Data Set Information

 
Citation Kasprzak, W., PVO-V-ONMS-5-SUPERTHERMALIONLOC-V1.0, PVO VENUS ONMS DERIVED SUPERTHERMAL ION LOCATION V1.0, NASA Planetary Data System, 1996.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) 10.17189/1519826
Data Set Abstract This dataset contains start and stop times/locations wheresuperthermal ions were detected by the Neutral Mass Spectrometerinstrument aboard the Pioneer Venus Orbiter. The instrument detectedsuperthermal, energetic or fast ions whose energy exceeds 36 eV inthe spacecraft frame of reference. These ions were observed inearly orbits during measurements of the neutral density nearperiapsis, have an erratic and unpredictable signature, and occurat too high an altitude to be due to the neutral atmosphere. When thealtitude of periapsis increased above the point where neutral densitymeasurements could be made, the instrument was configuredspecifically to detect superthermal ions. In general, for orbitnumbers 1 to 645, data were taken from the RPA mode. The gasbackground signal with the filament on is about a factor of 10less in this mode than in non-RPA mode, resulting in a lowerdetection threshold. For orbit numbers above 923, the instrumentwas deliberately configured with the filament off and non-RPAmode data was used. For mass 16 the RPA voltage is about +3.8volts.
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Additional Information
Mission Information PIONEER VENUS
Data Set Information PVO-V-ONMS-5-SUPERTHERMALIONLOC-V1.0
Instrument Host Information PVO
Instrument Information ONMS
Target Information VENUS