Voyager 2 Saturn Plasma Science: Derived Ion Solar Wind Data, 96-Second Resolution

Voyager 2's Plasma Science instrument recorded solar wind data during its Saturn encounter from August 19 to September 4, 1981. The dataset contains derived ion density and temperature parameters, with a recommended effective time resolution of 96 seconds. It was supplied by John D. Richardson for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Use Cases

• Modeling solar wind plasma behavior near Saturn based on derived ion density and temperature parameters.
• Analyzing temporal changes in solar wind properties during a planetary encounter based on the 96-second resolution time series.
• Comparing moment-derived parameters with fit parameters from a convected isotropic proton Maxwellian distribution.
• Studying the structure of the solar wind during the Voyager 2 Saturn flyby in August 1981.

Strengths

• Data covers a specific planetary encounter period from 1981-08-19 to 1981-09-04.
• Provides both broader moment parameters and more detailed near-encounter data for August 24-25, 1981.
• Effective time resolution is explicitly stated as 96 seconds.

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, instrument P.I. John D. Richardson.

Collection Method

Derived from Voyager 2 Plasma Science (PLS) instrument measurements.

Time Range

1981-08-19T00:00:09.229Z to 1981-09-04T02:51:21.885Z.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 13:57:19.704410; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Space, specifically the region around Saturn during the Voyager 2 flyby.