the spacecraft would become positively charged in low density plasmas owing to emission of electrons by the photoelectric effect of sunlight on the spacecraft surfaces. This charge would prevent low energy ions from ever reaching the spacecraft or the TIDE apertures. Conversely, in the very hot plasmas that produce auroras, the spacecraft would become negatively charged by as much as several kiloVolts, potentially leading to harmful discharges. Operation of PSI will allow TIDE to view the low energy plasma and will protect the spacecraft from high voltage charging in hot plasmas.
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The Plasma Source
Instrument source module.
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The Plasma Source Instrument as
mounted on the POLAR spacecraft.
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TIDE/PSI has been developed through the efforts of the following organizations:
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX.
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM.
- Centre d'etude des Environnements Terrestre et Planetaires, Saint Maur des Fossés, France.
- Hughes Research Laboratories, Malibu, CA.
The TIDE/PSI investigation science team also includes the following other organizations:
- Univ. of Alabama in Huntsville
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Univ. of Texas at Dallas
- Utah State University, Logan, UT
- National Institute for Polar Research, Tokyo, Japan
- Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
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