MMS 4 FPI DES: Magnetospheric Plasma Distributions at 30 ms Burst Resolution

Burst mode data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission's Fast Plasma Investigation Dual Electron Spectrometer (FPI DES) instrument, providing high-resolution plasma distribution maps. The dataset contains corrected 'Burst Sky Map' distributions with timestamps and instrument state annotations, selected for downlink from the spacecraft. It is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyze high-temporal-resolution plasma dynamics based on 30 ms burst mode data.
• Study electron phase space distributions in Earth's magnetosphere based on 'Burst Sky Map' data.
• Model instrument performance and data correction algorithms based on provided state annotations.
• Investigate particle energization processes during magnetospheric events using selected downlinked burst data.

Strengths

• Provides high-resolution 30 ms plasma distribution data from a dedicated scientific satellite mission.
• Contains corrected and quality-controlled 'Burst Sky Map' distributions with instrument state metadata.
• Data is produced and maintained by the authoritative source, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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.
• Not all burst resolution data are downlinked, as per the mission design described.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by the Fast Plasma Investigation (FPI) Dual Electron Spectrometer (DES) instrument on the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft.

Time Range

Temporal coverage is not explicitly stated in the provided input.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 06:06:10.147430; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Data is collected in the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Region Of Interest (ROI) in Earth's magnetosphere.