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Volume 58 Supplement 4

Special Issue: Swarm—The Earth’s Magnetic Field and Environment Explorers

Swarm: A constellation to study the Earth’s magnetic field

Earth, Planets and Space volume 58, pages 351–358 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

The Swarm mission was selected as the 5th mission in ESA’s Earth Explorer Programme in 2004. The mission will provide the best ever survey of the geomagnetic field and its temporal evolution that will lead to new insights into the Earth system by improving our understanding of the Earth’s interior and its effect on Geospace, the vast region around the Earth where electrodynamic processes are influenced by the Earth’s magnetic field. Scheduled for launch in 2010, the mission will comprise a constellation of three satellites, with two spacecraft flying sideby- side at lower altitude (450 km initial altitude), thereby measuring the East-West gradient of the magnetic field, and the third one flying at higher altitude (530 km). High-precision and high-resolution measurements of the strength, direction and variation of the magnetic field, complemented by precise navigation, accelerometer and electric field measurements, will provide the necessary observations that are required to separate and model the various sources of the geomagnetic field. This results in a unique “view” inside the Earth from space to study the composition and processes of its interior. It also allows analysing the Sun’s influence within the Earth system. In addition practical applications in many different areas, such as space weather, radiation hazards, navigation and resource management, will benefit from the Swarm concept.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Danish National Space Center, Juliane Maries Vej 30, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    E. Friis-Christensen

  2. GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, 14473, Potsdam, Germany

    H. Lühr

  3. Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, 4 Place Jussieu, 75252, Paris, France

    G. Hulot

Authors
  1. E. Friis-Christensen
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  2. H. Lühr
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  3. G. Hulot
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Correspondence to E. Friis-Christensen.

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Friis-Christensen, E., Lühr, H. & Hulot, G. Swarm: A constellation to study the Earth’s magnetic field. Earth Planet Sp 58, 351–358 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03351933

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