Instrument Health, USB 6008 driver, G2 storm
Build a Geomagnetic Observatory ! GELLER Labs "Backyard Science"
Thoughts on a proton precession magnetometer design - a Proton Magnetometer Project. Build an Earth's field magnetometer.
The FDM MAGNETOMETER1 project is a low cost high performance proton magnetometer (a digital magnetometer) kit under development for universities and amateur scientists to be able to accurately measure and monitor changes in the Earth's total magnetic F field and to observe geomagnetic storms. Magnetic storms can cause large excursions in the field and are of concern to interests ranging from electrical power grids, radio communications, and satellite operations, to aurora watchers and amateur radio operators.
1 Filter Diagonalization Method "FDM" (harmonic inversion), see Jan 21 and Jan 23 entries, based on: Vladimir A. Mandelshtam, Howard S. Taylor, Harmonic inversion of time signals and its applications, Journal of Chemical Physics (1997), Volume 107, Issue 17, 1997, Pages 6756-6769
(be sure to hit refresh to pick up our latest changes and entries)
Project Documentation, Links and References
Journal Notes:
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Overnight: PDF, TXT. Polarization Time Controller graph PDF, Amplitude FOM graph PDF. The FDM proton precession magnetometer is back to optimal instrument health.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
From NOAA SWPC Top News of the Day: "1400Z, September 8, 2011 - Now watching the solar wind for the pulse expected late tomorrow, September 9. The R3 (Strong) Radio Blackout and its associated CME are not expected to play in to the isolated, low level -- G1 (Minor) Geomagnetic Storm response -- expected through September 10." The "top news of the day" page looks to be a good source of advance warning for geomagnetic events. Evening: As we better understand the NOAA alert and warning system, it can be seen there is a bar now on the "A" scale for an upcoming geomagnetic event (predicted as a minor G1 storm) PDF. This series of advanced notices (the news statement and green bar watch on the A scale) seems entirely adequate for concerned activities to be able to be prepared to react as needed. As we have noted during past G1 to G3 events, since some of the scales are based on averages or time windows (some windows of several hours) many of the scales and indicators become active only after an event has commenced. In the future, we will continue to look more towards the news and A index scale for this kind of 24+ notice of upcoming events.
Friday, September 9, 2011 - Moderate G2 Geomagnetic Storm
Overnight: PDF, TXT. The G1 minor magnetic storm is underway. The NOAA SWPC Top News of the Day continues to be a good source of information. While most US stations reported a rectangular like waveform after about 1230 UTC, and centered about 1300 UTC, in the total field ("F" scalar) USGS PDF, in the northeast, we observed two transients centered around 9 am local (not the negative spike before 8 am local and just after 8 am, which are both vehicle related) PDF, NRCan Ottawa (OTT) PDF. Afternoon: now a G2 storm, changes in the total field in upstate, NY are so far are relatively minor, we are still on our 100 nT span vertical scale: PDF. Early evening: went over to 200 nT for the vertical scale PDF.
Saturday, September 10, 2011- G1
Overnight: PDF, TXT (unfortunately there are two vehicles within about 200 feet arrived (~7pm), then departed (~3 am), fortunately in two clear step changes, so the geomagnetic record is mostly intact). There was one more relatavely large down turn in the field before about 9pm (0100 UTC) still associated with the Sep. 9 geomagnetic event. See also the NRCan Ottawa magnetogram (200 miles north of our amateur geomagnetic observatory) from this morning (after 0000 UTC Sep. 10) PDF. This 0100 event was mostly absetn on all of the USGS magnetograms PDF. It is interseting how some impulses and pulses show on all of the magnetograms in North America, even if of different amplitudes and shapes, and others are limited to seemingly narrow geographic regions. Carl Olsen's view of the Sep. 9 G2 storm at Colorado Springs, CO. PDF, few days showing diurnal cycles leading up to 9/9 PDF, TXT.
Evening: another active geomagnetic day, now a G1 minor magnetic storm PDF.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Instrument Health and Diagnostics - Sample FDM narrow band spectra PDF, log spectra PDF (uses a FDM spectra diagnostic program that looks at time domain data from one measurement cycle); Post processing MS Excel worksheets using the TXT file as input: Polarization Controller PDF, FDM figure of merit (FOM) and amplitude PDF.
User's without a LabView Development system already installed (the most common installation) need to install a free download "run time" driver for the USB 6008. The "NI-DAQmx 9.4 Configuration Run-Time provides a smaller footprint run-time driver for deploying applications developed using NI-DAQmx 9.4 (Full Version).NI-DAQmx 9.4 Configuration Run-Time provides a smaller footprint run-time driver for deploying applications developed using NI-DAQmx 9.4 (Full Version)." (We are now developing the FDM PPM software (our new Ver. 9.5) in LabView 2011 with the NI-DAQmx 9.4 (Full Version).
Monday, September 12, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Overnight: PDF, TXT. The geomagnetic field was unsettled to active overnight.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Overnight: PDF, TXT, the geomagnetic field was quiet overnight.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Overnight: PDF, TXT, late night, early morning before Win 7 reboot PDF, TXT.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Overnight: PDF, TXT, shorter record because of a Win 7 reboot, spikes are vehicle related.
Saturday, September 17, 2011 - G1 Minor Magnetic Storm
Overnight: PDF, TXT, very active geomagnetic conditions, so far, below a minor G1 storm, as was predicted by NOAA SWPC Top News of the Day some days ago. Late morning PDF, NRCan OTT PDF. Early afternoon, now a G1 minor magnetic storm PDF. Evening: PDF, NRCan Ottawa PDF.
Want to build your own FDM Proton Precession Magnetometer?
Project Documentation, Links and References
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, Top News of the Day! Space Weather Canada current space weather and regional forcasts
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/notice of typos, etc. send email to joegeller @ gellerlabs dot com
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