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PyRFU

v2.4.21
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Software

Concise Description
PyRFU is a free and open-source Python package for advanced analysis of in-situ space plasma data.
Description
PyRFU is a free and open-source Python package for advanced analysis of in-situ space plasma data. It provides routines to work with space data, particularly with Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission data, as well as MAVEN and Solar Orbiter missions. The package includes general plasma physics routines for coordinate transformations, particle distribution analysis, plasma moments calculations, wave analysis (including polarization and wavelets), multi-spacecraft techniques (curlometer, gradient estimation), and comprehensive data visualization capabilities. PyRFU is based on the IRFU-MATLAB library and supports data retrieval from multiple sources including local files, MMS Science Data Center, MAVEN Science Data Center, and cloud storage (AWS S3). The package additionally provides analytic plasma dispersion-relation solvers, Langmuir-probe and spacecraft-potential current models, and empirical field and boundary models including IGRF-13 and the Shue et al. (1998) magnetopause and bow shock.
Authors
Daniel B. Graham ( Swedish Institute of Space Physics )
Andreas Johlander ( Swedish Defence Research Agency )
Yuri V. Khotyaintsev ( Swedish Institute of Space Physics )
Cecilia Norgren ( Swedish Institute of Space Physics )
Louis Richard ( Swedish Institute of Space Physics , Uppsala University )
Andris Vaivads ( KTH Royal Institute of Technology , Ventspils University of Applied Sciences )
Functionality
Coordinate Transforms Magnetospheric Mission-Specific Data Processing and Analysis 2D Slices 3D Particle Distribution Processing Analysis Calibration Curlometer Data Access and Retrieval Data Reduction Energy Spectra Linear Gradient Estimation Pitch Angle Distributions Plasma Moments Processing Spectrogram Time Series Analysis Wave Polarization Analysis Wavelet Analysis Data Visualization 2D Graphics 2D Slices 3D Graphics Hodograms Line Plots Orbit Plots Spacecraft Formation Plots Spectrogram Mission-related Analysis Calibration Distribution/Access Models and Simulations Empirical Field-line Tracing Instrument Response Physics-Based Theory
Technical Details
Programming Languages Python 3.x
Operating Systems Linux Mac Windows
CPU Architecture CPU Independent
Development Status Active
Publication Date Nov 27, 2020
Publisher Zenodo
Data & File Formats
Data Sources HTTP/HTTPS Directories Observatory/Mission-specific OMNIWeb S3/Cloud-aware
Input Formats ascii CDF IDL.sav ISTP-Compliant
Science Context
Related Instruments MMS 1 FIELDS Suite, Axial Double Probe MMS 2 FIELDS Suite, Axial Double Probe MMS 3 FIELDS Suite, Axial Double Probe MMS 4 FIELDS Suite, Axial Double Probe MMS EIS MMS EIS MMS EIS MMS EIS MMS FEEPS MMS FEEPS MMS FEEPS MMS FEEPS MMS FIELDS/FGM MMS FIELDS/FGM MMS FIELDS/FGM MMS FIELDS/FGM MMS FIELDS/SCM MMS FIELDS/SCM MMS FIELDS/SCM MMS FIELDS/SCM MMS FIELDS/SDP MMS FIELDS/SDP MMS FIELDS/SDP MMS FIELDS/SDP MMS FPI/DES MMS FPI/DES MMS FPI/DES MMS FPI/DES MMS FPI/DIS MMS FPI/DIS MMS FPI/DIS MMS FPI/DIS MMS HPCA MMS HPCA MMS HPCA MMS HPCA MMS Positions MMS Positions MMS Positions MMS Positions Plasma Wave Investigation
Related Observatories Magnetospheric Multiscale Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN Solar Orbiter
Related Phenomena Solar Wind
Related Regions Earth Magnetosphere Interplanetary Space Planetary Magnetospheres Mars Magnetosphere Solar Wind Earth Outer Magnetosphere
Keywords
calibration cdf coordinates coordinate transformations data access data analysis data retrieval data visualization energetic particles heliosphere igrf13 in situ measurements instrumentation istp Langmuir probes line plots l shell magnetosphere maven mms multidimensional omni orbit pitch angle distributions planetary plasma parameters plasma physics plotting power spectra pyhc package python 3 shock waves shue solar orbiter solar wind space physics space plasma spectra spectrograms theory time time series velocity distribution functions wavelet analysis wave polarization
Related Items

Related Publications

https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JA029152
https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JA030430
https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL101693
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.115201
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.105201
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.215201

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Licensing & Funding
License MIT License
Funders Swedish National Space Agency
Funding Awards
Plasma Jet Fronts: Energy Conversion and Particle Acceleration (139/18) - Swedish National Space Agency
Version Information
Current Version v2.4.21
Release Date Feb 27, 2026
Release Notes
Version 2.4.21 adds new features and bug fixes across the generic and MMS subpackages. New features: pyrfu.pyrf.filt now supports tensors; pyrfu.pyrf.pid_4sc adds error propagation; pyrfu.mms.tokenize adds keys for loading FPI-DIS moment errors and FPI-DES temperature errors; and pyrfu.mms.fk_power_spectrum_4sc now also returns the mean and standard deviation of the wave vector and frequency. Bug fixes: pyrfu.pyrf.calc_dt corrects time-precision handling, and pyrfu.pyrf.int_sph_dist corrects index handling at bin edges.
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