ON GYRO-ERRORS OF THE PROTON MAGNETOMETER

The specific systematic error due to rotation of the proton precession magnetometer is analysed, the resulting error being within +/-OMEGA/gamma, the ratio between the platform rotation rate and the proton gyromagnetic constant. The commonly observed shift in sounding rocket-borne proton magnetometer measurements, corresponding closely to twice the rocket spin rate at re-entry into the denser atmosphere, is explained. Optically pumped magnetometers with a much larger gyromagnetic constant are correspondingly less affected by this error.