Published May 1983 | Version v1
Report Restricted

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.

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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.