Ulysses SWICS: Solar Wind Ion Composition Matrix Rate Data

The Ulysses/SWICS instrument measures solar wind ions from H through Fe across an energy per charge range from 0.16 to 59.6 keV/e with a time resolution of about 13 minutes. These data consist of 18 Matrix Rates (MR) as a function of energy per charge and time, representing specific elements and ionization states. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration provides the data, which can be processed with SAPRO software to convert count rates to physical units and kinetic parameters.

Use Cases

• Analyze elemental composition of the solar wind based on the 18 Matrix Rates representing elements from H through Fe.
• Study solar wind ion temperatures and speeds based on the instrument's designed capability to determine these kinetic parameters.
• Investigate spillover effects between neighboring elements based on the description of Matrix Rate contributions.
• Model solar wind differential flux and phase space density based on the SAPRO software's conversion capabilities.

Strengths

• Data covers a specific energy per charge range from 0.16 to 59.6 keV/e.
• Time resolution is about 13 minutes, providing a detailed temporal profile.
• Instrument is designed to determine elemental and ionic-charge composition for all major solar wind ions from H through Fe.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Matrix Rates are given in units of count rates only and require conversion software for physical units.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Data collected by the Ulysses/SWICS mass spectrometer instrument.