LEICA - A LOW-ENERGY ION COMPOSITION ANALYZER FOR THE STUDY OF SOLAR AND MAGNETOSPHERIC HEAVY-IONS

The SAMPEX LEICA instrument is designed to measure approximately 0.5-5 MeV/nucleon solar and magnetospheric ions over the range from He-Ni. The instrument is a time-of-flight mass spectrometer which measures pa rticle time-of-flight over a approximately 0.5 m path, and the residua l energy deposited in an array of Si solid state detectors. Large area microchannel plates are used, resulting in a large geometrical factor for the instrument (0.6 cm2 sr) which is essential for accurate compo sitional measurements in small solar flares, and in studies of precipi tating magnetospheric heavy ions.