Integrated Electric and Magnetic Free-Space Sensor for Geosciences

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will integrate a new free-space low frequency electric field (E) sensor with a miniaturized magnetic induction (B) sensor to form a compact six channel sensor package. The proposed new E and B sensor offers a completely new instrumentation capability for geosciences, providing for the first time measurement of the full electromagnetic field vector in a compact package without contact to the ground or any other physical object. The Phase I objectives are to study the trade-offs involved in reducing the overall sensor volume to allow airborne operation, and the use of multiple baseline methods for cancellation of local noise. The application of the new sensor to a variety of geosciences applications ranging from the measurement of ULF atmospheric phenomena and lightning characterization, to magnetotellurics from a mobile platform will be studied. In Phase II a full prototype will be built and tested for the most promising applications. Commercial applications include general research instrumentation for low frequency electromagnetic fields, atmospheric electromagnetic phenomena, military sensors, and complete systems for potential new applications in lighting characterization and airborne magnetotellurics.