SH036-0010
The Energetic-Particle-Detector (EPD) SupraThermal Electron Proton (STEP) Instrument on Solar Orbiter: First Data

Monday, 14 December 2020
Poster
Lars Berger1, Christoph Terasa1, Sandra Eldrum1, Johan Lauritz Freiherr von Forstner1, Alexander Kollhoff1, Daniel Pacheco1, Robert F Wimmer-Schweingruber1, Javier Rodriguez-Pacheco2, George C Ho3 and Solar Orbiter EPD Team, (1)University of Kiel, Institute for Experimental and Applied Physics, Kiel, Germany, (2)University of Alcalá, Space Research Group, Alcalá de Henares, Spain, (3)Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, United States
Abstract:
Solar Orbiter was launched in February 2020 and carries with it a comprehensive set of in-situ and remote-sensing instruments for the study of the Sun and heliosphere. The Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) on Solar Orbiter was switched on on February 28, 2020 and is providing us with measurements of the energetic-particle environment in the inner heliosphere. The EPD suite is composed of a set of different sensors measuring electrons, protons and ions in a wide range of energies. It's main goal is to contribute to our understanding of how solar eruptions produce energetic particle radiation that fills the heliosphere.
EPD‘s SupraThermal Electron and Proton (STEP) sensor measures electrons and ions (predominantly protons) at the lower end of energies between a few keV and ~80 keV. We will describe the measurement principle of STEP and present first data. Although the solar activity is very low, some smaller ion (proton) events have already been observed. As of this writing one event big enough to be seen by all EPD sensors has been observed, on 2020 July 21. In the energy range covered by STEP electrons are much faster than ions and clearly arrived first. We will discuss this event as well as others that may occur before the fall AGU meeting.
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