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At least 253 records · Page 14

A closer examination of the reduction of satellite magnetometer data for geological studies

Results of a detailed examination of magnetic field residuals obtained from POGO satellite magnetometer data are presented which illustrate some problems which may be encountered in the reduction and analysis of Magsat data. Comparisons of field residuals determined from OGO 2, 4 and 6 data for the region between 270 and 290 deg E reveals significant differences between the satellite data sets which are related to differences in the residual field level on individual satellites, external field contamination and effects from ring current correction in the data reduction process. When a new map is prepared from OGO 2 and 4 satellite data by compensating for these factors, dramatic differences with the original map are noted, including the disappearance of a major positive anomaly and the better definition of various magnetic highs and lows. The new map is also noted to be more consistent with conventional airborne and marine magnetic measurements. The results thus demonstrate the necessity for the inspection of satellite data and the adequate removal of the external field signal prior to geological analysis.

Regan, R. D.↗

The DE magnetometer preprocessor users guide

A users guide for the Dynamics Explorer magnetometer preprocessor computer program is provided. This program is written in Xerox Extended FORTRAN IV and is used to process telemetry data in order to provide data files for use in analysis programs. This preprocessor is designed to operate on the Sigma 9 and the IBM 4341.

Salter, L. M.↗

Data reduction and analysis of ISEE magnetometer experiment

The ISEE-1 and -2 magnetometer data was reduced. The up and downstream turbulence associated with interplanetary shocks were studied, including methods of determining shock normals, and the similarities and differences in laminar and quasi-laminar shock structure. The associated up and downstream turbulence was emphasized. The distributions of flux transfer events, field aligned currents in the near tail, and substorm dynamics in the magnetotail were also investigated.

Russell, C. T.↗

Low energy electron magnetometer using a monoenergetic electron beam

A low energy electron beam magnetometer utilizes near-monoenergetic electrons thereby reducing errors due to electron energy spread and electron nonuniform angular distribution. In a first embodiment, atoms in an atomic beam of an inert gas are excited to a Rydberg state and then electrons of near zero energy are detached from the Rydberg atoms. The near zero energy electrons are then accelerated by an electric field V(acc) to form the electron beam. In a second embodiment, a filament emits electrons into an electrostatic analyzer which selects electrons at a predetermined energy level within a very narrow range. These selected electrons make up the electron beam that is subjected to the magnetic field being measured.

Singh, J. J.↗

A reexamination of ATS 6 magnetometer data for radially polarized Pc 3 magnetic pulsations

The polarization of Pc 3 (22-100 MHz) magnetic pulsations measured by the ATS 6 fluxgate magnetometer at synchronous orbit has been examined by using dynamic autospectral analysis. In contrast to the result obtained by Arthur et al. (1977) using the same data set, very few cases of radially polarized Pc 3 pulsations are found. It is suggested that satellite noise in the radial component, which depends on frequency f as 0.015/f (nT-squared/Hz), is responsible for this disagreement. In the presence of this type of noise, diagonalization of the spectral matrix can produce an erroneous major axis of polarization. Most Pc 3 pulsations classified as radially polarized by Arthur et al. appear to be a consequence of small amplitude azimuthal pulsations contaminated by satellite noise.

Takahashi, K.↗

Effect of low-frequency ambient magnetic fields on the control unit and RF head of a commercial SQUID magnetometer

The control unit and RF head of the SHE model 330XRFSQUID system are shown to be sensitive to ambient ac magnetic fields below 1 HZ, which cause the appearance of false signals corresponding to a magnetometer signal of 0.000001 phi(0) per gauss of field applied. The control unit shows a sensitivity that is linear with frequency, suggesting that the signal is generated by Faraday induction. In contrast, the RF head response is independent of frequency and shows a strong second-harmonic coversion. This response may be due to the magnetic field sensitivity of the ferrite core inductor in the tuned amplifier of the RF head. These signals induced by ambient fields are a potential source of error in Stanford's Relativity Gyroscope experiment, which uses SQUID's on board a rolling satellite as part of the gyroscope readout system. The extent of the magnetic field sensitivity in these components necessitates the use of additional magnetic shielding aboard the satellite.

Marcus, C. M.↗

The IRM fluxgate magnetometer

This report describes the three-axis fluxgate magnetometer instrument on board the AMPTE IRM spacecraft. Important features of the instrument are its wide dynamic range (0.1-60,000 nT), a high resolution (16-bit analog to digital conversion) and the capability to operate automatically or via telecommand in two gain states. In addition, the wave activity is monitored in all three components up to 50 Hz. Inflight checkout proved the nominal functioning of the instrument in all modes.

Luehr, H.↗

A closed cycle cascade Joule Thomson refrigerator for cooling Josephson junction magnetometers

A closed cycle cascade Joule Thomson refrigerator designed to cool Josephson Junction magnetometers to liquid helium temperature is being developed. The refrigerator incorporates 4 stages of cooling using the working fluids CF4 and He. The high pressure gases are provided by a small compressor designed for this purpose. The upper stages have been operated and performance will be described.

Tward, E.↗

New models of Saturn's magnetic field using Pioneer 11 Vector Helium Magnetometer data

In a reanalysis of the Vector Helium Magnetometer data taken by Pioneer 11 during its Saturn encounter in 1979, using improvements in the data set and in the procedures, studies are made of a variety of models. The best is the P(11)84 model, an axisymmetric spherical harmonic model of Saturn's magnetic field within 8 Saturn radii of the planet. The appropriately weighted root mean square average of the difference between the observed and the modeled field is 1.13 percent. For the Voyager-based Z3 model of Connerney, Acuna, and Ness, this average difference from the Pioneer 11 data is 1.81 percent. The external source currents in the magnetopause, tail, bow shock, and perhaps ring currents vary with time and can only be crudely modeled. An algebraic formula is derived for calculating the L shells on which energetic charged particles drift in axisymmetric fields.

Davis, L., Jr.↗

First results from the Giotto magnetometer experiment at comet Halley

The Giotto magnetometer experiment at comet Halley has for the first time provided magnetic field measurements in all the important spatial regions characterizing the front-side interaction between the solar-wind magnetoplasma and a cometary atmosphere. Upstream waves of cometary origin have been observed at distances greater than two million km from the comet, both inbound and outbound. A cometary bow shock has been identified at 1.15 million inbound on the dawn side and a thick quasi-parallel cometary bow shock outbound. A turbulent magnetosheath has been observed further inside. A magnetic pile-up region has been identified inside 135,000 km, inbound, and 263,000 km, outbound, with fields up to 57 and 65 nT, respectively. A cavity region with essentially zero magnetic field has been discovered, with a width of 8500 km along the trajectory around closest approach.

Neubauer, F. M.↗

Improved Flux-Gate Magnetometer

Simplified circuit drives heading indicator and senses magnetic field of Earth. Simple flux-gate magnetometer supplies digital readout of magnetic heading of vehicle, developed to drive heading indicator, or supply heading information to autopilot or to other navigational instruments. Important feature is core driven into saturation in one direction only by alternating drive voltage, which swings from zero to one polarity and back. Made in part of commercially available integrated circuits.

Garner, H. Douglas↗

Noiseless coding for the magnetometer

Future unmanned space missions will continue to seek a full understanding of magnetic fields throughout the solar system. Severely constrained data rates during certain portions of these missions could limit the possible science return. This publication investigates the application of universal noiseless coding techniques to more efficiently represent magnetometer data without any loss in data integrity. Performance results indicated that compression factors of 2:1 to 6:1 can be expected. Feasibility for general deep space application was demonstrated by implementing a microprocessor breadboard coder/decoder using the Intel 8086 processor. The Comet Rendezvous Asteroid Flyby mission will incorporate these techniques in a buffer feedback, rate-controlled configuration. The characteristics of this system are discussed.

Rice, Robert F.↗

Earth's compressional foreshock boundary revisited Observations by the ISEE 1 magnetometer

A 'solar foreshock coordinate' (SFC) system is introduced in which the positions of foreshock components can be collated with a minimum of assumptions about the physical processes involved. Location behind the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) tangent surface to the bow shock and rotational symmetry around the solar wind flow (X) axis are the only presuppositions. The SFC system has been applied to over 300 observations of the boundary of the ULF compressional waves recorded by ISEE 1's magnetometer in 1978 and 1979. The boundary locations form a coherent pattern in the SFC frame. A selection of those cases for which the cone angle of the IMF was between 40 and 50 deg, corresponding to the average stream angle, yields a least square line whose mapping back to the solar ecliptic coordinates frame has slope of about 85 deg, very close to that of the tangent ULF boundary deduced earlier from more primitive methods with entirely different data sets. The line, being parallel to neither the IMF, the typical reflected beam, nor the shock, cannot be compatible with any model of wave production by beam-solar wind interaction that depends on uniform beam distribution or fixed growth rate. Rather, its tangency suggests the influence of a separate, escaping ion population.

Greenstadt, E. W.↗

Noiseless Coding Of Magnetometer Signals

Report discusses application of noiseless data-compression coding to digitized readings of spaceborne magnetometers for transmission back to Earth. Objective of such coding to increase efficiency by decreasing rate of transmission without sacrificing integrity of data. Adaptive coding compresses data by factors ranging from 2 to 6.

Rice, Robert F.↗

Nd:LNA laser optical pumping of He-4 - Application to space magnetometers

Results obtained from laser pumping in a helium magnetometer sensor, using a tunable Nd:LNA laser pumped with a high-power diode laser, are reported. It is shown that it was possible to observe both the Hanle signals and the n = 0, p = 1 parametric resonance by monitoring the pumping radiation passing through the cell. As the diode laser-pumped Nd:LNA laser was tuned through the D0, D1, and D2 transitions, three distinct resonance signals were produced. A comparison of the slope of lamp-pumped signals and laser-pumped D1 signals showed that, under otherwise identical conditions, the slope of the D1 laser signal was 45 times greater than the lamp-pumped signal.

Slocum, R. E.↗

Combining electric field and aurora observations from DE 1 and 2 with ground magnetometer records to estimate ionospheric electromagnetic quantities

Global distribution of electric fields and currents in the high-latitude ionosphere was estimated using data from the ground-based network of magnetometers and from nearly simultaneous observations with DE 1 and DE 2 satellites. The electric field and current distributions at high altitudes were calculated from instantaneous ionospheric conductivity (estimated from the DE 1 auroral data), using the Kamide et al. (1981) magnetogram inversion technique; an optimum conductivity was then chosen iteratively so that the resultant electric fields would become consistent with electric field deduced from ion drifts measured along the DE-2 orbit. It is demonstrated that, when analyzing the large-scale electrodynamics of individual substorms, statistical conductivity models are not fully adequate for use with the magnetogram inversion technique.

Kamide, Y.↗

A computer control system for the alternating gradient magnetometer

An alternating gradient magnetometer was interfaced to a computer for the automation of data taking. Using a fast Fourier transform analysis system data can be acquired and processed in real time. Data are stored on disk and can be recalled for plotting and further analysis. With the addition of a simple liquid nitrogen cryostat, magnetization measurements can be performed in the range from 300 to 77 K. Results are reported on three different types of piezoelectric transducers.

Garland, Michael M.↗

A scheme for bandpass filtering magnetometer measurements to reconstruct tethered satellite skiprope motion

A scheme is presented for reconstructing tethered satellite skiprope motion by ground processing of satellite magnetometer measurements. The measurements are modified based on ground knowledge of the earth's magnetic field and passed through bandpass filters tuned to the skiprope frequency. Simulation results are presented which verify the scheme and show it to be quite robust. The concept is not just limited to tethered satellites. Indeed, it can be applied wherever there is a need to reconstruct the coning motion of a body about a known axis, given measurements of a known vector in body-fixed axes.

Polites, M. E.↗