NSSDCA ID: 1972-012A-01
Mission Name: Pioneer 10The magnetometer on Pioneer 10 (also carried on Pioneer 11) is a triaxial helium magnetometer with seven dynamic ranges, from plus or minus 2.5 nT to plus or minus 10 gauss. The linearity was 0.1%, and the noise threshold was 0.01% rms for 0-1 Hz. The accuracy was 0.5% of full scale range. The experiment worked as planned until November 1975, when the spacecraft was at about 8 au. No further useful data were obtained. The experimenter has used RTN coordinates in his data analysis. In this system, R (or X) is radially outward from the sun, T (or Y) is parallel to the sun's equatorial plane and has its direction given by the cross product of the sun's spin vector into the radial direction (i.e., into R) and N (or Z) completes the right-handed orthogonal system (positive northward). A detailed instrument description may be found in Smith et al., IEEE Trans. On Magnetics, Mag-11, p. 962, July 1975. Some data also include the interplanetary region. This instrument failed in October 1975 and was turned off in June 1986.
Questions and comments about this experiment can be directed to: Dr. John F. Cooper
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Dr. Charles P. Sonett | Other Investigator | University of Arizona | |
Prof. Paul J. Coleman, Jr. | Other Investigator | University of California, Los Angeles | |
Dr. Douglas E. Jones | Other Investigator | Brigham Young University | |
Dr. David S. Colburn | Other Investigator | NASA Ames Research Center | |
Dr. Leverett Davis, Jr. | Other Investigator | California Institute of Technology | |
Dr. Palmer Dyal | Other Investigator | NASA Ames Research Center | |
Dr. Edward J. Smith | Principal Investigator | NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory | edward.j.smith@jpl.nasa.gov |