Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Shelley, E. G..
Data obtained from the energetic ion mass spectrometer experiment on Isee 1 in the distant plasma sheet are presented. These data show that (1) the plasma sheet has a significant and variable ionospheric component (H(+) and O(+)) representing from 10% to more than 50% of the total number density and (2) there is more than one process responsible for the energization of solar wind plasma (H(+) and He(++)) to plasma sheet energies.
Basic design criteria are given for an ion mass spectrometer for use in studying magnetospheric ion populations. The proposed instrument is composed of an electrostatic analyzer followed by a magnetic spectrometer and simultaneously measures the energy per unit and mass per unit charge of the ion species. An electromagnet is used for momentum analysis to extend the operational energy range over a much wider domain than is possible with the permanent magnets used in previous flights. The energetic ion source regions, ion energization mechanisms, field line tracing, coordinated investigations, and orbit considerations are discussed and operations of the momentum analyzer and of the electrostatic energy analyzer are examined.
The initial measurements of magnetospheric thermal ions by the Plasma Composition Experiment on ISEE-1 are presented to demonstrate the surprising variety in this plasma population. The data provide evidence that the adiabatic mapping of the high latitude ionosphere to the equatorial plasma trough provides an insufficient description of the origin, transport, and accumulation processes which supply low energy ions to the outer plasmasphere and plasma trough.
Mass and energy analyses of energetic ions in the dawnside magnetosheath have been made by the energetic ion composition experiment on the ISEE-1 spacecraft over the energy range 10 eV/e to 17 keV/e. The significant observations are: the bulk flows of the H(+) and He(2+) components determined from first moments of the distributions averaged over several minutes are equal within the uncertainties of the measurement. The H(+) and He(2+) distributions are similar in that they both show temperature anisotropies with perpendicular temperature not less than parallel temperature; however, the distributions are not well characterized by temperatures derived from second moments. In at least one case high energy tails of both distributions can be characterized by an additional higher temperature component. The major difference between the H(+) and He(2+) distributions is the depletion of the low velocity (in the center of mass frame) part of the He(2+) distributions, relative to the H(+) distributions.
On December 11, 1977 the ISEE-1 spacecraft traversed the equatorial magnetosphere in the prenoon and dawn sectors during the early recovery phase of a magnetic storm with peak DST of -125 gamma. Along the dayside leg O(+) was comparable to or exceeded H(+) in number density in the energy range 0.1-17 keV. The velocity distribution of O(+) showed a characteristic dispersion, consistent with the ions being transported to the dayside from the dusk to midnight sector. The high-energy slope of the H(+) and O(+) distribution functions showed different radial dependence, with the slope of H(+) being consistent with a harder component carrying most of the energy density.
Data from an energetic ion mass spectrometer experiment on the low-latitude polar-orbiting satellite 1971-89A were examined for evidence of helium ions in the region of the ring current during the recovery phase of the December 17-18, 1971 magnetic storm. The principal precipitating ion species with energies between 0.7 and 12 keV were observed to be O+ and H+. No evidence for He+ was obtained. Inferences about the composition of the trapped population are made on the basis of simultaneous observations in the equatorial plane by Explorer 45. Coordinated observations with Explorer 45 and the Fritz Peak Observatory during the period of a stable auroral red arc have provided some information on the ionospheric and magnetospheric processes associated with the arc. A comparison of charge exchange and precipitation lifetimes during the recovery phase of the December 17-18 storm has shown both processes to be of comparable importance as ring current decay mechanisms in the energy range of the observations.
Although there were no direct measurements of the composition of the hot (keV) plasma at geosynchronous altitudes, the combination of other observations leads to the conclusion that, at least during geomagnetically disturbed periods, there are significant fluxes of ions heavier than protons in this region. Ion composition measurements below 8000 km altitude show upward streaming fluxes of both O(+) and H(+) ions in the L-region of the geosynchronous orbit. These observations are consistent with the conclusion that at least a portion of the total ion fluxes observed at geosynchronous altitude to be highly peaked near the magnetic field lines are heavier than protons and originate in the ionosphere.
Results are presented for a statistical analysis of the temporal variations of precipitating O(+) and H(+) ions in the energy range 0.7-12 keV during the magnetic storms on Dec. 16-18, 1971. Emphasis is on the temporal variations of parameters describing the intensity, average energy, and spatial location of the precipitation zones of the two ionic species. It is shown that the intensity of the precipitating O(+) ions correlate well with the geomagnetic indices which measure the strength of magnetospheric substorm activity and the strength of the storm time ring current, indicating that a previously unknown strong coupling mechanism existed between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere during the storm period. Correlations are found between the locations of the O(+) and H(+) precipitation zones and between the average energies of the two ionic species. Precipitation is shown to be an important loss mechanism for ring current ions with energy less than 12 keV during the magnetic storm period studied.
Results are presented for a statistical analysis of the latitudinal variations of precipitating O(+) and H(+) ions with energies between 0.7 and 12 keV during the magnetic storms of Dec. 16 and 17, 1971. Particular attention is given to some typical characteristics of the O(+) energy spectra along with an intercomparison of the O(+) and H(+) average energies during each storm. Major findings are that (1) the O(+) energy spectra were quite structured, one or more peaks being frequently observed; (2) the O(+) energy spectra which were still rising at 12 keV were not uncommon, especially at high latitudes; and (3) a significant hardening of the O(+) spectrum with increasing latitude was observed at the higher latitudes during the December 17 storm, along with a significant hardening with decreasing latitude at the low-latitude edge of the precipitation zone on the night side. A statistically significant difference in average energies between the two ionic species was revealed.
Ion mass spectrometer measurements of He(++) and H(+) ion spectra on a satellite pass through the low-altitude (800 km) dayside cusp during the magnetically active (Kp = 60) period of March 7, 1972, are reported. These measurements in the energy-per-unit-charge range between 0.7 and 12 keV show a systematic velocity dependence in the latitudinal distributions. This dependence is explained by a dawn-dusk convection electric field of 30-60 mV/m operating in the cusp. The average velocity spectrum of He(++) is found to be significantly harder than the accompanying H(+) spectrum, suggesting the possibility of an electrostatic deceleration mechanism operating between the solar-wind source region and the low-altitude cusp.
The principal result of this program has been the completion of a detailed statistical study of the properties of precipitating O(+) and H(+) ions during two principal magnetic storms. The results of the analysis of selected data of ion mass spectrometer experiment on satellites are given with emphasis on the morphology of the O(+) ions of ionospheric origin with energies in the 0.7 les than or equal to E less than or equal to 12 keV range that were discovered with this experiment.
An attempt is made to correlate ATS 5 plasma data with all-sky photographic data taken at Thompson and Gillam, Manitoba. The fields of view of the Canadian stations cover the projected field line position of the satellite. Trapped electron fluxes at the satellite and the simultaneously measured auroral activity near the projected foot of the satellite field line were compared for several days of varying substorm activity with all-sky camera data, which was in the form of time-varying luminosity plots. The observed auroral intensification coincident with plasma injection shows that on a broad scale the auroras are correlated well with the magnetospheric trapped plasma; however, there is a lack of detailed correlation between the fine structure of the trapped plasma fluxes and the small scale auroral features.
Results of the study of Chatanika incoherent scatter radar data and Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory satellite data are reported. Specific topics covered include: determination of the effective recombination coefficient in the auroral E region; determination of the location of the auroral oval; auroral boundary characteristics; and the relationship of auroral current systems, particle precipitation, visual aurora, and radar aurora.
The morphology was studied of precipitating O(+) and H(+) ions in the energy range 0.7 equal to or less than E equal to or less than 12 keV during the storm-time period from December 16-18, 1971, which encompassed two principal magnetic storms. The results are described with emphasis on the temporal variations of parameters characterizing the intensity, average energy, and spatial location of the zones of precipitation of the two ionic species. One of the principal results was the finding that the intensity of the precipitating O(+) ions was well correlated with the geomagnetic indices which measure the strength of magnetospheric substorm activity and the strength of the storm-time ring current. Since the O(+) ions are almost certainly of ionospheric origin the correlations indicate that a previously unknown strong coupling mechanism existed between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere during the storm period.
Simultaneous observations during four substorms are reported from the Lockheed auroral particle spectrometer on ATS-5 and the University of Alberta meridian magnetometer chain (Canada). During the four events studied, there was a good correlation between the magnitude of the trapped electron fluxes in the energy range from 1.8 to 53 keV and the magnitude of the electrojet current as measured by a station in the magnetometer chain at a latitude close to that expected for the ATS conjugate point. The Hall effect was studied and a model electrojet was constructed which gave a good absolute agreement between the two measured quantities. The results are consistent with the convection electric field remaining approximately constant during a substantial portion of each of the substorms studied. The temporal variations of the electrojet were apparently controlled by conductivity changes in the ionosphere as determined by the precipitating auroral electrons.
All Sky Cameras (ASCA) magnetosphere observations were made at the field line conjugate of the ATS-5 Satellite. The magnetosphere region examined was L=5 to L=11. The correlation of the auroras observed by the ASCA's and the magnetospheric trapped fluxes was studied. It is shown that auroral forms are not simply correlated with the synchronous altitude electron fluxes. The presence of hot plasma at the ATS-5 satellite is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the occurrence of local auroras. On quiet days the hot plasma does not penetrate into the magnetosphere far enough to reach the ATS-5 orbit. Under these conditions no auroras are observed at the field line conjugate, but auroras are usually observed on higher latitude field lines. On more disturbed days, auroral arcs are observed at lower latitudes when the plasma sheet penetrates into the ATS-5 orbit. Significant qualitative correlation between the ASCA data and the trapped fluxes was observed when a local plasma injection event occurred near ATS-5. Magnetograms are shown.
Behavior of the plasma sheet around its earthward edge during substorms was studied by using high resolution (every 2.6 sec) measurements of proton and electron fluxes by ATS-5. In the injection region near midnight the flux increase at the expansion-phase onset is shown to lag behind the onset of the low-latitude positive bay by several minutes. Depending upon the case, before the above increase (1) the flux stays at a constant level, (2) it gradually increases for some tens of minutes, or (3) it briefly drops to a low level. Difference in the position of the satellite relative to the earthward edge and to the high-latitude boundary of the plasma sheet is suggested as a cause of the above difference in flux variations during the growth phase of substorms. Magnetograms and tables (data) are shown.
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