High-Frequency Coupling of Magnetic Fields and Its Impact on Magnetic Force Measurement in Space Missions

• Published in: IEEE magnetics letters Vol. 8; pp. 1 - 5
• Main Authors: Chatzineofytou, Elpida G., Katsouris, Adrianos G., Spantideas, Sotirios T., Capsalis, Christos N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Piscataway IEEE 2017; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Coupling; Dipoles; Electromagnetics; Fluctuations; Force measurement; Frequency spectrum; High frequencies; Impact analysis; magnetic cleanliness; Magnetic effects; Magnetic field measurement; Magnetic fields; magnetic force; Magnetic forces; Magnetic moments; Magnetism; Magnetometers; Space missions; Space vehicles; Spacecraft; Spacecraft contamination
• ISSN: 1949-307X; 1949-3088
• DOI: 10.1109/LMAG.2016.2637573

Specific precautions are required for magnetic force verification in space missions intended to measure dynamic effects due to induced forces on test masses. These missions typically need not only magnetic cleanliness of almost time-constant fields, but have even more demanding requirements on slowly time-varying magnetic effects. Furthermore, high frequency magnetic fields generated by the spacecraft and fluctuating interplanetary fields may couple, producing magnetic force in the lower frequency spectrum and contaminating the measurements the spacecraft intends to perform. In the present work, the coupling of high frequency magnetic fields generated by virtual dipole sources is discussed and analyzed. Specifically, the impact of various temporal magnetic moment distributions, which may correspond either to operating equipment or to fluctuations in the current flowing through the equipment inside the spacecraft, on the produced down-converted magnetic force spectrum is investigated.