ISEE-1 Plasma Wave Spectrum Analyzer Data from 1977 Mission

ISEE-1 and ISEE-2 were launched on October 22, 1977 into elliptical orbits to study the Earth's magnetosphere and solar wind. The University of Iowa Plasma Wave Instrument (PWI) on ISEE-1 provided high-time-resolution spectrum measurements via a 20-channel Electric Spectrum Analyzer connected to electric dipole antennas. This dataset contains rapid sample measurements from that instrument, intended to resolve wave emissions that are bursty or nonlinear.

Use Cases

• Analyze bursty or nonlinear wave emissions based on the high-time-resolution spectrum measurements described.
• Study magnetosphere and magnetosheath boundaries based on the satellite's orbital path through these regions.
• Investigate wave characteristics and Poynting flux based on the instrument's capabilities for wave normal analysis.
• Correlate upstream solar wind conditions observed by ISEE-3 with magnetospheric effects measured by ISEE-1 and ISEE-2.

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated satellite mission with 13 experiments, launched on a specific date (October 22, 1977).
• Instrumentation included three electric dipole antennas (215, 73.5, and 0.61 meters) and a triaxial search coil for comprehensive field measurements.
• The Electric Spectrum Analyzer was a 20-channel analyzer designed for high time resolution to resolve transient phenomena.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data freshness should be verified; the last metadata update is dated 2026-03-13.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measured by the University of Iowa Plasma Wave Instrument (PWI) on the ISEE-1 satellite.

Time Range

Mission launched October 22, 1977; specific temporal coverage of this file is unknown.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 06:41:41.306488; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Geocentric and heliocentric space, covering the magnetosphere, magnetosheath, and solar wind.