BackForwardInstrument:  MAG (Solar Orbiter) 

Instrument details
Acronym MAG (Solar Orbiter)
Full name Magnetometer (Solar Orbiter)
Purpose To provide in-situ measurements of the heliospheric magnetic field with high precision. This will facilitate detailed studies into the way the Sun’s magnetic field links into space and evolves over the solar cycle; how particles are accelerated and propagate around the Solar System, including to the Earth; how the corona and solar wind are heated and accelerated
Short description Assemblage of two digital fluxgate sensors operated in the dual-magnetometer mode (both in shadow and mounted on the instrument boom behind the spacecraft body). Missing details on the characteristics. Presumably, 8 dynamic ranges: ± 4 nT; ± 16 nT; ± 64 nT; ± 256 nT; ± 1024 nT; ± 4096 nT; ± 16,384 nT; and ± 65,536 nT. Resolution ± 16 nT @ maximum of dynamics. Accuracy 0.006 nT
Background Consolidated technology
Scanning Technique In-situ measurement as the satellite flies close to the Sun in a solar orbit
Resolution N/A
Coverage / Cycle Full solar disk, sampling at 0.09 s intervals
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency UKSA
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 2020 to 2030
Last update: 2021-10-02
Detailed characteristics
Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Solar and space environment monitors
  • Field or radiowave sensor
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 2
  • Solar magnetograph, solar EUV/X-ray imagery and EUV/X-ray irradiance, both on the Earth-Sun line and off the Earth-Sun line
  • Solar magnetic field sensor [from solar orbit, ecliptic, L5]
  • Solar wind in situ plasma and energetic particles and magnetic field off the Earth-Sun line
  • Interplanetary magnetic field sensor [from solar orbit, ecliptic, L5]
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Interplanetary magnetic field
  • Solar magnetic field
Evaluation of Measurements

The following list indicates which measurements can typically be retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable, click on the respective variable.

Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Note: * Primary mission objective.
VariableRelevance for measuring this variableOperational limitationsExplanation
Solar magnetic field*5 - marginalNo specific limitation.Solar magnetic field measured by a vector magnetometer in a solar orbit
Interplanetary magnetic field*3 - highNo specific limitation.Interplanetary, vectorial, wide dynamics, coarse resolution