2.7.1
spase://NASA/NumericalData/ParkerSolarProbe/FIELDS/RFS_LFR/Level3/QuasiThermalNoise/VariableCadence
NASA
NumericalData
Radio Frequency Spectrometer LFR Quasi-thermal noise, Data
2025-07-07T12:34:56.789
2025-07-07T12:34:56.789
Initial release of metadata, ADAPT generated, LFB; modified, SAB
2026-05-14T00:00:00.000
Added parameter choices, SAB
Quasi-thermal noise (QTN) spectroscopy is an efficient tool for measuring in situ macroscopic plasma properties in space, using a passive wave receiver at the ports of an electric antenna [1]. The Radio Frequency Spectrometer (RFS) is a dual channel digital spectrometer, designed for both remote sensing of radio waves and in situ measurement of electrostatic fluctuations using signals from the V1-V4 electric field antennas [2]. Usually, the two RFS channels record differences between V1-V2 and V3-V4 antennas (dipole mode). It allows us to retrieve plasma properties independently by two sets of antennas. The plasma line is automatically identified in a frequency range determined by the density model based on spacecraft distance from the Sun. The frequency range is manually adjusted for intervals when the plasma line occurs at lower or higher frequencies than predicted. We assume that the plasma line is well identified if detected at the same frequency by the V1-V2 and V3-V4 dipoles simultaneously. We assume that the plasma frequency is equal to the geometric mean of the plasma line and the preceding frequency channel. In other words, the plasma frequency corresponds to the steepest positive slope below the plasma line. The provided error bars are calculated from the frequency resolution of the RFS instrument.
[1] Meyer-Vernet, N., Issautier, K., and Moncuquet, M. (2017). Quasi-thermal noise spectroscopy: The art and the practice. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 122, 7925-7945. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017ja024449
[2] Bale, S. D., Goetz, K., Harvey, P. R., Turin, P., Bonnell, J. W., Dudok de Wit, T., et al. (2016). The FIELDS instrument suite for Solar probe plus. Measuring the coronal plasma and magnetic field, plasma waves and turbulence, and radio signatures of Solar transients. Space Science Reviews, 204(1-4), 49-82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-016-0244-5
This project acknowledges the Parker Solar Probe FIELDS instrument team and the FIELDS science data center for providing these solar wind plasma measurements.. NASA open data policy applies. Consultation with the instrument team is strongly recommended.
Bale, Stuart D; Krupar, Vratislav; Pulupa, Marc; Quinn, Timothy; Schroeder, Peter
2020-01-01T00:00:00
NASA Space Physics Data Facility
spase://SMWG/Person/Stuart.D.Bale
PrincipalInvestigator
spase://SMWG/Person/Robert.M.Candey
MetadataContact
spase://SMWG/Person/Scott.Boardsen
MetadataContact
FIELDS instrument paper
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11214-016-0244-5
PSP/FIELDS/RFS/LFR data available at
en
SSL FIELDS data website
http://fields.ssl.berkeley.edu/data/
PSP/FIELDS/RFS/LFR data available at
en
The Quasi-thermal noise (QTN) spectroscopy paper
https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JA024449
PSP/FIELDS/RFS/LFR data available at
en
spase://SMWG/Repository/NASA/GSFC/SPDF/CDAWeb
Online
FTPS from SPDF (not with most browsers)
ftps://spdf.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/data/psp/fields/l3/rfs_lfr_qtn/
PSP_FLD_L3_RFS_LFR_QTN
Access to Data in CDF Format via ftps from SPDF
HTTPS from SPDF
https://spdf.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/data/psp/fields/l3/rfs_lfr_qtn/
PSP_FLD_L3_RFS_LFR_QTN
Access to Data in CDF Format via https from SPDF
CDAWeb
https://cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eval2.cgi?dataset=PSP_FLD_L3_RFS_LFR_QTN&index=sp_phys
PSP_FLD_L3_RFS_LFR_QTN
Access to ASCII, CDF, and Plots via NASA/GSFC CDAWeb
CDF
None
None
psp_fld_l3_rfs_lfr_qtn_%Y%m%d_%Y%m%d_%Q.cdf
Please acknowledge the Principal Investigator Stuart D. Bale (bale@ssl.berkeley.edu). Please acknowledge the Data Providers and CDAWeb when using these Data.
spase://SMWG/Repository/NASA/GSFC/SPDF
Online
Open
CDAWeb Programmatic Data Access
https://cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/WS/cdasr/1/dataviews/sp_phys/datasets/PSP_FLD_L3_RFS_LFR_QTN/clientLibraryExample/
PSP_FLD_L3_RFS_LFR_QTN
Access to this data from common programming environments. Note: this AccessInformation element was added by HDPWS.
Binary
Please acknowledge the Principal Investigator Stuart D. Bale (bale@ssl.berkeley.edu). Please acknowledge the Data Providers and CDAWeb when using these Data.
spase://SMWG/Repository/NASA/GSFC/SPDF/CDAWeb
Online
CDAWeb HAPI Server
https://cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/hapi
PSP_FLD_L3_RFS_LFR_QTN
Web Service to this product using the HAPI interface.
CSV
Please acknowledge the Principal Investigator Stuart D. Bale (bale@ssl.berkeley.edu). Please acknowledge the Data Providers and CDAWeb when using these Data.
Calibrated
spase://SMWG/Instrument/ParkerSolarProbe/RFS
ThermalPlasma
2018-10-19T00:11:48.000
2024-04-08T07:29:54.000
PT99999.999S
Heliosphere
Heliosphere.Inner
Heliosphere.NearEarth
Sun.Corona
Epoch
Epoch
CDF TT2000 time [ns]
ns
1.0e-9>s
Epoch
LinearScale
2010-01-01T00:00:00.000000000
2049-12-31T23:59:59.999999999
9999-12-31T23:59:59.999999999
Orientation
Electron density
Time series defined by using: Epoch
N_elec
QTN electron density
PT99999.999S
cm^-3
TimeSeries
Electron density
E12.2
LinearScale
1.00e-02
1.00e+04
-1.0e+31
Electron
Scalar
NumberDensity
Electron density, lower uncertainty
Time series defined by using: Epoch
N_elec_deltalow
Lower uncertainty associated with QTN electron density
PT99999.999S
cm^-3
TimeSeries
Electron density, lower uncertainty
E12.2
LinearScale
1.00e-02
1.00e+04
-1.0e+31
Electron
Scalar
NumberDensity
Electron density, upper uncertainty
Time series defined by using: Epoch
N_elec_deltahigh
Upper uncertainty associated with QTN electron density
PT99999.999S
cm^-3
TimeSeries
Electron density, upper uncertainty
E12.2
LinearScale
1.00e-02
1.00e+04
-1.0e+31
Electron
Scalar
NumberDensity
Data quality flag
Time series defined by using: Epoch
N_elec_dqf
Array of density data quality indicators
PT99999.999S
Data quality flag
I3
LinearScale
0
5
255
Housekeeping
Frequency Range, Lower Boundary
Time series defined by using: Epoch
Frequency_low
Lower boundary of the frequency range with the peak
PT99999.999S
Hz
Frequency Range, Lower Boundary
E12.2
LinearScale
0.00e+00
2.00e+07
-1.0e+31
Housekeeping
Frequency Range, Upper Boundary
Time series defined by using: Epoch
Frequency_high
Upper boundary of the frequency range with the peak
PT99999.999S
Hz
Frequency Range, Lower Boundary
E12.2
LinearScale
0.00e+00
2.00e+07
-1.0e+31
Housekeeping
Electron density (channel 0)
Time series defined by using: Epoch
N_elec_ch0
QTN electron density at channel 0
PT99999.999S
cm^-3
TimeSeries
Electron density (channel 0)
E12.2
LinearScale
1.00e-02
1.00e+04
-1.0e+31
Electron
Scalar
NumberDensity
Electron density (channel 0), lower uncertainty
Time series defined by using: Epoch
N_elec_ch0_deltalow
Lower uncertainty associated with QTN electron density at channel 0
PT99999.999S
cm^-3
TimeSeries
Electron density (channel 0), lower uncertainty
E12.2
LinearScale
1.00e-02
1.00e+04
-1.0e+31
Electron
Scalar
NumberDensity
Electron density (channel 0), upper uncertainty
Time series defined by using: Epoch
N_elec_ch0_deltahigh
Upper uncertainty associated with QTN electron density at channel 0
PT99999.999S
cm^-3
TimeSeries
Electron density, upper uncertainty (channel 0)
E12.2
LinearScale
1.00e-02
1.00e+04
-1.0e+31
Electron
Scalar
NumberDensity
Electron density (channel 1)
Time series defined by using: Epoch
N_elec_ch1
QTN electron density at channel 1
PT99999.999S
cm^-3
TimeSeries
Electron density (channel 1)
E12.2
LinearScale
1.00e-02
1.00e+04
-1.0e+31
Electron
Scalar
NumberDensity
Electron density (channel 1), lower uncertainty
Time series defined by using: Epoch
N_elec_ch1_deltalow
Lower uncertainty associated with QTN electron density at channel 1
PT99999.999S
cm^-3
TimeSeries
Electron density, lower uncertainty (channel 1)
E12.2
LinearScale
1.00e-02
1.00e+04
-1.0e+31
Electron
Scalar
NumberDensity
Electron density (channel 1), upper uncertainty
Time series defined by using: Epoch
N_elec_ch1_deltahigh
Upper uncertainty associated with QTN electron density at channel 1
PT99999.999S
cm^-3
TimeSeries
Electron density, upper uncertainty
E12.2
LinearScale
1.00e-02
1.00e+04
-1.0e+31
Electron
Scalar
NumberDensity
Position in HEEQ coordinates (X-component)
Time series defined by using: Epoch
HEEQ_X
Position vector in HEEQ coordinates (Define Rs = 695700km) (X-component)
PT99999.999S
Rs
TimeSeries
X (HEEQ)
E12.2
LinearScale
-3.00e+02
3.00e+02
-1.0e+31
Scalar
Positional
Position in HEEQ coordinates (Y-component)
Time series defined by using: Epoch
HEEQ_Y
Position vector in HEEQ coordinates (Define Rs = 695700km) (Y-component)
PT99999.999S
Rs
TimeSeries
Y (HEEQ)
E12.2
LinearScale
-3.00e+02
3.00e+02
-1.0e+31
Scalar
Positional
Position in HEEQ coordinates (Z-component)
Time series defined by using: Epoch
HEEQ_Z
Position vector in HEEQ coordinates (Define Rs = 695700km) (Z-component)
PT99999.999S
Rs
TimeSeries
Z (HEEQ)
E12.2
LinearScale
-3.00e+02
3.00e+02
-1.0e+31
Scalar
Positional