An Improved Technique for Measuring Plasma Density to High Frequencies on the Parker Solar Probe

F. S. Mozer; S. D. Bale; P. J. Kellogg; D. Larson; R. Livi; O. Romeo

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac4f42

An Improved Technique for Measuring Plasma Density to High Frequencies on the Parker Solar Probe

F. S. Mozer, S. D. Bale, P. J. Kellogg, D. Larson, R. Livi, O. Romeo

Physics and Astronomy (Twin Cities)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

The correlation between the plasma density measured in space and the surface potential of an electrically conducting satellite body with biased electric field detectors has been recognized and used to provide density proxies. However, for Parker Solar Probe, this correlation has not produced quantitative density estimates over extended periods of time because it depends on the energy-dependent exponential variation of the photoemission spectrum, the electron temperature, the ratio of the biased surface area to the conducting spacecraft surface area, the spacecraft secondary or thermal emission, the spacecraft distance from the Sun, etc. In this paper the density as a function of time and frequency to frequencies as high as the electron gyrofrequency is determined through least-squares fits of a function of the spacecraft potential to the plasma density measured on the Parker Solar Probe. This function allows correction for the many effects on the spacecraft potential other than that due to the plasma density. Some examples of plasma density obtained from this procedure are presented.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	220
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	926
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac4f42
State	Published - Feb 1 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by NASA contract NNN06AA01C. The authors acknowledge the extraordinary contributions of the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft engineering team at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University. The FIELDS experiment on the Parker Solar Probe was designed and developed under NASA contract NNN06AA01C. Our sincere thanks to P. Harvey, K. Goetz, and M. Pulupa for managing the spacecraft commanding, data processing, and data analysis, which has become a heavy load thanks to the complexity of the instruments and the orbit. We also acknowledge the SWEAP team for providing electron temperature data.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

Publisher link

10.3847/1538-4357/ac4f42

Find It

Find It at U of M Libraries

Cite this

@article{b27a059d03ac4d9e942ae02ce219a6f9,

title = "An Improved Technique for Measuring Plasma Density to High Frequencies on the Parker Solar Probe",

abstract = "The correlation between the plasma density measured in space and the surface potential of an electrically conducting satellite body with biased electric field detectors has been recognized and used to provide density proxies. However, for Parker Solar Probe, this correlation has not produced quantitative density estimates over extended periods of time because it depends on the energy-dependent exponential variation of the photoemission spectrum, the electron temperature, the ratio of the biased surface area to the conducting spacecraft surface area, the spacecraft secondary or thermal emission, the spacecraft distance from the Sun, etc. In this paper the density as a function of time and frequency to frequencies as high as the electron gyrofrequency is determined through least-squares fits of a function of the spacecraft potential to the plasma density measured on the Parker Solar Probe. This function allows correction for the many effects on the spacecraft potential other than that due to the plasma density. Some examples of plasma density obtained from this procedure are presented.",

author = "Mozer, \{F. S.\} and Bale, \{S. D.\} and Kellogg, \{P. J.\} and D. Larson and R. Livi and O. Romeo",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by NASA contract NNN06AA01C. The authors acknowledge the extraordinary contributions of the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft engineering team at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University. The FIELDS experiment on the Parker Solar Probe was designed and developed under NASA contract NNN06AA01C. Our sincere thanks to P. Harvey, K. Goetz, and M. Pulupa for managing the spacecraft commanding, data processing, and data analysis, which has become a heavy load thanks to the complexity of the instruments and the orbit. We also acknowledge the SWEAP team for providing electron temperature data. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.",

year = "2022",

month = feb,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/ac4f42",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "926",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - An Improved Technique for Measuring Plasma Density to High Frequencies on the Parker Solar Probe

AU - Mozer, F. S.

AU - Bale, S. D.

AU - Kellogg, P. J.

AU - Larson, D.

AU - Livi, R.

AU - Romeo, O.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by NASA contract NNN06AA01C. The authors acknowledge the extraordinary contributions of the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft engineering team at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University. The FIELDS experiment on the Parker Solar Probe was designed and developed under NASA contract NNN06AA01C. Our sincere thanks to P. Harvey, K. Goetz, and M. Pulupa for managing the spacecraft commanding, data processing, and data analysis, which has become a heavy load thanks to the complexity of the instruments and the orbit. We also acknowledge the SWEAP team for providing electron temperature data. Publisher Copyright: © 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

PY - 2022/2/1

Y1 - 2022/2/1

N2 - The correlation between the plasma density measured in space and the surface potential of an electrically conducting satellite body with biased electric field detectors has been recognized and used to provide density proxies. However, for Parker Solar Probe, this correlation has not produced quantitative density estimates over extended periods of time because it depends on the energy-dependent exponential variation of the photoemission spectrum, the electron temperature, the ratio of the biased surface area to the conducting spacecraft surface area, the spacecraft secondary or thermal emission, the spacecraft distance from the Sun, etc. In this paper the density as a function of time and frequency to frequencies as high as the electron gyrofrequency is determined through least-squares fits of a function of the spacecraft potential to the plasma density measured on the Parker Solar Probe. This function allows correction for the many effects on the spacecraft potential other than that due to the plasma density. Some examples of plasma density obtained from this procedure are presented.

AB - The correlation between the plasma density measured in space and the surface potential of an electrically conducting satellite body with biased electric field detectors has been recognized and used to provide density proxies. However, for Parker Solar Probe, this correlation has not produced quantitative density estimates over extended periods of time because it depends on the energy-dependent exponential variation of the photoemission spectrum, the electron temperature, the ratio of the biased surface area to the conducting spacecraft surface area, the spacecraft secondary or thermal emission, the spacecraft distance from the Sun, etc. In this paper the density as a function of time and frequency to frequencies as high as the electron gyrofrequency is determined through least-squares fits of a function of the spacecraft potential to the plasma density measured on the Parker Solar Probe. This function allows correction for the many effects on the spacecraft potential other than that due to the plasma density. Some examples of plasma density obtained from this procedure are presented.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85126307924

UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85126307924&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/ac4f42

DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/ac4f42

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85126307924

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 926

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

M1 - 220

ER -

An Improved Technique for Measuring Plasma Density to High Frequencies on the Parker Solar Probe

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Publisher link

Find It

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this