VG1 PWS: Voyager 1 Plasma Wave System Hourly Electric Field Averages

NASA's Voyager 1 Plasma Wave System (PWS) data set contains hourly RMS averages and peaks of calibrated electric field measurements for the entire mission. The data includes 16 RMS averages and 16 maximum values across frequency channels from 50 Hz to 10 kHz, with most noise spikes removed prior to processing. The dataset was last updated on 2026-03-13.

Use Cases

• Analyzing plasma wave intensity trends over the Voyager 1 mission timeline based on hourly RMS averages.
• Studying frequency spectrum characteristics of electric fields in space based on the 16 frequency channels from 50 Hz to 10 kHz.
• Identifying extreme plasma wave events based on the recorded maximum values for each frequency channel.
• Modeling the propagation and behavior of plasma waves in the heliosphere and beyond based on calibrated electric field measurements.

Strengths

• Covers the entire Voyager 1 mission, providing a long-term temporal record.
• Data is calibrated and processed, with most noise spikes removed for more reliable values.
• Provides dual metrics for each frequency: an RMS average and a maximum value.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measurements taken by the spectrum analyzer component of the Plasma Wave System (PWS) onboard the Voyager 1 spacecraft.

Time Range

The entire Voyager 1 mission.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 03:46:48.472029; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Trajectory of the Voyager 1 spacecraft through the solar system and into interstellar space.