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Fairfield, D. H.

Publications and source records attributed to Fairfield, D. H..

At least 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1974

Cosmic ray anisotropies late in a solar flare event

The detailed relationship between the anisotropy characteristics observed during late times in the decay of a solar flare event and the interplanetary magnetic field parameters is investigated. The anisotropy always is from 45 deg east of the earth-sun line. This direction is approximately perpendicular to the nominal Archimedean spiral, independent of the particle energy. The amplitude of the anisotropy increases as the magnetic field azimuthal direction shows greater departure from the radial direction. These results are discussed in terms of current ideas about solar particle propagation in the interplanetary space.

Allum, F. R.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Magnetospheric mapping with quantitative geomagnetic field models

The Mead-Fairfield geomagnetic field models were used to trace field lines between the outer magnetosphere and the earth's surface. The results are presented in terms of ground latitude and local time contours projected to the equatorial plane and into the geomagnetic tail. With these contours various observations can be mapped along field lines between high and low altitudes. Low altitudes observations of the polar cap boundary, the polar cusp, the energetic electron trapping boundary and the sunward convection region are projected to the equatorial plane and compared with the results of the model and with each other. The results provide quantitative support to the earlier suggestions that the trapping boundary is associated with the last closed field line in the sunward hemisphere, the polar cusp is associated with the region of the last closed field line, and the polar cap projects to the geomagnetic tail and has a low latitude boundary corresponding to the last closed field line.

Fairfield, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Quantitative magnetospheric models derived from spacecraft magnetometer data

Quantitative models of the external magnetospheric field were derived by making least-squares fits to magnetic field measurements from four IMP satellites. The data were fit to a power series expansion in the solar magnetic coordinates and the solar wind-dipole tilt angle, and thus the models contain the effects of seasonal north-south asymmetries. The expansions are divergence-free, but unlike the usual scalar potential expansions, the models contain a nonzero curl representing currents distributed within the magnetosphere. Characteristics of four models are presented, representing different degrees of magnetic disturbance as determined by the range of Kp values. The latitude at the earth separating open polar cap field lines from field lines closing on the dayside is about 5 deg lower than that determined by previous theoretically-derived models. At times of high Kp, additional high latitude field lines are drawn back into the tail.

Mead, G. D.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Whistler waves observed upstream from collisionless shocks

Waves in the frequency range 0.5 - 4 Hz were studied in the region upstream of the earth's bow shock using data from the fluxgate magnetic field experiment on IMP-6. Analysis of 150 examples of these waves during a three month interval indicates that amplitudes are generally less than 1 or 2 gammas and propagation directions generally make angles of between 20 and 40 degrees with the field direction. The waves as measured in the spacecraft frame of reference are either left or right hand polarized with respect to the average field direction. It is concluded that the observed waves are right handed waves in the plasma frame of reference with wavelengths of approximately 100 km propagating upstream in the whistler mode. Doppler shifting reduces the observed frequencies in the spacecraft frame and reverses the observed polarization for those waves propagating more directly upstream. Similar waves are seen ahead of most interplanetary shocks.

Fairfield, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Magnetic field signatures of substorms on high-latitude field lines in the nighttime magnetosphere.

Two types of magnetic field changes are repeatedly observed in the high-latitude nightside magnetosphere in association with magnetic substorms. One type of field change occurs on field lines associated with the high-latitude part of the auroral oval and is characterized by a sudden decrease in the field strength accompanied by an abrupt perturbation in the field declination angle. These changes are attributed to field-aligned sheet currents flowing on the high-latitude boundary of an expanding plasma sheet following substorms. A second type of field change observed on polar cap field lines is a decrease in field inclination during substorms. This type of change is regarded as a further manifestation of the changing field configuration during substorms and can be described in terms of azimuthal currents.

Fairfield, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Magnetic field fluctuations during substorms.

Before a magnetospheric substorm and during its early phases, the magnetic field magnitude in the geomagnetic tail increases and field lines in the night-time hemisphere assume a more tail-like configuration. Before the substorm onset, a minimum amount of magnetic flux is observed to cross the neutral sheet which means that the neutral sheet currents attain their most earthward locations and their greatest current densities. This field configuration apparently results from an increased transport of magnetic flux to the tail caused by a southward interplanetary magnetic field. The field begins relaxing toward a more dipolar configuration at the time of a substorm onset with the recovery probably occurring first between 6 and 10 earth radii and later at greater distances. This recovery must be associated with magnetospheric convection which restores magnetic flux to the dayside hemisphere.

Fairfield, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Magnetic field signatures of substorms on high latitudes field lines in the nighttime magnetosphere

Two types of magnetic field changes are repeatedly observed in the high latitude nightside magnetosphere in association with magnetic substorms. One type is characterized by sudden decrease in the field strength, accompanied by an abrupt perturbation in the field declination angle. These changes are attributed to field aligned-sheet currents flowing on the high latitude boundary of an expanding plasma sheet following substorms. Single sheets of field-aligned currents on this boundary tend to flow toward the earth in the morning quadrant and away in the evening. Multiple sheets of current may also occur, with the direction of the high latitude sheet generally being the same as for a single sheet. A second type of field change is a decrease in field inclination during substorms. This is regarded as a manifestation of the changing field configuration during substorms and can be described in terms of azimuthal currents.

Fairfield, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Magnetic field observations of the dayside polar cusp

The magnetic field measurements made in the polar cusp region down to altitudes of about 4 earth radii are discussed. Measurements were made by the IMP 5 satellite. Measurements are characterized by unusually low magnitudes and large fluctuations. It was suggested that the low magnitudes are caused by currents of the magnetopause and the diamagnetic effect of the plasma. The transition between the magnetosheath and the cusp portion of the magnetosphere is not characterized by a well defined magnetopause as at low latitudes.

Fairfield, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Imp 5 magnetic-field measurements in the high-latitude outer magnetosphere near the noon meridian.

Results of Imp 5 magnetic-field measurements at geomagnetic latitudes up to 75 deg and at distances beyond six earth radii, revealing the permanent existence of a broad depressed field region centered on the polar or dayside cusp. Field strengths at seven earth radii on cusp field lines that connect to the earth are typically only 50 to 70% of that of an undistorted dipole field. The transition region between the magnetosheath and the point where the fields are clearly of dipolar origin is characterized by large-amplitude fluctuations and the lack of a clear magnetopause boundary. Magnetic-field perturbations are observed in the cusp region with magnitudes up to 45 gamma and in directions that are approximately perpendicular to the average field. These perturbations are suggestive of field-aligned currents, and their magnitudes are consistent with the low-altitude measurements obtained on polar-orbiting spacecraft.

Fairfield, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Magnetospheric boundaries

The location of the outer boundary of the geomagnetic field, or magnetopause, and the location of the earth's bow shock have been compiled based on data from the first six IMP satellites.

Fairfield, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1972

The configuration of the geomagnetic field.

Spherical harmonic representations of the geomagnetic field based on ground-based and low-altitude spacecraft measurements adequately describe the field within several earth radii of the earth's surface. As the internal field decreases with increasing distance from the earth, external field sources become relatively more important. In the region of 3 to 6 earth radii, magnetospheric plasma inflates the field lines and decreases the field strength by an amount which is typically 10's of gammas and occasionally 100's of gammas. At greater distances on the day side of the earth, the solar wind compresses the field and produces equatorial field strengths of approximately 60 gammas at 10 earth radii. Field lines near the magnetopause intersect the earth at approximately 78 deg latitude in the sunward hemisphere. The solar wind drags high latitude field lines away from the earth in the night hemisphere forming the geomagnetic tail and neutral sheet. Asymmetric field inflation in the magnetosphere occurs during magnetic disturbances with the largest effects concentrated in the evening quadrant. The tail configuration can deviate substantially from the average configuration during magnetic disturbances.

Fairfield, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Magnetic field fluctuations during substorms

Before a magnetospheric substorm and during its early phases the magnetic field magnitude in the geomagnetic tail increases and field lines in the nighttime hemisphere assume a more tail-like configuration. Before the substorm onset a minimum amount of magnetic flux is observed to cross the neutral sheet which means that the neutral sheet currents attain their most earthward locations and their greatest current densities. This configuration apparently results from an increased transport of magnetic flux to the tail caused by a southward interplanetary magnetic field. The field begins relaxing toward a more dipolar configuration at the time of a substorm onset with the recovery probably occurring first between 6 and 10 R sub E. This recovery must be associated with magnetospheric convection which restores magnetic flux to the dayside hemisphere. Field aligned currents appear to be required to connect magnetospheric currents to the auroral electrojets, implying that a net current flows in a limited range of longitudes. Space measurements supporting current systems are limited. More evidence exists for the occurrence of double current sheets which do not involve net current at a given longitude.

Fairfield, D. H.↗