Initial in-flight performance results from Solar Orbiter RPW/BIAS

Yuri V. Khotyaintsev , Andris Vaivads , Daniel B. Graham , Niklas J. T. Edberg , Erik P. G. Johansson , Milan Maksimovic (1) , Stuart D. Bale , Thomas Chust (2) , Matthieu Kretzschmar (3) , Jan Soucek

1 LESIA - Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique = Laboratory of Space Studies and Instrumentation in Astrophysics
2 LPP - Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas
3 LPC2E - Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace

The BIAS subsystem is a part of the Radio and Plasma Waves (RPW) instrument on the ESA Solar Orbiter mission. It allows sending bias current to each of the three RPW antennas. By setting the appropriate bias current the antenna potential can be shifted closer to the local plasma potential. This allows us to measure the floating potential of the spacecraft, as well as the electric field in the DC/LF frequency range with higher accuracy and lower noise level. Here we present the very initial results on RPW/BIAS in-flight performance based on the operations during the instrument commissioning.

Domains: Sciences of the Universe [physics]

Yuri V. Khotyaintsev, Andris Vaivads, Daniel B. Graham, Niklas J. T. Edberg, Erik P. G. Johansson, et al.. Initial in-flight performance results from Solar Orbiter RPW/BIAS. 22nd EGU General Assembly, 2020, Online, France. ⟨10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-14874⟩. ⟨insu-03560749⟩