The AMPTE/CCE plasma wave investigation

One experiment was assigned to the Charge Composition Explorer (CCE) with the objective to obtain first-order correlative information for studies of strong wave-particle interactions which develop close to the magnetic equator or have maximum effectiveness there. The small instrument involved (mass equal to 0.76 kg, including antenna) has five primary bandpass channels covering the range from 100 Hz to 178 kHz, and a five-point spectrum is obtained once every 0.62 s. The CCE wave instrument uses the spare electric field detector from the Pioneer Venus mission as a base. Aspects of in-flight performance are discussed, taking into account the 30-kHz E-field peaks and averages during the inbound pass of September 25, 1984. The CCE wave instrument has also detected auroral kilometric radiaton in the 178-kHz channel.