ABM-2: An improved Absolute Beam Monitor

An absolute beam monitor (ABM) is a device used to measure the properties of a beam line, such as the one used in the Space Physics Laboratory at Princeton. As a class, we were given the year long project to improve on the previous ABM design with the ultimate goal of 10 ABMs being built to aid the IMAP mission with calibration efforts. Our new ABM, along with some quality of life and instrument safety improvements, was designed to be wider so that more of the electrons actually hit the electron detectors. For comparason, our new ABM (ABM-2) achieved a ~15% efficiency for 5keV p+ particles while the ABM-1 only was able to achieve <1% efficiency. Our presentation describing the project is avalable here.