scholarly journals Low-Noise Permalloy Ring-Cores for Fluxgate Magnetometers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Miles ◽  
Miroslaw Ciurzynski ◽  
David Barona ◽  
B. Barry Narod ◽  
John R. Bennest ◽  
...  

Abstract. Fluxgate magnetometers are important tools for geophysics and space physics providing high precision magnetic field measurements. Fluxgate magnetometer noise performance is typically limited by a ferromagnetic element that is periodically forced into magnetic saturation to modulate, or gate, the local magnetic field. The parameters that control the intrinsic magnetic noise of the ferromagnetic element remain poorly understood. Much of the basic research into producing low-noise fluxgate sensors was completed in the 1960s for military purposes and was never publicly released. Many modern fluxgates depend on legacy Infinetics S1000 ring-cores that have been out of production since 1996 and for which there is no published manufacturing process. We present a manufacturing approach that can consistently produce fluxgate ring-cores with a noise of ∼6–11 pT per square root Hertz – comparable to many of the legacy Infinetics ring-cores used worldwide today. As a result, we demonstrate that we have developed the capacity to produce the low-noise ring-cores essential for high-quality, science-grade fluxgate instrumentation. This work has also revealed potential avenues for further improving performance, and further research into low-noise magnetic materials and fluxgate magnetometer sensors is underway.

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Miles ◽  
Miroslaw Ciurzynski ◽  
David Barona ◽  
B. Barry Narod ◽  
John R. Bennest ◽  
...  

Abstract. Fluxgate magnetometers are important tools for geophysics and space physics, providing high-precision magnetic field measurements. Fluxgate magnetometer noise performance is typically limited by a ferromagnetic element that is periodically forced into magnetic saturation to modulate, or gate, the local magnetic field. The parameters that control the intrinsic magnetic noise of the ferromagnetic element remain poorly understood. Much of the basic research into producing low-noise fluxgate sensors was completed in the 1960s for military purposes and was never publicly released. Many modern fluxgates depend on legacy Infinetics S1000 ring cores that have been out of production since 1996 and for which there is no published manufacturing process. We present a manufacturing approach that can consistently produce fluxgate ring cores with a noise of ∼6–11 pT per square root hertz – comparable to many of the legacy Infinetics ring cores used worldwide today. As a result, we demonstrate that we have developed the capacity to produce the low-noise ring cores essential for high-quality, science-grade fluxgate instrumentation. This work has also revealed potential avenues for further improving performance, and further research into low-noise magnetic materials and fluxgate magnetometer sensors is underway.


2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Prattes ◽  
K. Schwingenschuh ◽  
H. U. Eichelberger ◽  
W. Magnes ◽  
M. Boudjada ◽  
...  

Abstract. We present the results of ground-based Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) magnetic field measurements observed from June to August 2004 during the Bovec earthquake on 12 July 2004. Further we give information about the seismic activity in the local observatory region for an extended time span 2004 and 2005. ULF magnetic field data are provided by the South European Geomagnetic Array (SEGMA) where the experience and heritage from the CHInese MAGnetometer (CHIMAG) fluxgate magnetometer comes to application. The intensities of the horizontal H and vertical Z magnetic field and the polarization ratio R of the vertical and horizontal magnetic field intensity are analyzed taking into consideration three SEGMA observatories located at different close distances and directions from the earthquake epicenter. We observed a significant increase of high polarization ratios during strong seismic activity at the observatory nearest to the Bovec earthquake epicenter. Apart from indirect ionospheric effects electromagnetic noise could be emitted in the lithosphere due to tectonic effects in the earthquake focus region causing anomalies of the vertical magnetic field intensity. Assuming that the measured vertical magnetic field intensities are of lithospheric origin, we roughly estimate the amplitude of electromagnetic noise in the Earths crust considering an average electrical conductivity of <σ>=10−3 S/m and a certain distance of the observatory to the earthquake epicenter.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-243
Author(s):  
Ye Zhu ◽  
Aimin Du ◽  
Hao Luo ◽  
Donghai Qiao ◽  
Ying Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract. The Low Orbit Pearl Satellite series consists of six constellations, with each constellation consisting of three identical microsatellites that line up just like a string of pearls. The first constellation of three satellites were launched on 29 September 2017, with an inclination of ∼ 35.5∘ and ∼ 600 km altitude. Each satellite is equipped with three identical fluxgate magnetometers that measure the in situ magnetic field and its low-frequency fluctuations in the Earth's low-altitude orbit. The triple sensor configuration enables separation of stray field effects generated by the spacecraft from the ambient magnetic field (e.g., Zhang et al., 2006). This paper gives a general description of the magnetometer including the instrument design, calibration before launch, in-flight calibration, in-flight performance, and initial results. Unprecedented spatial coverage resolution of the magnetic field measurements allow for the investigation of the dynamic processes and electric currents of the ionosphere and magnetosphere, especially for the ring current and equatorial electrojet during both quiet geomagnetic conditions and storms. Magnetic field measurements from LOPS could be important for studying the method to separate their contributions of the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere (M-I) current system.


Geophysics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
pp. E253-E267 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Becken ◽  
C. G. Nittinger ◽  
M. Smirnova ◽  
A. Steuer ◽  
T. Martin ◽  
...  

There is a clear demand to increase detection depths in the context of raw material exploration programs. Semi-airborne electromagnetic (semi-AEM) methods can address these demands by combining the advantages of powerful transmitters deployed on the ground with efficient helicopter-borne mapping of the magnetic field response in the air. The penetration depth can exceed those of classic airborne EM systems because low frequencies and large transmitter-receiver offsets can be realized in practice. A novel system has been developed that combines high-moment horizontal electric bipole transmitters on the ground with low-noise three-axis induction coil magnetometers, a three-axis fluxgate magnetometer, and a laser gyro inertial measurement unit integrated within a helicopter-towed airborne platform. The attitude data are used to correct the time series for motional noise and subsequently to rotate into an earth-fixed reference frame. In a second processing step, and as opposed to existing semi-AEM systems, we transform the data into the frequency domain and estimate the complex-valued transfer functions between the received magnetic field components and the synchronously recorded injection current by regression analysis. This approach is similar to the procedure used in controlled-source EM. For typical source bipole moments of 20–40 kAm and for rectangular current waveforms with a fundamental frequency of approximately 10 Hz, we can estimate reliable three-component (3C) transfer functions in the frequency range from 10 to 5000 Hz over a measurement area of [Formula: see text] for a single source installation. The system has the potential to be used for focused exploration of deep targets.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ferdinand Plaschke

Abstract. Accurate magnetic field measurements by fluxgate magnetometers onboard spacecraft require ground and regular in-flight calibration activities. Therewith, the parameters of a coupling matrix and an offset vector are adjusted; they are needed to transform raw magnetometer outputs into calibrated magnetic field measurements. The components of the offset vector are typically determined by analyzing Alfvénic fluctuations in the solar wind if solar wind measurements are available. These are characterized by changes in the field components, while the magnetic field modulus stays constant. In this paper, the following question is answered: how many solar wind data are sufficient for accurate fluxgate magnetometer offset determinations? It is found that approximately 40 h of solar wind data are sufficient to achieve offset accuracies of 0.2 nT, and about 20 h suffice for accuracies of 0.3 nT or better if the magnetometer offsets do not drift within these time intervals and if the spacecraft fields do not vary at the sensor position. Offset determinations with uncertainties lower than 0.1 nT, however, would require at least hundreds of hours of solar wind data.


Geophysics ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Zimmerman ◽  
W. H. Campbell

A type of cryogenic SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) magnetometer was designed for geomagnetic measurements. Field tests of the instrument including comparisons to observatory variometers, a rubidium magnetometer, an induction loop, and a fluxgate magnetometer showed the new cryogenic systems to be reliable, accurate, portable, and simple to operate. Directional measurements of natural magnetic field fluctuations as small as 0.0001 gamma with periods from 0.5 sec to several hours were demonstrated.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Zhu ◽  
Aimin Du ◽  
Hao Luo ◽  
Donghai Qiao ◽  
Ying Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract. The Low Orbit Pearl Satellite series consists of six constellations, with each constellation consisting of three identical micro-satellites which line up just like a string of pearls. The first constellation of three satellites were launched on September 29, 2017, with an inclination of ~ 35.5° and ~ 600 km altitude. Each satellite is equipped with three identical Fluxgate Magnetometers (FGM), which measure the in-situ magnetic field and its low frequency fluctuations in the Earth’s low altitude orbit. The triple sensor configuration enables separation of stray field effects generated by the spacecraft from the ambient magnetic field [e.g. Zhang et al., 2006]. This paper gives a general description of the magnetometer about the instrument design, calibration before launch, in flight calibration, as well as the in-flight performance and initial results. Unprecedented spatial coverage resolution of the magnetic field measurements allow for investigating the dynamic processes and electric currents of ionosphere and magnetosphere, especially for the ring current and equatorial electrojet (EEJ) during both geomagnetic quiet conditions and storms. It could be important for studying the method to separate their contributions of the M-I current system.


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