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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS1981

Magnetic Field Investigation for ISEE mother and daughter spacecraft

Highlights of the design and fabrication of fluxgate magnetometers for the ISEE A and B satellites which were launched from a single launch vehicle into the same highly elliptical orbit are presented. The instrument consisted of four basic assemblies: the sensors, the drive and sense electronics, the data handling unit; and the flipper. The digital handling data handling assembly contained a digital filter that mantained a uniform transfer function for all three axes of both spacecraft. Initial studies centered on the bow shock and the magnetopause and show that both boundaries are in rapid motion. The bow shock was found to be very thin, close to an ion inertial length in thickness, but the magnetopause was much thicker than expected, about 400 to 1000 km on average. The magnetometers have each logged over 3 2/3 years of continuous operation.

Russell, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1981

DC-magnetic field vector measurement

A magnetometer experiment was designed to determine the local magnetic field by measuring the total of the Earth's magnetic field and that of an unknown spacecraft. The measured field vector components are available to all onboard experiments via the Spacelab command and data management system. The experiment consists of two parts, an electronic box and the magnetic field sensor. The sensor includes three independent measuring flux-gate magnetometers, each measuring one component. The physical background is the nonlinearity of the B-H curve of a ferrite material. Two coils wound around a ferrite rod are necessary. One of them, a tank coil, pumps the ferrite rod at approximately 20 kilohertz. As a consequence of the nonlinearity, many harmonics can be produced. The second coil (i.e., the detection coil) resonates to the first harmonic. If an unknown dc or low-frequency magnetic field exists, the amplitude of the first harmonic is a measure for the unknown magnetic field. The voltages detected by the sensors are to be digitized and transferred to the command and data management system.

Schmidt, R.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Magnetic field measurements at Jupiter by Voyagers 1 and 2: Daily plots of 48 second averages

A series of 24 hour summary plots of the magnetic field, in 48-s average form, measured in the vicinity of Jupiter by the magnetometers onboard Voyagers 1 and 2 are presented. The Voyager 1 data cover the period from 27 February 1979 (day = 58) to 23 March (day = 82) inclusive, and the Voyager 2 data cover the period from 2 July 1979 (day = 183) to 14 August (day = 226) inclusive. Closest approach to the planet occurred on days 64 (AT 1205 UT) and 190 (AT 2230 UT) for Voyagers 1 and 2, respectively. Also included are: a description of the characteristics of the magnetometers, a brief description of the near-planet trajectories of the two spacecraft, a listing of the bow shock and magnetopause crossing times, and a bibliography containing Voyager-Jupiter related papers and reports.

Lepping, R. P.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The Magsat three axis arc second precision attitude transfer system

The Magsat Attitude Transfer System (ATS), which provides attitude alteration in pitch, yaw, and roll is described. A remote vector magnetometer extends from Magsat on a 20 ft boom, requiring vector orientation by reference to coordinate axes determined by a set of star mapping cameras. The ATS was designed to perform in a solar illuminated environment by using an optically narrow bandwidth with synchronous demodulation at 9300 A. The pitch/yaw optical design, the electrooptics, and signal and switching diagrams are provided. Simple mirrors with no moving parts are placed on the magnetometer to reflect a collimated beam from the ATS for attitude indication, which is accurate to one part in 96. Alignment was completed within 24 hr after launch.

Schenkel, F. W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Magnetic field observations on DE-A and -B

Magnetic field observations are conducted on each of the DE-A and -B satellites by a triaxial fluxgate magnetometer. In the basic mode the instrumental resolution is + or - 1.5 nT; in addition, the DE-A magnetometer has two modes of higher resolution: + or - 0.25 nT and + or - 20 pT. The sampling rate is 16 vector samples per second in all modes. The experiment objectives include observations of field-aligned currents, magnetospheric equatorial currents, and ULF waves. These observations, taking full advantage of the specifically selected orbits of the two spacecraft and of the unique combination of instruments, are performed to achieve a better understanding of the electrodynamic coupling within the atmosphere-ionosphere-magnetosphere system and of wave-particle interactions which contribute to the coupling processes.

Farthing, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The enigma of lunar magnetism

Current understandings of the nature and probable origin of lunar magnetism are surveyed. Results of examinations of returned lunar samples are discussed which reveal the main carrier of the observed natural remanent magnetization to be iron, occasionally alloyed with nickel and cobalt, but do not distinguish between thermoremanent and shock remanent origins, and surface magnetometer data is presented, which indicates small-scale magnetic fields with a wide range of field intensities implying localized, near-surface sources. A detailed examination is presented of orbital magnetometer and charged particle data concerning the geologic nature and origin of magnetic anomaly sources and the directional properties of the magnetization, which exhibit a random distribution except for a depletion in the north-south direction. A lunar magnetization survey with global coverage provided by a polar orbiting satellite is suggested as a means of placing stronger constraints on the origin of lunar crustal magnetization.

Hood, L. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Observations of field-aligned currents, particles, and plasma drift in the polar cusps near solstice

Magnetic perturbations observed by the TRIAD magnetometer within two hours of an AE-C spacecraft pass provide field-aligned current data, from the same local time in the northern hemisphere, for a study of the polar cusp. The AE-C spinning mode has allowed the use of the Z-axis magnetometer for Birkeland current observations, in conjunction with particle and drift measurements. The average B(z) were found to be 1.9 nT and -1.1 nT during the first two hourly intervals on January 15, 1977. Measurements from the low energy electron experiment revealed intense fluxes of soft, cusp-like 100 eV Maxwellian electrons throughout the prenoon polar cap. The upward directed current can be identified as the dominant cusp current appropriate for B(y) values lower than zero, while the downward directed current, which has the appropriate sign of a dayside region 1 current, is observed to lie entirely within a westerly, antisunward-convecting plasma.

Bythrow, P. F.↗
NASA NTRS1981

A spaceborne superconducting gravity gradiometer for mapping the earth's gravity field

The principles of a satellite gravity gradiometer system which measures all five independent components of the gravity gradient tensor with a sensitivity of 0.001 E/Hz to the 1/2 power or better, are analyzed, and the status of development of the system is reviewed. The superconducting gravity gradiometer uses sensitive superconducting accelerometers, each of which are composed of a weakly suspended superconducting proof mass, a superconducting magnetic transducer, and a low-noise superconducting magnetometer. The magnetic field produced by the transducer coils is modulated by the motion of the proof mass and detected by the magnetometer. A combination of two or four of such accelerometers with proper relative orientation of sensitive axes results in an in-line or a cross component gravity gradiometer.

Paik, H. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Magsat data availability

It is pointed out that a new era in near-earth magnetic field measurements began with NASA's launch of Magsat in October 1979 into a twilight, sun-synchronous orbit with 96.76 deg inclination, 561-km apogee, and 352-km perigee. A cesium vapor and a fluxgate magnetometer were employed to measure the magnetic field. A measurement of the spacecraft attitude to 20 arcseconds was required to achieve 6 nT (nanotesla) accuracy in the component measurements. This was accomplished with the aid of two star cameras on board the spacecraft and a sun sensor attached to the vector magnetometer. Magsat remained in orbit until June 11, 1980. Magsat has conducted the first truly global geomagnetic survey since the studies performed by the Polar Orbiting Geophysical Observatory (POGO) satellites. A global vector survey was provided of the main geopotential field and lower altitude measurements of crustal anomalies were conducted. Details concerning the availability of these data are discussed.

Langel, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

An unusual interplanetary event - Encounter with a comet?

The possibility that the slow rise to a sharp maximum and then decay surrounding a strong current sheet observed in the Venus magnetic field 0.72 AU from the sun was caused by passage of Venus through the wake of an active comet is examined. Data were also gathered by the ISEE 3 satellite magnetometer at 0.99 AU 25 h, 20 min later, a delay corresponding to the transit time for the solar wind. No shock structures bounded the phenomenon. The data indicate the presence of a small body in a much larger field of interaction and the magnetometer, solar wind probe, and electron temperature probe support a behavior similar to a planetary magnetosheath. The observed He structure in interplanetary space ruled out a solar wind source, while consideration of the magnetic equator and magnetic pole suggest that an unknown comet passed through the region between the sun and Venus at a distance where the effects would not be detected at earth.

Russell, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Distribution of aurora and ionospheric currents observed simultaneously on a global scale

The instantaneous spatial distribution of auroral emissions is observed with auroral imaging photometers on board the spacecraft Dynamics Explorer 1 (DE 1) as ground-based meridian chains of magnetometers simultaneously detect the magnetic signatures of ionospheric and field-aligned currents flowing at northern polar latitudes. Ionospheric conductivities at nighttime auroral latitudes are estimated from the measured auroral luminosities and used with the measured polar magnetic variations to compute model distributions of ionospheric and field-aligned currents. Temporal resolution for the coordinated observations and model calculations is 12 minutes. Model ionospheric and field-aligned current distributions are overlayed on global auroral images to illustrate spatial relations on a global scale at the maximum epoch of an auroral substorm. Eccentric-dipole-latitude and magnetic-local-time coordinates are used. A model field-aligned current distribution is compared quantitatively with the distribution of field-aligned currents inferred from simultaneous observations by the DE-2 magnetometer.

Craven, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Current carriers for the field-aligned current system

The Dynamics Explorer satellites have returned a large body of data containing high resolution magnetometer measurements and distributions of charged particles of all but thermal electrons. From these data the relations of the field aligned currents to particle precipitation structures were investigated and the charge carriers were identified. Results include the following: (1) during very quiet periods, field aligned currents exist primarily as fine structure; (2) during onset of substorms, region 1 and region 2 become clearly evident but contain significant structure; (3) as magnetic activity subsides, current regions become less distinct, and structure becomes more dominant; (4) the distribution of the upward currents derived from magnetometer data and calculated from suprathermal electron data agree remarkably well in shape but not necessarily in magnitude; (5) at all local times, 5 eV electrons seldom carry most of the upward current; (6) except for the accelerated inverted-V electrons, the dominant upward current carriers which are measured are below 500 eV and are distributed in energy; (7) dusk upward currents (region 1) are associated with the boundary plasma sheet; and (8) suprathermal electron bursts are important current carrying structures.

Hoffman, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Current carriers for the field-aligned current system

The Dynamics Explorer satellites have returned a large body of data containing high resolution magnetometer measurements and distributions of charged particles of all but thermal electrons. From these data the relations of the field aligned currents to particle precipitation structures were investigated and the charge carriers were identified. Results include the following: (1) during very quiet periods, field aligned currents exist primarily as fine structure; (2) during onset of substorms, region 1 and region 2 become clearly evident but contain significant structure; (3) as magnetic activity subsides, current regions become less distinct, and structure becomes more dominant; (4) the distribution of the upward currents derived from magnetometer data and calculated from suprathermal electron data agree remarkably well in shape but not necessarily in magnitude; (5) at all local times, 5 eV electrons seldom carry most of the upward current; (6) except for the accelerated inverted-V electrons, the dominant upward current carriers which are masured are below 500 eV and are distributed in energy; (7) dusk upward currents (region 1) are associated with the boundary plasma sheet; and (8) suprathermal electron bursts are important current carrying structures.

Hoffman, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Comet-solar wind interaction - Dynamical length scales and models

ICE magnetometer measurements at Comet Giacobini-Zinner and model simulations of comet-solar wind interactions are analyzed. The magnetometer data reveal the existence of intense hydromagnetic turbulence, a draping of the magnetic field lines to form a magnetotail, a weak shock, and a magnetic barrier region in the magnetosphere. The global models of the comet-solar wind interaction are described. The observed data and models are compared and good correlation is displayed.

Mendis, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Magnetosheath quasi-trapped distributions and ion flows associated with reconnection

Using a sample of ISEE 1 and 2 magnetopause crossings previously identified as times of quasi-steady reconnection, flows of medium energy ions in the magnetosheath are identified. The paper then investigates the particle pitch angle distribution immediately before and after each of these events for the signature of quasi-trapped distributions of energetic ions. Several of the ion flows identified were observed simultaneously with previously identified flux transfer events (FTEs). While FTEs identified from the magnetometer tracings typically show evidence of ion flows, the converse is not necessarily true. However, all properties of the magnetosheath ion flows are the same regardless of whether an FTE can be identified from the magnetometer data. Evidence is found for small-scale reconnection processes (FTEs, ion flows) embedded within a larger region of interconnected field, which is traced out by the quasi-trapped particles. Quasi-trapped distributions of medium-energy ions are seen to sandwich reconnection-associated ion flows in the magnetosheath. The results of this survey have been used to suggest a morphology for reconnection events that incorporates both large- and small-scale features.

Neff, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Observations of ionospheric convection vortices - Signatures of momentum transfer

Several classes of traveling vortices in the dayside ionospheric flow have been detected and tracked using the Greenland magnetometer chain. One class observed during quiet times consists of a continuous series of vortices moving generally antisunward for several hours at a time. Assuming each vortex to be the convection pattern produced by a small field aligned current moving across the ionosphere, the amount of field aligned current was found by fitting a modeled ground magnetic signature to measurements from the chain of magnetometers. The calculated field aligned current is seen to be steady for each vortex and neighboring vortices have currents of opposite sign. Low altitude DMSP observations indicate the vortices are on field lines which map to the inner edge of the low latitude boundary layer. Because the vortices are conjugate to the boundary layer, repeat in a regular fashion and travel antisunward, it is argued that this class of vortices is caused by surface waves at the magnetopause. No strong correlations between field aligned current strength and solar wind density, velocity, or Bz is found.

Mchenry, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

High-T(sub c) squid application in medicine and geophysics

In the Laboratory a high-T(sub c) one-hole squid was built from Y1Ba2Cu3O(7-x) ceramics obtained by a standard procedure of solid state reaction. The ceramics with critical current density J(sub c) is greater than 100 A/sq cm was selected. In the middle of 10 x 10 x 2 mm ceramics pellet a 0.8 mm hole was drilled in which superconducting loop of the squid was located. Between the hole and the edge of the pellet a cut was mechanically filed out with a bridge inside it connecting the superconducting ring. A scheme of the magnetometer is presented. The resonant frequency shift of the tank circuit, the connection of the squid with this circuit, and the squid inductance are evaluated. One of the most interesting fields of the squid-based magnetometer application is biomagnetism, particularly, the human heart magnetocardiogram measuring. The low-temperature squids were used in this area and many interesting and important scientific results have been obtained. The observations have shown that the main noise contribution was not due to the squid but to the Earth's magnetic field variations, industrial inductions, and mainly to the vibrations caused by liquid nitrogen boiling and by vibrations of the box. Further attempts are needed to reduce the magnetic noise inductions. Nevertheless, the estimations promise the maximum signal/noise relation of the high-T(sub c) squid-magnetocardiometer to be not less than 10:1 in a bandwidth of 60 Hz. Apparently, such resolution would be enough not only for steady cardiogram reading but even for thin structure investigation at average technique application.

Polushkin, V. N.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Facility Measures Magnetic Fields

Partly automated facility measures and computes steady near magnetic field produced by object. Designed to determine magnetic fields of equipment to be installed on spacecraft including sensitive magnetometers, with view toward application of compensating fields to reduce interfernece with spacecraft-magnetometer readings. Because of its convenient operating features and sensitivity of its measurements, facility serves as prototype for similar facilities devoted to magnetic characterization of medical equipment, magnets for high-energy particle accelerators, and magnetic materials.

Honess, Shawn B.↗