VG1-J-PRA-3-RDR-LOWBAND-6SEC-V1.0: Voyager 1 Jupiter Radio Astronomy Low-Frequency Data

Voyager 1 Planetary Radio Astronomy instrument data from the Jupiter encounter, covering 1979-01 06 to 1979-04-13. The dataset contains calibrated low-frequency receiver band measurements at a 6-second sweep resolution, packaged into 48-second major frames. It was produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and contains power measurements in millibels across 70 frequency channels.

Use Cases

• Analyzing Jupiter's low-frequency radio emission patterns based on the calibrated power measurements across 70 channels.
• Time-series signal processing of spacecraft instrument data based on the 6-second sweep resolution and 48-second major frame structure.
• Studying the polarization of radio waves based on the alternating left-hand and right-hand circular power samples mentioned in the description.
• Calibrating or validating models of radio wave propagation in space based on the provided millibel units and defined noise floor.

Strengths

• Covers the entire Jupiter encounter phase from 1979-01-06 to 1979-04-13, providing a continuous observation window.
• Provides data at the highest time resolution possible during normal operations, with 6-second sweeps through the receiver band.
• Data is calibrated and provided in defined units (millibels), with a documented noise floor of approximately 2300 to 2400 millibels.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data format is ASCII with a specific I4 and I6 structure, which may require custom parsing.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Acquired by the Voyager 1 Planetary Radio Astronomy (PRA) Instrument during the Jupiter Encounter.

Time Range

1979-01-06 to 1979-04-13

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 05:12:31.685148; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Spacecraft trajectory during Jupiter encounter (interplanetary space).