The Performance of Experimental Permalloy for Fluxgate Magnetometers in Space Flight Applications

This historically overlooked ferromagnetic high permeability alloy (permalloy) regime has preliminary results showing improved magnetic sensing, lower magnetic noise output, and lower power consumption. This permalloy will be used inside the ferromagnetic cores of fluxgate magnetometers, providing knowledge of the dynamic processes of the heliosphere as well as Earth’s ionosphere and magnetosphere. Magnetometers provide the information on the Interplanetary Magnetic Field due to the instrument’s low-noise and high sensitivity to DC and low frequency AC magnetic field changes. This particular permalloy regime was chosen for its performance on the magnetorestriction line. These permalloys are created in-house from metal ingots and transformed into ferromagnetic cores. Characterization of the magnetic properties of the experimental permalloy is accomplished by measuring its coercivity, saturation, permeability, and magnetization range. The permalloy will be used in a fluxgate magnetometer instrument on Observing Cusp and High-altitude Reconnection Electrodynamics (OCHRE), an upcoming graduate student led sounding rocket mission.