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          Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP)
                      PDS3 CERTIFIED

Instrument Description
The SWAP instrument is an electrostatic instrument. Electro-optics control the energy band pass of ions entering the instrument. The electro-optics have three parts: the Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA), the Electrostatic Analyzer (ESA), and the deflector (DFL). The RPA consists of four grids with the inner two having a positive voltage, which repels ions with energies less than the corresponding potential energy (qV). The Electrostatic Analyzer has two parts, which are concentrically spaced, an inner dome and an outer spherical shell (at ground). For any given settings of the RPA and ESA voltages, only ions with a limited range (bandpass) of energies pass through he ESA to reach the detector. The deflector is used to adjust the field of view.

Scientific Objectives
SWAP was designed to measure charged particles from the solar wind near Pluto to determine whether Pluto has a magnetosphere and how fast its atmosphere is escaping.

Note: Acquisition of Jupiter data was an add-on

The SWAP data are housed at the PDS/PPI node

Useful Mission Documents

Also See Space Sci Rev (2008) 140: 261–313, DOI 10.1007/s11214-007-9205-3, D. McComas, The Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) Instrument Aboard New Horizons.