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At least 559 records · Page 31
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

A magnetospheric magnetic field model with flexible current systems driven by independent physical parameters

A tilt-dependent magnetic field model of the Earth's magnetosphere with variable magnetopause standoff distance is presented. Flexible analytic representations for the ring and cross-tail currents, each composed of the elements derived from the Tsyganenko and Usmanov (1982) model, are combined with the fully shielded vacuum dipole configurations of Voigt (1981). Although the current sheet does not warp in the y-z plane, changes in the shape and position of the neutral sheet with dipole tilt are consistent with both MHD equilibrium theory and observations. In addition, there is good agreement with observed Delta B profiles and the average equatorial contours of magnetic field magnitude. While the dipole field is rigorously shielded within the defined magnetopause, the ring and cross-tails currents are not similarly confined, consequently, the model's region of validity is limited to the inner magnetosphere. The model depends on four independent external parameters. We present a simple but limited method of simulating several substorm related magnetic field changes associated with the disrupion of the near-Earth cross-tail current sheet and collapse of the midnight magnetotail field region. This feature further facilitates the generation of magnetic field configuration time sequences useful in plasma convection simulations of real magnetospheric events.

Hilmer, Robert V.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Lower‐Hybrid Wave Structures and Interactions With Electrons Observed in Magnetotail Reconnection Diffusion Regions

Abstract We investigate waves close to the lower‐hybrid frequency in 12 magnetotail reconnection electron diffusion region (EDR) events with guide field levels of near‐zero to 30%. In about half of the events, the wave vector has a small component along the current sheet normal, consistent with known lower‐hybrid drift wave properties, but the perpendicular magnetic field fluctuations can be comparable or greater than the parallel component, a feature unique to the waves inside and adjacent to EDRs. Another new wave property is that the wave vector has a significant component along the current sheet normal in some events and completely along the normal for one event. In 1/4 of the events, the term has a significant contribution to the wave electric field, possibly a feature of lower‐hybrid waves more likely to exist in the diffusion region than further away from the X‐line. Electron temperature variations are correlated with the wave potential, due to wave electric field acceleration and crossings at the corrugated separatrix region with different amounts of mixing between reconnection inflowing and outflowing populations. The latter also leads to the anti‐correlation between parallel and perpendicular temperature components. Using four‐spacecraft measurements, the magnetic field line twisting is demonstrated by the correlated fluctuations in and . The lower‐hybrid wave in the EDR of weak guide field reconnection may be generated near separatrices and penetrate to the mid‐plane or locally generated, and the latter possibility is beyond the prediction of previous reconnection simulations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2011

Cosmic Ray Transport in the Distant Heliosheath

The character of energetic particle transport in the distant heliosheath and especially in the vicinity of the heliopause could be quite distinct from the other regions of the heliosphere. The magnetic field structure is dominated by a tightly wrapped oscillating heliospheric current sheet which is transported to higher latitudes by the nonradial heliosheath flows. Both Voyagers have, or are expected to enter a region dominated by the sectored field formed during the preceding solar maximum. As the plasma flow slows down on approach to the heliopause, the distance between the folds of the current sheet decreases to the point where it becomes comparable to the cyclotron radius of an energetic ion, such as a galactic cosmic ray. Then, a charged particle can effectively drift across a stack of magnetic sectors with a speed comparable with the particle s velocity. Cosmic rays should also be able to efficiently diffuse across the mean magnetic field if the distance between sector boundaries varies. The region of the heliopause could thus be much more permeable to cosmic rays than was previously thought. This new transport proposed mechanism could explain the very high intensities (approaching the model interstellar values) of galactic cosmic rays measured by Voyager 1 during 2010-2011.

Florinski, V.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Density fluctuations in solar wind flow types at 1 AU: Comparison to Doppler scintillation measurements

Density fluctuations with periods 10 minutes to 1 hour have been investigated in ISEE 3 plasma measurements of solar wind flows at l AU. Coronal hole, interstream, plasma sheet, coronal mass ejection, and interaction region flow types are considered. The ISEE 3 results support the interpretation of the large-scale variations in density fluctuations observed by Doppler scintillation measurement techniques inside 0.2 AU. The highest absolute and relative density fluctuations occur ahead of and within the plasma from coronal mass ejections, with the maximum values occurring between the associated interplanetary shocks and the driver gas. For the quasi-stationary solar wind, density and relative density fluctuations are highest around the heliospheric current sheet and lowest in the high-speed coronal flow. Superposed epoch analysis shows that the region of enhanced density fluctuations and its abrupt boundaries observed in the vicinity of the heliospheric current sheet near the Sun persists to l AU, providing further support for the filamentary nature of the extensions of coronal streamers. The results of this study confirm the advantages of using density fluctuations rather than density as a tracer of solar wind flows with differing origins at the Sun and as a detector of propagating interplanetary disturbances.

Huddleston, D. E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Electron‐Scale Reconnection in Three‐Dimensional Shock Turbulence

Abstract Magnetic reconnection has been observed in the transition region of quasi‐parallel shocks. In this work, the particle‐in‐cell method is used to simulate three‐dimensional reconnection in a quasi‐parallel shock. The shock transition region is turbulent, leading to the formation of reconnecting current sheets with various orientations. Two reconnection sites with weak and strong guide fields are studied, and it is shown that reconnection is fast and transient. Reconnection sites are characterized using diagnostics including electron flows and magnetic flux transport. In contrast to two‐dimensional simulations, weak guide field reconnection is realized. Furthermore, the current sheets in these events form in a direction almost perpendicular to those found in two‐dimensional simulations, where the reconnection geometry is constrained.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1979

Solar activity and changes in atmospheric circulation

Several related investigations of the possible influence of the solar and interplanetary magnetic sector structure on the atmospheric circulation are described. The area of low pressure troughs in the northern hemisphere has a minimum about one day after a warped heliospheric current sheet has been carried past the earth by the solar wind. Possible physical mechanisms could relate to phase changes in meteorological processes, changes in atmospheric electricity or changes in solar extreme ultraviolet irradiation. A quantitative analysis suggests that the accuracy of weather forcasting decreases during the two days after the warped heliospheric current sheet has passed the earth. A description is given of several further investigations in progress.

Wilcox, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Lower-Hybrid Wave Structures and Interactions With Electrons Observed in Magnetotail Reconnection Diffusion Regions

We investigate waves close to the lower-hybrid frequency in 12 magnetotail reconnection electron diffusion region (EDR) events with guide field levels of near-zero to 30%. In about half of the events, the wave vector has a small component along the current sheet normal, consistent with known lower-hybrid drift wave properties, but the perpendicular magnetic field fluctuations can be comparable or greater than the parallel component, a feature unique to the waves inside and adjacent to EDRs. Another new wave property is that the wave vector has a significant component along the current sheet normal in some events and completely along the normal for one event. In 1/4of the events, the ∇∙𝑷(sub 𝑒) term has a significant contribution to the wave electric field, possibly a feature of lower-hybrid waves more likely to exist in the diffusion region than further away from the X-line. Electron temperature variations are correlated with the wave potential, due to wave electric field acceleration and crossings at the corrugated separatrix region with different amounts of mixing between reconnection inflowing and outflowing populations. The latter also leads to the anti-correlation between parallel and perpendicular temperature components. Using four-spacecraft measurements, the magnetic field line twisting is demonstrated by the correlated fluctuations in (∇×𝑽(sub 𝐸×𝐵))||and (∇×𝐁)||. The lower-hybrid wave in the EDR of weak guide field reconnection may be generated near separatrices and penetrate to the mid-plane or locally generated, and the latter possibility is beyond the prediction of previous reconnection simulations.

Magnetic reconnection↗
NASA NTRS1984

K-coronameter observations and potential field model comparison in 1976 and 1977

Results of determining the shape and location of the heliospheric current sheet from a potential field model and from K-coronameter observations are compared. Interplanetary magnetic field polarities as observed by IMP 8, Helios 1 and 2, and Voyager 2 spacecraft were used to test the two methods over the period May 1976 to August 1977 throughout 18 Carrington rotations. The computed heliospheric current sheets from both methods had a quasi-stationary four-sector structure and very similar shapes. Agreement between interplanetary magnetic field polarity and the results from the potential field model was found on 79 percent of the days, while agreement between the interplanetary field polarity and the polarities derived from the K-coronameter data was found on 87 percent of the days.

Bruno, R.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Simulations of Solar Wind Turbulence

Recently we have restructured our approach to simulating magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence in the solar wind. Previously, we had defined a 'virtual' heliosphere that contained, for example, a tilted rotating current sheet, microstreams, quasi-two-dimensional fluctuations as well as Alfven waves. In this new version of the code, we use the global, time-stationary, WKB Alfven wave-driven solar wind model developed by Usmanov and described in Usmanov and Goldstein [2003] to define the initial state of the system. Consequently, current sheets, and fast and slow streams are computed self-consistently from an inner, photospheric, boundary. To this steady-state configuration, we add fluctuations close to, but above, the surface where the flow become super-Alfvenic. The time-dependent MHD equations are then solved using a semi-discrete third-order Central Weighted Essentially Non-Oscillatory (CWENO) numerical scheme. The computational domain now includes the entire sphere; the geometrical singularity at the poles is removed using the multiple grid approach described in Usmanov [1996]. Wave packets are introduced at the inner boundary such as to satisfy Faraday's Law [Yeh and Dryer, 1985] and their nonlinear evolution are followed in time.

Goldstein, Melvyn L.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Fermi Gamma-Ray Pulsars: Understanding the High-Energy Emission from Dissipative Magnetospheres

Based on the Fermi observational data, we reveal meaningful constraints for the dependence of the macroscopic conductivity (sigma) of dissipative pulsar magnetosphere models on the corresponding spin-down rate, epsilon(sup dot). Our models are refinements of the FIDO (Force-free Inside, Dissipative Outside) models, which have dissipative regions that are restricted on the equatorial current sheet outside of the the light-cylinder. Taking into account the observed cutoff energies of all of the Fermi pulsars and assuming that (a) the corresponding gamma-ray pulsed emission is due to curvature radiation at the radiation-reaction-limit regime, and (b) this emission is produced at the equatorial current sheet near the light cylinder, we show that the Fermi data provide clear indications about the corresponding accelerating electric-field components. A direct comparison between the Fermi cutoff energies and the model ones reveals that if sigma increases with epsilon(sup dot) for high epsilon(sup dot)-values, while it saturates for low ones. This comparison indicates also that the corresponding gap width increases toward low epsilon(sup dot)-values. Assuming the Goldreich-Julian flux for the emitting particles, we calculate the total gamma-ray luminosity (L(sub gamma)). A comparison between the dependence of the Fermi L(sub gamma)-values and the model ones on epsilon(sup dot) indicates an increase of the emitting particle multiplicity with epsilon(sup dot). Our modeling, guided by the Fermi data alone, enhances our understanding of the physical mechanisms behind the high-energy emission in pulsar magnetospheres.

Kalapotharakos, Constantinos↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Impact of Alfvénic Shear Flow on Magnetic Reconnection and Turbulence

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental and omnipresent energy conversion process in plasma physics. Novel observations of fields and particles from Parker Solar Probe (PSP) have shown the absence of reconnection in a large number of current sheets in the near-Sun solar wind. Using near-Sun observations from PSP encounters 4–11 (2020 January–2022 March), we investigate whether reconnection onset might be suppressed by velocity shear. We compare estimates of the tearing mode growth rate in the presence of shear flow for time periods identified as containing reconnecting current sheets versus nonreconnecting times, finding systematically larger growth rates for reconnection periods. Upon examination of the parameters associated with reconnection onset, we find that 85% of the reconnection events are embedded in slow, non-Alfvénic wind streams. We compare with fast, slow non-Alfvénic, and slow Alfvénic streams, finding that the growth rate is suppressed in highly Alfvénic fast and slow wind, and reconnection is not seen in these wind types, as would be expected from our theoretical expressions. These wind streams have strong Alfvénic flow shear, consistent with the idea of reconnection suppression by such flows. This could help explain the frequent absence of reconnection events in the highly Alfvénic, near-Sun solar wind observed by PSP. Finally, we find a steepening of both the trace and magnitude magnetic field spectra within reconnection periods in comparison to ambient wind. We tie this to the dynamics of relatively balanced turbulence within these reconnection periods and the potential generation of compressible fluctuations.

slow solar wind↗
NASA NTRS1998

Self-Consistent Simulation of the Magnetotail

Kinetic effects may be critically important at various stages of magnetotail evolution prior to and after the break up of substorms. The quasi-adiabaticity of ion dynamics results in the appearance of pronounced off diagonal terms in the pressure tensor (an effect that cannot be reproduced using the standard MHD (magnetohydrodynamic) approach). Only the appearance of these terms could support the formation of thin current sheets that recent experimental data have repeatedly indicated. We present in this paper the results of a self-consistent large-scale kinetic simulation of the Earth's magnetotail. We launch ions from the plasma mantle and self-consistently adjust the background magnetic field by computing the perturbations magnetic field from the particle current. We find that a thin current sheet with a half-thickness of approximately 0.3 R(sub E) quickly develops in the simulation. Also, the magnetotail evolves into a periodic state where the location of the X-line in the tail oscillates between x approximately 40 R(sub E) and x approximately 70 R(sub E) on a 5-minute time scale. Evidence of this periodic motion is also seen in the auroral precipitation profile of ions.

Peroomian, Vahe↗
NASA NTRS1987

Comparisons of interplanetary type III storm footpoints with solar features

The trajectories of 38 type III storms in the interplanetary medium have been deduced from ISEE-3 radio observations and extrapolated back to the sun to determine the Carrington coordinates of their footpoints. The analysis assumes radial motion of the solar wind, and the trajectories are projected radially back toward the surface for the last few solar radii. To identify the storm sources, the footpoints were compared to a variety of solar features: to the large-scale neutral line at the base of the current sheet, to active regions, to the small-scale neutral lines and H-alpha filaments which trace out active regions, and to coronal holes. Most of the footpoints were found to lie near active regions, in agreement with metric storm locations. There is a weak correlation with H-alpha filaments, no apparent association with the current sheet, and an anticorrelation with coronal holes. There is a small excess of storms in the leading half of magnetic sectors.

Kayser, Susan E.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Open Boundary Particle-in-Cell Simulation of Dipolarization Front Propagation

First results are presented from an ongoing open boundary 2-1/2D particle-in-cell simulation study of dipolarization front (DF) propagation in Earth's magnetotail. At this stage, this study is focused on the compression, or pileup, region preceding the DF current sheet. We find that the earthward acceleration of the plasma in this region is in general agreement with a recent DF force balance model. A gyrophase bunched reflected ion population at the leading edge of the pileup region is reflected by a normal electric field in the pileup region itself, rather than through an interaction with the current sheet. We discuss plasma wave activity at the leading edge of the pileup region that may be driven by gradients, or by reflected ions, or both; the mode has not been identified. The waves oscillate near but above the ion cyclotron frequency with wavelength several ion inertial lengths. We show that the waves oscillate primarily in the perpendicular magnetic field components, do not propagate along the background magnetic field, are right handed elliptically (close to circularly) polarized, exist in a region of high electron and ion beta, and are stationary in the plasma frame moving earthward. We discuss the possibility that the waves are present in plasma sheet data, but have not, thus far, been discovered.

dipolarization front↗
NASA NTRS1988

A predicted energetic ion signature of a neutral line in the geomagnetic tail

Under certain assumptions one can predict the formation of a magnetic neutral line on theoretical grounds, generally as a result of an unstable current sheet. Neutral points also seen to form spontaneously in a wide variety of plasma simulatioons, from MHD to fully kinetic. Hence, such magnetic null regions are central to some models of magnetotail energization and magnetic substorms. Yet the observational evidence for such regions remains controversial. This paper presents a new signature of a neutral line: the field-aligned ion beam characteristic of current sheet acceleration becomes dispersed into a 'ridge' in the velocity space distribution function as a neutral line is approached. The results were obtained using single-particle simulations in a fixed magnetic field model. The origin of the ridge is shown to be due to initially earthward going ions which pass through the neutral line region. These ions come from a smaller part of the initially antiearthward flowing distribution, generating the depletion of the distribution function below the ridge.

Martin, R. F., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Implications of RHESSI Flare Observations for Magnetic Reconnection Models

The Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) observations of the 2002 April 15 solar flare and related flares provide compelling evidence for the formation of a large-scale, reconnecting current sheet in at least some flares. We describe the observed evolution of the April 15 flare in terms of magnetic reconnection models. We argue that the flare most likely evolved through magnetic geometries associated with super-slow reconnection (early rise phase), fast reconnection (impulsive phase), and slow reconnection (gradual phase). We also provide evidence for X-ray brightenings within the evolving current sheet, possibly induced by the tearing mode instability. This work was supported in part by the RHESSI Program and NASA's Sun-Earth Connection Program. This work would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of the entire RHESSI team.

Holman, Gordon D.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Average motion, structure and orientation of the distant magnetotail determined from remote sensing of the edge of the plasma sheet boundary layer with E greater than 35 keV ions

We study gradients of the energetic ion intesity observed at the edge of the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) by the energetic ion anisotropy spectrometer (EPAS) on International Sun Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE 3). In particular, we have determined the velocity of the boundary relative to the spacecraft in the direction perpendicular to the tail axis and the angle which the boundary normal makes to the spacecraft spin axis for 1160 PSBL encounters at X(sub GSM) greater than -240 R(sub E). By asuming that, on average, the edge of the PSBL is parallel to the cross-tail current sheet, we are then able to determine a number of properties of the structure, orientation and motion of the deep geomagnetic tail. We conclude the following: (1) Most crossings of the edge of the PSBL are caused by transverse motuion of the entire tail induced by solar wind direction variations, although some are caused by reconfiguration of the tail due to geomagnetic activity. (2) The typical velocity of the PSBL (and hence of the tail) in the direction perpendicular to the tail axis is 50-85 km/s. (3) The average twist of the tail is near zero, with the edge of the PSBL (and by inference the cross-tail current sheet) lying parallel to the ecliptic plane (however, large twists are found in individual events and the distribution of twists is broad, with one standard deviation of approximately 50 deg. (4) The width of the distribution decreases with downtail distance. (5) The variation of the distributions with cross-tail position reveals that this decreas in width is most likely due to the edge of the PSBL being concave, or significantly flared at the tail flanks, in the near-Earth region. (6) During days on which the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) has 'away' sector structure, the north lobe of the trail is twisted on average towards dawn by 7.0 +/-2.4 deg. (7) During days on which the IMF has 'toward' sector structure, the north lobe is tilted towards duskby 3.8 +/- 2.3. (8) A subset of events for which IMP 8 solar wind data are available show that, for southward IMF BH(sub z) the tail has a mean twist of -12.3 +/- 5.0 deg for IMF B(sub Y) greater than 0 and 5.5 +/- 3.8 deg for IMF B(sub Y) less than 0 (positive twist angles correspond to a tilt of the northern lobe towards dusk). (9) For northward IMF B(sub z) the tail has a twist of -23.9 +/- 5.0 deg for IMF B(sub Y) greater than 0 and 13.4 +/- 6.0 deg for IMF B(sub y) less than 0. Hence the tail appears more twisted on average for the IMF B(sub Z) northward case. (10) The distribution of tail twist is wider for lower levels of geomagnetic activity, indicating that the tail is able to twist more at lower levels of activity. (11) The data set reveals no evident effect of the earth's dipole wobble; tail orientation appears to be controlled by the solar wind and IMF, such that the GSE coordinate system may be appropriate for the study of field and plasma structures in the distant tail region.

Owen, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Design of a Microwave Assisted Discharge Inductive Plasma Accelerator

The design and construction of a thruster that employs electrodeless plasma preionization and pulsed inductive acceleration is described. Preionization is achieved through an electron cyclotron resonance discharge that produces a weakly-ionized plasma at the face of a conical theta pinch-shaped inductive coil. The presence of the preionized plasma allows for current sheet formation at lower discharge voltages than those employed in other pulsed inductive accelerators that do not employ preionization. The location of the electron cyclotron resonance discharge is controlled through the design of the applied magnetic field in the thruster. Finite element analysis shows that there is an arrangement of permanent magnets that yields a small volume of resonant magnetic field at the coil face. Preionization in the resonant zone leads to current sheet formation at the coil face, which minimizes the initial inductance of the pulse circuit and maximizes the potential electrical efficiency of the accelerator. A magnet assembly was constructed around an inductive coil to provide structural support to the selected arrangement of neodymium magnets. Measured values of the resulting magnetic field compare favorably with the finite element model.

Hallock, Ashley K.↗