VLF ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS OBSERVED IN THE AURORAL ZONE WITH THE JAVELIN 8.46 SOUNDING ROCKET.

Abstract

Results of the Javelin 8.46 VLF electric and magnetic fields experiment flown from Ft. Churchill, Canada, on May 25, 1968, are discussed. This experiment carried three orthogonal magnetic loop antennas, three orthogonal long (3.16 meters) electric dipoles, two short (42 cm) electric dipoles, and six wideband (30 Hz to 10 kHz) receivers for amplifying signals from the various VLF antennas. Intense noise bursts with frequencies less than about 1.5 kHz were observed on all the electric antennas below 500 km altitude, but not on the loop antennas. The precession and spin modulation of these noise bursts suggest that the noise is generated by an interaction between the payload and the surrounding plasma. High frequency electrostatic noise bursts, from 5 to 30 kHz, were observed throughout the flight. These noise bursts, similar in some respects to lower-hybrid-resonance noise commonly observed with satellite VLF electric field experiments, also appear to involve an interaction between the payload and the surrounding plasma. Attenuation bands at harmonics of the proton gyrofrequency were also found in the frequency spectra of electric field noise observed during a portion of the flight. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1969
Accession Number
AD0684439

Entities

People

  • Donald A. Gurnett
  • Stephen R. Mosier

Organizations

  • University of Iowa

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Altitude
  • Antennas
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Attenuation
  • Electric Fields
  • Frequency
  • Harmonics
  • Loop Antennas
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Modulation
  • Payload
  • Precession
  • Resonance
  • Rockets
  • Sounding Rockets

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Acoustics.
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster