Instrument Information
IDENTIFIER urn:nasa:pds:context:instrument:pvo.oefd::2.2
NAME Electric Field Detector (OEFD) for Pioneer Venus
TYPE
DESCRIPTION The Electric Field Detector (OEFD) for Pioneer Venus plasma wave instrument is a modified version of the Pioneer 8 and 9 experiments, designed to measure VLF electric fields at Venus across four narrow-band channels centered at 100, 730, 7350, and 30,000 Hz. Its goal is to analyze electric field interactions between the solar wind and Venus's plasma, as well as investigate plasma instabilities affecting heat flux and ion behavior. The instrument features a self-contained balanced V-type antenna and a 4-channel spectrum analyzer, with a total mass of 0.55 kg, and is capable of conducting spectral scans based on varying telemetry rates. The report outlines its design and in-flight performance.
MODEL IDENTIFIER
NAIF INSTRUMENT IDENTIFIER
SERIAL NUMBER not applicable
REFERENCES Scarf, F.L., G.M. Crook, I.M. Green, and P.F. Virobik, 'Initial results of the Pioneer 8 VLF electric field experiment', J. Geophys. Res., vol. 73, p. 6665, 1968.

Scarf, F.L., I.M. Green and G.M. Crook, 'the Pioneer 9 electric field experiment : Part 1', Cosmic Electrodynamics, vol. 1, p. 496, 1971.

Scarf, F.L., W.W.L. Taylor, and I.M. Green, 'Plasma waves near Venus: Initial observations', Science, vol. 203, p. 748, 1979.

Scarf, F.L., W.W.L. Taylor, and P.F. Virobik, 'The Pioneer Venus Orbiter Plasma Investigation', IEEE Trans. Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Jan. 1980, Vol. GE-18, No. 1, p. 36, 1980.

Taylor, W.W.L., F.L. Scarf, C.T. Russell, and L.H. Brace, 'Evidence for lightning on Venus', Nature, vol. 279, p. 614, 1979.

Taylor, W.W.L, F.L. Scarf, C.T. Russell, and L.H. Brace, 'Absorption of whistler mode waves in the ionosphere of Venus', Science, vol. 205, p. 112, 1979.