Particle Detector (PD) Experiment of the Korea Space Environment Monitor (KSEM) Aboard Geostationary Satellite GK2A

The Particle Detector (PD) experiment aboard the geostationary satellite GEO-KOMPSAT-2A (GK2A) measures populations of electrons and positive ions in the Earth’s geostationary orbit at a geographic longitude of $128.2^{\circ }\mbox{E}$, inclination of $0^{\circ }$ and a mean orbital radius of 6.6 Earth radii ($R_{E}$). The PD experiment consists of three sensors with different viewing angles relative to the spacecraft. Each sensor consists of two telescopes that are mechanically configured back-to-back with a field-of-view of $20^{\circ }\times 20^{\circ }$ and measures electrons and ions, using silicon detectors equipped with foils and magnets for the separation of ions and electrons. The energy ranges of the sensor for electrons and ions are 100–3800 keV and 148–22500 keV, respectively. A particular emphasis on electron measurement is given by allocating 48 energy bins in the measured energy range, whereas 22 energy bins are allocated for ion measurements. This unprecedented energy resolution of $\Delta E/E$ in the range 5–25% for the electron and ion flux measurements is acquired every three seconds with cyclic polling of each sensor every second to provide an effective temporal resolution of one second. Together with the magnetometer aboard the spacecraft, the PD experiment will provide quantitative observations that will enable improved understanding of the adiabatic and nonadiabatic dynamics of the Earth’s magnetosphere for space weather studies at geostationary orbits from the vantage point of a far-east longitude.