The STEREO/waves electrical sensors are tubular monopole antennas. These antennas have been deployed in space after launch. Each spacecraft is embarking 3 monopoles. The physical length and direction of each antenna is known, but the electrical interaction with the spacecraft body, the antenna fixation device as well as the preamplifier, alters the effective length and direction. We present first the Receiver parameters of the sensing part of the receiving chain (i.e.: the modeled electrical circuit equivalent to the antenna, the spacecraft, the preamplifier and the surrounding plasma). We also present the physical and calibrated antenna parameters, which are the antenna length, and the antenna direction.
PDF version (credits: B. Cecconi, LESIA, Observatoire de Paris)

This figure shows the physical antenna h_X, h_Y and h_Z. The STEREO/Waves receiver can use these sensors as monopoles or as dipoles, combining them by pairs. The resultant pairs of antenna are called h_XY, h_YZ and h_ZX.

 

This web page has been compiled and is maintained by B. Cecconi¹, Co-I of STEREO/Waves.
Special thanks to: C. Briand¹, V. Krupar^1,2, M. Maksimovic¹, M. Panchenko³, A. Zaslavsky¹.
1. LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Meudon, France;
2. Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic;
3. Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria.

For any comments, inputs or suggestion, please contact B. Cecconi.