New instrument for wave activity study

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New instrument for wave activity study

Korepanov, Valery / Dudkin, Fedir / Lizunov, Georgy

The existing experience and theoretical research results are summarized which allowed developing a new instrument - Wave Probe - which is a combination of induction magnetometer and split Langmuir probe (SLP) in one body. The wave activity study in space plasmas is a very important modern task of space research. It is shown that one of the most efficient methods for their analysis is the simultaneous measurements of spatial current density and magnetic field fluctuations arising during a wave process. Whereas the measurement of the magnetic field is a routine task realized onboard practically every spacecraft (SC), the direct measurement of spatial current density (SCD) still remains a complicated scientific and technological problem. Further progress of the development, over which a overview is given, allowed to create a device named 'wave probe' (WP) which is a combination of three sensors in one body (split Langmuir probe, search-coil magnetometer and electric probe). Combination of such sensors in one compact device gives possibility of wave vector simple calculation and obtaining of dispersion relations for wave processes in space plasmas. Moreover, such a combination of three sensors in one body creates a good opportunity of using WP onboard small satellites having restrictions mostly in free space for sensors fixation.