Keywords
magnetic fields, Venus Orbiter Mission, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Abstract
The magnetic field investigation on the Venus Orbiter Mission must provide sensitive, accurate measurements of the magnetic field at all locations along the spacecraft orbit. In addition to being able to search for and measure any weak global magnetic field that may exist, the magnetometer must have the capability of measuring fields at frequencies high enough to permit a comprehensive study of the bow shock, the region between the shock and the ionopause, the expansion fan and the wake. Accurate measurements outside the interaction region must be made in order to provide necessary information concerning the configuration of the perturbing magnetized solar wind. A comprehensive set of observations of the shock could clarify the nature of collisionless hydromagnetic shocks. The ionopause and expansion fan are new features seen by Mariner S that must be investigated because of their vital importance to the understanding of the effect of the solar wind on a planetary atmosphere. Of equal importance is the wake region behind the planet.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Smith, Edward J.; Davis, Leverett Jr.; Jones, Douglas E.; and Tsurutani, Bruce T., "Proposal: Pioneer Venus Orbiter Mission Magnetic Field Investigation" (1973). Faculty Publications. 7410.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/7410
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
1973-12
Publisher
NASA
Language
English
College
Computational, Mathematical, & Physical Sciences
Department
Physics and Astronomy
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