Spacecraft and interplanetary contributions to the magnetic environment on-board LISA Pathfinder
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Published version
OA Location
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
LISA Pathfinder (LPF) has been a space-based mission designed to test new technologies that will be required for a gravitational wave observatory in space. Magnetically driven forces play a key role in the instrument sensitivity in the low-frequency regime (mHz and below), the measurement band of interest for a space-based observatory. The magnetic field can couple to the magnetic susceptibility and remanent magnetic moment from the test masses and disturb them from their geodesic movement. LPF carried on-board a dedicated magnetic measurement subsystem with noise levels of 10 nT Hz−1/2 from 1 Hz down to 1 mHz. In this paper we report on the magnetic measurements throughout LPF operations. We characterize the magnetic environment within the spacecraft, study the time evolution of the magnetic field and its stability down to 20 μHz, where we measure values around 200 nT Hz−1/2, and identify two different frequency regimes, one related to the interplanetary magnetic field and the other to the magnetic field originating inside the spacecraft. Finally, we characterize the non-stationary component of the fluctuations of the magnetic field below the mHz and relate them to the dynamics of the solar wind.
Date Issued
2020-04-18
Date Acceptance
2020-03-18
Citation
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2020, 494 (2), pp.3014-3027
ISSN
0035-8711
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Start Page
3014
End Page
3027
Journal / Book Title
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume
494
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2020 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society
This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000535877200113&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
ST/R001871/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Astronomy & Astrophysics
gravitational waves
magnetic fields
space vehicles: instruments
SOLAR-WIND
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-04-18