SPICE is a spectrometer that will measure plasma density and temperature, flow velocities, presence of plasma turbulence and composition of source region plasma on the solar disk.
TM figures
| Allocated TM | 17.5 kbits/s | |
|---|---|---|
| Download capacity per orbit | 5.670 GB | = 45.36Gbits (over 30 days) |
...
| wavelength range | detector (readout) size | FOV | Volume/Detector readout | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SW array | (approx.) 70.1nm - 79.3nm | 968px @0.0095nm/pix x 800 px (along slit) | 11' (14' for 30" slit) x 16' | 1.55MB |
| LW array | (approx.) 97.1nm - 105.1nm | 968px @0.0083nm/pix x 800 px (along slit) | 11' (14' for 30" slit) x 16' | 1.55MB |
...
Observational modes
Source: SPICE User Manual Iss 5.0 (Nov 2014)
| Ion | Wavelength (Å) | Log T (K) | FIP (eV) | M/q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
H I | 1025 | 4.0 | 13.6 | -- |
| C II | 1036 | 4.3 | 11.3 | 12.0 |
| C III | 977 | 4.5 | 11.3 | 6.0 |
| O IV | 787.7 | 5.2 | 13.6 | 5.3 |
| O V | 760 | 5.4 | 13.6 | 4.0 |
| O VI | 1032 | 5.5 | 13.6 | 3.2 |
| S V | 1037 | 5.5 | 13.6 | 3.2 |
Ne VI | 786.5 | 5.2 | 10.36 | 8.0 |
| Ne VII | 1005 | 5.5 | 21.6 | 4.0 |
| Ne VIII | 973 | 5.6 | 21.6 | 3.3 |
| Ne VIII | 770 | 5.8 | 21.6 | 2.8 |
| Mg VIII | 772 | 5.9 | 7.7 | 3.4 |
| Mg IX | 706 | 6.0 | 7.7 | 3.0 |
| Mg XI | 997 | 6.2 | 7.7 | 2.4 |
| Si VII | 1049 | 5.6 | 8.1 | 4.8 |
| Si XII | 521 (2nd) | 6.5 | 8.1 | 2.6 |
| Fe X | 1028 | 6.0 | 7.9 | 6.2 |
| Fe XVIII | 975 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 3.3 |
| Fe XX | 721 | 7.0 | 7.9 | 2.9 |
Auxiliary lines:
| Ion | Wavelength (Å) | Log T (K) | FIP (eV) | M/q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ne VIII | 780 | 5.8 | 21.6 | 2.8 |
| Si XII | 499 (2nd) | 6.5 | 8.1 | 2.6 |
Observational modes
Source: SPICE User Manual Iss 5.0 (Nov 2014)
SPICE has several observing modes, called studies:
SPICE's primary mode of observations consist of rapid on-disk scans that characterise plasma dynamics (SPICE Dynamics mode), alternated with slower composition scans that map the source regions of solar wind streams (SPICE Composition Mapping). However SPICE also has alternative modes or 'studies' listed below. These studies will be preset on board and can be called via TC, providing some of the study parameters (see mode pages).
| Observing mode | Use Case/Target | Line List | # repeats | Total Duration | Data Rate | Max time / orbit | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (min) | (kbits/s) | SPICE Spectral Atlas | Sun centre, limb, AR, CH | Full spectrum | 2 | 2240.34 | |||||||
= NOMINAL MODE 1 | Centre, Poles, limb, AR | 15 lines (2 profiles, 13 intensities) | 1 | 180 | 0.45 | ||||||||
=NOMINAL MODE 2 | Centre, AR, CH | H I, C III, O VI, NeVIII profiles | 10 | 110 | 20.46 | ||||||||
| SPICE Spectral Atlas | Sun centre, limb, AR, CH | Full spectrum | 2 | 22 | 40.34 | ||||||||
| SPICE Limb mode | Low corona above limb | C III, O VI, Ne VIII profiles | 1 | 240 | 2.5 | ||||||||
| SPICE CME Watch | AR, prominence, limb | 5 spectral profiles, 10 intensities | 30 | 22.66 hr | 4.46 | ||||||||
| SPICE 30"-wide Movie (sit&stare) | centre, AR | 1-2 line profiles | 1 | 10 | 34.44 | ||||||||
centre, AR | 1-2 line profiles | 40 | 16 | 20.28 | |||||||||
| SPICE Waves mode (sit&stare) | QS, CH, AR | C III, O VI, NeVIII profiles | 5 | 300 | 50.72 | ||||||||
| SPICE Two-Exposure mode | combi of 6 bright and faint lines | 5 | 300 | 2.86 |
...
| Observing mode | Use Case/Target | Line List | Duration/dataset | Data Rate | Max time / orbit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| few strong lines | 32 | 15.1 |
Selection of SPICE spectral lines
Source: SPICE User Manual Iss 5.0 (Nov 2014)
| Ion | Wavelength (Å) | Log T (K) | FIP (eV) | M/q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
H I | 1025 | 4.0 | 13.6 | -- |
| C II | 1036 | 4.3 | 11.3 | 12.0 |
| C III | 977 | 4.5 | 11.3 | 6.0 |
| O IV | 787.7 | 5.2 | 13.6 | 5.3 |
| O V | 760 | 5.4 | 13.6 | 4.0 |
| O VI | 1032 | 5.5 | 13.6 | 3.2 |
| S V | 1037 | 5.5 | 13.6 | 3.2 |
Ne VI | 786.5 | 5.2 | 10.36 | 8.0 |
| Ne VII | 1005 | 5.5 | 21.6 | 4.0 |
| Ne VIII | 973 | 5.6 | 21.6 | 3.3 |
| Ne VIII | 770 | 5.8 | 21.6 | 2.8 |
| Mg VIII | 772 | 5.9 | 7.7 | 3.4 |
| Mg IX | 706 | 6.0 | 7.7 | 3.0 |
| Mg XI | 997 | 6.2 | 7.7 | 2.4 |
| Si VII | 1049 | 5.6 | 8.1 | 4.8 |
| Si XII | 521 (2nd) | 6.5 | 8.1 | 2.6 |
| Fe X | 1028 | 6.0 | 7.9 | 6.2 |
| Fe XVIII | 975 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 3.3 |
| Fe XX | 721 | 7.0 | 7.9 | 2.9 |
Auxiliary lines:
| Ion | Wavelength (Å) | Log T (K) | FIP (eV) | M/q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ne VIII | 780 | 5.8 | 21.6 | 2.8 |
| Si XII | 499 (2nd) | 6.5 | 8.1 | 2.6 |
Engineering modes & power consumption
Source: SPICE User Manual Iss 5.0 Sect 4.3 (Nov '14) & SPICE detailed budget report Iss 3.0 (July '13)
Average Power allocation for SPICE is 30W
Mode | Datarate: HK+LL+SCI (bps) | Avg Power consumption (Watts) | Peak Power consumption (Watts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| OFF | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STARTUP/BOOT | 100 | 17.06 | |
| STANDBY | 100+0+0 | 22.45 | |
| ENGINEERING | 100+0+0 | 23.47 | |
| OPERATE(*) | 100 + <92 + see above | 24-32 (TBC) | 40.1 (TBC) |