SWEAP

Diagram of SWEAP, SPC subinstrument
Diagram of SWEAP, SPAN-A subinstrument
SPAN-B

SWEAP (Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons) is an instrument on the unmanned space probe to the Sun, the Parker Solar Probe.[1] The spacecraft with SWEAP on board was launched by a Delta IV Heavy on 12 August 2018 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.[2] SWEAP includes two types of instruments, the Solar Probe Cup (SPC) and Solar Probe Analyzers (SPAN).[3] SWEAP has four sensors overall, and is designed to take measurements of the Solar wind including electrons and ions of hydrogen (protons) and helium (these are the main components of the Solar wind and coronal plasma).[4]

  1. ^ Kasper, Justin C. "The SWEAP Investigation for Parker Solar Probe". www.cfa.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
  2. ^ Brown, Geoffrey; Brown, Dwayne; Fox, Karen (12 August 2018). "Parker Solar Probe Launches on Historic Journey to Touch the Sun". Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  3. ^ Kasper, Justin C. "The SWEAP Investigation for Parker Solar Probe". www.cfa.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
  4. ^ Kasper, Justin C.; Abiad, Robert; Austin, Gerry; Balat-Pichelin, Marianne; Bale, Stuart D.; Belcher, John W.; Berg, Peter; Bergner, Henry; Berthomier, Matthieu (2015-10-29). "Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP) Investigation: Design of the Solar Wind and Coronal Plasma Instrument Suite for Solar Probe Plus". Space Science Reviews. 204 (1–4): 131–186. doi:10.1007/s11214-015-0206-3. hdl:11603/31312. ISSN 0038-6308.