Engineering topics

Sauvaud, J. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Sauvaud, J. A..

22 records · Page 2

NASA NTRS1986

The upstream region, foreshock and bow shock wave at Halley's Comet from plasma electron measurements

Halley plasma electron parameters from 2.7 million km from the comet nucleus to the bow shock wave at 1.1 million km and beyond are surveyed. The features of the electron foreshock lying outside the shock to a distance of 230,000 km are described. It is a region of intense solar wind-comet plasma interaction in which energetic electrons are prominent. Several spikes of electrons whose energies extend to 2.5 keV appear in front of the shock. These energetic electrons may be accelerated in the same way electrons are accelerated at the Earth's bow shock to energies of 1 to 10 keV. The direction of the electron bulk flow direction changes abruptly between 1920 and 1922 UT, and the flow speed begins a sharp decline at the same time. It is suggested that the spacecraft entered the bow shock wave between 1920 and 1922 UT. Electron density variations at Halley are very much smaller than those at Giacobini-Zinner.

Anderson, K. A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

A statistical study of plasma sheet dynamics using ISEE 1 and 2 energetic particle flux data

Plasma sheet dynamics during substorms are studied by analyzing 461 cases of transient dropout events of the 1.5 and 6-keV particle fluxes detected by ISEE 1 and 2 satellites. The instruments for detecting low- and high-energy particles are described. The spatial distribution of flux dropout events, and the events' relationship to magnetospheric activity level are examined. Substorm events without observed flux dropout events are investigated. The data reveal that the flux dropout distribution is isotropic, between 12-23 earth radii, and is present in the entire nightside plasma sheet; and the substorms without flux dropout are more frequent near earth and magnetospheric flanks. It is observed that tailward of 12 earth radii the flux dropout events and substorms without flux dropout are similar. The Chao et al. (1977) MHD rarefaction wave propagation model and the Hones (1973, 1980) near-tail, X-type magnetic neutral line formation model are discussed and compared to the experimental data. It is noted that neither model explains the plasma sheet dynamics observed.

Dandouras, J.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Comet Halley-solar wind interaction from electron measurements aboard Giotto

The Giotto probe's three-dimensional electron spectrometer has obtained data that illustrate the complex interactions between comet Halley and the solar wind. As Giotto approached the comet, it traversed several regions exhibiting different plasma characteristics: a large upstream region, a foreshock, a bow wave whose apex lies at about 400,000 km, a transition region, a region permanently and strongly contaminated by cometary ions, a collision pause, and various inner regions up to the inner coma, including a region of depleted hot plasma.

Reme, H.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Dynamics of the outer radiation belts in relation to polar substorms and hot plasma injections at geostationary altitude

Geostationary satellite and ground measurements of dynamic variations of the outer radiation belts and their relations with the development of auroral structures during magnetospheric substorms are analyzed. A comparison of measurements of the H or X geomagnetic field components made by seven auroral stations with ATS-6 low-energy and high-energy particle measurements during the multiple-onset substorm of Aug. 16, 1974 is presented which demonstrates that while the decrease in energetic particle fluxed ends only at the time of a strong substorm onset, rapid motions of the outer radiation belts may occur during the flux decrease. All-sky photographs of auroral phenomena taken at Fort Yukon and College, Alaska are then compared with ATS-1 energetic particle flux measurements in order to demonstrate the relation between flux decreases and increases and distinct substorm phases. Results support the hypothesis of a magnetospheric substorm precursor which appears to be an instability growing at the inner boundary of the plasma layer and approaching the earth, and underline the importance of current and magnetic field variations in charged particle dynamics.

Sauvaud, J. A.↗