MMS 1 Fast Plasma Investigation: Partial Distribution Moments at 4.5-Second Resolution

NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission provides partial plasma distribution moments from the Fast Plasma Investigation's Dual Ion Spectrometer. The data are collected in Fast Survey Mode at 4.5-second resolution within the mission's region of interest, with additional parameters included for instrument state annotation. This Level 2 product contains moments integrated over a limited portion of velocity space, distinguished from standard moments by a 'part' suffix.

Use Cases

• Analyzing partial plasma density and velocity moments based on the 'density_part' and similar parameters described.
• Studying magnetospheric conditions within the mission's Region of Interest (ROI) based on the specified operational modes.
• Correlating instrument state annotations with plasma measurements for data quality assessment.
• Investigating plasma behavior at different temporal resolutions (4.5 s, 60 s) as mentioned in the operational description.

Strengths

• Data originates from NASA's authoritative Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission.
• Includes annotated time stamps and instrument system state parameters for context.
• Provides partial moments integrated from specific energy steps to infinity, offering specialized plasma metrics.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale analysis.
• Data availability varies by mission phase and resolution mode (Fast Survey, Slow Survey, Burst), as described.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by the MMS 1 spacecraft's Fast Plasma Investigation, Dual Ion Spectrometer (FPI, DIS) instrument.

Time Range

Temporal coverage is tied to the MMS mission phases, but specific dates are not provided.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 06:29:45.105112; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Spatial coverage is the magnetospheric Region Of Interest (ROI) for the MMS mission.