Comments on the measurement of power spectra of the interplanetary magnetic field

Examination of possible noise sources in the measurement of the power spectrum of fluctuations in the interplanetary magnetic field shows that most measurements by fluxgate magnetometers are limited by digitization noise whereas the search coil magnetometer is limited by instrument noise. The folding of power about the Nyquist frequency or aliasing can be a serious problem at times for many magnetometers, but it is not serious during typical solar wind conditions except near the Nyquist frequency. Waves in the solar wind associated with the presence of the earth's bow shock can contaminate the interplanetary spectrum in the vicinity of the earth. However, at times the spectrum in this region is the same as far from the earth. Doppler shifting caused by the convection of waves by the solar wind makes the interpretation of interplanetary spectra difficult.

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