PET - A PROTON ELECTRON TELESCOPE FOR STUDIES OF MAGNETOSPHERIC, SOLAR, AND GALACTIC PARTICLES

The Proton/Electron Telescope (PET) on SAMPEX is designed to provide m easurements of energetic electrons and light nuclei from solar, galact ic, and magnetospheric sources. PET is an all solid-state system that will measure the differential energy spectra of electrons from approxi mately 1 to approximately 30 MeV and H and He nuclei from approximatel y 20 to approximately 300 MeV/nuc, with isotope resolution of H and He extending from approximately 20 to approximately 80 MeV/nuc. As SAMPE X scans all local times and geomagnetic cutoffs over the course of its near-polar orbit, PET will characterize precipitating relativistic el ectron events during periods of declining solar activity, and it will examine whether the production rate of odd nitrogen and hydrogen molec ules in the middle atmosphere by precipitating electrons is sufficient to affect O3 depletion. In addition, PET will complement studies of t he elemental and isotopic composition of energetic heavy (Z > 2) nucle i on SAMPEX by providing measurements of H, He, and electrons. Finally , PET has limited capability to identify energetic positrons from pote ntial natural and man-made sources.