Voyager 2 PLS M Mode Ion Spectra from Jupiter Flyby, 1979

Voyager 2 Plasma Spectrometer (PLS) data from the July 1979 Jupiter flyby. The dataset contains high-energy-resolution current ion spectra for protons across 128 logarithmic energy channels from 10 eV to 5950 eV, measured in femto-amperes. It was produced by NASA, with instrument details described in a 1977 Space Science Review reference.

Use Cases

• Modeling proton energy distributions in the Jovian magnetosphere based on the 128-channel high-resolution spectra.
• Analyzing plasma instrument sampling patterns based on the described alternating M, L, E1, and E2 modes.
• Calibrating Faraday cup current measurements based on the femto-ampere scale data.
• Studying temporal plasma variations during the Jupiter flyby based on the 96-second time resolution.

Strengths

• Data originates from the authoritative Voyager 2 mission and NASA.
• Spectra have high energy resolution with 128 logarithmic channels.
• Covers a defined proton energy range from 10 eV to 5950 eV.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is not continuous in time, as the instrument alternates between ion and electron modes.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measured by the Plasma Spectrometer (PLS) instrument's Faraday cups A-D on the Voyager 2 spacecraft.

Time Range

July 1979

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 04:41:07.670176; freshness should be verified

Geography

Jovian magnetosphere (space environment around Jupiter)