Absolute Magnetometer Research Articles

Total Root Electron Content: A New Metric for the Ionosphere Below Low Earth Orbiting Satellites

AbstractPowerful lightning strikes generate broadband electromagnetic signals. At Extremely Low Frequencies (ELF), the signal partly leaks into the ionosphere and produces whistlers that can be detected by satellites. Indeed, the satellites of the European Space Agency (ESA) Swarm Earth Explorer mission can detect those signals during 250 Hz burst‐mode acquisition campaigns of their Absolute Scalar Magnetometers (ASM). The dispersion of these whistlers depends on their propagation path and the distribution of ionization in the ionosphere crossed along that path. In this paper, we introduce a technique to derive a new measure of ionosphere electron content, the Total square‐Root Electron Content (TREC), using the arrival times of two frequencies of the whistler signal. We validate this approach by using data from ionosondes and from in situ measurements of the electron density at Swarm location. This technique brings new opportunities for sounding the ionosphere in regions poorly observed by other techniques.

Results of Geomagnetic Studies on the Problem of Forecasting Strong Earthquakes in Uzbekistan

The article is devoted to the problem of forecasting strong earthquakes by the geomagnetic method. The geomagnetic method is widely used on this problem in seismically active regions of the world as one of the promising, informative and operational geophysical methods. The results of long-term geomagnetic studies on the problem of forecasting strong earthquakes in Uzbekistan are presented. Geomagnetic studies were carried out on the territories of the Tashkent, Ferghana, and Kyzylkum geodynamic polygons in the epicentral zones of strong earthquakes that occurred. Long-term, medium- and short-term precursors of earthquakes have been identified. Anomalous changes in the geomagnetic field associated with the decline in aftershock activity were also revealed. The dependence between the duration of the manifestation of long-term magnetic precursors and the magnitude of earthquakes is determined. Absolute proton magnetometers MMP-1, MV-01 (Russia), and G-856 (USA) were used to measure the geomagnetic field.

Validation of equatorial electrojet derived from Swarm observations using ground based magnetometers

This paper presents the analysis of the Equatorial electrojet (EEJS) and Counter equatorial electrojet (CEJS) at quiet times (Kp⩽3) deduced from the absolute scalar magnetometers (ASM) of the Swarm satellites. The EEJS and CEJS were compared with their corresponding values, EEJG and CEJG respectively, from ground magnetometers in the South American, West African, and Asian sectors during the years 2014–2018. The results show that EEJS highly correlated with EEJG, over South American, West African and Asian sectors with correlation coefficients of 0.91, 0.77 and 0.92 respectively. CEJS with CEJG also showed a reasonably good correlation of 0.78, 0.98 and 0.83 over South American, West African and Asian sectors respectively. For the first time, the Swarm observations of CEJ and EEJ are validated against CEJ and EEJ from ground magnetometers, over South America, West Africa and Asia. Both the occurrence rates of CEJS and CEJG show similar diurnal and seasonal trends, with the highest occurrence rates in the morning (7:00–9:00 LT) and evening (15:00–19:00 LT) times and the lowest occurrence rates around noon (11:00 to 12:00 LT) time. The seasonal occurrence rates of CEJS and CEJG were high in the solstice months and the lowest rates were during equinox months for all the sectors. The longitudinal variability of CEJS and CEJG show highest occurrence rates in the West African sector and the lowest occurrence rates in the Asian sector. This longitudinal variability of CEJS and CEJG occurrence rates were attributed to the effect of the non-migrating tides, migrating tides and stationary planetary waves. The annual occurrence rates of CEJS and CEJG seemed anti-correlated with F10.7.

Absolute Magnetometry with ^{3}He.

We report development of a highly accurate (parts per billion) absolute magnetometer based on ^{3}He NMR. Optical pumping polarizes the spins, long coherence times provide high sensitivity, and the ^{3}He electron shell effectively isolates the nuclear spin providing accuracy limited only by corrections including materials, sample shape, and magnetization. Our magnetometer was used to confirm calibration, to 32ppb, of the magnetic-field sensors used in recent measurements of the muon magnetic moment anomaly (g_{μ}-2), which differs from the standard model by 2.4ppm. With independent determination of the magnetic moment of ^{3}He, this work will lead the way to a new absolute magnetometry standard.

On the Use of Aeromagnetism for Geological Interpretation: 1. Comparison of Scalar and Vector Magnetometers for Aeromagnetic Surveys and an Equivalent Source Interpolator for Combining, Gridding, and Transforming Fixed Altitude and Draping Data Sets

AbstractAirborne magnetic surveys are common in geosciences. High‐precision surveys are usually performed at a low altitude, draping the topography, using scalar absolute magnetometers and active compensation systems to correct the disturbances generated by the carrier. Another solution is to measure the total magnetic intensity using vector magnetometers, which allows compensation for aircraft fields to be calculated directly, without compensation systems. This study uses data of an industrial airborne survey and of a vector magnetometer survey with a small overlapping area in the Vosges (France) to compare both data sets and shows that both solutions provide results of the same overall precision. This paper also addresses the issue of combining fixed altitude and draped level data sets as well as topographic effect management by proposing an equivalent source interpolator based on a set of simple dipole sources. A synthetic case shows that the equivalent source interpolator allows to compute grids of the magnetic anomaly as well as potential field transforms from a draped data set with an error level a few orders of magnitude lower than could be obtained with minimum curvature, a classically applied interpolator. The interpolator is also tested on a case study in the Vosges massif of which geological interpretation is presented in Bertrand et al. (2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JB017688). The results confirm the observations made on the synthetic case and show that the equivalent source interpolator is more tolerant to navigation errors (altitude) than minimum curvature and allows more rigorous computation of potential field transforms of draped data sets.

Slow variations of the Earth’s magnetic field: technical, methodological and organizational features of measurements

Variations of the Earth’s magnetic field with times of several years or more reflect the processes within the planet and cause great scientific interest. Over the past 100 years the regular observations at magnetic observatories (MOs) and repeat stations are the only experimental basis for studying such variations. In recent decades, satellite measurements have complemented ground-based measurements, thus partially solving the problems of spatially highly heterogeneous global network of magnetic observatories. Absolute observations are made at MOs to get the total field intensity vector. Until now, these measurements are performed manually, they are labor intensity and subject to many factors, that are often poorly controlled and reduce the reliability of the results, especially over long periods of time (years and decades), including (1) systematic errors of used magnetometers; (2) magnetic pollution of the absolute pavilion and its surroundings (at a distance of the first hundred meters); (3) instability of the pillars and remote target required to determine magnetic declination; (4) changes of observers and their weak qualification. Significant methodological problems arise if MO is moved to new location without special activity or infrastructure of MO (pavilions or pillars) is changed without careful control. For long-term stability and reliability of measurements, magnetic observatories were joined in IAGA network and then INTERMAGNET. Within these networks, requirements and standards have been defined, absolute magnetometers are compared every two years and observers are being trained. Modern hardware technologies allow to solve partially problems the automation of absolute observations, the self-calibration of the magnetometers, the checking of the MO’s magnetic environment, etc. Fully automated measurement systems help to expand the MO network.

Topological SQUIPT Based on Helical Edge States in Proximity to Superconductors

We propose a device based on a topological Josephson junction where the helical edge states of a two-dimensional topological insulator are in close proximity to two superconducting leads. The presence of a magnetic flux through the junction leads to a Doppler shift in the spectrum of Andreev bound states, and affects the quantum interference between proximized edge states. We inspect the emergent features, accessing the density of states through a tunnel-coupled metallic probe, thus realizing a Topological Superconducting Quantum Interference Proximity Transistor (TSQUIPT). We calculate the expected performances of this new device, concluding that it can be used as a sensitive, absolute magnetometer due to the voltage drop across the junction decaying to a constant value as a function of the magnetic flux. Contrary to conventional SQUID and SQUIPT designs, no ring structure is needed. The findings pave the way for novel and sensitive devices based on hybrid devices that exploit helical edge states.

Analysis of Swarm satellites data showing seismo-ionospheric anomalies around the time of the strong Mexico (Mw = 8.2) earthquake of 08 September 2017

In 98 km SW of TresPicosin Mexico (15.022 N, 93.899 W, 47.40 km depth) a powerful earthquake of Mw = 8.2 happened at 23:49:19 LT on September 07 (04:49:19 UTC on September 8), 2017. This paper presents the results of Swarm satellites (Alpha, Bravo and Charlie) data analysis around the Mexico earthquake epicenter during the period of 01 April to 15 October 2017. The visual inspection of the time series of 6 parameters measured using electric field instrument, absolute and vector field magnetometers on board each Swarm satellite shows a clear anomaly exactly on the earthquake day. Variations of the electron density and temperature, magnetic scalar and vectors (X, Y, Z) components exceed the limited bounds (M±1.25×IQR) by several hundred percent. Analysis of the three satellites orbits inside Dobrovolsky’s area on earthquake day acknowledges the detected anomalous variations. It should be noted that on earthquake day, the geomagnetic indices Dst, Kp and F10.7 have exceeded the allowed values and even reach the maximum values during the studied time period. Therefore it is difficult to acknowledge the seismicity nature of the detected anomalies on earthquake day. A very interest result is the detection of anomalies in different observables of ionosphere from about 130 days before the earthquake. Since the Swarm is currently the only satellite mission that their data can be used to continuously monitor some of the important parameters of the ionosphere, therefore creating a monitoring system of ionosphere based on the Swarm data as an introduction to an earthquake warning system is proposed.

Miniature atomic scalar magnetometer for space based on the rubidium isotope 87Rb.

A miniature atomic scalar magnetometer based on the rubidium isotope 87Rb was developed for operation in space. The instrument design implements both Mx and Mz mode operation and leverages a novel microelectromechanical system (MEMS) fabricated vapor cell and a custom silicon‐on‐sapphire (SOS) complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit. The vapor cell has a volume of only 1 mm3 so that it can be efficiently heated to its operating temperature by a specially designed, low‐magnetic‐field‐generating resistive heater implemented in multiple metal layers of the transparent sapphire substrate of the SOS‐CMOS chips. The SOS‐CMOS chip also hosts the Helmholtz coil and associated circuitry to stimulate the magnetically sensitive atomic resonance and temperature sensors. The prototype instrument has a total mass of fewer than 500 g and uses less than 1 W of power, while maintaining a sensitivity of 15 pT/√Hz at 1 Hz, comparable to present state‐of‐the‐art absolute magnetometers.

A three-axis SQUID-based absolute vector magnetometer.

We report on the development of a three-axis absolute vector magnetometer suited for mobile operation in the Earth's magnetic field. It is based on low critical temperature dc superconducting quantum interference devices (LTS dc SQUIDs) with sub-micrometer sized cross-type Josephson junctions and exhibits a white noise level of about 10 fT/Hz(1/2). The width of superconducting strip lines is restricted to less than 6 μm in order to avoid flux trapping during cool-down in magnetically unshielded environment. The long-term stability of the flux-to-voltage transfer coefficients of the SQUID electronics is investigated in detail and a method is presented to significantly increase their reproducibility. We further demonstrate the long-term operation of the setup in a magnetic field varying by about 200 μT amplitude without the need for recalibration.

A probabilistic analysis of the implicationsof instrument failures on ESA’s Swarm mission for its individual satellite orbit deployments

On launch, one of Swarm’s absolute scalar magnetometers (ASMs) failed to function, leaving an asymmetrical arrangement of redundant spares on different spacecrafts. A decision was required concerning the deployment of individual satellites into the low-orbit pair or the higher “lonely” orbit. I analyse the probabilities for successful operation of two of the science components of the Swarm mission in terms of a classical probabilistic failure analysis, with a view to concluding a favourable assignment for the satellite with the single working ASM. I concentrate on the following two science aspects: the east-west gradiometer aspect of the lower pair of satellites and the constellation aspect, which requires a working ASM in each of the two orbital planes. I use the so-called “expert solicitation” probabilities for instrument failure solicited from Mission Advisory Group (MAG) members. My conclusion from the analysis is that it is better to have redundancy of ASMs in the lonely satellite orbit. Although the opposite scenario, having redundancy (and thus four ASMs) in the lower orbit, increases the chance of a working gradiometer late in the mission; it does so at the expense of a likely constellation. Although the results are presented based on actual MAG members’ probabilities, the results are rather generic, excepting the case when the probability of individual ASM failure is very small; in this case, any arrangement will ensure a successful mission since there is essentially no failure expected at all. Since the very design of the lower pair is to enable common mode rejection of external signals, it is likely that its work can be successfully achieved during the first 5 years of the mission.

A 2015 International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) candidate model based on Swarm’s experimental absolute magnetometer vector mode data

Abstract Each of the three satellites of the European Space Agency Swarm mission carries an absolute scalar magnetometer (ASM) that provides the nominal 1-Hz scalar data of the mission for both science and calibration purposes. These ASM instruments, however, also deliver autonomous 1-Hz experimental vector data. Here, we report on how ASM-only scalar and vector data from the Alpha and Bravo satellites between November 29, 2013 (a week after launch) and September 25, 2014 (for on-time delivery of the model on October 1, 2014) could be used to build a very valuable candidate model for the 2015.0 International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF). A parent model was first computed, describing the geomagnetic field of internal origin up to degree and order 40 in a spherical harmonic representation and including a constant secular variation up to degree and order 8. This model was next simply forwarded to epoch 2015.0 and truncated at degree and order 13. The resulting ASM-only 2015.0 IGRF candidate model is compared to analogous models derived from the mission’s nominal data and to the now-published final 2015.0 IGRF model. Differences among models mainly highlight uncertainties enhanced by the limited geographical distribution of the selected data set (essentially due to a lack of availability of data at high northern latitude satisfying nighttime conditions at the end of the time period considered). These appear to be comparable to differences classically observed among IGRF candidate models. These positive results led the ASM-only 2015.0 IGRF candidate model to contribute to the construction of the final 2015.0 IGRF model.

Swarm's absolute magnetometer experimental vector mode, an innovative capability for space magnetometry

AbstractEuropean Space Agency's Swarm satellites carry a new generation of 4He absolute magnetometers (ASM), designed by CEA‐Léti and developed in partnership with Centre National d'Études Spatiales. These instruments are the first ever spaceborne magnetometers to use a common sensor to simultaneously deliver 1 Hz independent absolute scalar and vector readings of the magnetic field. Since launch, these ASMs provided very high‐accuracy scalar field data, as nominally required for the mission, together with experimental vector field data. Here we compare geomagnetic field models built from such ASM‐only data with models built from the mission's nominal 1 Hz data, combining ASM scalar data with independent fluxgate magnetometer vector data. The high level of agreement between these models demonstrates the potential of the ASM's vector mode for data quality control and as a stand‐alone magnetometer and illustrates the way the evolution of key field features can easily be monitored from space with such absolute vector magnetometers.

High-Sensitivity Magnetometry Based on Quantum Beats in Diamond Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers

We demonstrate an absolute magnetometer based on quantum beats in the ground state of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. We show that, by eliminating the dependence of spin evolution on the zero-field splitting D, the magnetometer is immune to temperature fluctuation and strain inhomogeneity. We apply this technique to measure low-frequency magnetic field noise by using a single nitrogen-vacancy center located within 500 nm of the surface of an isotopically pure (99.99% 12C) diamond. The photon-shot-noise limited sensitivity achieves 38 nT/sqrt[Hz] for 4.45 s acquisition time, a factor of sqrt[2] better than the implementation which uses only two spin levels. For long acquisition times (>10 s), we realize up to a factor of 15 improvement in magnetic sensitivity, which demonstrates the robustness of our technique against thermal drifts. Applying our technique to nitrogen-vacancy center ensembles, we eliminate dephasing from longitudinal strain inhomogeneity, resulting in a factor of 2.3 improvement in sensitivity.

Update on monitoring of magnetic and electromagnetic tectonic signals in Central Italy

A network of three absolute magnetometer stations and the geomagnetic observatory of L’Aquila (42°23N, 13°19E) monitors possible seismo- or tectonomagnetic effects in Central Italy, using L’Aquila Observatory as a reference for differentiation. A system of two VLF search coil wide-band antennas, working in two different frequency bands, at the L’Aquila Observatory, monitors possible electromagnetic effects related to seismic events occurring in Central Italy. Absolute magnetic field observations and VLF signals have been collected for several years. In particular the tectono-magnetic network started its operations in 1989. In this paper we report on the time variation of above mentioned data for the most recent years 2002 and 2003, also in connection with older measurements time series; we also report on seismic activity recorded in this area by the national seismic network. In the above mentioned time interval, no strong earthquake activity was recorded, and at the same time no clear evidence for magnetic or electromagnetic signals related to seismic events was found.

Magnetic and Electromagnetic signals related to tectonic activity: updates and new analyses on measurements in Central Italy

Abstract. Tectonomagnetic field observations from absolute magnetic field levels have been collected in Central Italy since 1989 by means of a network of four absolute magnetometer stations, including the geomagnetic observatory of L'Aquila (42°23 N, 13°19 E) used as reference for differentiation; also electromagnetic variations from VLF signals have been recorded in the last years by means of VLF search coil wide-band antennas. Many reports proved the occurrence of electromagnetic effects clearly related to tectonic events (seismic and volcanic activity) in active areas of our planet. In this paper we show the variation of some electromagnetic parameters which could be related to local and regional seismic activity for the most recent years 2002 and 2003. We also report the seismic activity recorded in this area by the Italian seismic national network. Some tentative analysis (in the wavelets and statistical approach) on the historical and recent dataset allow a better characterization of electromagnetic properties of the study area, at different temporal and spatial scales.

Highly sensitive magnetometers for absolute magnetic field measurements based on quantum interference filters

We present an experimental study on absolute field magnetometers based on superconducting quantum interference filters (SQIFs). Two different prototype SQIF circuits have been designed and fabricated. The first type comprises a one dimensional Josephson junction array possessing unconventional grating structure. The second type is a series array of loops with different areas each loop having two Josephson junctions. The flux to voltage transfer function of both SQIFs has a unique voltage signal around zero applied flux. Our results show that SQIFs can be applied as highly sensitive magnetometers for absolute magnetic field measurements.

Three-axis absolute magnetometer utilizing weak localization

A three-axis absolute value magnetometer based on weak (anti) localization has been developed to help nullifying the magnetic field to μT accuracy. The magnetometer utilizes the sharp weak localization magnetoresistance of a 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) of a GaAlAs heterostructure. It has been used to zero three orthogonal components of the external magnetic field in a sub-mK experiment, where the nuclear magnetic ordering of silver is studied by neutron diffraction.

Superconducting thin-film absolute field magnetometer

We report on the design of an absolute field magnetometer being developed to measure the ultra-low magnetic fields (<10–7 Gauss) produced for the Gravity Probe B Relativity Mission. The hysteretic behavior of fluxon motion in thin-film Niobium is used to devise a superconducting thin-film fluxgate magnetometer. Comparisons with conventional fluxgate and SQUID systems will be discussed. (Research supported by NASA, contract number NAS8-39225)

Absolute magnetometer based on the high-frequency modulation of the kinetic inductance of a superconducting thin film

The high-frequency thermal modulation of a superconducting closed loop just below its critical temperature gives rise to a spectacular divergence of its kinetic inductance. It is shown that this periodic divergence due to that of the London penetration length λ permits very fine magnetic measurements. A superconducting magnetometer has been designed that can detect the absolute intensity of weak magnetic fields, with a noise level of 10−12 T/√Hz. This absolute level was reached by the double thermal modulation of a superconducting disk around its critical temperature and of a neighboring superconducting closed loop. As a consequence of the Meissner effect, the superconducting disk gives an estimation of the applied perpendicular magnetic field and removes any incertitude about the number of flux quantums inside the loop. Then, the modulation of the temperature of the loop increases the absolute sensitivity. The detection is performed by a very low-loss superconducting LC resonator set at the input of a cryogenic preamplifier. The thermal modulation is performed by pigtailed laser diodes. Practical limitations and further improvements are discussed.