Voyager 2 Plasma Science Experiment (PLS) Jupiter Data Bundle Plasma Derived Ion Moments 96.0 Second Jupiter Data Description PDS3_DATA_SET_ID = VG2-J-PLS-5-SUMM-ION-MOM-96.0SEC-V1.0 PDS3_DATA_SET_NAME = VG2 JUP PLS PLASMA DERIVED ION MOMENTS 96.0 SEC V1.1 START_TIME = 1979-07-04T12:02:47.821 STOP_TIME = 1979-07-10T11:59:35.443 ORIGINAL_DATA_SET_RELEASE_DATE = 1997-12-01 PRODUCER_FULL_NAME = JOHN D. RICHARDSON References: Bridge, H.S., J.W. Belcher, R.J. Butler, A.J. Lazarus, A.M. Mavretic, J.D. Sullivan, G.L. Siscoe, and V.M. Vasyliunas, The Plasma Experiment on the 1977 Voyager Mission, Space Sci. Rev., Vol. 21, p. 259, 1977. Bridge, H.S., J.W. Belcher, A.J. Lazarus, J.D. Sullivan, F. Bagenal, R.L. McNutt, K.W. Ogilvie, J.D. Scudder, E.C. Sittler, V.M. Vasyliunas, and C.K. Goertz, Plasma Observations Near Jupiter: Initial Results from Voyager 2, Science, Vol. 206, p. 972, 1979. McNutt, R.L., J.W. Belcher, and H.S. Bridge, Positive Ion Observations in the Middle Magnetosphere of Jupiter, J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 86, p. 8319, 1981. Collection Overview ================= This collection contains the best estimates of the total ion density from Voyager 2 at Jupiter in the PLS voltage range (10-5950 eV/Q). It is calculated using the method of [McNutt Et Al, 1981] which to first order consists of taking the total measured current and dividing by the collector area and plasma bulk velocity. This method is only accurate for high mach number flows directly into the detector, and may result in underestimates of the total density of a factor of 2 in the outer magnetosphere. Thus absolute densities should be treated with caution, but density variations in the data set can be trusted. The low resolution mode density is used at all times except day 190 2100-2200 when the larger of the high and low resolution mode densities in a 96 sec period is used. Corotation is assumed inside L=17.5, and a constant velocity component of 200 km/s into the D cup is used outside of this. These are the densities given in the [McNutt Et Al, 1981] paper corrected by a factor of 1.209 (.9617) for densities obtained from the side (main) sensor. This correction is due to a better calculation of the effective area of the sensors. Data format: column 1 is time (yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss.sssZ), column 2 is the moment density in cm^-3. Each row has format (a24, 1x, 1pe9.2). Values of -9.99e+10 indicate that the parameter could not be obtained from the data using the standard analysis technique. Additional information about this data set and the instrument which produced it can be found elsewhere in this catalog. Processing Level Id : 5 Software Flag : Y Parameters ========== Ion Density ----------- Sampling Parameter Name : TIME Data Set Parameter Name : ION DENSITY Sampling Parameter Resolution : 96.000000 Sampling Parameter Interval : 96.000000 Minimum Available Sampling Int : 96.000000 Data Set Parameter Unit : CM^-3 Sampling Parameter Unit : SECOND A derived parameter equaling the number of ions per unit volume over a specified range of ion energy, energy/charge, or energy/nucleon. Discrimination with regard to mass and or charge state is necessary to obtain this quantity, however, mass and charge state are often assumed due to instrument limitations. Many different forms of ion density are derived. Some are distinguished by their composition (N+, proton, ion, etc.) or their method of derivation (Maxwellian fit, method of moments). In some cases, more than one type of density will be provided in a single data set. In general, if more than one ion species is analyzed, either by moment or fit, a total density will be provided which is the sum of the ion densities. If a plasma component does not have a Maxwellian distribution the actual distribution can be represented as the sum of several Maxwellians, in which case the density of each Maxwellian is given. Source Instrument Parameters ============================ Instrument Host ID : VG2 Data Set Parameter Name : ION DENSITY Instrument Parameter Name : ION RATE ION CURRENT PARTICLE MULTIPLE PARAMETERS Important Instrument Parameters : 1 (for all parameters) Processing ========== Processing History ------------------ Source Data Set ID : VG2-PLS Software : MOMANAL Product Data Set ID : VG2-J-PLS-5-ION-MOM-96.0SEC Software 'MOMANAL' ------------------ Software Name : MOMANAL Software Type : PIN Software Release Date : N/A Node ID : N/A Cognizant Engineer : N/A Software Access Description : N/A Data Coverage ============= Filename Records Start Stop ------------------------------------------------------------------- ION_MOM.TAB 5399 1979-07-04T12:02:47.821Z 1979-07-10T11:59:35.443Z CONFIDENCE_LEVEL_NOTE Confidence Level Overview ========================= This data set provides an estimate of the positive ion charge density. Several assumption/simplifications are made to simplify the analysis which may affect the accuracy of the results. High mach number flow is assumed; mach numbers of 2-3, which are reasonable lower limits for heavy ions, result in 10-20% underestimates of the charge density. The analysis assumes a unit response (ie., all particles in a cold beam incident on the aperture of the experiment would be measured at the collector). The actual response is documented in [McNutt Et Al 1981] and can be as low as 70%. A velocity into the detector must also be assumed; the velocity used is the corotation velocity inside of 17.5 R[J] and 200 km/s outside of this. This velocity profile is in accord with that measured where velocity determinations are possible, but the use of incorrect values give errors in the density which vary linearly with errors in the velocity. Finally, only ions in the PLS energy range (10-5950 eV/Q) are counted. The cumulative error from all these effects is less than 10% in the solar wind, less than a factor of two in the outer magnetosphere (r>20 R[J]) and less than 20-30% inside of this. Since the amplitude of each of these effects varies slowly in time (distance), the relative changes in density are good to a few percent in most cases. Missing Data Flag ================= Any column whose value is -9.99e+10 is a bad or missing data value.