Plasma electron analysis: Voyager Plasma Science Experiment
Description
The Plasma Science Experiment (PLS) on the Voyager spacecraft provide data on the plasma ions and electrons in the interplanetary medium and the magnetospheres of the giant planets Jupiter and Saturn. A description of the analysis used to obtain electron parameters (density, temperature, etc.) from the plasma science experiment PLS electron measurements which cover the energy range from 10 eV to 5950 eV is presented. The electron sensor (D cup) and its transmission characteristics are described. A derivation of the fundamental analytical expression of the reduced distribution function F(e) is given. The electron distribution function F(e), used in the moment integrations, can be derived from F(e). Positive ions produce a correction current (ion feedthrough) to the measured electron current, which can be important to the measurements of the suprathermal electron component. In the case of Saturn, this correction current, which can either add to or subtract from the measured electron current, is less than 20% of the measured signal at all times. Comments about the corrections introduced by spacecraft charging to the Saturn encounter data, which can be important in regions of high density and shadow when the spacecraft can become negatively charged are introduced
Availability note (English)
MF available from INIS under the Report Number; Available from NTIS, PC A04/MF A01.
Files
Additional details
Publishing Information
- Imprint Pagination
- 51 p.
- Report number
- N--84-35243
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United States
- Country of Input or Organization
- United States
- INIS RN
- 16059440
- Subject category
- S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
- Descriptors DEI
- ELECTRON DENSITY; ELECTRON TEMPERATURE; INTERPLANETARY SPACE; JUPITER PLANET; PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES; PLASMA; SATURN PLANET; VOYAGER SPACE PROBES
- Descriptors DEC
- ATMOSPHERES; PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES; PLANETS; SPACE; SPACE VEHICLES
Optional Information
- Secondary number(s)
- NASA-TM--85037.