Dr. Jason Gilbert will give a talk entitled "Sources of Background in Space-based Mass Spectrometers" at 3:30pm, Thursday, Oct. 13 in CSRB 2246. The seminar will also be available on Zoom. Visit the website for details.

Abstract:
Mass spectrometers used in space can experience common sources of background signals that contaminate measurements and affect the data. If the background is large enough, it may create false signals or mask the true signals underneath. Using examples from the data of ACE-SWICS and MESSENGER-FIPS, two sensors with substantial U-Mich involvement, several common sources of background are examined, including high-energy radiation, light contamination by UV, particle interactions with instrument surfaces, and electronics noise. The effects are shown in the instrument data, along with strategies for mitigation in future instrument designs.