Dust impacts at Comet P/Borrelly
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Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Musmann, G..
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The Deep Space 1 (DS1) mission has successfully validated the use of ion propulsion technology for interplanetary spacecraft. The NASA Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) Technology Applications Readiness (NSTAR) Project developed the Ion Propulsion Subsystem (IPS) for DS1. As part of the NSTAR validation effort, the NSTAR Project included a diagnostics element to characterize the local environment produced during IPS operations and its effects on spacecraft subsystems and science instruments. An integrated, comprehensive set of diagnostics, the NSTAR Diagnostics Package (NPD) was developed and operated on DS1 to characterize the IPS environment. The DS1 Spacecraft Team officially assigned the name “IPS Diagnostics Subsystems (IDS)” to the NDP for the DS1 mission. During the technology validation phase of the DS1 mission, a large amount of data was collected from the IDS under a variety of IPS operating conditions. IDS was able to characterize the contamination environment, charge-exchange xenon ion and electron population and energies, plasma noise and electromagnetic noise, and magnetic fields associated with IPS. The results presented here describe the charge-exchange plasma, contamination, plasma wave/EMI, and DC magnetic environments critical to designers of future space missions using ion propulsion
Our present understanding of the interior structure of Mars is mostly based on the interpretation of gravity and rotation data, the chemistry of the SNC (shergottites, nakhlites, chassignites) meteoroids, and a comparison with the much better-known interior structure of the Earth. However geophysical information from previous missions have been insufficient to determine the deep internal structure of the planet. Therefore the state and size of the core and the depth and type of mantle discontinuities are unknown. Most previous seismic experiments have indeed failed, either due to a launch failure (as for the Optimism seismometer onboard the small surface stations of Mars 96) or after failure on Mars (as for the Viking 1 seismometer). The remaining Viking 2 seismometer did not produce a convincing marsquake detection, basically due to too strong wind sensitivity and too low resolution in the teleseismic frequency band. After almost a decade of continuous activity and proposals, the first network mission to Mars, NetLander (NL), is expected to be launched between 2005 and 2007. One of the main scientific objectives of this four-lander network mission will be the determination of the internal structure of the planet using a geophysical package. This package will have a seismometer, a magnetometer, and a geodetic experiment, allowing a complementary approach that will yield many new constraints on the mineralogy and temperature of the mantle and core of the planet.
Geological and theoretical modeling do indicate that, most probably, a significant part of the volatiles present in the past is presently stocked within the Martian subsurface as ground ice, and as clay minerals (water constitution). The detection of liquid water is of prime interest and should have deep implications in the understanding of the Martian hydrological cycle and also in exobiology. In the frame of the 2005 joint CNES-NASA mission to Mars, a set of 4 NETLANDERs developed by an European consortium is expected to be launched between 2005 and 2007. The geophysical package of each lander will include a geo-radar (GPR experiment), a magnetometer (MAGNET experiment), a seismometer (SEIS experiment) and a meteorological package (ATMIS experiment). The NETLANDER mission offers a unique opportunity to explore simultaneously the subsurface as well as deeper layers of the planetary interior on 4 different landing sites. The complementary contributions of all these geophysical soundings onboard the NETLANDER stations are presented.
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The NDP measures contamination, plasma characteristics, electrical fields, and magnetic fields. This paper describes the NDP requirements, development process, and flight systems functionality.
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This paper describes the magnetometer instrument (MAG) to be flown on the Cassini spacecraft. The instrument consists of two magnetometers and an on-board data processing unit.
The Cluster magnetic field investigation is presented. Cluster represents a qualitatively new type of space mission which will provide, for the first time, a three dimensional view of small scale plasma processes and structures in the different regions in and around the Earth's magnetosphere. Concepts of data analysis needed to interpret the four spacecraft magnetic field data in terms of magnetospheric processes and structures are outlined. The instrument itself, a vital component of the scientific payload, follows a long tradition of fluxgate magnetometers on space missions, yet represents an evolution in terms of built in functions and reliability. A detailed description of the instrument is given with emphasis on those aspects that are unique to the mission.
The Giotto magnetic field experiment has provided the first magnetic field data on the interaction between the solar wind and a low gas production comet, P/Grigg-Skjellerup. Waves produced by ion pick-up instabilities have been observed throughout the interaction region with particularly simple waveforms at large distances and a rich phenomenology. A bow shock has been observed outbound only, whereas inbound a change in the character of the wave fields occurred without a jump in the magnetic field vector. The inbound and outbound crossings of the bow wave and shock at 19,900 km and 25,400 km from the nucleus, respectively, imply a neutral gas production rate of (6.7 +/- 1.6) x 10 exp 27/sec. A magnetic field cavity of the comet was not crossed. The pile-up region of 2500 km width along the trajectory showed a magnetic field peak of 88.7 nT.
This paper describes a small-weight and low-power magnetometer that was designed and built for the Mars '94 mission.
The Giotto spacecraft was reactivated in February 1990 and performed the first-ever earth gravity-assisted maneuver on July 2, 1990 to be retargeted for Comet P/Grigg-Skjellerup. This swing-by is of unique scientific interest due to Giotto's hyperbolic, high-inclination orbit. This paper reports on scientific results of the Giotto magnetic field experiment. Due to the high fly-by velocity and the relative quietness of the magnetosphere during the swing-by period, these measurements present a snapshot view of the earth magnetosphere with clearly identified inbound and outbound bow shock and magnetopause crossings. The outbound crossings are of particular interest as surface waves at the polar magnetopause at a distance of 28 earth radii as well as a strong quasi-perpendicular bow shock at a distance of about 64 earth radii are observed.
The investigation of the outbound bow shock of Comet Halley using Giotto magnetometer data leads to the following results: the shock is characterized by strong magnetic turbulence associated with an increasing background magnetic field and a change in direction by 60 deg as one goes inward. In HSE-coordinates, the observed normal turned out to be (0.544, - 0.801, 0.249). The thickness of the quasi-parallel shock was 120,000 km. The shock is shown to be a new type of shock transition called a 'draping shock'. In a draping shock with high beta in the transonic transition region, the transonic region is characterized by strong directional variations of the magnetic field. The magnetic turbulence ahead of the shock is characterized by k-vectors parallel or antiparallel to the average field (and, therefore, also to the normal of the quasi-parallel shock) and almost isotropic magnetic turbulence in the shock transition region. A model of the draping shock is proposed which also includes a hypothetical subshock in which the supersonic-subsonic transition is accomplished.
The magnetic field investigation of the Cluster four-spacecraft mission is designed to provide intercalibrated measurements of the B magnetic field vector. The instrumentation and data processing of the mission are discussed. The instrumentation is identical on the four spacecraft. It consists of two triaxial fluxgate sensors and of a failure tolerant data processing unit. The combined analysis of the four spacecraft data will yield such parameters as the current density vector, wave vectors, and the geometry and structure of discontinuities.
The objectives of the Giotto magnetometer experiment are the investigation of the interaction between Comet Halley and the solar wind 0.9 AU from the Sun, to within 500 km of the cometary nucleus, and the study of the interplanetary magnetic field. The instrumentation consists of a triaxial and a separate biaxial system of fluxgate sensors of the ring-core type, the associated analog electronics and a digital processor. The measuring ranges of + or 1 16 up to + or - 65536 nT are digitized by a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter. Memory modes allow the bridging of gaps in telemetry coverage of up to 10 days. Because of the dust hazard near closest approach, a magnetometer boom could not be included in the spacecraft design. The magnetic contamination problem was attacked by the use of two magnetometers and by a magnetic-cleanliness program. In-flight results show that the instrument is working flawlessly, though magnetic-contamination problems remain.
The Giotto spacecraft will carry sensors for investigating the interplanetary magnetic field while en route and the interaction between the solar wind magnetoplasma and Halley's Comet neutral gas outflow during close approach. Giotto will carry an outboard biaxial fluxgate system and inboard electronics. The instrumentation draws 1.2 kW and weighs 1.31 kg. Sampling rates will be 28/sec during close encounter, covering selectable ranges from 16 nT to 65,535 nT. In-flight calibration techniques are under development to ensure magnetic cleanliness will be obtained. Measurements are also planned of the inbound bow shock, the magnetosheath and the cometary ionopause. The data will be collected as close as 1000 km from the comet surface.