LANL 2001 MPA: Magnetospheric Plasma Moments at 87-Second Resolution

Los Alamos National Laboratory data from the Magnetospheric Plasma Analyzer (MPA) on a geosynchronous satellite. The dataset contains computed numerical moments for low-energy ions, high-energy ions, and electrons, presented in spacecraft coordinates at an 87-second temporal resolution. Measurements were taken by NASA and the moments are corrected for background and spacecraft potential.

Use Cases

• Analyzing magnetospheric plasma composition and dynamics based on ion and electron species moments.
• Studying plasma flow direction and temperature anisotropy based on Tperp/Tpara and eigenvalue ratios.
• Investigating spacecraft-environment interactions based on data corrected for background and spacecraft potential.
• Modeling geosynchronous orbit plasma conditions based on time-series measurements at 87-second intervals.

Strengths

• Data includes moments for three distinct plasma species: low-energy ions, high-energy ions, and electrons.
• Measurements are provided at a consistent 87-second temporal resolution.
• Flow direction for low-energy ions is described as well determined.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The description notes moments are suspect during times of high background or high spacecraft potential.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) / Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

Collection Method

Numerical moments computed from Magnetospheric Plasma Analyzer (MPA) instrument measurements on a satellite.

Time Range

2001 (inferred from dataset title).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 06:33:42.475889; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Geosynchronous orbit.