Voyager 1 MAG: 48-Second Magnetic Field Data Near Termination Shock

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft collected this magnetic field data using its Triaxial Fluxgate Magnetometer (MAG). The dataset contains 48-second averaged measurements of magnetic field components (BR, BT, BN) and magnitude (F1) in the heliosphere, particularly near and beyond the termination shock. The data is intended for studying solar wind magnetic fields, heliospheric evolution, and cosmic ray modulation.

Use Cases

• Modeling the structure of solar wind magnetic fields based on the BR, BT, and BN component data.
• Studying long-term heliospheric evolution during solar cycles based on the multi-year time-series measurements.
• Investigating the acceleration of anomalous cosmic rays at the termination shock based on magnetic field gradients.
• Analyzing local particle acceleration from solar flare shocks and corotating interaction regions using the magnetic field fluctuations.

Strengths

• Data originates from the NASA Voyager 1 mission, a primary source for outer heliosphere observations.
• Uncertainty estimates are provided: +/- 0.02 nT for components and +/- 0.03 nT for magnitude.
• The description details the complex correction process for spacecraft magnetic field, indicating careful data processing.

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 uncertainties in BR, BT, BN, and F1 may vary with time and cannot be determined more precisely.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected by the Voyager 1 spacecraft's Triaxial Fluxgate Magnetometer (MAG) instrument.

Time Range

Covers the mission period near and beyond the termination shock.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 13 08:13:14.299364; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Interplanetary space, heliosphere.