Wind SMS/STICS: Alpha Particle Distributions in Earth's Magnetosphere

STICS instruments on the Wind satellite measure ion mass, charge, and energy up to 200 keV/q using a triple-coincidence technique. The spacecraft spin and three telescopes provide nearly full 4π steradian coverage of the magnetosphere. Data is produced by NASA and updated through March 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling solar wind entry into the magnetosphere based on Earthward direction sector data.
• Analyzing suprathermal ion composition dynamics based on mass and mass per charge identification.
• Studying signal-to-noise ratios in space plasma measurements based on the triple-coincidence technique.
• Mapping 3D velocity distribution functions based on telescope and spacecraft spin coverage.

Strengths

• Measures ions over a full energy per charge range of 6 keV/q to 200 keV/q.
• Uses a triple-coincidence technique that greatly improves signal-to-noise ratio.
• Provides nearly 4π steradian viewing coverage via three telescopes and spacecraft spin.
• Includes double-coincidence measurements characterized by better statistics.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data files are in BIN and HTML formats, requiring specialized tools for analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measured by the Suprathermal Ion Composition Spectrometer (STICS) instrument on the Wind spacecraft.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 13:21:47.499992; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Earth's magnetosphere and surrounding space.