Engineering topics

Shinagawa, H.

Publications and source records attributed to Shinagawa, H..

10 records

NASA NTRS1993

The generation of magnetic fields by the polarization electric field in the ionosphere of Venus

Measurements by the magnetometer on the Pioneer Venus orbiter have established that during conditions of low solar wind dynamic pressure, large-scale magnetic fields are not present in the ionosphere of Venus but that during conditions of high solar wind dynamic pressure the ionosphere of Venus is magnetized. The source of the magnetic field is thought to be currents induced in the ionosphere by the solar wind. We will show that ionospheric polarization electric field can act as a source, or 'battery', producing a small magnetic field, even without any initial magnetic field. We have calculated this polarization source as a function of altitude and solar zenith angle. The magnetic field was then determined using a 2D kinematic dynamo model of the ionosphere of Venus. The magnetic field attains a maximum strength of about 5 nT at a solar zenith angle of about 120 deg. This magnetic field might act as a 'seed' field for magnetic flux ropes and terminator waves.

Shinagawa, H.↗

NASA NTRS1992

The ionospheric effects of a weak intrinsic magnetic field at Mars

An improved model of the Martian ionosphere which allows the magnetic field to have any direction in the horizontal plane is presented, as well as results of calculations for several different intrinsic magnetic field strengths and directions. When the solar wind dynamic pressure exceeds the Martian ionospheric thermal pressure, the plasma motion is weakly downward throughout the ionosphere for the case of no intrinsic magnetic field, but when the intrinsic and induced fields are in opposite directions, the plasma flow tends to converge toward the current sheet. As a consequence of this convergence, the plasma density is somewhat enhanced near the current sheet, which is located near an altitude of 170 km. The ionosphere above an altitude of about 190 km is not significantly affected by the existence of an intrinsic field as weak as 60 nT.

Shinagawa, H.↗

NASA NTRS1991

A comprehensive magnetohydrodynamic model of the Venus ionosphere

The MHD Venus ionospheric model of Shinegawa and Cravens (1988) is improved here by including the energy equations for ions and electrons in a self-consistent manner. This new model reproduces observed electron density and magnetic field profiles very well, while the basic MHD process of the Venus ionosphere remain virtually unchanged. The results indicate that including energetics does not significantly alter the density and magnetic field profiles. Under unmagnetized conditions, heat fluxes for both ions and electrons must be imposed to reproduce the observed plasma temperature profiles. A heat source for the ions is probably present at higher altitudes in the magnetized ionosphere. Heating processes do not play a significant role in the dynamics at low altitudes.

Shinagawa, H.↗

NASA NTRS1991

The ionopause current layer at Venus

The results of recent theoretical models for the magnetic field in the ionosphere of Venus are reviewed, with special attention given to the 1D MHD model of Shinagawa and Cravens (1989) and the 2D kinematic dynamo model of Cravens et al. (1990). The results are used to examine the behavior of the ionopause, and it is suggested that the sensitivity of horizontal plasma transport to the presence of a magnetic field and the convergence of the vertical flow explain the narrowness of the Venus ionopause. During high solar wind dynamic pressure conditions, ion-neutral friction also plays an important role in determining the thickness of the ionopause.

Cravens, T. E.↗

NASA NTRS1990

A two-dimensional kinematic dynamo model of the ionospheric magnetic field at Venus

The results of a high-resolution, two-dimensional, time dependent, kinematic dynamo model of the ionospheric magnetic field of Venus are presented. Various one-dimensional models are considered and the two-dimensional model is then detailed. In this model, the two-dimensional magnetic induction equation, the magnetic diffusion-convection equation, is numerically solved using specified plasma velocities. Origins of the vertical velocity profile and of the horizontal velocities are discussed. It is argued that the basic features of the vertical magnetic field profile remain unaltered by horizontal flow effects and also that horizontal plasma flow can strongly affect the magnetic field for altitudes above 300 km.

Cravens, T. E.↗

NASA NTRS1989

The ionosphere of Neptune

Limited knowledge of ionospheric processes of the outer planets and practically no information on the upper atmosphere of Neptune result in a range of possible ionospheres for Neptune. Various cases are investigated in order to establish a theoretical framework of the ionospheric structure against which the radio occultation measurements can be evaluated. The peak electron densities could range from 1000/cu cm to 10 to the 6th/cu cm depending on ion loss processes and particle ionization processes. The scale height could also range from 300 km to 2000 km depending on the exospheric temperature. Although various assumptions must be made, it is predicted that an auroral ionosphere with large electron densities and a large scale height will be observed by the ingress radio occultation measurement, and that a compressed ionosphere with small electron densities will be seen during the egress measurement.

Shinagawa, H.↗

NASA NTRS1989

A one-dimensional multispecies magnetohydrodynamic model of the dayside ionosphere of Mars

A one-dimensional multispecies magnetohydrodynamic model of the Martian ionosphere is developed using methods similar to those used by Shinagawa and Cravens (1988) for Venus, and is used to examine the nature of the solar wind interaction with the Martian ionosphere. The four ion species included in the model are CO2(+), O2(+), O(+), and H(+). Scenarios with and without a small intrinsic field are modeled for the Viking conditions (solar minimum). It was found that the inclusion of an intrinsic magnetic field does not improve the agreement between the calculated ion density profiles and the measured ones. The results also indicate that large horizontal plasma motions must be present at high altitudes, indicating that the dynamics of the upper ionosphere of Mars is controlled by the solar wind.

Shinagawa, H.↗

NASA NTRS1988

A one-dimensional multispecies magnetohydrodynamic model of the dayside ionosphere of Venus

Using a modification of the one-dimensional multispecies 'one-major-ion' MHD model of Shinagawa et al. (1987), the behaviors of plasma and magnetic field in the dayside ionosphere of Venus was studied for both time-dependent and steady-state conditions. The present model is more complete than the one-major-ion model of Shinagawa et al., although a comparison of the results indicated that the one-major-ion treatment was a fairly good approximation. Two new cases are presented, including steady-state conditions for the magnetized ionosphere, and the inclusion of ion loss due to horizontal transport in the magnetized region. The resulting calculated profiles of the magnetic field and the electron density agree much better with the observations at high altitudes than those without the ion loss terms, indicating the importance of the horizontal transport processes in the ionosphere of Venus at high altitudes.

Shinagawa, H.↗

NASA NTRS1987

A one-dimensional time-dependent model of the magnetized ionosphere of Venus

The behavior and time evolution of the large-scale magnetic fields and plasma of the dayside Venus ionosphere are studied using a one-dimensional model. The coupled continuity, momentum, and Maxwell's equations are solved simultaneously for O(+), O2(+), and H(+), and the magnetic field. The calculated magnetic field profiles are in good agreement with Pioneer Venus orbiter magnetometer observations. The magnetic field structure is quasi-steady for slow changes of the solar wind dynamic pressure. The peak at 165 km is maintained by downward convection from higher altitudes. The time scale for the decay of the field by the pure one-dimensional vertical diffusion/convection process is several hours unless the flux is resupplied from the top of the ionosphere.

Shinagawa, H.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The evolution of large-scale magnetic fields in the ionosphere of Venus

Large-scale magnetic fields are often observed in the ionosphere of Venus by the magnetometer on the Pioneer Venus Orbiter, especially near the subsolar point or when the solar wind dynamic pressure is high. An equation for the time evolution of the magnetic field is derived which includes both a term representing the time rate of change of the field due to the convection of magnetic flux by plasma motions, and a magnetic diffusion/dissipation term. The ionospheric plasma velocities required by these equations were obtained by numerically solving the momentum equation. Numerical solutions to the magnetic field equation indicate that large-scale magnetic fields, which are not being actively maintained, decay with time scales ranging from tens of minutes to several hours. The vertical convection of magnetic flux enables magnetic field structures deep within the ionosphere to persist longer than would otherwise be expected. This vertical convection also explains the shape of these structures.

Cravens, T. E.↗