Parker Solar Probe FIELDS: Low-Frequency Magnetic Field Spectra, 6.99-Second Cadence

The Parker Solar Probe FIELDS instrument's Digital Fields Board (DFB) provides calibrated power spectral density data for low-frequency (<75 kHz) magnetic and electric fields. Data is calibrated for instrument gain and filter responses, expressed in sensor coordinates with units of nT²/Hz or V²/Hz. Produced by NASA, this Level 2 dataset has a typical time resolution of 6.99054 seconds during solar encounters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing solar wind turbulence spectra based on calibrated power spectral densities.
• Studying low-frequency (<75 kHz) electromagnetic wave modes based on magnetic field component data.
• Modeling instrument response and calibration effects based on the described Hanning window and filter gain corrections.
• Investigating coordinate system transformations for magnetic field vectors based on the provided rotation matrix.

Strengths

• Data is calibrated for six specific factors including Hanning window, in-band gain, and analog/digital filter responses.
• Provides a defined rotation matrix for converting between sensor coordinate systems [d,e,f] and [u,v,w].
• Specifies a typical data cadence of 6.99054 seconds during solar encounters within 0.25 AU.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The description notes a non-physical positively sloped power trend at high frequencies when signals are noise-dominated.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected by the FIELDS experiment's Digital Fields Board (DFB) on the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft.

Time Range

Covers solar orbits, with specific coordinate systems noted for orbits 1-2 and orbits 3+.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 08:01:58.857101; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Heliospheric, specifically the trajectory of the Parker Solar Probe near the Sun.