The Van Allen Probes Electric Field and Waves Instrument: Science Results, Measurements, and Access to Data

A. W. Breneman; J. R. Wygant; S. Tian; C. A. Cattell; S. A. Thaller; K. Goetz; E. Tyler; C. Colpitts; L. Dai; K. Kersten; J. W. Bonnell; S. D. Bale; F. S. Mozer; P. R. Harvey; G. Dalton; R. E. Ergun; D. M. Malaspina; C. A. Kletzing; W. S. Kurth; G. B. Hospodarsky; C. Smith; R. H. Holzworth; S. Lejosne; O. Agapitov; A. Artemyev; M. K. Hudson; R. J. Strangeway; D. N. Baker; X. Li; J. Albert; J. C. Foster; P. J. Erickson; C. C. Chaston; I Mann; E. Donovan; C. M. Cully; V Krasnoselskikh; J. B. Blake; R. Millan

doi:10.1007/s11214-022-00934-y

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The Van Allen Probes Electric Field and Waves Instrument: Science Results, Measurements, and Access to Data

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The Van Allen Probes Electric Field and Waves Instrument: Science Results, Measurements, and Access to Data

A. W. Breneman, J. R. Wygant, S. Tian, C. A. Cattell, S. A. Thaller, K. Goetz, E. Tyler, C. Colpitts, L. Dai, K. Kersten, …

Space science reviews, Vol.218(8), 69

12/01/2022

DOI: 10.1007/s11214-022-00934-y

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Abstract

The Van Allen Probes Electric Fields and Waves (EFW) instrument provided measurements of electric fields and spacecraft floating potentials over a wide dynamic range from DC to 6.5 kHz near the equatorial plane of the inner magnetosphere between 600 km altitude and 5.8 Re geocentric distance from October 2012 to November 2019. The two identical instruments provided data to investigate the quasi-static and low frequency fields that drive large-scale convection, waves induced by interplanetary shock impacts that result in rapid relativistic particle energization, ultra-low frequency (ULF) MHD waves which can drive radial diffusion, and higher frequency wave fields and time domain structures that provide particle pitch angle scattering and energization. In addition, measurements of the spacecraft potential provided a density estimate in cold plasmas (< 20 eV) from 10 to 3000 cm(-3). The EFW instrument provided analog electric field signals to EMFISIS for wave analysis, and it received 3d analog signals from the EMFISIS search coil sensors for inclusion in high time resolution waveform data. The electric fields and potentials were measured by current-biased spherical sensors deployed at the end of four 50 m booms in the spacecraft spin plane (spin period similar to 11 sec) and a pair of stacer booms with a total tip-tip separation of 15 m along the spin axis. Survey waveform measurements at 16 and/or 32 S/sec (with a nominal uncertainty of 0.3 mV/m over the prime mission) were available continuously while burst waveform captures at up to 16,384 S/sec provided high frequency waveforms. This post-mission paper provides the reader with information useful for accessing, understanding and using EFW data. Selected science results are discussed and used to highlight instrument capabilities. Science quantities, data quality and error sources, and analysis routines are documented.

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Title: Subtitle: The Van Allen Probes Electric Field and Waves Instrument: Science Results, Measurements, and Access to Data
Creators: A. W. Breneman - Goddard Space Flight Center
J. R. Wygant - University of Minnesota
S. Tian - University of Minnesota
C. A. Cattell - University of Minnesota
S. A. Thaller - University of Minnesota
K. Goetz - University of Minnesota
E. Tyler - University of Minnesota
C. Colpitts - University of Minnesota
L. Dai - University of Minnesota
K. Kersten - University of Minnesota
J. W. Bonnell - University of California, Berkeley
S. D. Bale - University of California, Berkeley
F. S. Mozer - University of California, Berkeley
P. R. Harvey - University of California, Berkeley
G. Dalton - University of California, Berkeley
R. E. Ergun - University of Colorado Boulder
D. M. Malaspina - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
C. A. Kletzing - Univ Iowa, Dept Phys & Astron, Iowa City, IA USA
W. S. Kurth - University of Iowa, Physics and Astronomy
G. B. Hospodarsky - University of Iowa, Physics and Astronomy
C. Smith - University of California, Berkeley
R. H. Holzworth - Seattle University
S. Lejosne - University of California, Berkeley
O. Agapitov - University of California, Berkeley
A. Artemyev - University of California, Los Angeles
M. K. Hudson - Dartmouth College
R. J. Strangeway - University of California, Los Angeles
D. N. Baker - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
X. Li - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
J. Albert - Kirtland Air Force Base
J. C. Foster - MIT, Haystack Observ, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
P. J. Erickson - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
C. C. Chaston - University of California, Berkeley
I Mann - University of Alberta
E. Donovan - University of Calgary
C. M. Cully - University of Calgary
V Krasnoselskikh - Université d'Orléans
J. B. Blake - The Aerospace Corporation
R. Millan - Dartmouth Coll, Dept Phys & Astron, Hanover, NH USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Space science reviews, Vol.218(8), 69
DOI: 10.1007/s11214-022-00934-y
ISSN: 0038-6308
eISSN: 1572-9672
Publisher: Springer Nature
Number of pages: 60
Grant note: 922613 / JHU/APL NNN06AA01C / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
Language: English
Date published: 12/01/2022
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984428840702771

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The Van Allen Probes Electric Field and Waves Instrument: Science Results, Measurements, and Access to Data

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