ICE Radio Wave Electron Mapping: Comet Giacobini-Zinner Tail Crossing Data

54-second resolution measurements of electron density and temperature from the ISEE-3/ICE spacecraft's radio mapping experiment. The data covers the two-hour interval from 10:00 to 12:00 UT on September 11, 1985, during the tail crossing of comet Giacobini-Zinner. It was provided to NASA's National Space Science Data Center by Dr. Jean-Louis Steinberg of the Observatoire de Paris.

Use Cases

• Modeling comet-solar wind interactions based on in-situ electron measurements.
• Analyzing plasma parameter evolution based on the 54-second time resolution data.
• Calibrating radio wave thermal noise spectroscopy techniques based on the described methodology.

Strengths

• Data has a specific 54-second time resolution.
• Covers a defined two-hour interval during a historic comet encounter.
• Originates from a principal investigator and a recognized space agency (NASA).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last updated 2026-03-13 13:53:40.809682; freshness should be verified.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), via the National Space Science Data Center.

Collection Method

Derived from spectroscopy of the thermal noise spectrum (radio mapping) by the ISEE-3/ICE spacecraft.

Time Range

10:00 - 12:00 UT on September 11, 1985.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 13:53:40.809682.

Geography

Space, specifically the tail region of comet Giacobini-Zinner.