The Electric Field and Waves Instruments on the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission

• DOI: 10.1007/s11214-013-0013-7
• Publication Date: 2013-10-11T17:29:53Z
• Authors: J. R. Wygant; J. W. Bonnell; K. Goetz; R. E. Ergun; F. S. Mozer; S. D. Bale; M. Ludlam; P. Turin; P. R. Harvey; R. Hochmann; K. Harps; G. Dalton; J. McCauley; W. Rachelson; D. Gordon; B. Donakowski; C. Shultz; C. Smith; M. Diaz-Aguado; J. Fischer; S. Heavner; P. Berg; D. M. Malsapina; M. K. Bolton; M. Hudson; R. J. Strangeway; D. N. Baker; X. Li; J. Albert; J. C. Foster; C. C. Chaston; I. Mann; E. Donovan; C. M. Cully; C. A. Cattell; V. Krasnoselskikh; K. Kersten; A. Brenneman; J. B. Tao
• Keywords: Van Allen Probes; Planetary science

The Electric Fields and Waves (EFW) Instruments on the two Radiation Belt Storm Probe (RBSP) spacecraft (recently renamed Van Allen Probes) are designed to measure three dimensional quasi-static low frequency electric fields waves associated with major mechanisms responsible for acceleration of energetic charged particles in inner magnetosphere Earth. For this measurement, instrument uses pairs spherical double probe sensors at ends orthogonal centripetally deployed booms spin plane tip-to-tip separations 100 meters. third component field is measured by separated ∼15 m, stacer oppositely directed along axis spacecraft. provides a continuous stream measurements over entire orbit vector 32 samples/s survey mode. This mode also includes potential provide information thermal electron plasma variations structure. Survey spectral allows evaluation peak value power electric, magnetic density fluctuations from several Hz 6.5 kHz. On-board cross-spectral data calculation field-aligned wave Poynting flux field. higher waveform information, different programmable burst memories used nominal sampling rates 512 16 k samples/s. EFW modes targeted brief time intervals 3-d fields, (from EMFISIS search coil sensors), potential. In all six sensor-spacecraft telemetered enabling interferometric timing small-scale structures. first mode, stores or substantial fraction high gigabyte memory. sub-intervals be downloaded uplinked ground command after inspection other available ground. second involves autonomous storing playback controlled flight software algorithms, which assess "highest quality" events basis instruments orbit. signals response up 400 kHz analysis telemetry (Kletzing et al. Space Sci. Rev. 2013).