Magnetic cleanliness and thermomagnetic effect: Case study of the absolute scalar magnetometer and its environment on swarm satellites

This paper first summarizes the thermomagnetic effects highlighted during the magnetic verification and qualification campaign of the Absolute Scalar Magnetometer (ASM), the scalar reference instrument on board the ESA Swarm satellites launched on 22/11/2013 [1]. The physics of the thermomagnetic effect in metals is next reviewed. The physical and geometrical parameters affecting both the amplitude and the localization of the perturbations are detailed for objects of basic shapes and made out of one metal only. A predictive model has finally been developed and experimentally validated for simple geometrical and thermal configurations.