Plasma Wave Subsystem

[2] The instrument recorded data about the Solar System's gas giants, and about the outer reaches of the Heliosphere, and beyond.

[3] The heliosphere is a region essentially under the influence of the Sun's solar wind, rather than the local interstellar environment, and is another way of understanding the Solar System in comparison to the objects gravitationally bound (e.g in orbit) around Earth's Sun.

The PWS instrument plan was introduced in 1974 during the development of the Voyager program.

[4] It was hoped it would help increase understanding of wave particle interactions and record data on the magnetospheres of planets like Jupiter and Saturn.

[4] The instruments went on to record radio waves at Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

This diagram shows how the PWS and PRA share the Voyager antenna, and its overall location on the Voyager-type design
Here the data recorded by the PWS on Voyager 1 is converted to audio
PLS, another Plasma instrument, and PWS antenna are noted in this diagram. Note that the antenna are truncated in this diagram and are much longer than shown, extending out 10 meters. The PWS also needs electrical power to operate, which comes from the RTG (also on this diagram).