The fluxgate magnetometer RPC-MAG is one of the five instruments included in the Rosetta Plasma Consortium. It is designed to measure the magnetic environment of comet Churyumov/Gerasimenko and to determine the magnetic property of the comet. During the two year period of Rosetta orbiting around the comet, the comet tail will be observed in detail for the first time.
RPC-MAG consists of two extremely light, triaxial fluxgate sensors mounted on a long boom. The measurement range is from -16,384 nT to +16,384 nT with a resolution of 20 bit and a sampling rate of 20 Hz. The mass of two sensors is 0.0906 kg, and the associated eletronics weighs 0.410 kg. The magnetometer needs only 675 mW for nominal operation. RPC-MAG takes the heritage of the magnetometer aboard of the successful technology mission Deep Space 1 technology mission.
The team is specially interested in the determination of the electric conductivity of the comet nucleus. The interplanetary magnetic field fluctuations will be measured by the magnetometer aboard Rosetta Orbitor and by the magnetometer on the Lander (ROMAP). In addition, the solar wind interaction with the comet will be studied. In contrast with the flyby missions to comet Halley in 1986, which IWF had participated, Rosetta will observe the comet for a long period.
The lead institution of the RPC-MAG consortium is the Institute für Geophysik und Meteorologie of the TU Braunschweig. The analogue-to-digital converter (see photo) of the magnetometer is built by IWF. The Graz team has participated in various tests and calibrations ( Sample Rate and Frequency Response Analysis of Rosetta RPC-MAG). For the Rosetta Orbiter, the determination and compensation of the magnetic stray field are very important. IWF has specially developed software and made tests together with TU Braunschweig (RPC-MAG GSE User Manual).
Further information on RPC-MAG is found at TU Braunschweig.
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