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Lui, A. T. Y.

Publications and source records attributed to Lui, A. T. Y..

At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Collisionless tearing instability in magnetotail plasmas

The problem of the linear stability of collisionless tearing modes in the earth's magnetotail is revisited. It is found that the collisionless tearing mode is linearly unstable with wavelengths of the order of 10 R(E). It is shown that an important feature neglected in earlier theories is a nonzero equilibrium B(y)-field. The physics of the instability is elucidated in the context of a simple slab model and a sheared parabolic model which is representative of the magnetotail in which all three components of the magnetic field are nonzero. The dispersion equation for the instability is obtained by a boundary-layer analysis. The implications of the theory for recent observations on current disruption and diversion during substorms is discussed.

Wang, Xiaogang↗
NASA NTRS1990

A multisatellite case study of the expansion of a substorm current wedge in the near-earth magnetotail

Results are presented on observations from four satellites (GOES 5, GOES 6, AMPTE CCE, and AMPTE IRM) and two ground stations (San Juan and Tucson) on a substorm that occurred on April 19, 1985 at about 0830 UT. The four spacecraft were arrayed in a configuration that made it possible to separate the effects arising from the longitudinal versus the radial expansion of the substorm current wedge and thus to examine its spatial evolution. The sequence of events that was observed suggests that, during this substorm, the disruption of the cross-tail current sheet, the formation of the substorm current wedge, and the expansion of the plasma sheet began in the near-earth region, and subsequently spread tailward as well as longitudinally.

Lopez, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A current disruption mechanism in the neutral sheet - A possible trigger for substorm expansions

A linear analysis is performed to investigate the kinetic cross-field streaming instability in the earth's magnetotail neutral sheet region. Numerical solution of the dispersion equation shows that the instability can occur under conditions expected for the neutral sheet just prior to the onset of substorm expansion. The excited waves are obliquely propagating whistlers with a mixed polarization in the lower hybrid frequency range. The ensuing turbulence of this instability can lead to a local reduction of the cross-tail current causing it to continue through the ionosphere to form a substorm current wedge. A substorm expansion onset scenario is proposed based on this instability in which the relative drift between ions and electrons is primarily due to unmagnetized ions undergoing current sheet acceleration in the presence of a cross-tail electric field. The required electric field strength is within the range of electric field values detected in the neutral sheet region during substorm intervals. The skew in local time of substorm onset location and the three conditions under which substorm onset is observed can be understood on the basis of the proposed scenario.

Lui, A. T. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Ion flux oscillations associated with a radially polarized transverse Pc 5 magnetic pulsation

The AMPTE CCE spacecraft observed a transverse Pc 5 magnetic pulsation (period of about 200 s) at 2155-2310 UT on November 20, 1985, at a radial distance of 5.7 - 7.0 earth radii, at a magnetic latitude of 1.2 - 19 deg, and near 1300 magnetic local time. The magnetic pulsation exhibits properties consistent with a standing Alfven wave with a second-harmonic standing structure along the ambient magnetic field. The amplitude and the phase of the flux pulsation are found to be a function of the particle detector look direction and the particle energy. The observed energy dependence of the shift is interpreted as the result of a drift-bounce resonance of the ions with the wave. From this interpretation it follows that the wave propagated westward with an azimuthal wave number of approximately 100. Thus the study demonstrates that particle data can be useful for determining the spatial structure of some types of ULF waves.

Takahashi, K.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A statistical study of magnetic field magnitude changes during substorms in the near earth tail

Using AMPTE/CCE data taken in 1985 and 1986 when the CCE apogee (8.8 earth radii) was within 4.5 hours of midnight, 167 injection events in the near-earth magnetotail have been cataloged. These events are exactly or nearly dispersionless on a 72-sec time scale from 25 keV to 285 keV. The changes in the field magnitude are found to be consistent with the expected effects of the diversion/disruption of the cross-tail current during a substorm, and the latitudinal position of the current sheet is highly variable within the orbit of CCE. The local time variation of the magnetic-field changes implies that the substorm current wedge is composed of longitudinally broad Birkeland currents.

Lopez, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Collisionless coupling processes in AMPTE releases

An evaluation is made of results obtained to date by in situ measurements, numerical simulations, and theoretical considerations of Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorer chemical releases bearing on the nature of collisionless coupling processes. It is noted that both laminar and turbulent forces act to couple the solar wind momentum and energy to the release cloud; the magnetic field compression formed in this interaction plays an important intermediary role in coupling the two plasmas, and the intense electrostatic turbulence generated enhances the interaction. A scenario accounting for several features in the observed evolution of the December 27, 1984 artificial comet release is presented.

Lui, A. T. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A current disruption mechanism in the neutral sheet for triggering substorm expansions

Two main areas were addressed in support of an effort to understand mechanism responsible for the broadband electrostatic noise (BEN) observed in the magnetotail. The first area concerns the generation of BEN in the boundary layer region of the magnetotail whereas the second area concerns the occassional presence of BEN in the neutral sheet region. For the generation of BEN in the boundary layer region, a hybrid simulation code was developed to perform reliable longtime, quiet, highly resolved simulations of field aligned electron and ion beam flow. The result of the simulation shows that broadband emissions cannot be generated by beam-plasma instability if realistic values of the ion beam parameters are used. The waves generated from beam-plasma instability are highly discrete and are of high frequencies. For the plasma sheet boundary layer condition, the wave frequencies are in the kHz range, which is incompatible with the observation that the peak power in BEN occur in the 10's of Hz range. It was found that the BEN characteristics are more consistent with lower hybrid drift instability. For the occasional presence of BEN in the neutral sheet region, a linear analysis of the kinetic cross-field streaming instability appropriate to the neutral sheet condition just prior to onset of substorm expansion was performed. By solving numerically the dispersion relation, it was found that the instability has a growth time comparable to the onset time scale of substorm onset. The excited waves have a mixed polarization in the lower hybrid frequency range. The imposed drift driving the instability corresponds to unmagnetized ions undergoing current sheet acceleration in the presence of a cross-tail electric field. The required electric field strength is in the 10 mV/m range which is well within the observed electric field values detected in the neutral sheet during substorms. This finding can potentially account for the disruption of cross-tail current and its diversion to the ionosphere to form the substorm current wedge. Furthermore, a number of features associated with substorm expansion onset can be understood based on this substorm onset scenario.

Lui, A. T. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1989

On the relationship between the energetic particle flux morphology and the change in the magnetic field magnitude during substorms

The relationship between the morphology of energetic particle substorm injections and the change in the magnetic field magnitude over the course of the event is examined. Using the statistical relationships between the magnetic field during the growth phase and the change in the field magnitude during substorms calculated by Lopez et al. (1988), a limited number of dispersionless ion injections observed by AMPTE CCE are selected. It is argued that this limited set is representative of a large set of events and that the conclusions drawn from examining those events are valid for substorms in general in the inner magnetosphere. It is demonstrated that in an event when CCE directly observed the disruption of the current sheet, the particle and field data show that the region of particle acceleration was highly turbulent and was temporally, and perhaps spatially, limited and that the high fluxes of energetic particles are qualitatively associated with intense inductive electric fields.

Lopez, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Fast Fermi acceleration in the plasma sheet boundary layer

A longstanding question in the field of magnetospheric physics is the source of the energetic particles which are commonly observed along the plasma-sheet boundary layer (PSBL). Several models have been suggested for the acceleration of these particles. Here, a means is suggested by which the fast Fermi acceleration mechanism (Wu, 1984) can accelerate electrons at the plasma sheet and perhaps account for some of the observations. In this scheme, a localized hydromagnetic disturbance propagating through the tail lobe region impinges upon the PSBL, deforming it and displacing it in toward the central plasma sheet. The boundary layer can then act like a moving magnetic mirror. If the disturbance is propagating nearly perpendicular to the layer, then its velocity projected parallel to the layer (and the magnetic field) can be very large, resulting in significant acceleration of reflected particles.

Wu, C. S.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Substorm variations in the magnitude of the magnetic field - AMPTE/CCE observations

Using energetic-particle data taken in the near-earth tail by the AMPTE/Charge Composition Explorer (CCE) satellite, 167 ion injection events, that were essentially dispersionless over a 25-285 keV energy range, were identified, and the variations in the total magnetic field strength over the course of these events were examined in order to determine the dependence of the magnetic field strength on dipole latitude. Results indicate that, during periods of substorm activity, the latitudinal position of the current sheet varied significantly within the 32-deg wedge centered on the dipole equator traversed by CCE. Results also suggest that, even in the near-earth magnetotail out to 8.8 R(E) (CCE apogee), the local field measurements are a better guide to the determination of satellite's position relative to the current shield during a substorm, than is the magnetic latitude.

Lopez, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A case study of magnetotail current sheet disruption and diversion

On June 1, 1985 the AMPTE/CCE spacecraft (at a geocentric distance of about 8.8 earth radii at the midnight neutral sheet region) observed a dispersionless energetic particle injection and an increase in magnetic field magnitude, which are features commonly attributed to disruption of the near-earth cross-tail current sheet during substorm expansion onsets. An analysis based on high time-resolution measurements from the magnetometer and the energetic particle detector indicates that the current sheet disruption region exhibited localized (less than 1 earth radius) and transient (less than 1 min) particle intensity enhancements, accompanied by complex magnetic field changes with occasional development of a southward magnetic field component. Similar features are seen in other current disruption/diversion events observed by the CCE. The present analysis suggests that the current disruption region is quite turbulent, similar to laboratory experiments on current sheet disruption, with signatures unlike those expected from an X-type neutral line configuration. No clear indication of periodicity in any magnetic field parameter is discernible for this current disruption event.

Lui, A. T. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The longitudinal and radial distribution of magnetic reconfigurations in the near-earth magnetotail as observed by AMPTE/CCE

The longitudinal and radial distribution of 103 substorm dipolarization events in the equatorial nightside magnetosphere from low altitude to about 9 R(E) observed by AMPTE/CCE is examined. The center of the distribution was located near midnight. For Kp of 3- or less, the distribution peak shifted toward the premidnight region, whereas for Kp of 4+ and higher, the distribution peak was inside the postmidnight region. The substorm frequency for the high-Kp case was about four times larger than the low-to-moderate-Kp case. The occurrence frequency of events increased with increasing radial distance, and no events were observed inside of 6.4 R(E). This radial distribution suggests that, on average, the substorm initiation region is greater than about 8 R(E). In addition, the average radial position of the signatures decreased with increasing Kp.

Lopez, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The radial and longitudinal propagation characteristics of substorm injections

This paper presents a statistical study of the radial and azimuthal propagation of substorm effects in the near-geosynchronous magnetotail. Data from five spacecraft (AMPTE/CCE, 1979-053, 1982-019, GOES-5, and GOES-6) have been used in the study. Since CCE has an apogee of 8.8 earth radii, those data allow for the study of both the radial and azimuthal propagation characteristics of substorm events. A list of ion injections was compiled from CCE energetic particle data obtained in 1985 and 1986. Those injections are dispersionless over an energy range of 25 to 285 keV on a 72-sec time scale. Dispersionless injections during which 1979-053 or 1982-019 were on the nightside in close longitudinal proximity to CCE were selected for the study. The most significant correlation in the data is between the local time separation between any two spacecraft and the time delay between the local onsets.

Lopez, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Magnetic field drift shell splitting - Cause of unusual dayside particle pitch angle distributions during storms and substorms

This paper presents a magnetic field drift shell-splitting model for the unusual butterfly and head-and-shoulder energetic (E greater than 25 keV) particle pitch angle distributions (PADs) which appear deep within the dayside magnetosphere during the course of storms and substorms. Drift shell splitting separates the high and low pitch angle particles in nightside injections as they move to the dayside magnetosphere, so that the higher pitch angle particles move radially away from earth. Consequently, butterfly PADs with a surplus of low pitch angle particles form on the inner edge of the injection, but head-and-shoulder PADs with a surplus of high pitch angle particles form on the outer edge. A similar process removes high pitch angle particles from the inner dayside magnetosphere during storms, leaving the remaining lower pitch angle particles to form butterfly PADs on the inner edge of the ring current. A detailed case and statistical study of Charge Composition Explorer/Medium-energy Particle Analyzer observations, as well as a review of previous work, shows most examples of unusual PADs to be consistent with the model.

Sibeck, D. G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Energetic magnetospheric ions at the dayside magnetopause - Leakage or merging?

The leakage model for the escape of energetic magnetospheric particles into the magnetosheath is described, making comparisons with the merging model where possible. Reported observations of energetic particles at the dayside magnetopause are reexamined, and it is concluded that they do not conclusively support the merging model, either on a case-by-case basis or statistically. New observations made by the Charge Composition Explorer satellite during the Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers program are presented. They indicate that magnetospheric ions of all species steadily escape into the magnetosheath and stream away from the magnetopause, regardless of the magnetosheath magnetic field orientation. It is concluded that the leakage model explains both the new and old observations at least as well as, or better than, the merging model.

Sibeck, D. G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Studies of storm-time ring current from the AMPTE/CCE MEPA measurements

The evolution of the ring current for the September 4-7, 1984 storm is studied with data from the Medium Energy Particle Analyzer on the AMPTE/CCE spacecraft. From an examination of particle pressures and current densities, it is found that the leading and trailing edges of particle injections are associated with depressions and enhancements of westward current densities, respectively. Based on the ion composition measurements which cover the bulk of the ring current population, the contribution of the O(+) ions to the westward ring current density is estimated to be no more than about 25 percent for this magnetic storm.

Lui, A. T. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Evolution of the ring current during two geomagnetic storms

Two geomagnetic storms in September 1984 were studied to examine the progressive changes in the radial profiles of particle pressure, plasma beta, and electric currents of the ring current region during the course of geomagnetic storms. It is shown that enhancements in the particle pressure occur initially in the outer region and reach the inner region in the late phase of the storm. Structures suggestive of multiple particle injections are seen in the pressure profile. The leading and trailing edges of the particle injection structures are respectively associated with the depressions and enhancements of the westward current densities of the ring current. The location of the maximum ring current particle pressure can be several earth radii from where the most intense westward ring current flows.

Lui, A. T. Y.↗