Articles | Volume 11, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-307-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-307-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Tesseract – a high-stability, low-noise fluxgate sensor designed for constellation applications
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City,
IA, USA
Christian Hansen
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City,
IA, USA
B. Barry Narod
Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Richard Dvorsky
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City,
IA, USA
David M. Miles
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City,
IA, USA
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Kenton Greene, Scott R. Bounds, Robert M. Broadfoot, Connor Feltman, Samuel J. Hisel, Ryan M. Kraus, Amanda Lasko, Antonio Washington, and David M. Miles
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 13, 249–262, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-13-249-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-13-249-2024, 2024
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Demonstrating the space flight capability of the next generation of precise, reliable magnetic field instruments is important for enabling future space science missions that will further our understanding of the connection between Earth's magnetic field and the Sun. Here, we present a new magnetic field instrument design called Tesseract, the results from its successful first space flight demonstration aboard a rocket, and its measurements of magnetic fields associated with the aurora.
David M. Miles, Richard Dvorsky, Kenton Greene, Christian T. Hansen, B. Barry Narod, and Michael D. Webb
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 11, 111–126, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-111-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-111-2022, 2022
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We present an experiment intended to enable extremely low-noise magnetic field measurements. We manufactured fluxgate magnetometer cores using two metal alloys, two geometries, two foil thicknesses, and six different heat treatments and compared the resulting material properties, power consumption, and magnetic noise. Our results suggest that thinner foils, potentially using a new copper alloy, manufactured into continuous racetrack washers may provide excellent performance in fluxgate sensors.
Matthew G. Finley, Allison M. Flores, Katherine J. Morris, Robert M. Broadfoot, Sam Hisel, Jason Homann, Chris Piker, Ananya Sen Gupta, and David M. Miles
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 13, 263–275, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-13-263-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-13-263-2024, 2024
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Spaceflight magnetic-field measurements are often contaminated by interference from the host spacecraft. We present a new dataset to enable the development and testing of interference mitigation schemes for spaceflight magnetic-field data. Over 100 h of data, including laboratory-generated proxies for magnetic interference and geophysical signals, have been produced. A ground truth for the underlying interference is also provided, enabling the rigorous quantification of data-cleaning techniques.
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Demonstrating the space flight capability of the next generation of precise, reliable magnetic field instruments is important for enabling future space science missions that will further our understanding of the connection between Earth's magnetic field and the Sun. Here, we present a new magnetic field instrument design called Tesseract, the results from its successful first space flight demonstration aboard a rocket, and its measurements of magnetic fields associated with the aurora.
B. Barry Narod and David M. Miles
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 13, 131–161, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-13-131-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-13-131-2024, 2024
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We present the experimental results of a new copper-based alloy suitable for use in high-precision magnetic sensing. It outperforms by providing lower magnetic noise and superior power consumption. Prototype sensors constructed from this material can meet an exacting standard, the 2012 1 s INTERMAGNET standard, for magnetic observatories.
Cole J. Dorman, Chris Piker, and David M. Miles
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 13, 43–50, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-13-43-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-13-43-2024, 2024
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Magnetic field measurements in space can be contaminated by stray magnetic fields from their host satellite. We present an automated tool for measuring the magnetic field generated by potential satellite and instrument components to identify those that may degrade the measurements taken on orbit. This tool is designed for use by the Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) Small Explorers mission and is currently being used for mission design activities.
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Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 11, 323–333, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-323-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-323-2022, 2022
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The Swarm-Echo Satellite carries two magnetometers that allow us to obtain two independent measurements of the changes that occur in the Earth's magnetic field during events such as aurora. Magnetometers must be independently calibrated to ensure they remain accurate. If no magnetic reference is available, a model magnetic field must be used. This paper discusses the method used to calibrate the magnetometers on Swarm-Echo and shows the improvements the calibration has made to the data product.
David M. Miles, Richard Dvorsky, Kenton Greene, Christian T. Hansen, B. Barry Narod, and Michael D. Webb
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 11, 111–126, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-111-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-111-2022, 2022
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We present an experiment intended to enable extremely low-noise magnetic field measurements. We manufactured fluxgate magnetometer cores using two metal alloys, two geometries, two foil thicknesses, and six different heat treatments and compared the resulting material properties, power consumption, and magnetic noise. Our results suggest that thinner foils, potentially using a new copper alloy, manufactured into continuous racetrack washers may provide excellent performance in fluxgate sensors.
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Short summary
The ability to make reliable magnetic measurements in space is very important for a broad range of applications in space science. Here, we present the design and performance of a new magnetometer that looks very promising for making stable reliable magnetic measurements in space. We show that Tesseract performs better than the traditional ring-core design in metrics that are associated with stability.
The ability to make reliable magnetic measurements in space is very important for a broad range...