IMP 8 LANL: 12-Second Magnetotail Plasma and Alpha Particle Data

IMP 8 satellite data from NASA provides 12-second resolution plasma parameters from the magnetotail. The dataset includes proton density, flow speed, temperature, and azimuthal direction, as well as alpha particle abundance, temperature ratios, and relative flow parameters. It was last updated on March 13, 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling magnetotail dynamics based on proton density and flow speed.
• Studying solar wind composition based on alpha-to-proton abundance and temperature ratios.
• Analyzing plasma anisotropy based on provided alpha temperature anisotropy and pressure tensor symmetry axis angles.

Strengths

• Includes multiple plasma parameters (proton and alpha particle) for detailed analysis.
• Provides high-temporal-resolution 12-second measurements.
• Data originates from the NASA IMP 8 satellite mission.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is stored in a BIN format, which may require specialized tools for access.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected by the IMP 8 satellite's LANL instrument in the magnetotail.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 06:52:33.115432; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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