BackForwardInstrument:  DP 

Instrument details
Acronym DP
Full name Double Probes
Purpose To measure the full 3D electric field
Short description Assemblage of two sets of double-probe instruments. The Spin-plane Double Probe (SDP) consists of four 48-meter wire booms with spherical sensors at the end. The Axial Double Probe (ADP) consists of two 10-meter antennas deployed axially near the spacecraft spin axis. The SDP and ADP provide full 3D electric field measurements over a range from DC to 100 kHz with an accuracy of 0.5 mV/m (SDP) and 1 mV/m (ADP). Dynamic range presumably 0.1-10 mV/m
Background Part of a package of instruments to implement the SMART (Solving Magnetospheric Acceleration, Reconnection, and Turbulence) mission
Scanning Technique 4 satellites co-flying in tetrehedral pattern, moving to different positions into the Magnetosphere for 3-D field reconstruction
Resolution N/A
Coverage / Cycle Full magnetospheric volume; sampling at 1 ms intervals
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency NASA
Instrument Maturity Backed by strong heritage
Utilization Period: 2015 to 2024
Last update: 2021-10-02
Detailed characteristics
Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Solar and space environment monitors
  • Field or radiowave sensor
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 2
  • Magnetospheric energetic particles and magnetometers
  • Electric field sensor [in LEO and cross magnetosphere]
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Electric Field
Evaluation of Measurements

The following list indicates which measurements can typically be retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable, click on the respective variable.

Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Note: * Primary mission objective.
VariableRelevance for measuring this variableOperational limitationsExplanation
Electric Field*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Cluster in the magnetosphere. Electric field, poor dynamic range