Speaker
Dr
Eelco Doornbos
(Delft University of Technology)
Description
Magnetic field measurements are an essential tool for space weather and space physics. Many satellite missions that are not dedicated to these fields still carry fluxgate magnetometers, as part of their attitude control subsystem. These measurements are used directly on-board the satellite as input to an attitude determination and control loop, and are only send down in a housekeeping data stream, stored for possible engineering diagnostic purposes.
In this study, we have investigated the feasibility of using data from such non-dedicated magnetometers for space weather use. We have analysed the housekeeping telemetry data from ESA’s GOCE and Swarm missions, in order to investigate the feasibility of using their platform data for mapping and monitoring high-latitude field-aligned currents. We have compared the results with those derived from the science instruments on CHAMP and Swarm, as well as AMIE output during the geomagnetic storms of April 5, 2010 (GOCE) and March 17, 2015 (Swarm).
In addition, we have analysed the magnetometer data delivered by the diagnostics subsystem on ESA's LISA Pathfinder, and compared it to the commonly used IMF data from the space weather observatories WIND, ACE and DSCOVR, also orbiting the Sun-Earth L1 point. Due to the very stable and clean spacecraft design, the LISA Pathfinder IMF data compares very well with the IMF data from the dedicated missions, when a minimum time resolution of a few minutes is considered. The simultaneous availability of IMF data from three or four positions close to the Sun-Earth L1 point during parts of 2016 and 2017, opens up possibilities for an accurate assessment of the data quality, as well as enhanced studies of the propagation of the solar wind near the Earth.
Primary author
Dr
Eelco Doornbos
(Delft University of Technology)
Co-authors
Dr
Alessandra Menicucci
(Delft University of Technology)
Prof.
Claudia Stolle
(Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences)
Dr
Elisabetta Iorfida
(Delft University of Technology)
Dr
Gang Lu
(High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research)
Mr
Ingo Michaelis
(Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences)
Mr
Lotfi Massarweh
(Delft University of Technology, currently: Deimos Engenharia)
Dr
Martin Rother
(Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences)
