Imaging mass-spectrometer of ions for studying near-planetary plasma

A numerical model of an ion mass-spectrometer is developed based on the new type of charged-particle analyzer CAMERA suggested previously [1–3]. The spectrometer provides for complete instantaneous imaging of the flux distribution of various ions in a hemisphere. Such a type of the mass-spectrometer is chosen, which allows one to analyze a conelike beam of ions at the exit of the CAMERA. The mathematical model of the CAMERA with this time-of-flight mass-analyzer ensures sufficiently high mass resolution (M/ΔM > 100) at conserved imaging capabilities of the CAMERA. Such an instrument can find a wide application both in magnetospheric studies and in studying various objects of the solar system.