Advanced method for exploration of plasma velocity distribution funtions: All-sky camera for very fast plasma measurements Original Research Article

The new type of plasma analyzer is described that allows for fast measurements on a stabilized or rotating spacecraft. It provides complete 3-D velocity distribution function measurements within a fraction of a second. An electrostatic mirror selects charged particles from all directions in a hemisphere that pass through a hole within the instrument and eventually reach the imaging detector. CAMERA provides a complete 2π-ster field of view without gaps, has flexible control of the energy bandwidth and angular resolution, high temporal resolution, and high W rejection. CAMERA can be used as a feeding optics for additional analyzers including mass-spectrometers.