@article{d827053c82ad463c8bbc5e9868b151d8,
title = "The MEFISTO and WPT Electric Field Sensors of the Plasma Wave Investigation on the BepiColombo Mio Spacecraft: Measurements of Low and High Frequency Electric Fields at Mercury",
abstract = "This paper describes the design of MEFISTO (Mercury Electric Field In-Situ Tool) and WPT (Wire Probe Antenna) electric field sensors for Plasma Wave Investigation (PWI) on the BepiColombo Mio spacecraft (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, MMO). The two sensors will enable the first observations of electric fields, plasma waves and radio waves in and around the Hermean magnetosphere and exosphere. MEFISTO and WPT are dipole antennas with 31.6 m tip-to-tip length. Each antenna element has a spherical probe at each end of the wire (15 m length). They are extended orthogonally in the spin plane of the spacecraft and enable measurements of the electric field in the frequency range of DC to 10 MHz by the connection to two sets of receivers, EWO for a lower frequency range and SORBET for higher frequencies. In the initial operations after the launch (20 Oct. 2018), we succeeded to confirm the health of both antennas and to release the launch lock of the WPT. After Mercury orbit insertion planned at the end of 2025, both sensors will be fully deployed and activate full operations of the PWI electric field measurements.",
keywords = "BepiColombo, Electric fields, Electron density and temperature, MEFISTO, Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), Mio, Plasma Wave Investigation (PWI), Plasma waves, Spacecraft potential, Wire Probe Antenna (WPT)",
author = "T. Karlsson and Y. Kasaba and Wahlund, {J. E.} and P. Henri and L. Bylander and W. Puccio and Jansson, {S. E.} and L. {\AA}hlen and E. Kallio and H. Kojima and A. Kumamoto and K Lappalainen and B. Lybekk and K. Ishisaka and A. Eriksson and M. Morooka",
note = "Funding Information: The authors, the MEFISTO and WPT members of the BepiColombo MMO PWI team, thanks to all members participating to and supporting us. The authors are also grateful to all Mio and BepiColombo project members who are also waiting the successful end of the long journey to this hottest planet. MEFISTO was supported by SNSA (Sweden) and NSC (Norway). WPT was supported by JAXA (Japan). AM 2P is supported by CNES and CNRS. YK deeply thanks all colleagues of NIPPI Co. Ltd (K. Hamada, J. Kurihara, O. Maeda, M. Makita, K. Okazaki, Y. Ono, T. Sasaki, H. Sato, Y. Takeuchi, T. Yumoto) and S. Shinoda for the designs, developments, and tests of WPT during more than 10 years from the beginning of this project in early 2000s. TK wants to express his thanks to everyone involved in the development of MEFISTO over the years. This effort is due to the hard work of many people, and we are deeply grateful for those efforts. Finally, the PWI team would like to thank the Mio operation members who assisted the commissioning operations including the latch release actions and will conduct the full deployment operations at Mercury together with us. Funding Information: The authors, the MEFISTO and WPT members of the BepiColombo MMO PWI team, thanks to all members participating to and supporting us. The authors are also grateful to all Mio and BepiColombo project members who are also waiting the successful end of the long journey to this hottest planet. MEFISTO was supported by SNSA (Sweden) and NSC (Norway). WPT was supported by JAXA (Japan). AMP is supported by CNES and CNRS. YK deeply thanks all colleagues of NIPPI Co. Ltd (K. Hamada, J. Kurihara, O. Maeda, M. Makita, K. Okazaki, Y. Ono, T. Sasaki, H. Sato, Y. Takeuchi, T. Yumoto) and S. Shinoda for the designs, developments, and tests of WPT during more than 10 years from the beginning of this project in early 2000s. TK wants to express his thanks to everyone involved in the development of MEFISTO over the years. This effort is due to the hard work of many people, and we are deeply grateful for those efforts. Finally, the PWI team would like to thank the Mio operation members who assisted the commissioning operations including the latch release actions and will conduct the full deployment operations at Mercury together with us. 2 Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020, The Author(s).",
year = "2020",
month = nov,
day = "12",
doi = "10.1007/s11214-020-00760-0",
language = "English",
volume = "216",
journal = "Space Science Reviews",
issn = "0038-6308",
publisher = "Springer",
number = "8",
}