The CASSIOPE/e-POP Magnetic Field Instrument (MGF)

Wallis, D. D.; Miles, David M.; Narod, B. Barry; Bennest, J. R.; Murphy, K. R.; Mann, I. R.; Yau, A. W.

doi:10.1007/s11214-014-0105-z

Cited by 46 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The MGF instrument from the CSA's ePOP payload (Wallis et al, 2006) is the design on which this prototype is based but is not sufficiently radiation tolerant for the OR-BITALS mission.…”

Section: Modern State Of Space Fluxgate Magnetometersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A radiation hardened digital fluxgate magnetometer for space applications

Miles

Bennest²,

Mann

et al. 2013

Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst.

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Abstract. Space-based measurements of Earth's magnetic field are required to understand the plasma processes responsible for energising particles in the Van Allen radiation belts and influencing space weather. This paper describes a prototype fluxgate magnetometer instrument developed for the proposed Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) Outer Radiation Belt Injection, Transport, Acceleration and Loss Satellite (ORBITALS) mission and which has applications in other space and suborbital applications. The magnetometer is designed to survive and operate in the harsh environment of Earth's radiation belts and measure low-frequency magnetic waves, the magnetic signatures of current systems, and the static background magnetic field. The new instrument offers improved science data compared to its predecessors through two key design changes: direct digitisation of the sensor and digital feedback from two cascaded pulse-width modulators combined with analog temperature compensation. These provide an increase in measurement bandwidth up to 450 Hz with the potential to extend to at least 1500 Hz. The instrument can resolve 8 pT on a 65 000 nT field with a magnetic noise of less than 10 pT/ √Hz at 1 Hz. This performance is comparable with other recent digital fluxgates for space applications, most of which use some form of sigma-delta ( ) modulation for feedback and omit analog temperature compensation. The prototype instrument was successfully tested and calibrated at the Natural Resources Canada Geomagnetics Laboratory.

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“…The MGF instrument from the CSA's ePOP payload (Wallis et al, 2006) is the design on which this prototype is based but is not sufficiently radiation tolerant for the OR-BITALS mission.…”

Section: Modern State Of Space Fluxgate Magnetometersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Narod and Bennest, 1990). The NGL design was previously modified for low-radiation space applications as the magnetic field instrument (MGF) in the CSA's enhanced Polar Outflow Probe (ePOP) payload on the CAScade, Smallsat and IOnospheric Polar Explorer (CAS-SIOPE) satellite (Wallis et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introduction and Applicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A radiation hardened digital fluxgate magnetometer for space applications

Miles

Bennest²,

Mann

et al. 2013

Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst.

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“…In addition to the O + peak, the TOA spectrum in pixel P5 also shows significant ion counts in the NO + TOA range, which may be indicative of the presence of a low flux of NO + ions of 12.2–14.9 eV and/or lower energy N 2 + ions. The observed magnetic field perturbation and electron data [ Wallis et al ., ; Knudsen et al ., ] at this time are indicative of small‐scale structures of field‐aligned current and soft precipitating electrons, respectively, which might suggest auroral ionization of N 2 in the E and/or F region and the subsequent up‐flow and/or charge exchange of the resulting N + and N 2 + ions.…”

Section: Observationmentioning

confidence: 86%

Imaging thermal plasma mass and velocity analyzer

Yau

Howarth

2016

JGR Space Physics

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We present the design and principle of operation of the imaging ion mass and velocity analyzer on the Enhanced Polar Outflow Probe (e‐POP), which measures low‐energy (1–90 eV/e) ion mass composition (1–40 AMU/e) and velocity distributions using a hemispherical electrostatic analyzer (HEA), a time‐of‐flight (TOF) gate, and a pair of toroidal electrostatic deflectors (TED). The HEA and TOF gate measure the energy‐per‐charge and azimuth of each detected ion and the ion transit time inside the analyzer, respectively, providing the 2‐D velocity distribution of each major ionospheric ion species and resolving the minor ion species under favorable conditions. The TED are in front of the TOF gate and optionally sample ions at different elevation angles up to ±60°, for measurement of 3‐D velocity distribution. We present examples of observation data to illustrate the measurement capability of the analyzer, and show the occurrence of enhanced densities of heavy “minor” O++, N+, and molecular ions and intermittent, high‐velocity (a few km/s) upward and downward flowing H+ ions in localized regions of the quiet time topside high‐latitude ionosphere.

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“…The specific materials used in sensor construction are often not provided in instrument publications. However, MACOR is explicitly mentioned or known to be used in the NASA MAGSAT satellite (Acuña et al, 1978); the S100, STE, and PC104 observatory magnetometers developed by Narod Geophysics Ltd. (Narod and Bennest, 1990); both the Canadian CARISMA ground network (Mann et al, 2008) and the US EMScope magnetotelluric network (Schultz, 2009); the Danish Oersted satellite (Nielsen et al, 1995); the miniaturised SMILE instrument (Forslund et al, 2007); the Vector Fluxgate Magnetometer (VMAG) for the Demonstration and Science Experiment program (Moldwin, 2010); a prototype radiation tolerant fluxgate (Miles et al, 2013); and the Canadian Space Agency Cassiope/e-POP satellite (Wallis et al, 2015). Unfortunately, MACOR is expensive, difficult to machine, and brittle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of winding and core support material on the thermal gain dependence of a fluxgate magnetometer sensor

Miles

Mann

Kale

et al. 2017

Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst.

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Abstract. Fluxgate magnetometers are an important tool in geophysics and space physics but are typically sensitive to variations in sensor temperature. Changes in instrumental gain with temperature, thermal gain dependence, are thought to be predominantly due to changes in the geometry of the wire coils that sense the magnetic field and/or provide magnetic feedback. Scientific fluxgate magnetometers typically employ some form of temperature compensation and support and constrain wire sense coils with bobbins constructed from materials such as MACOR machinable ceramic (Corning Inc.) which are selected for their ultra-low thermal deformation rather than for robustness, cost, or ease of manufacturing. We present laboratory results comparing the performance of six geometrically and electrically matched fluxgate sensors in which the material used to support the windings and for the base of the sensor is varied. We use a novel, lowcost thermal calibration procedure based on a controlled sinusoidal magnetic source and quantitative spectral analysis to measure the thermal gain dependence of fluxgate magnetometer sensors at the ppm • C −1 level in a typical magnetically noisy university laboratory environment. We compare the thermal gain dependence of sensors built from MA-COR, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) engineering plastic (virgin, 30 % glass filled and 30 % carbon filled), and acetal to examine the trade between the thermal properties of the material, the impact on the thermal gain dependence of the fluxgate, and the cost and ease of manufacture. We find that thermal gain dependence of the sensor varies as one half of the material properties of the bobbin supporting the wire sense coils rather than being directly related as has been historically thought. An experimental sensor constructed from 30 % glass-filled PEEK (21.6 ppm • C −1 ) had a thermal gain dependence within 5 ppm • C −1 of a traditional sensor constructed from MACOR ceramic (8.1 ppm • C −1 ). If a modest increase in thermal dependence can be tolerated or compensated, then 30 % glass-filled PEEK is a good candidate for future fluxgate sensors as it is more economical, easier to machine, lighter, and more robust than MACOR.

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The CASSIOPE/e-POP Magnetic Field Instrument (MGF)

Cited by 46 publications

References 19 publications

A radiation hardened digital fluxgate magnetometer for space applications

A radiation hardened digital fluxgate magnetometer for space applications

Imaging thermal plasma mass and velocity analyzer

The effect of winding and core support material on the thermal gain dependence of a fluxgate magnetometer sensor

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