Data Description

This page summarizes information about the selected resource and its origin based on SPASE metadata.

Table of Contents

  1. Product
  2. Repositories
  3. Instruments
  4. Observatory
  5. Persons

SPASE version 2.0.1

Numerical Data Product: Geotail MGF CPI 1-min field and plasma data at bow shock nose

Resource ID
spase://VMO/NumericalData/Geotail/Propagated/PT1M Get XML
Name
Geotail MGF CPI 1-min field and plasma data at bow shock nose
Alternate name
Geotail at BSN
Description

Solar wind magnetic field and plasma data at 1-min resolution created from Geotail data shifted to the Earth's bow shock nose (BSN).

Additional information
Readme at nssdcftp
Acknowledgement

We acknowledge T. Nagai of the MGF team, L. Frank and W. Paterson of the CPI team and J. King and N. Papitashvili of NASA/SPDF and ADNET who created this product.

Contact
Role Person
1. Data producer Dr. Joseph H. King Get XML
2. Data producer Dr. Natalia E. Papitashvili Get XML
Release date
2009-08-01 00:00:00
Repository #1
Name
SPDF Get XML
Availability
Online
Access rights
Open
URL
OMNIWeb

OMNIWeb, 1-min Geotail

Format
Text
Encoding
None
Repository #2
Name
SPDF Get XML
Availability
Online
Access rights
Open
URL
nssdcftp

FTP path at SPDF/NSSDC

Format
Text
Encoding
None
File size
129 MB per 1 year
Provider resource name
Geotail MGF CPI Data at BSN
Instruments
Geotail MGF Get XML
Geotail CPI Get XML
Measurement type
Magnetic field
Thermal plasma
Temporal description
Start date
1995-03-15 00:00:00
Stop date
2006-11-17 00:00:00
Cadence
1 minute
Observed regions
Heliosphere.NearEarth
↑

Parameters

Parameter #1

Name
Magnetic field vector, GSE
Description

Magnetic field vector, GSE

Cadence
1 minute
Units
nT
Coordinate system
Cartesian GSE
Structure
Size
3
Description

Magnetic field vector, GSE

Elements
Index Name Parameter key Units
1 Bx(GSE) Column13 nT
2 By(GSE) Column14 nT
3 Bz(GSE) Column15 nT
Quantity
Magnetic field
Qualifier
Component
Average

Parameter #2

Name
Magnetic field vector, GSM
Description

Magnetic field vector, GSM

Cadence
1 minute
Units
nT
Coordinate system
Cartesian GSM
Structure
Size
3
Description

Magnetic field vector, GSM

Elements
Index Name Parameter key Units
1 Bx(GSM) Column13 nT
2 By(GSM) Column16 nT
3 Bz(GSM) Column17 nT
Quantity
Magnetic field
Qualifier
Component
Average

Parameter #3

Name
Magnetic field magnitude
Parameter key
Column12
Description

Magnetic field magnitude

Cadence
1 minute
Units
nT
Quantity
Magnetic field
Qualifier
Magnitude
Average

Parameter #4

Name
Magnetic field vector standard deviation
Parameter key
Column21
Description

Square root of sum of variances of component averages.

Cadence
1 minute
Units
nT
Quantity
Magnetic field
Qualifier
Variance
Component

Parameter #5

Name
Magnetic field magnitude standard deviation
Parameter key
Column20
Description

Standard deviation in the average of magnetic field magnitudes

Cadence
1 minute
Units
nT
Quantity
Magnetic field
Qualifier
Variance
Magnitude

Parameter #6

Name
Flow speed
Parameter key
Column23
Description

Flow speed of the solar wind

Cadence
1 minute
Units
km/s
Particle type
Proton
Quantity
Velocity
Qualifier
Magnitude

Parameter #7

Name
Flow velocity vector
Description

Flow velocity vector, 3 GSE cartesian components

Cadence
1 minute
Units
km/s
Coordinate system
Cartesian GSE
Structure
Size
3
Description

Flow velocity vector, GSE

Elements
Index Name Parameter key Units
1 Vx(GSE) Column24 km/s
2 Vy(GSE) Column25 km/s
3 Vz(GSE) Column26 km/s
Particle type
Proton
Quantity
Velocity
Qualifier
Vector

Parameter #8

Name
Proton density
Parameter key
Column27
Description

Proton density

Cadence
1 minute
Units
no./cc
Particle type
Proton
Quantity
Number density

Parameter #9

Name
Proton temperature
Parameter key
Column28
Description

Proton scalar temperature

Cadence
1 minute
Units
deg K
Particle type
Proton
Quantity
Temperature

Parameter #10

Name
Spacecraft position
Description

Position of Geotail spacecraft, GSE cartesian components

Cadence
1 minute
Units
Re
Coordinate system
Cartesian GSE
Structure
Size
3
Description

Spacecraft position vector, GSE

Elements
Index Name Parameter key Units
1 X(Geotail,GSE) Column29 Re
2 Y(Geotail,GSE) Column30 Re
3 Z(Geotail,GSE) Column31 Re
Parameter type
Positional

Parameter #11

Name
Bow shock nose position
Description

Bow shock nose position, as computed from observed data and models, 3 cartesian components

Cadence
1 minute
Units
Re
Coordinate system
Cartesian GSE
Structure
Size
3
Description

Bow shock nose (BSN) position vector, GSE

Elements
Index Name Parameter key Units
1 X(BSN,GSE) Column32 Re
2 Y(BSN,GSE) Column33 Re
3 Z(BSN,GSE) Column34 Re
Parameter type
Other

Parameter #12

Name
Mean time shift
Parameter key
Column08
Description

Time shift from observation time to bow shock nose (BSN) arrival time, as averaged over all 15-16 sec B values with BSN arrival times in minute of interest

Cadence
1 minute
Units
sec
Parameter type
Other

Parameter #13

Name
Numbers of points in field and plasma averages
Description

Numbers of fine scale points in field and plasma averages

Cadence
1 minute
Structure
Size
2
Description

Numbers of fine scale points in field and plasma averages

Elements
Index Name Parameter key
1 Numbers of fine scale points in field averages Column05
2 Numbers of fine scale points in plasma averages Column22
Parameter type
Other
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Instrument: Geotail MGF

Instrument ID
spase://SMWG/Instrument/Geotail/MGF Get XML
Name
Geotail MGF
Description

The objective of this experiment is to measure the magnetic field variation of the magnetotail in the frequency below 50 Hz. The MGF experiment consists of dual three-axis fluxgate magnetometers and a three-axis search coil magnetometer. Triad fluxgate sensors, which utilize a ring core geometry, are installed at the end and middle of a 6 m deployable mast. Three search coils are mounted approximately one-half of the way out on another 6 m boom together with search coils for the VLF wave in the PWI system.

The fluxgate magnetometers are of standard design and consist of an amplifier, filter, phase sensitive detector, integrator, and a voltage-current convertor. The fluxgate magnetometers operate in seven dynamic ranges to cover various regions of the Earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind: +/-16 nT, +/-64 nT, +/-256 nT, +/-1024 nT, +/-4096 nT, +/-16384 nT, and +/-65536 nT, and supply 16 vectors/sec.

The automatic range control of the fluxgate magnetometers failed in 1999 so the observable range was manually fixed in the +/-256 nT where it has remained ever since. On November 23, 2006, the fluxgate magnetometer at the end of the boom failed and data from the second magnetometer at the middle of the boom has been used ever since. Neither of the above changes substantially affect the data.

The search coil magnetometer system consists of three sensors, preamplifier, amplifier, filter, multiplexer, and an A/D converter. The search coil magnetometers operate in a frequency range of 0.5 kHz to 1 kHz, and supply 128 vectors/sec. The fluxgate magnetometer operates in both real time and record modes, while the search coil data are used only in real time mode.

Additional information
NSSDC's Master Catalog

Information about the Magnetic Fields Measurement (MGF)

Contact
Role Person
1. Principal investigator Prof. Tsugunobu Nagai Get XML
2. Scientist Dr. Donald H. Fairfield Get XML
3. Metadata contact Jan Merka Get XML
Release date
2009-05-20 21:10:15
Prior ID
spase://nssdc/instrument/1992-044A-06
Instrument type
Magnetometer
Investigation name
MGF on GEOTAIL
Observatory
Geotail Get XML
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Instrument: Geotail CPI

Instrument ID
spase://SMWG/Instrument/Geotail/CPI Get XML
Name
Geotail CPI
Alternate name
Geotail Comprehensive Plasma Instrumentation
Description

The objective of the Comprehensive Plasma Instrumentation (CPI) investigation is to make comprehensive observations of the three-dimensional velocity distribution functions of electrons and positive ions, with identification of ion species. The instrument contains three sets of quadrispherical analyzers with channel electron multipliers. These three obtain three-dimensional measurements for hot plasma and solar wind electrons, for solar wind ions, and for positive-ion composition measurements. The positive-ion composition measurement of the Ion Composition (IC) analyzer includes five miniature imaging mass spectrometers at the exit aperture of the analyzer, and covers masses from 1 to 550 u/Q at 100 eV, and 1 to 55 u/Q at 10 keV. The Hot Plasma (HP) analyzer measures electrons and ions in the range 1-50,000 eV/Q. The Solar Wind (SW) analyzer measures ions from 150 to 7,000 eV/Q. Sequencing of the energy analyzers and mass spectrometers, and other control functions, are provided by two microprocessors.

Additional information
NSSDC's Master Catalog

Information about the Comprehensive Plasma Instrument (CPI)

Contact
Role Person
1. Principal investigator Prof. Louis A. Frank Get XML
Release date
2009-05-20 21:10:15
Prior ID
spase://nssdc/instrument/1992-044A-04
Instrument type
Quadrispherical Analyser
Investigation name
CPI on GEOTAIL
Observatory
Geotail Get XML
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Observatory: Geotail

Observatory ID
spase://SMWG/Observatory/Geotail Get XML
Name
Geotail
Alternate name
1992-044A
GTL
ISTP/Geotail
GGS/Geotail
Geomagnetic Tail Lab
Description

The solar wind draws the Earth's magnetic field into a long tail on the nightside of the Earth and stores energy in the stretched field lines of the magnetotail. During active periods, the tail couples with the near-Earth magnetosphere, sometimes releasing energy stored in the tail and activating auroras in the polar ionosphere.

The Geotail mission measures global energy flow and transformation in the magnetotail to increase understanding of fundamental magnetospheric processes. This includes the physics of the magnetopause magnetospheric boundary regions, the lobe and plasma sheet, and reconnection and neutral line formation, i.e., the mechanisms processes of input, transport, storage, release and conversion of mass, momentum and energy in the magnetotail.

Geotail, together with Wind, Polar, SOHO, and Cluster projects, constitute a cooperative scientific satellite project designated the International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) program which aims at gaining improved understanding of the physics of solar-terrestrial relations.

Geotail is a spin-stabilized spacecraft utilizing mechanically despun antennas with a design lifetime of about four years. The nominal spin rate of the spacecraft is about 20 rpm around a spin axis maintained between 85-89 degrees to the ecliptic plane. Geotail is cylindrical, approximately 2.2 m in diameter, and 1.6 m high. with It has body-mounted solar cells. Geotail also has and a back-up battery subsystem which that operates when the spacecraft is in the Earth's shadow (limited to 2 hrs). Real-time telemetry data transmitted in X-band are received at the Usuda Deep Space Center (UDSC) in Japan. There are two tape recorders on board, each with a capacity of 450 Mb, which allows daily 24-hour data coverage and are collected in playback mode by the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN).

The Geotail mission is divided into two phases. During the two-year initial phase, the orbit apogee was kept on the nightside of the Earth by using the Moon's gravity in a series of double-lunar swing-by maneuvers that result in the spacecraft spending most of its time in the distant magnetotail (maximum apogee about 200 Earth radii) with a period varying from one to four months. Then, in November 1994, there were a series of maneuvers that reduced the apogee to 50 Re. After three more months in the magnetotail the spacecraft was put in a 10 by 30 Re orbit where it has remained except that the perigee was reduced from 10 to 9 Re in June 1997.

Details on the Geotail mission and instrumentation are given in the Journal of Geomagnetism and Geoelectricity (Vol. 46, No. 1, 1994); online from JGG at

http://www.terrapub.co.jp/journals/EPS/JGG

Additional information
NSSDC's Master Catalog

Information about the Geotail mission

Contact
Role Person
1. Project scientist Guan Le Get XML
2. Project scientist Prof. Masaki Fujimoto Get XML
3. Metadata contact Jan Merka Get XML
Release date
2009-05-20 20:00:12
Location
Region
Earth.Magnetosphere
Heliosphere.NearEarth
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Person: Dr. Joseph H. King

Name
Dr. Joseph H. King
Organization
GSFC-Code 560
Email
jking@mail630.gsfc.nasa.gov
Phone
+1-301-867-0084
Person ID
spase://SMWG/Person/Joseph.H.King Get XML
Release date
2003-08-06 00:00:00
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Person: Dr. Natalia E. Papitashvili

Name
Dr. Natalia E. Papitashvili
Organization
GSFC-Code 612.4
Person ID
spase://SMWG/Person/Natalia.E.Papitashvili Get XML
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Person: Ms. Tamara J. Kovalick

Name
Ms. Tamara J. Kovalick
Organization
GSFC-Code 672
Email
Tamara.J.Kovalick@nasa.gov
Phone
+1-301-286-9422
Person ID
spase://SMWG/Person/Tamara.J.Kovalick Get XML
Release date
2008-03-19 00:00:00
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Person: Mr. Robert M. Candey

Name
Mr. Robert M. Candey
Organization
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Address
Code 672, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Email
robert.m.candey@nasa.gov
Phone
1-301-286-6707
Person ID
spase://SMWG/Person/Robert.M.Candey Get XML
Release date
2007-05-30 19:43:56
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Person: Dr. Robert E. McGuire

Name
Dr. Robert E. McGuire
Organization
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Address
Code 672, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Email
mcguire@mail630.gsfc.nasa.gov
Phone
1-301-286-7794
Person ID
spase://SMWG/Person/Robert.E.McGuire Get XML
Release date
2007-05-30 15:25:24
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Person: Prof. Tsugunobu Nagai

Name
Prof. Tsugunobu Nagai
Organization
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Address
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
Email
nagai@geo.titech.ac.jp
Fax number
+81-3-5734-3537
Person ID
spase://SMWG/Person/Tsugunobu.Nagai Get XML
Release date
2009-03-16 21:51:28
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Person: Dr. Donald H. Fairfield

Name
Dr. Donald H. Fairfield
Organization
GSFC-Code 695
Email
u2dhf@lepdhf.gsfc.nasa.gov
Phone
+1-301-286-7472
Person ID
spase://SMWG/Person/Donald.H.Fairfield Get XML
Release date
1999-08-18 00:00:00
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Person: Jan Merka

Name
Jan Merka
Organization
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Address
Code 672, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Email
jan.merka@nasa.gov
Phone
1-301-286-8751
Person ID
spase://SMWG/Person/Jan.Merka Get XML
Release date
2007-08-09 22:02:24
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Person: Prof. Louis A. Frank

Name
Prof. Louis A. Frank
Organization
University of Iowa
Address
Department of Physics and Astronomy University of Iowa Iowa City IA 52242
Email
frank@iowasp.physics.uiowa.edu
Phone
+1-319-335-1695
Person ID
spase://SMWG/Person/Louis.A.Frank Get XML
Release date
2008-08-26 18:45:59
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Person: Guan Le

Name
Guan Le
Organization
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Address
Code 674, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Email
guan.le@nasa.gov
Phone
+1-301-286-1087
Person ID
spase://SMWG/Person/Guan.Le Get XML
Release date
2007-08-28 20:26:51
↑

SPASE version 2.0.0

Person: Prof. Masaki Fujimoto

Name
Prof. Masaki Fujimoto
Organization
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Address
3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan
Email
fujimoto@stp.isas.jaxa.jp
Fax number
+81-42-759-8456
Person ID
spase://SMWG/Person/Masaki.Fujimoto Get XML
Release date
2009-03-23 19:02:01
↑

SPASE version 1.3.0

Repository: SPDF

Repository ID
spase://SMWG/Repository/NASA/GSFC/SPDF Get XML
Name
SPDF
Description

Space Physics Data Facility

Additional information
SPDF

Space Physics Data Facility

Contact
Role Person
1. General contact Ms. Tamara J. Kovalick Get XML
2. Technical contact Mr. Robert M. Candey Get XML
3. Project scientist Dr. Robert E. McGuire Get XML
Release date
2008-08-26 21:02:30
Prior IDs
spase://vspo/repository/61
spase://SMWG/Repository/SPDF
↑