AMPTE IRM Plasma and Magnetic Field Data

Data File Names

A file is created for each of two types of data, plasma and magnetic field. The file names contain the following information:

Data Type	I = Plasma
	B = Magnetic field
yr	Single digit year in the 1980s
mo	2-digit month
da	2-digit day
hr	2-digit hour in which the data started.

For example, the file
I4092612.1
contains Plasma data for September 26, 1984, starting somewhere in hour 12.

Data File Contents

Each line contains the following contents, and the items are tab-delineated. The Plasma file (starts with i*) contains:

Mid Time	The center of the accumulation time interval for the data point, in DA/MO/YR HR:MN:SS format
DT	The accumulation time for the measurement - normally one spin.
Xgse	Spacecraft location in GSE coordinates, in Re
Ygse	"
Zgse	"
R	"
Magnetic Latitude	" (in degrees)
Magnetic Local time	" (in decimal hours)
Np	Density of Protons (1/cm3)
Vp	Velocity of protons, 3 components, X, Y, Z in GSE coordinates (in km/s)
Tp	Temperature of the protons (in 106 K)
Ne	Density of electrons (1/cm3)
Ve	Velocity of electrons, 3 components, X, Y, Z in GSE coordinates (in km/s). This quantity is rarely correct. Do not use for quantitative work.
Te	Temperature of the electrons (in 106 K)

Bx	Magnetic field in nT, GSE coordinates
By
Bz

Caveats

• The electron velocity is rarely correct, due to photoelectrons and/or missing real electrons at low energies. Please do not use.
• The ONLY moment which should be used in the solar wind is proton bulk velocity.