Vega 2 Solar Wind Plasma Parameters at 20-Minute Resolution

The Vega 2 mission collected solar wind plasma parameters during its interplanetary phases en route to Comet Halley. This dataset provides proton flow speeds, densities, and temperatures at a 20-minute resolution, derived from fitting energy spectra to convecting Maxwellian models. The data includes two parameter sets ('linear' and 'log') and was produced by NASA, with coverage spanning specific periods in 1985 and 1986.

Use Cases

• Modeling solar wind behavior based on proton speed, density, and temperature parameters
• Comparing fitting methodologies using the 'linear' and 'log' parameter sets
• Analyzing temporal gaps in solar wind data coverage during the Vega 2 mission
• Studying interplanetary plasma conditions during the approach to Comet Halley

Strengths

• Data resolution is explicitly 20 minutes
• Includes two distinct parameter sets ('linear' and 'log') derived from different fitting methods
• Specific coverage dates are listed for major data periods

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
• Data has long gaps between the first and last days of coverage

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Parameters determined by fitting counts-vs-energy data from a sunward-looking electrostatic analyzer to a convecting Maxwellian.

Time Range

Coverage spans specific periods in 1985 and 1986, including 85/04/16 - 85/07/24, 85/09/27 - 85/11/27, 85/12/03 - 86/02/20, and 86/02/23 - 86/03/06.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 05:22:15.009057; freshness should be verified