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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2007

The Role of Evolutionary Age and Metallicity in the Formation of Classical BE Circumstellar Disks II. Assessing the True Nature of Candidate Disk Systems

Photometric 2-color diagram (2-CD) surveys of young cluster populations have been used to identify populations of B-type stars exhibiting excess Ha emission. The prevalence of these excess emitters, assumed to be "Be stars". has led to the establishment of links between the onset of disk formation in classical Be stars and cluster age and/or metallicity. We have obtained imaging polarization observations of six SMC and six LMC clusters whose candidate Be populations had been previously identified via 2-CDs. The interstellar polarization (ISP) associated with these data has been identified to facilitate an examination of the circumstellar environments of these candidate Be stars via their intrinsic polarization signatures, hence determine the true nature of these objects. We determined that the ISP associated with the SMC cluster NGC 330 was characterized by a modified Serkowski law with a lambda(sub max) of approx. 4500Angstroms, indicating the presence of smaller than average dust grains. The morphology of the ISP associated with the LMC cluster NGC 2100 suggests that its interstellar environment is characterized by a complex magnetic field. Our intrinsic polarization results confirm the suggestion of Wisniewski et al. that a substantial number of bona-fide classical Be stars are present in clusters of age 5-8 Myr. Hence, our data contradict recent assertions that the Be phenomenon develops in the second half of a B star's main sequence lifetime, i.e. no earlier than 10 Myr. These data imply that a significant number of B-type stars must emerge onto the zero-age-main-sequence rotating at near-critical rotation rates, although we can not rule out the possibility that these data instead reveal the presence of a sub-group of the Be phenomenon characterized by sub-critically rotating objects. Comparing the polarimetric properties of our dataset to a similar survey of Galactic classical Be stars, we find that the prevalence of polarimetric Balmer jump signatures decreases with metallicity. We speculate that these results might indicate that either it is more difficult to form large disk systems in low metallicity environments, or that the average disk temperature is higher in these low metallicity environments. We have characterized the polarimetric signatures of all candidate Be stars in our data sample and find approx. 25% are unlikely to arise from true classical Be star-disk systems. This detection of such a substantial number "contaminants" suggests one should proceed with caution when attempting to determine the role of evolutionary age and/or metallicity in the Be phenomenon purely via 2-CD results.

Wisniewski, J. P.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Model experiment of magnetic field amplification in laser-produced plasmas via the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability

A model experiment of magnetic field amplification (MFA) via the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) in supernova remnants (SNRs) was performed using a high-power laser. In order to account for very-fast acceleration of cosmic rays observed in SNRs, it is considered that the magnetic field has to be amplified by orders of magnitude from its background level. A possible mechanism for the MFA in SNRs is stretching and mixing of the magnetic field via the RMI when shock waves pass through dense molecular clouds in interstellar media. In order to model the astrophysical phenomenon in laboratories, there are three necessary factors for the RMI to be operative: a shock wave, an external magnetic field, and density inhomogeneity. By irradiating a double-foil target with several laser beams with focal spot displacement under influence of an external magnetic field, shock waves were excited and passed through the density inhomogeneity. Radiative hydrodynamic simulations show that the RMI evolves as the density inhomogeneity is shocked, resulting in higher MFA.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

RADIATIVE INTERACTION OF SHOCKS WITH SMALL INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS AS A PRE-STAGE TO STAR FORMATION

Cloud compression by external shocks is believed to be an important triggering mechanism for gravitational collapse and star formation in the interstellar medium. We have performed MHD simulations to investigate whether the radiative interaction between a shock wave and a small interstellar cloud can induce the conditions for Jeans instability and how the interaction is influenced by magnetic fields of different strengths and orientation. The simulations use the NIRVANA code in three dimensions with anisotropic heat conduction and radiative heating/cooling at an effective resolution of 100 cells per cloud radius. Our cloud has radius 1.5 pc, has density 17 cm{sup -3}, is embedded in a medium of density 0.17 cm{sup -3}, and is struck by a planar Mach 30 shock wave. The simulations produce dense, cold fragments similar to those of Mellema et al. and Fragile et al. We do not find any regions that are Jeans unstable but do record transient cloud density enhancements of factors {approx}10{sup 3}-10{sup 5} for the bulk of the cloud mass, which then decline and converge toward seemingly stable net density enhancement factors {approx}10{sup 2}-10{sup 4}. Our run with a weak, initial magnetic field ({beta} = 10{sup 3}) perpendicular to the shock normal stands out as producing the most lasting density enhancements. We interpret this field strength as being the compromise between weak internal magnetic pressure preventing compression and sufficiently strong magnetic field to thermally insulate the condensations, thus helping them cool radiatively.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2011

Multifluid Simulations of the Global Solar Wind Including Pickup Ions and Turbulence Modeling

I will describe a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic model of the solar wind that takes into account turbulent heating of the wind by velocity and magnetic fluctuations as well as a variety of effects produced by interstellar pickup protons. The interstellar pickup protons are treated in the model as one fluid and the protons and electrons are treated together as a second fluid. The model equations include a Reynolds decomposition of the plasma velocity and magnetic field into mean and fluctuating quantities, as well as energy transfer from interstellar pickup protons to solar wind protons that results in the deceleration of the solar wind. The model is used to simulate the global steady-state structure of the solar wind in the region from 0.3 to 100 AU. The simulation assumes that the background magnetic field on the Sun is either a dipole (aligned or tilted with respect to the solar rotation axis) or one that is deduced from solar magnetograms.

Goldstein, Melvyn L.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Magnetic field amplification in the thin X-ray rims of SN 1006

Several young supernova remnants, including SN 1006, emit synchrotron X-rays in narrow filaments, hereafter thin rims, along their periphery. The widths of these rims imply 50-100 μG fields in the region immediately behind the shock, far larger than expected for the interstellar medium compressed by unmodified shocks, assuming electron radiative losses limit rim widths. However, magnetic field damping could also produce thin rims. Here we review the literature on rim width calculations, summarizing the case for magnetic field amplification. We extend these calculations to include an arbitrary power-law dependence of the diffusion coefficient on energy, D∝E {sup μ}. Loss-limited rim widths should shrink with increasing photon energy, while magnetic-damping models predict widths almost independent of photon energy. We use these results to analyze Chandra observations of SN 1006, in particular the southwest limb. We parameterize the FWHM in terms of energy as FWHM ∝E{sub γ}{sup m{sub E}}. Filament widths in SN 1006 decrease with energy; m{sub E} ∼ –0.3 to –0.8, implying magnetic field amplification by factors of 10-50, above the factor of four expected in strong unmodified shocks. For SN 1006, the rapid shrinkage rules out magnetic damping models. It also favors short mean free paths (small diffusion coefficients) and strong dependence of D on energy (μ ≥ 1).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2014

Magnetic Field Amplification in the Thin X-Ray Rims of SN 1006

Several young supernova remnants, including SN 1006, emit synchrotron X-rays in narrow filaments, hereafter thin rims, along their periphery. The widths of these rims imply 50–100 μG fields in the region immediately behind the shock, far larger than expected for the interstellar medium compressed by unmodified shocks, assuming electron radiative losses limit rim widths. However, magnetic field damping could also produce thin rims. Here we review the literature on rim width calculations, summarizing the case for magnetic field amplification. We extend these calculations to include an arbitrary power-law dependence of the diffusion coefficient on energy, D ∝ Eμ. Loss-limited rim widths should shrink with increasing photon energy, while magnetic-damping models predict widths almost independent of photon energy. We use these results to analyze Chandra observations of SN 1006, in particular the southwest limb. We parameterize the FWHM in terms of energy as FWHM ∝ EmE γ. Filament widths in SN 1006 decrease with energy; mE ∼ −0.3 to −0.8, implying magnetic field amplification by factors of 10–50, above the factor of four expected in strong unmodified shocks. For SN 1006, the rapid shrinkage rules out magnetic damping models. It also favors short mean free paths (small diffusion coefficients) and strong dependence of D on energy (μ ≥ 1).

MAGNETIC FIELD AMPLIFICATION IN THE THIN X-RAY RIM↗
DOE OSTI2016

Collaborative Research: A Model of Partially Ionized Plasma Flows with Kinetic Treatment of Neutral Atoms and Nonthermal Ions

Interactions of flows of partially ionized, magnetized plasma are frequently accompanied by the presence of both thermal and non-thermal (pickup) ion components. Such interactions cannot be modeled using traditional MHD equations and require more advanced approaches to treat them. If a nonthermal component of ions is formed due to charge exchange and collisions between the thermal (core) ions and neutrals, it experiences the action of magnetic field, its distribution function is isotropized, and it soon acquires the velocity of the ambient plasma without being thermodynamically equilibrated. This situation, e. g., takes place in the outer heliosphere –- the part of interstellar space beyond the solar system whose properties are determined by the solar wind interaction with the local interstellar medium. This is also possible in laboratory, at million degrees and above, when plasma is conducting electricity far too well, which makes Ohmic heating ineffective. To attain the target temperatures one needs additional heating eventually playing a dominant role. Among such sources is a so-called neutral particle beam heating. This is a wide-spread technique (Joint European Torus and International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor experiments) based on the injection of powerful beams of neutral atoms into ohmically preheated plasma. In this project we have investigated the energy and density separation between the thermal and nonthermal components in the solar wind and interstellar plasmas. A new model has been developed in which we solve the ideal MHD equations for mixture of all ions and the kinetic Boltzmann equation to describe the transport of neutral atoms. As a separate capability, we can treat the flow of neutral atoms in a multi-component fashion, where neutral atoms born in each thermodynamically distinct region are governed by the Euler gas dynamic equations. We also describe the behavior of pickup ions either kinetically, using the Fokker--Planck equation, or as a separate fluid. Our numerical simulations have demonstrated that pickup ions play a major role in the interaction of the solar wind and (partially ionized) interstellar medium plasmas. Our teams have investigated the stability of the surface (the heliopause) that separates the solar wind from the local interstellar medium, the transport of galactic cosmic rays, the properties of the heliotail flow, and modifications to the bow wave in front of the heliopause due to charge exchange between the neutral H atoms born in the solar wind and interstellar ions. Modeling results have been validated against observational data, such as obtained by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), and made it possible to shed light on the structure of energetic neutral atom maps created by this spacecraft.. We have also demonstrated that charge-exchange modulated heliosphere is a source of anisotropy of the multi-TeV cosmic ray flux observed in a number of Earth-bound air shower experiments. Newly developed codes are implemented within a Multi-Scale Fluid-Kinetic Simulation Suite (MS-FLUKSS), a publicly available code being developed by our team for over 12 years. MS-FLUKSS scales well up to 160,000 computing cores and has been ported on major supercomputers in the country. Efficient parallelization and data choreography in the continuum simulation modules are provided by Chombo, an adaptive mesh refinement framework managed by Phillip Colella's team at LBNL. We have implemented in-house, hybrid (MPI+OpenMP) parallelization of the kinetic modules that solve the Boltzmann equation with a Monte Carlo method. Currently, the kinetic modules are being rewritten to take advantage of the modern CPU-GPU supercomputer architecture. The scope of the project allowed us to enhance plasma research and education in such broad, multidisciplinary field as physics of partially ionized plasma and its application to space physics and fusion science. Besides the impact on the modeling of complex physical systems, our approach to computational resource management for complex codes utilizing multiple algorithm technologies appears to be a major advance on current approaches. The development of sophisticated resource management will be essential for all future modeling efforts that incorporate a diversity of scales and physical processes. Our effort provided leadership in promoting computational science and plasma physics within the UAH and FIT campuses and, through the training of a broad spectrum of scientists and engineers, fostering new technologies across the country.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

DYNAMO ACTION IN THERMALLY UNSTABLE INTERSTELLAR FLOWS

Numerous studies have investigated the role of thermal instability in regulating the phase transition between the cold cloudy and warm diffuse medium of the interstellar medium. Considerable interest has also been devoted to investigating the properties of turbulence in thermally unstable flows, with a special emphasis on molecular clouds and the possibility of star formation. In this study, we investigate another setting in which this instability may be important, namely its effect on dynamo action in interstellar flows. The setup we consider is a three-dimensional periodic cube of gas with an initially weak magnetic field, subject to heating and cooling, the properties of which are such that thermal instability is provoked in a certain temperature regime. Dynamo action is established through external forcing on the flow field. By comparing the results with a cooling function with exactly the same net effect but no thermally unstable regime, we find the following. Reference runs with non-helical forcing were observed to produce no small-scale dynamo action below the Reynolds number 97. Therefore, we expect the magnetic fields generated in the helical runs to be purely due to the action of a large-scale dynamo mechanism. The critical Reynolds number for the onset of the large-scale dynamo was observed to roughly double between the thermally stable versus unstable runs, the conclusion being that the thermal instability makes large-scale dynamo action more difficult. Whereas density and magnetic fields were observed to be almost completely uncorrelated in the thermally stable cases investigated, the action of thermal instability was observed to produce a positive correlation of the form B{proportional_to}{rho}{sup 0.2}. This correlation is rather weak, and in addition it was observed to break down at the limit of highest densities.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Heliospheric influence on the anisotropy of TeV cosmic rays

This paper provides a theory of using Liouville's theorem to map the anisotropy of TeV cosmic rays seen at Earth using the particle distribution function in the local interstellar medium (LISM). The ultimate source of cosmic ray anisotropy is the energy, pitch angle, and spatial dependence of the cosmic ray distribution function in the LISM. Because young nearby cosmic ray sources can make a special contribution to the cosmic ray anisotropy, the anisotropy depends on the source age, distance and magnetic connection, and particle diffusion of these cosmic rays, all of which make the anisotropy sensitive to the particle energy. When mapped through the magnetic and electric field of a magnetohydrodynamic model heliosphere, the large-scale dipolar and bidirectional interstellar anisotropy patterns become distorted if they are seen from Earth, resulting in many small structures in the observations. Best fits to cosmic ray anisotropy measurements have allowed us to estimate the particle density gradient and pitch angle anisotropies in the LISM. It is found that the heliotail, hydrogen deflection plane, and the plane perpendicular to the LISM magnetic field play a special role in distorting cosmic ray anisotropy. These features can lead to an accurate determination of the LISM magnetic field direction and polarity. The effects of solar cycle variation, the Sun's coronal magnetic field, and turbulence in the LISM and heliospheric magnetic fields are minor but clearly visible at a level roughly equal to a fraction of the overall anisotropy amplitude. The heliospheric influence becomes stronger at lower energies. Below 1 TeV, the anisotropy is dominated by small-scale patterns produced by disturbances in the heliosphere.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Fantastic Striations and Where to Find Them: The Origin of Magnetically Aligned Striations in Interstellar Clouds

Thin, magnetically aligned striations of relatively moderate contrast with the background are commonly observed in both atomic and molecular clouds. They are also prominent in MHD simulations with turbulent converging shocks. The simulated striations develop within a dense, stagnated sheet in the midplane of the post-shock region where magnetically induced converging flows collide. We show analytically that the secondary flows are an inevitable consequence of the jump conditions of oblique MHD shocks. They produce the stagnated, sheet-like sub-layer through a secondary shock when, roughly speaking, the Alfvénic speed in the primary converging flows is supersonic, a condition that is relatively easy to satisfy in interstellar clouds. The dense sub-layer is naturally threaded by a strong magnetic field that lies close to the plane of the sub-layer. The substantial magnetic field makes the sheet highly anisotropic, which is the key to the striation formation. Specifically, perturbations of the primary inflow that vary spatially perpendicular to the magnetic field can easily roll up the sheet around the field lines without bending them, creating corrugations that appear as magnetically aligned striations in column density maps. On the other hand, perturbations that vary spatially along the field lines curve the sub-layer and alter its orientation relative to the magnetic field locally, seeding special locations that become slanted overdense filaments and prestellar cores through enhanced mass accumulation along field lines. In our scenario, the dense sub-layer, which is unique to magnetized oblique shocks, is the birthplace for both magnetically aligned diffuse striations and massive star-forming structures.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

INTERSTELLAR ENVIRONMENTS AND DUST PROPERTIES TOWARD CYGNUS OB2 NO. 12: A REASSESSMENT

The B-type hypergiant Cygnus OB2 no. 12 is a popular target for studies of interstellar phenomena at visible-infrared wavelengths because of its exceptional brightness for a star dimmed by some 10 mag of visual extinction. A lack of detectable ice absorption has led investigators to regard the line of sight as a standard for studies of the “diffuse” interstellar medium (ISM), an assumption challenged both by observations of molecular gas toward the star and by uncertainties concerning the degree to which such a luminous object may affect its local environment. This paper presents a reassessment of the nature of the material responsible for extinction toward Cyg OB2 no. 12. The excess relative to other cluster members appears to occur in translucent clumps within an extensive network of clouds in the region. Attenuation of the ambient radiation field is sufficient in the cores of the clumps to support the presence of gas-phase molecules, but not to sustain detectable ice formation. In general, the optical properties of dust in the clumps are closely similar to those observed in typical diffuse interstellar material, with the notable exception of an unusually low value for the wavelength of maximum polarization. The implied enhancement of polarization by small grains is attributed to increased alignment efficiency in an enhanced magnetic field. This caveat apart, the results of the current paper provide reassurance that Cyg OB2 no. 12 is, indeed, an appropriate choice for studies that target diffuse and translucent phases of the ISM.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE COLUMN DENSITY VARIANCE IN TURBULENT INTERSTELLAR MEDIA: A FRACTAL MODEL APPROACH

Fractional Brownian motion structures are used to investigate the dependency of column density variance ({sigma}{sup 2}{sub lnN}) in the turbulent interstellar medium on the variance of three-dimensional density ({sigma}{sup 2}{sub ln{rho}}) and the power-law slope of the density power spectrum. We provide quantitative expressions to infer the three-dimensional density variance, which is not directly observable, from the observable column density variance and spectral slope. We also investigate the relationship between the column density variance and sonic Mach number (M{sub s}) in the hydrodynamic (HD) regime by assuming the spectral slope and density variance to be functions of sonic Mach number, as obtained from the HD turbulence simulations. They are related by the expression {sigma}{sup 2}{sub lnN} = A{sigma}{sub ln{rho}} {sup 2} = Aln (1 + b {sup 2} M{sup 2}{sub s}), suggested by Burkhart and Lazarian for the magnetohydrodynamic case. The proportional constant A varies from Almost-Equal-To 0.2 to Almost-Equal-To 0.4 in the HD regime as the turbulence forcing parameter b increases from 1/3 (purely solenoidal forcing) to 1 (purely compressive forcing). It is also discussed that the parameter A is lowered in the presence of a magnetic field.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

GRAIN SIZE CONSTRAINTS ON HL TAU WITH POLARIZATION SIGNATURE

The millimeter-wave polarization of the protoplanetary disk around HL Tau has been interpreted as the emission from elongated dust grains aligned with the magnetic field in the disk. However, the self-scattering of thermal dust emission may also explain the observed millimeter-wave polarization. In this paper, we report a modeling of the millimeter-wave polarization of the HL Tau disk with the self-polarization. Dust grains are assumed to be spherical and to have a power-law size distribution. We change the maximum grain size with a fixed dust composition in a fixed disk model to find the grain size to reproduce the observed signature. We find that the direction of the polarization vectors and the polarization degree can be explained with the self-scattering. Moreover, the polarization degree can be explained only if the maximum grain size is ∼150 μm. The obtained grain size from the polarization is different from that which has been previously expected from the spectral index of the dust opacity coefficient (a millimeter or larger) if the emission is optically thin. We discuss that porous dust aggregates may solve the inconsistency of the maximum grain size between the two constraints.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1979

Streaming of interstellar grains in the solar system

Results of a theoretical study of the interactions between interstellar grains streaming through the solar system and the solar wind are presented. It is shown that although elongated core-mantle interstellar particles of a characteristic radius of about 0.12 microns are subject to a greater force due to radiation pressure than to gravitational attraction, they are still able to penetrate deep inside the solar system. Calculations of particle trajectories within the solar system indicate substantial effects of the solar activity cycle as reflected in the interplanetary magnetic field on the distribution of 0.12- and 0.0005-micron interstellar grains streaming through the solar system, leading to a 50-fold increase in interstellar grain densities 3 to 4 AU ahead of the sun during years 8 to 17 of the solar cycle. It is noted that during the Solar Polar Mission, concentrations are expected which will offer the opportunity of detecting interstellar grains in the solar system.

Gustafson, B. A. S.↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE STAR FORMATION RATE OF TURBULENT MAGNETIZED CLOUDS: COMPARING THEORY, SIMULATIONS, AND OBSERVATIONS

The role of turbulence and magnetic fields is studied for star formation in molecular clouds. We derive and compare six theoretical models for the star formation rate (SFR)-the Krumholz and McKee (KM), Padoan and Nordlund (PN), and Hennebelle and Chabrier (HC) models, and three multi-freefall versions of these, suggested by HC-all based on integrals over the log-normal distribution of turbulent gas. We extend all theories to include magnetic fields and show that the SFR depends on four basic parameters: (1) virial parameter {alpha}{sub vir}; (2) sonic Mach number M; (3) turbulent forcing parameter b, which is a measure for the fraction of energy driven in compressive modes; and (4) plasma {beta}=2M{sub A}{sup 2}/M{sup 2} with the Alfven Mach number M{sub A}. We compare all six theories with MHD simulations, covering cloud masses of 300 to 4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} M{sub Sun} and Mach numbers M=3-50 and M{sub A}=1-{infinity}, with solenoidal (b = 1/3), mixed (b = 0.4), and compressive turbulent (b = 1) forcings. We find that the SFR increases by a factor of four between M=5 and 50 for compressive turbulent forcing and {alpha}{sub vir} {approx} 1. Comparing forcing parameters, we see that the SFR is more than 10 times higher with compressive than solenoidal forcing for M=10 simulations. The SFR and fragmentation are both reduced by a factor of two in strongly magnetized, trans-Alfvenic turbulence compared to hydrodynamic turbulence. All simulations are fit simultaneously by the multi-freefall KM and multi-freefall PN theories within a factor of two over two orders of magnitude in SFR. The simulated SFRs cover the range and correlation of SFR column density with gas column density observed in Galactic clouds, and agree well for star formation efficiencies SFE = 1%-10% and local efficiencies {epsilon} = 0.3-0.7 due to feedback. We conclude that the SFR is primarily controlled by interstellar turbulence, with a secondary effect coming from magnetic fields.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2020

FOSSIL—Finding Our Cosmic Roots

FOSSIL (Fragments from the Origins of the Solar System and our Interstellar Locale) is a concept to explore the largest solar system object visible to the unaided eye—the zodiacal cloud. The cloud’s many dust particles are each a tiny time capsule from a comet or asteroid. The FOSSIL concept is for the in situ compositional analysis of interplanetary dust particles, and also of the particles passing through the solar system from interstellar space. By measuring the zodiacal and interstellar particles’ velocity vectors and compositions, the approach resolves fundamental questions about the solar system’s origins. The FOSSIL concept is to: (1) Discover whether today’s local interstellar dust matches the composition of the feedstock from which the solar system formed; (2) Determine whether comets’ fine-grained component preserves unprocessed pre-solar dust or shows signs of processing in the early solar system; and (3) Learn whether comets’ and asteroids’ organic material share a common source or formed from distinct reservoirs. The FOSSIL concept is based on the use of a Dust Telescope (DT) with the capability to measure the composition and the velocity vector of dust particles to unambiguously separate interstellar from interplanetary particles, and identify a subset of zodiacal particles that are exclusively cometary. In the DT, particles pass through the trajectory sensor unharmed and impact a target plate, where they are vaporized and partially ionized. The ions are electrostatically focused onto a detector where the time-of-flight mass spectrum is recorded, enabling measurement of the composition of the interstellar solids, detection of cometary minerals altered by high temperatures or exposure to liquid water in the early solar system, and the characterization of the organic materials from the comets and asteroids that are still being delivered to the Earth today. FOSSIL’s objectives crosscut several disciplines with planetary science. Astrophysics interests lie in understanding interstellar solar matter and the only debris disk accessible in situ. Heliophysics interest is in the verification of large-scale heliospheric magnetic field models by the measured effect on the motion of electrically charged interstellar dust. Reporting the makeup of interplanetary dust that ablates in our atmosphere is valuable to Earth sciences. FOSSIL’s DT is scalable and can be accommodated to a variety of mission opportunities, without restriction on launch dates, and for a large number of possible orbits.

Turner, Neal↗
DOE OSTI2016

Magnetized jets driven by the Sun: The structure of the heliosphere revisited—Updates

As the solar system moves through the interstellar medium, the solar wind is deflected forming the heliosphere. The standard picture of the heliosphere is a comet-shape like structure with the tail extending for 1000s of astronomical units. This standard picture stems from a view where magnetic forces are negligible and the solar magnetic field is convected passively down the tail. Recently, we showed that the magnetic tension of the solar magnetic field plays a crucial role on organizing the solar wind in the heliosheath into two jet-like structures. The two jets are separated by the interstellar medium that flows between them. The heliosphere then has a “croissant”-like shape where the distance to the heliopause downtail is almost the same as towards the nose. This new view of the heliosphere is in agreement with the energetic neutral atoms maps taken by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer and INCA/CASSINI. We developed as well an analytic model of the heliosheath in the axisymmetric limit that shows how the magnetic tension force is the driver for the north and south jets. We confirmed that the formation of these jets with magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. The main reason why previous global MHD simulations did not see these jets is due to spurious magnetic dissipation that was present at the heliospheric current sheet. We instead kept the same polarity for the interplanetary (solar) magnetic field in both the northern and southern hemispheres, eliminating spurious magnetic dissipation effects at the heliospheric current sheet. In this paper, we extend these previous results to include additional cases where we used: (a) weaker solar magnetic field; (b) solar magnetic field that reverses polarity at the solar equator in the axisymmetric limit; and (c) slower motion through the interstellar system. We discuss as well future challenges regarding the structure of the heliosphere.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Ulysses observations of magnetic waves due to newborn interstellar pickup ions. I. New observations and linear analysis

We have examined Ulysses magnetic field data using dynamic spectrogram techniques that compute wave amplitude, polarization, and direction of propagation over a broad range of frequencies and time. Events were identified that showed a strong polarization signature and an enhancement of power above the local proton gyrofrequency. We perform a statistical study of 502 wave events in an effort to determine when, where, and why they are observed. Most notably, we find that waves arising from newborn interstellar pickup ions are relatively rare and difficult to find. The quantities normally employed in theories of wave growth are neutral atom density and quantities related to their ionization and the subsequent dynamics such as wind speed, solar wind flux, and magnetic field orientation. We find the observations of waves to be largely uncorrelated to these quantities except for mean field direction where quasi-radial magnetic fields are favored and solar wind proton flux where wave observations appear to be favored by low flux conditions which runs contrary to theoretical expectations of wave generation. It would appear that an explanation based on source physics and instability growth rates alone is not adequate to account for the times when these waves are seen.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗