F. L. Scarf

Initial Results from the ISEE-1 and -2 Plasma Wave Investigation

In this paper we present an initial survey of results from the plasma wave experiments on the ISEE-1 and -2 spacecraft which are in nearly identical orbits passing through the Earths magnetosphere at radial distances out to about 22.5Re. Essentially every crossing of the Earths bow shock can be associated with an intense burst of electrostatic and whistler-mode turbulence at the shock, with substantial wave intensities in both the upstream and downstream regions. Usually the electric and magnetic field spectrum at the shock are quite similar for both spacecraft, although small differences in the detailed structure are sometimes apparent upstream and downstream of the shock, probably due to changes in the motion of the shock or propagation effects. Upstream of the shock emissions are often observed at both the fundamental, f-p, and second harmonic, 2fp-, of the electron plasma frequency. In the magnetosphere high resolution spectrograms of the electric field show an extremely complex distribution of plasma and radio emissions, with numerous resonance and cutoff effects. Electron density profiles can be obtained from emissions near the local electron plasma frequency. Comparisons of high resolution spectrograms of whistler-mode emissions such as chorus detected by the two spacecraft usually show a good overall similarity but marked differences in detailed structure on time scales less than one minute. Other types of locally generated waves, such as the (n+1/2)f-gelectron cyclotron waves, show a better correspondence between the two spacecraft. High resolution spectrograms of kilometric radio emissions are also presented which show an extremely complex frequency-time structure with many closely spaced narrow-band emissions.

Micron-sized particles detected near Saturn by the Voyager plasma wave instrument

Abstract During the Voyager 2 Saturn encounter the plasma wave instrument detected a region of intense impulsive noise centered on the ring plane at a distance of 2.88 Saturn radii, slightly outside of the G ring. The noise has been attributed to small micron-sized particles hitting the spacecraft. Investigation of various coupling mechanisms suggested that the noise was produced by impact ionization of particles striking the spacecraft body, thereby releasing a cloud of charged particles, some of which were collected by the plasma wave antenna. Reasonably reliable estimates of the charge yield per unit mass are available from laboratory impact ionization measurements. Based on the assumption that the voltage induced on the antenna is proportional to the mass of the colliding particle, a method was developed to determine the mass and size distribution of the particles from the rms voltage of the induced noise and the impulse rate. The results obtained show that the mass distribution varies as m −3 , and that most of the particles detected had radii in the range from 0.3 to 3 μm. The effective north-south thickness of the particle distribution is 106 km. The mass distribution function derived from these data is shown to be in reasonable agreement with optical depth estimates obtained from imaging measurements and absorption effects detected by energetic charged particle measurements.

Plasma wave observations at comet Giacobini-Zinner

The plasma wave instrument on the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) detected bursts of strong ion acoustic waves almost continuously when the spacecraft was within 2 million kilometers of the nucleus of comet Giacobini-Zinner. Electromagnetic whistlers and low-level electron plasma oscillations were also observed in this vast region that appears to be associated with heavy ion pickup. As ICE came closer to the anticipated location of the bow shock, the electromagnetic and electrostatic wave levels increased significantly, but even in the midst of this turbulence the wave instrument detected structures with familiar bow shock characteristics that were well correlated with observations of localized electron heating phenomena. Just beyond the visible coma, broadband waves with amplitudes as high as any ever detected by the ICE plasma wave instrument were recorded. These waves may account for the significant electron heating observed in this region by the ICE plasma probe, and these observations of strong wave-particle interactions may provide answers to longstanding questions concerning ionization processes in the vicinity of the coma. Near closest approach, the plasma wave instrument detected broadband electrostatic noise and a changing pattern of weak electron plasma oscillations that yielded a density profile for the outer layers of the cold plasma tail. Near the tail axis the plasma wave instrument also detected a nonuniform flux of dust impacts, and a preliminary profile of the Giacobini-Zinner dust distribution for micrometer-sized particles is presented.

A plasma wave investigation for the Voyager Mission

The Voyager Plasma Wave System (PWS) will provide the first direct information on wave-particle interactions and their effects at the outer planets. The data will give answers to fundamental questions on the dynamics of the Jupiter and Saturn magnetospheres and the properties of the distant interplanetary medium. Basic planetary dynamical processes are known to be associated with wave-particle interactions (for instance, solar wind particle heating at the bow shock, diffusion effects that allow magnetosheath plasma to populate the magnetospheres, various energization phenomena that convert thermal plasma of solar wind origin into trapped radiation, and precipitation mechanisms that limit the trapped particle populations). At Jupiter, plasma wave measurements will also lead to understanding of the key processes known to be involved in the decameter bursts such as the cooperative mechanisms that yield the intense radiation, the observed millisecond fine-structure, and the Io modulation effect. Similar phenomena should be associated with other planetary satellites or with Saturns rings. Local diagnostic information (such as plasma densities) will be obtained from wave observations, and the PWS may detect lightning whistler evidence of atmospheric electrical discharges. The Voyager Plasma Wave System shares the 10-meter PRA antenna elements, and the signals are processed with a 16-channel spectrum analyzer, covering the range 10 Hz to 56 kHz. At selected times during the planetary encounters, the PWS broadband channel will operate with the Voyager video telemetry link to give complete electric field waveforms over the frequency range 50 Hz to 10 kHz.

The Galileo plasma wave investigation

The purpose of the Galileo plasma wave investigation is to study plasma waves and radio emissions in the magnetosphere of Jupiter. The plasma wave instrument uses an electric dipole antenna to detect electric fields, and two search coil magnetic antennas to detect magnetic fields. The frequency range covered is 5 Hz to 5.6 MHz for electric fields and 5 Hz to 160 kHz for magnetic fields. Low time-resolution survey spectrums are provided by three on-board spectrum analyzers. In the normal mode of operation the frequency resolution is about 10%, and the time resolution for a complete set of electric and magnetic field measurements is 37.33 s. High time-resolution spectrums are provided by a wideband receiver. The wideband receiver provides waveform measurements over bandwidths of 1, 10, and 80 kHz. These measurements can be either transmitted to the ground in real time, or stored on the spacecraft tape recorder. On the ground the waveforms are Fourier transformed and displayed as frequency-time spectrogams. Compared to previous measurements at Jupiter this instrument has several new capabilities. These new capabilities include (1) both electric and magnetic field measurements to distinguish electrostatic and electromagnetic waves, (2) direction finding measurements to determine source locations, and (3) increased bandwidth for the wideband measurements.

Voyager 2 plasma wave observations at Saturn

The first inbound Voyager 2 crossing of Saturns bow shock [at 31.7 Saturn radii (RS), near local noon] and the last outbound crossing (at 87.4 RS, near local dawn) had similar plasma wave signatures. However, many other aspects of the plasma wave measurements differed considerably during the inbound and outbound passes, suggesting the presence of effects associated with significant north-south or noon-dawn asymmetries, or temporal variations. Within Saturns magnetosphere, the plasma wave instrument detected electron plasma oscillations, upper hybrid resonance emissions, half-gyrofrequency harmonics, hiss and chorus, narrowband electromagnetic emissions and broadband Saturn radio noise, and noise bursts with characteristics of static. At the ring plane crossing, the plasma wave instrument also detected a large number of intense impulses that we interpret in terms of ring particle impacts on Voyager 2.

First Plasma Wave Observations at Uranus

Radio emissions from Uranus were detected by the Voyager 2 plasma wave instrument about 5 days before closest approach at frequencies of 31.1 and 56.2 kilohertz. About 10 hours before closest approach the bow shock was identified by an abrupt broadband burst of electrostatic turbulence at a radial distance of 23.5 Uranus radii. Once Voyager was inside the magnetosphere, strong whistler-mode hiss and chorus emissions were observed at radial distances less than about 8 Uranus radii, in the same region where the energetic particle instruments detected intense fluxes of energetic electrons. Various other plasma waves were also observed in this same region. At the ring plane crossing, the plasma wave instrument detected a large number of impulsive events that are interpreted as impacts of micrometer-sized dust particles on the spacecraft. The maximum impact rate was about 30 to 50 impacts per second, and the north-south thickness of the impact region was about 4000 kilometers.

Narrowband electromagnetic emissions from Jupiter's magnetosphere

A series of narrowband electromagnetic emissions were detected by the plasma wave instrument on board Voyager 1 coming from the inner region of Saturns magnetosphere in the frequency range 3–30 kHz. These emissions have many similarities to continuum radiation detected in the Earths magnetosphere and narrowband kilometric radiation in the jovian magnetosphere. The observed frequency spacing suggests that the emissions are being generated near Tethys, Dione and Rhea, probably in regions of large plasma density gradients associated with boundaries of the plasma sheet.

Plasma wave observations near Jupiter - Initial results from Voyager 2

This report provides an initial survey of results from the plasma wave instrument on the Voyager 2 spacecraft, which flew by Jupiter on 9 July 1979. Measurements made during the approach to the planet show that low-frequency radio emissions from Jupiter have a strong latitudinal dependence, with a sharply defined shadow zone near the equatorial plane. At the magnetopause a new type of broadband electric field turbulence was detected, and strong electrostatic emissions near the upper hybrid resonance frequency were discovered near the low-frequency cutoff of the continuum radiation. Strong whistler-mode turbulence was again detected in the inner magnetosphere, although in this case extending out to substantially larger radial distances than for Voyager 1. In the predawn tail region, continuum radiation was observed extending down to extremely low frequencies, ∼ 30 hertz, an indication that the spacecraft was entering a region of very low density, ∼ 1.0 x 10–5 per cubic centimeter, possibly similar to the lobes of Earths magnetotail.

Disappearing ionospheres on the nightside of Venus

Abstract Instruments on the Pioneer Venus Orbiter have detected a substantial ionosphere on the nightside of Venus during most orbits. However, during some orbits the nightside ionosphere seems to have almost disappeared, existing only as irregular patches of low-density plasma. The solar wind dynamic pressure on these occasions is greater than average. We have correlated data from several instruments (Langmuir probe, ion mass spectrometer, retarding potential analyzer, magnetometer, and plasma analyzer) for a number of orbits during which the nightside ionosphere had disappeared. The magnetic field tends to be coherent, horizontal, and larger than usual, and the electron and ion temperatures are much larger than they usually are on the nightside. We suggest mechanisms which might explain the reasons for the disappearance of the ionosphere when the solar wind dynamic pressure is large.