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CDE:
COSMIC DUST EXPERIMENT
Instrument Overview
The Cosmic Dust Experiment (CDE) is an instrument
designed to monitor the variability of the cosmic dust influx
into Earth’s mesosphere in order to address its role
in the formation of PMCs. CDE determines the magnitude and
characterizes the temporal and spatial variability of the
cosmic dust influx, allowing for direct correlation studies
with PMC frequency and brightness.
CDE has a sensor area of approximately 0.1 m2,
and can detect particles greater than approximately 1 micron
in radius, by recording impact generated signals on thin plastic-film
detectors. The detectors are made of permanently polarized
Polyvinylidene Fluoride films (PVDF), a mechanically and thermally
stable, radiation resistant material. Twelve detectors face
the zenith direction, allowing them to record cosmic dust
impacts, while two detectors are completely covered and located
on the underside of the instrument deck in order to measure
the background noise.
- CU/LASP
designs and fabricates the particle detector instrument,
CDE, and aligns and calibrates the channels thereof.
- CDE measures the influx of dust particles
into the upper atmosphere (the PMC region).
- CDE is an in-situ dust detector
- CDE is mounted on the zenith side of the
spacecraft, with a very wide field of view looking away
from the Earth.
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