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Abstract. The plasma-wave experiment ASPI (analysis of spectra of plasma waves and instabilities) on board the INTERBALL spacecraft is a combined wave diagnostics experiment. It performs measurements of the DC and AC magnetic ®eld vector by¯ux-gate and searchcoil sensors, the DC and AC electric ®eld vector by Langmuir double probes and the plasma current by Langmuir split probe. Preliminary data analysis shows the low noise levels of the sensors and the compatibility of new data with the results of previous missions. During several months of in-orbit operation a rich collection of data was acquired, examples of which at the magnetopause and plasma sheet are presented in second part of the paper. Scienti®c objectivesThe INTERBALL project is orientated towards the investigation of the interaction between di erent parts of the magnetosphere in relation to changes in the solar wind and ionosphere. First INTERBALL-1 orbits passed through the solar wind, bow shock, magnetosheath and magnetopause regions. Several months later the orbit apogee shifted to the near-Earth magnetotail, so that INTERBALL-1 observed the tail lobes and the plasma sheet. These orbit parameters allow the neutral sheet region to be studied for several hours.Plasma waves and¯uctuations play a crucial role in the highly collisionless space plasma. Waves and¯uctu-ations are of particular importance at the plasma boundaries such as bow shock, magnetopause, neutral sheet, and plasma sheet boundary layer. Wave-particle, interactions in the plasma result in processes like: (1) anomalous transport (pitch-angle and spatial di usion, conductivity, viscosity); (2) energy redistribution and plasma heating; (3) generation of anisotropic distribution functions and their relaxation; (4) triggering of large-scale instabilities.The speci®c objectives of the ASPI wave and ®eld experiment on board INTERBALL-1 are:1. The study of the¯uctuation characteristics in di erent regions of the magnetosphere and the use of these data as high-time-resolution indicators of plasma phenomena. 2. The determination of the micro-scale plasma characteristics (e.g. di usion and anomalous transport coe cients, wave-wave and wave-particle coupling).

The scientific objectives, design and capabilities of the Rosetta Lander's ROMAP instrument are presented. ROMAP's main scientific goals are longterm magnetic field and plasma measurements of the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in order to study cometary activity as a function of heliocentric distance, and measurements during the Lander's descent to investigate the structure of the comet's remanent magnetisation. The ROMAP fluxgate magnetometer, electrostatic analyser and Faraday cup measure the magnetic field from 0 to 32 Hz, ions of up to 8000 keV and electrons of up to 4200 keV. Additional two types of pressure sensors -Penning and Minipiranicover a pressure range from 10 −8 to 10 1 mbar. ROMAP's sensors and electronics are highly integrated, as required by a combined field/plasma instrument with less than 1 W power consumption and 1 kg mass.The primary science objective of the plasma packages onboard the Rosetta mission is to investigate a comet's interaction with the solar wind. The characteristic structures of the cometary plasma environment will be studied including the plasma boundaries, plasma waves, the existence of a magnetic cavity and the evolution of these features. The nature of the interaction is considered to depend on the solarwind activity as well as the location in the solar system because the outgassing rate from a comet increases as approaching to the perihelion. The influence of a possible intrinsic magnetic field of the comet nucleus on the comet-solar wind interaction will also be studied.

The feasibility and first results of a near sensor digitalization of fluxgate signals (digital fluxgate magnetometer) are presented. Applying the usual magnetometer electronics we have substituted the analogue section by a digital processing unit (ow). The 2f , signal is digitized at its second harmonic and mean values are online phase-sensitively calculated. Based on this development we present a completely redesigned magnetometer experiment for applications on planetary surfaces. Sensor and electronics including serial interface have to be in one housing, its weight is less than 150 g and the number of electrical connections is limited to four (power lines + serial link). Applications for the digital magnetometer on Earth are also discussed.

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