Description of TIMAS KP type plots

POLAR TIMAS

*KP**

SUMMARY PLOTS

Important notes:

Because of low signal levels for minor species and high background count rates in the radiation belt the key paramteer data include extensive quality and background paramters. These quality and background parameters are described HERE. This quality and background information is required for proper use of TIMAS Key Parameters.

The assumptions about instrumental energy ranges made in the algorithms used to generate the TIMAS Key parameters are not valid for data acquired after the high voltage breakdown event of December 8, 1998. TIMAS Key parameters in the format described here are not available after this date.

A revised key parameter data product, the so-called K1 key parameter data set, has been generated for all valid data acquired after December 1998. This product consists of 32 spin (192 second) omnidirectional average fluxes between ~700 eV and 25 keV. The Flux summary plots display K1 data after December 1998 as well as a similar data over the original TIMAS energy range (15 eV to 33 keV) before.

Complete and Virtual Observatory Compatible digital K0 and K1 data from TIMAS are available from NASA's CDAWeb

Key parameters for data acquired before December 8, 1998 are designated K0 paramters. An overview of them is presented on the KP summary plots described below.

The K0 Key Parametr 24 hour summary plot has 5 panels. example kp plot
More information about TIMAS Key Parameters (including pointers to three different software packages to access them) is available on-line

Only a few of the quality and density key parameters are given on the KP0 summary plot.

NOTES:A low value of the H+ quality parameter indicates that either the H+ signal detected by TIMAS is too low for reliable measurements or the background counting rate is too high for reliable measurements. The full timas key parameter data set contains data quality parameters for each mass constituent.

    The Three KP0 Energy Ranges are TIMAS mode dependent
    The TIMAS KP0 Velocity Coordinate system is non standard 
    The NASA CDAWeb Provides graphical displays of 
	Additional TIMAS K0 Key Parameters

The top panel presents the H+ density from the complete energy range sampled by the TIMAS instrument. Depending on the the date and instrument mode this could be:
- 0.015-22 keV/e (reduced energy used from 3/17 to 17:35 on 6/26/96)
- 0.015-33 keV/e (full energy mode used after 6/26/96.
- Because of on-board software anomolies, data from the 0.015-2.2 keV/e low energy range mode are not available in the TIMAS key parameter data set.
The second panel presents the He++/H+ density ratio
The third panel presents the O+/H+ density ratio
The fourth panel presents the He+/H+ density ratio
The bottom panel presents the geometic average of the three H+ quality parameters.
IMPORTANT:A low value of the H+ quality parameter indicates that either the H+ signal detected by TIMAS is too low for reliable measurements or the background counting rate is too high for reliable measurements. The full timas key parameter data set contains data quality parameters for each mass constituent as noted above

Data gaps appear because of spacecraft or instrumental anomolies which are noted in the Timas major event log

Prepared by WK (Bill) Peterson, May 2008.

POLAR TIMAS

*****KP******

SUMMARY PLOTS

Important notes:

Only a few of the quality and density key parameters are given on the KP0 summary plot.

*KP**