Ion and Neutral Energy and Mass Analyzer for M-MATISSE

Title : Ion and Neutral Energy and Mass Analyzer for M-MATISSE

Anthony PINEY (anthony.piney@latmos.ipsl.fr)¹, François LEBLANC¹, Jean-Jacques BERTHELIER¹, Valentin Steichen^2,1, Gabriel GUIGNAN¹, Frédéric FERREIRA¹, Cosima DORLAND¹, Christophe MONTARRON¹, Laurent LAPAUW¹, Ronan MODOLO¹, Quentin NENON¹ and Jean-Yves CHAUFRAY¹.

1 LATMOS/CNRS, Sorbonne Université, UVSQ, France

2 SwRI, San Antonio, USA

Mars Ion and Neutral Mass and Energy Analyzer (M-INEA) is an instrument selected for the mission M-MATISSE (PI: B. Sanchez-Cano, University of Leicester, UK) proposed in the frame of the ESA M7 call and, at present, in a competitive phase A (2024-2026). M-MATISSE is a project with two spacecrafts around Mars dedicated to the characterization of Mars’ environment from its induced magnetosphere down to its lower atmosphere combining in situ with remote observations. One of the goals of M-MATISSE will be to characterize the composition, density, wind and temperature in the upper thermosphere/ionosphere of Mars, as well as its atmospheric escaping rate. A two points measurements strategy will allow M-MATISSE to distinguish between time and spatial variabilities and to follow solar events encountering Mars from the solar wind down to Mars’ surface.

M-INEA is an instrument developed and tested at LATMOS. It is part of the M-MATISSE payload and is dedicated to the measurement of the density, composition, wind and temperature of the Martian thermosphere and to the measurement of the atmospheric escape and its dependence on the solar conditions. The main target of M-INEA is to measure the energy distribution function (density, temperature and drift velocity along the axis of sight of the instrument, see Fig 1). The instrument is based on an original electrostatic design specially designed to achieve an energy resolution better than 0.1 eV over an energy range of 0-10 eV, as well as a temperature resolution better than 50 K with high sensitivity and mass resolution of the order of 20. Such performances are also possible thanks to the use of an original ion source using carbon nano-tubes for the emission of electrons.

The mechanical and electronic designs of the instrument are being done as well as first tests demonstrating M-INEA's performances as well. We will present the state of design and tests of M-INEA during this presentation.

Figure 1: schematics of M-INEA with particles trajectories.