JESSY STAR

JESSY STAR is the world’s first Full Tensor Airborne Magnetic Gradiometer.

The system allows a fast mapping of the Earth's magnetic field gradient tensor over large areas. JESSY STAR has flown thousends of hours in both helicopter mode and fixed wing plane configuration.

Advantages over conventional technology

• much higher spatial resolution or higher range
• gradient tensor contains more information than total field measurement of the Earth's magnetic field
• Independence of temporal fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field (such as magnetic storm activity)
• Sensor provides direct gradient data.  
  

System Components

Component	Description
SQUID gradiometer	specially developed SQUID sensors can extraordinary well suppress homogeneous fields and reveal hidden structures
Cryostat	non-magnetic, low noise Dewar for liquid helium, refilling interval of 2-3 days
Magnetometer SQUID	used for noise compensation and for extra data analysis
SQUID electronics	electronics for the amplification of sensor signal and control of the SQUIDs
24 BIT data acquisition system	Analogue to digital conversion and data transmission via WLAN to the computer
Inertial unit	sensors, and differential GPS for the determination of position and motion
Power Supply	power supply for the measuring system, independence from on-board systems

Application fields

Security: target detection/identifikation, supervision, searching and rescue services,

Forestry: forest mapping/classification, monitoring of woods,

Agriculture: growth monitoring, harvest predictions, cultivation surfaces control,

Geology: mapping of minerals, oil and gas occurence, ground water mapping,

Environmental control: algae growth, oil output control,

State use: control of land use, town planning/management.