Space@VT Magnetosphere - Ionosphere Science Team (MIST)

Space Physics Research Group
at Virginia Tech

The Earth's main magnetic field is generated primarily by electric currents deep within the planet's core. The interaction between the solar wind and Earth's magnetic field forms the cavity called "magnetosphere". Magnetospheric plasma regions and field structures that have a footprint in either of two oval-shaped regions in the ionosphere surrounding the polar caps collectively account for the aurora, large-scale current systems, and other effects that typify inputs of mass, momentum, and energy from high to lower altitudes.

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South Pole Low-Powered Magnetometer

Housekeeping Data

A digital, low-powered magnetometer system was tested at South Pole in 2006-2007 and moved onto the Antarctic Plateau (station code PG1, lat=-85.50 lon=77.20) in Jan 2008. The second low-powered magnetometer system (station code PG2, lat= -84.42 lon= 57.96) was installed onto the Antarctic Plateau in Jan 2009. The development of this system is a collaboration between Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA, the Space Physics Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and the National Institute of Aerospace in Hampton, VA. The system is designed for 5-year operation unattended. 1-second vector geomagnetic variations are transmitted from the station via Iridium satellite communications links. To save power during the dark winter, the vector magnetic data are stored and only station housekeeping data are transmitted. The stored winter data are retrieved during the summer when power is available from the solar panels. Data and plots are avaliable from Interactive Display to MIST Antarctic and Greenland Geomagnetic Data

Latest 1-min Polar Cap (PC) Magnetic Activity Index data:

• Northern PCN index (Qaanaaq-Thule) from Danish Meteorological Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark

• Southern PCS index (Vostok) from Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia

A digital, low-powered magnetometer at South Pole (Antarctica) is operated by the Space @ Virginia Tech  and Space Physics Research Laboratory  of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, U.S.A. The 1-second geomagnetic variations are transmitted once per day to SPRL via the Iridium satellite modems.

This effort is supported by the National Science Foundation throught the following awards: OPP-0341470 (PENGUIn consortium), OPP-0341158 (Michigan PENGUIn component), and CEDAR/AMISR ATM-0728538 to Virginia Tech.

Last Update: Sept., 2009