ALBERT

Description: This volume (2), which consists of two parts (A and B), of the Plasma Diagnostics Package (PDP) Final Science Report contains a summary of all of the data reduction and scientific analyses which were performed using PDP data obtained on STS-51F as a part of the Spacelab 2 (SL-2) payload. This work was performed during the period of launch, July 29, 1985, through June 30, 1988. During this period the primary data reduction effort consisted of processing summary plots of the data received by 12 of the 14 instruments located on the PDP and submitting these data to the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC). Three Master's and three Ph.D. theses were written using PDP instrumentation data. These theses are listed in Volume 2, Part B.

Description: This volume (2), which consists of two parts (A and B), of the Plasma Diagnostics Package (PDP) Final Science Report contains a summary of all of the data reduction and scientific analyses which were performed using PDP data obtained on STS-51F as a part of the Spacelab 2 (SL-2) payload. This work was performed during the period of launch, July 29, l985, through June 30, l988. During this period the primary data reduction effort consisted of processing summary plots of the data received by 12 of the 14 instruments located on the PDP and submitting these data to the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC). The scientific analyses during the performance period consisted of follow-up studies of shuttle orbiter environment and orbiter/ionosphere interactions and various plasma particle and wave studies which dealt with data taken when the PDP was on the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm and when the PDP was in free flight. Of particular interest during the RMS operations and free flight were the orbiter wake studies and joint studies of beam/plasma interactions with the SL-2 Fast Pulse Electron Generator (FPEG) of the Vehicle Charging and Potential Investigation (VCAP). Internal reports, published papers and presentations which involve PDP/SL-2 data are listed in Sections 3 and 4. A PDP/SL-2 scientific results meeting was held at the University of Iowa on June 10, l986. This meeting was attended by most of the PDP and VCAP investigators and provided a forum for discussing and comparing the various results, particularly with regard to the PDP free flight.

Description: This volume (1) of the Plasma Diagnostics Package (PDP) final science report contains a summary of all of the data reduction and scientific analyses which were performed using PDP data obtained on STS-3 as a part of the Office of Space Science first payload (OSS-1). This work was performed during the period of launch, March 22, l982, through June 30, l983. During this period the primary data reduction effort consisted of processing summary plots of the data received by the 14 instruments located on the PDP and submitting these data to the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC). The scientific analyses during the performance period consisted of general studies which incorporated the results of several of the PDP's instruments, detailed studies which concentrated on data from only one or two of the instruments, and joint studies of beam-plasma interactions with the OSS-1 Fast Pulse Electron Generator (FPEG) of the Vehicle Charging and Potential Investigation (VCAP). Internal reports, published papers and oral presentations which involve PDP/OSS-1 data are listed in Sections 3 and 4. A PDP/OSS-1 scientific results meeting was held at the University of Iowa on April 19-20, 1983. This meeting was attended by most of the PDP and VCAP investigators and provided a forum for discussing and comparing the various results, particularly with regard to the shuttle orbiter environment. One of the most important functional objectives of the PDP on OSS-1 was to characterize the orbiter environment.

Description: A radio source in the outer heliosphere has been detected by the plasma wave receivers on Voyagers 1 and 2. The radio emission is observed in the frequency range 2-3 kHz, and is above the local solar wind electron plasma frequency whenever supporting plasma density data are available. The maximum spectral density of the emission recorded is about 10 to the -14th V-squared/m-squared/Hz. The bandwidth of the radio noise is about 1 kHz. Possible sources include continuum radiation from Jupiter's distant magnetotail and radiation at the second harmonic of the plasma frequency at the heliopause. If the latter interpretation is correct, these data represent the first remote observations of the heliopause.

Description: The LF radio emission of the heliospheric cavity is discussed, summarizing Voyager measurement data. The solar wind is considered to be the outer layer of the solar atmosphere, and its interaction with the interstellar medium is examined in detail. Typical data are presented graphically, and theoretical models proposed to explain the emission are reviewed. It is suggested that the emission may originate at the terminal shock or heliopause, thus providing a means of estimating its location.

Description: The impulsive noise that the plasma wave and radio astronomy instruments detected during the Voyager 2 swing by Saturn was attributed to dust grains striking the spacecraft. This report presents a reanalysis of the dust impacts recorded by the plasma wave instrument using an improved model for the response of the electric antenna to dust impacts. The fundamental assumption used in this analysis is that the voltage induced on the antenna is proportional to the mass of the impacting grain. Using the above assumption and the antenna response constants used at Uranus and Neptune, the following conclusions can be reached. The primary dust distribution consists of a 'disk' of particles that coincides with the equator plane and has a north-south thickness of 2-Delta zeta = 962 km. A less dense 'halo' with a north-south thickness of 2-Delta zeta = 3376 km surrounds the primary distribution. The dust particle sizes are of the order of 10 microns, assuming a mass density of 1 g/cu cm. The corresponding particle masses are of the order of 10(exp -9) g, and maximum number densities are of the order of 10(exp -2)/cu m. Most likely, the G ring is the dominate source since the particles were observed very close to that ring, namely at 2.86 R(sub S). Other sources, like nearby moons, are not ruled out especially when perturbations due to electromagnetic forces are included. The calculated optical depth differs by about a factor of 2 from photometric studies. The current particle masses, radii, and the effective north-south thickness of the particle distribution are larger than what Gurnett et al. (1983) reported by about 2, 1, and 1 orders of magnitude, respectively. This is attributed to the fact that the collection coefficient used in this study is smaller than what was used in Gurnett et al.'s earlier publication.

Description: The plasma wave receivers on the Voyager spacecraft will likely provide indicators of both the actual crossing of the termination shock as well as precursors of the shock crossing. Since the electron foreshock can extend considerable distances upstream of the termination shock, the detection of these waves can provide as many as several weeks warning that a crossing of the termination shock is imminent. Electrostatic turbulence associated with planetary bow shocks themselves is also an expected feature of the solar wind termination shock and will provide an important signature with which to identify the shock and to provide information on its thickness and fundamental processes. Both upstream Langmuir waves and electrostatic wave turbulence can often be found in conjunction with interplanetary shocks, although the generally weaker nature of these shocks often leads to weaker plasma wave signatures than observed at planetary bow shocks. We demonstrate with Voyager observations that the amplitudes expected for each of these phenomena are well within the range of detectability by the Voyager plasma wave receiver even for termination shock distances exceeding 100 AU.

Description: Voyager 2 observations of electrostatic electron and ion harmonic waves in Neptune's magnetosphere are addressed. A model of electron Bernstein modes generated by a loss cone distribution of superthermal electrons is scaled to Neptune parameters and a comparison of theory with the observed electron flux shows good agreement. A model of proton Bernstein modes generated by a ring distribution of Tritonogenic nitrogen ions is also investigated and satisfactory agreement with the data are obtained compatible with known properties of the magnetosphere. The success of the model in accounting for electrostatic emission observed by Voyager over a wide range of sampled parameters recommends its general applicability to planetary magnetospheres.

Description: The Plasma Diagnostics Package, which was flown aboard STS-3 recorded various chemical releases from the Orbiter. Changes in the plasma environment were observed to occur during Flash Evaporator System (FES) releases, water dumps and maneuvering thruster operations. During flash evaporator operations, broadband Orbiter-generated electro-static noise is enhanced and plasma density irregularity (delta n/N) is observed to increase by as much as 4 times and is strongly peaked below 6 Hz. In the case of water dumps, background electrostatic noise is enhanced or suppressed depending on frequency and Delta N/N is also seen to increase by as much as 4 times. Various changes in the plasma environment are effected by primary and vernier thruster operations. In addition, thruster activity stimulates electrostatic noise with a spectrum which is most intense at frequencies below 10 kHz.

Description: Observations by the Langmuir probe on the Plasma Diagnostics Package flown as part of the Spacelab 2 mission in the summer of 1985 show a strong increase in the level of turbulence near the Shuttle Orbiter during operations in which liquid water is released. The spectrum of the plasma density fluctuations peaks at the lowest frequencies measured (a few Hz) and extends up to a few kHz, near the lower hybrid frequency. Two potential mechanisms for generating the plasma turbulence are suggested which are both based on the production of water ions as a result of charge exchange with the ambient oxygen ions in the ionosphere. The first mechanism proposed is the ion-plasma instability which arises from the drift of the contaminant with respect to the ambient oxygen ions. The other mechanism proposed is the Ott-Farley instability, which is a result of the ring distribution formed by the 'pick-up' water ions.