The Mutual Impedance Probe Technique for Plasma Parameters Measurements: the ROSETTA RPC/MIP Results during the Earth's Flybys

Details The Mutual Impedance Probe Technique for Plasma Parameters Measurements: the ROSETTA RPC/MIP Results during the Earth's Flybys The Mutual Impedance Probe Technique for Plasma Parameters Measurements: the ROSETTA RPC/MIP Results during the Earth's Flybys

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmsm21b1898t&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #SM21B-1898

Computer Science

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[0654] Electromagnetics / Plasmas, [6033] Planetary Sciences: Comets And Small Bodies / Magnetospheres, [6222] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Ganymede, [6994] Radio Science / Instruments And Techniques

Scientific paper

The Mutual Impedance Probe technique, used in geophysical prospection to measure the ground permittivity since the early 1900, has been successfully transposed to measure space plasma properties in the 70s. This technique has been used in space for many years on sounding rockets and spacecraft: GEOS-1, GEOS-2, VIKING, MARS-96, ARCAD/AUREOL-3, and Huygens. The basic principle of the technique is to measure the self impedance of a single electric antenna or the mutual impedance between two sets of E-field dipoles. Since the impedance of the probe depends on the dielectric properties of the medium in which the probe is immersed, some characteristics of the medium can be determined. Space plasma parameters such as the density and temperature of thermal electrons may thus be reliably and accurately deduced. As a bonus, using only the receiving part of the probe, natural waves can also be investigated in a large frequency range. An E-field impedance probe is currently flying onboard ESA’s comet Chaser ROSETTA and one such probe is in development for BepiColombo. The most common configuration of a mutual impedance probe uses a dipole for transmitting a frequency-controlled signal and a second dipole for receiving the induced signal. Transmitting electrodes are fed with a signal generator, in series with a current meter if necessary, while the receiving electrodes are connected to a voltmeter with a very high input impedance. The transmitted current I and the received voltage V being known, the mutual impedance Z is by definition Z = V/I. Both the imaginary and the real parts of Z may then be interpreted to deduce plasma properties. The capabilities of this technique are illustrated with in-flight calibration results obtained by the Mutual Impedance Probe, MIP, which is one instrument of the ROSETTA plasma package. MIP and the four other instruments of the ROSETTA Plasma Consortium, RPC, were switched on during the three Earth swingbys (March 2005, November 2007, and November 2009). Calibration and general testing were the main objectives, nevertheless valuable observations of the Earth’s plasmasphere have been made by the MIP instrument. While MIP itself has been designed to measure plasma properties in the Debye length range: 0.5-20 cm, a special configuration uses a second instrument of the RPC, the Langmuir Probe (LAP), as a transmitter to allow measuring the plasma properties in the long Debye length range: 0.1-2 m, thus allowing to investigate a wide range of plasma conditions expected to be met by ROSETTA. The results obtained during the Earth flybys will be shown and the performance of the instrument discussed. The application of the technique to probe the environment of Callisto and Ganymede is discussed and the strength of this measurement approach as a potential sensor onboard one of the two spacecraft of the Europa Jupiter System Mission, the Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter, is highlighted.

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