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Survey of VLF Electric Fields in the Magnetosphere With the Polar Orbiting Spacecraft, 1964–45A
Author(s) -
Scar F. L.,
Crook G. M.,
Fredricks R. W.
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1002/rds196618939
Subject(s) - physics , ionosphere , electric field , amplitude , spacecraft , plasmasphere , electrometer , magnetosphere , whistler , earth's magnetic field , instability , polar , noise (video) , plasma , satellite , geophysics , magnetic field , spacecraft charging , astronomy , mechanics , optics , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , computer science , image (mathematics)
The VLF electrometer on the Lockheed‐Aerospace P‐11 satellite, 1964–45A, sampled ambient electric fields in the frequency range 1.7–14.5 kc/s. Tape‐recorded data for 16 full orbits were obtained between 15 August 1964 and 13 September 1964. A complete description of the experiment is given, the results for 8 of these passes are displayed and analyzed, and the remaining measurements are summarized. It is argued that the observed fields generally represent electrostatic plasma oscillations in the ambient medium, and various sources of the large nonequilibrium noise enhancements are considered. It is noted that d‐e electric fields parallel to the geomagnetic field lines (possibly associated with the flute instability) could produce the large‐amplitude plasma oscillations and related phenomena.