A survey of long term interplanetary magnetic field variations. [1963 to 1974]

Technical Report · Thu May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1975

OSTI ID:7330058

King, J H

Interplanetary magnetic field data from 10 IMP, AIMP, and HEOS spacecraft were merged into a composite data set spanning 1963 to 1974. A consideration of the mutual consistency of the individual data sets reveals agreement typically to within 0.2 gamma. Composite data set analysis reveals the following: whereas the yearly averaged magnitudes of all field vectors show virtually no solar cycle variation, the yearly averaged magnitudes of positive- and negative-polarity field vectors show separate solar cycle variations, consistent with variations in the average azimuthal angles of positive- and negative-polarity field vectors; there is no heliolatitude dependence of long time average field magnitudes; field vectors parallel to the earth--sun line are on the average 1 gamma less in magnitude than field vectors perpendicular to this line; and the heliolatitude-dependent dominant polarity effect exhibits a complex sign reversal in the 1968 to 1971 period and a measure of symmetry in 1972 to 1974 not found in earlier data. (auth)

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, Md. (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center
• OSTI ID: 7330058
• Report Number(s): N-75-25799; NASA-TM-X-70902; X-601-75-136
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
INTERPLANETARY SPACE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
SOLAR CYCLE
SPACE
VARIATIONS