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A three dimensional electromagnetic PIC code has been developed on the 512 node Intel Touchstone Delta MIMD parallel computer.
As the solar wind flows by the Moon, an antisunward-directed low-density wake forms as the plasma expands to fill in the trailing void in the plasma flow. Analytical modeling and modern plasma simulations suggest that plasma quasi-neutrality could possibly be broken close to the terminator obstruction as solar wind electrons expand into the wake ahead of the ions, leading to the formation of a standing (time-stationary) double layer. The objective of the Terminator Double Layer Explorer is to extend the fundamental understanding of the plasma expansion into the trailing near-vacuum wake region by (1) identifying any plasma expansion density anomalies at low altitudes near the terminator wake initiation region, (2) assessing the highly variable solar wind's effect on the low-altitude wake region, and (3) determining if plasma neutrality is maintained or lost during passages through the low-altitude expansion region. The mission concept uses a propulsion-driven CubeSat with ion spectrometer and plasma wave system in elliptical orbit about the Moon with periselene near the terminator. Over the course of the mission, the periselene decreases, placing the CubeSat ever closer to the terminator wake initiation location and the possible nonneutral region.
The flow of plasma past Io is studied using a time dependent, three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation. In addition to observing the 'Alfven wing', a standing Alfven wave perturbation expected from analytic theory, it is found that the other MHD modes contribute important perturbations. Standing slow mode perturbations also are present in the flow.
One goal of the Numerical Turbulent Transport Project is to model a tokamak (fusion) plasma with 10(sup 8 - 10)(sup 9) particles, to explain anomalous transport of particles and energy.
Plasma wind tunnel facility for producing steady flow high conductivity collisionless plasma simulating solar wind interaction with magnetosphere
A one-dimensional hybrid particle code is used to study the interactions between upflowing thermal ions from conjugate ionospheres. The simulation model allows for multiple species, convection of plasmaspheric flux tubes, and Coulomb self-collisions which conserve momentum and energy locally. The model incorporates a variable-flux boundary condition where the flux, at the boundaries, approaches zero as the plasmasphere fills and equilibrium conditions are reached. The effects of two important processes on plasmaspheric refilling have been considered. The first includes convection of the plasmaspheric flux tube. The second is the interaction of ionospheric thermal plasma and particle injection from an external source. Particle injection seems to play an important role in the evolution of the total particle distribution on the early timescales (t less than 1 hour); however, for late timescales (t larger than 8 days) the thermal plasma from the ionosphere dominates the particle distribution.
The following FORTRAN language computer codes are presented: (1) efficient two- and three-dimensional central force potential solvers; (2) a three-dimensional simulator of an isolated galaxy which incorporates the potential solver; (3) a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulator of the Jeans instability in an infinite self-gravitating compressible gas; and (4) a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulator of a rotating self-gravitating compressible gaseous system of which rectangular coordinate and superior polar coordinate versions were written.
During the last four years the UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) IGPP (Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics) Space Plasma Simulation Group has continued its theoretical effort to develop a Mission Oriented Theory (MOT) for the International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) program. This effort has been based on a combination of approaches: analytical theory, large-scale kinetic (LSK) calculations, global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations and self-consistent plasma kinetic (SCK) simulations. These models have been used to formulate a global interpretation of local measurements made by the ISTP spacecraft. The regions of applications of the MOT cover most of the magnetosphere: solar wind, low- and high- latitude magnetospheric boundary, near-Earth and distant magnetotail, and auroral region. Most recent investigations include: plasma processes in the electron foreshock, response of the magnetospheric cusp, particle entry in the magnetosphere, sources of observed distribution functions in the magnetotail, transport of oxygen ions, self-consistent evolution of the magnetotail, substorm studies, effects of explosive reconnection, and auroral acceleration simulations. A complete list of the activities completed under the grant follow.
A method for the chemical production of an ionized gas stream for application to radio transmission studies is described. Involved is the combustion of gaseous cyanogen and oxygen with the addition of vaporized potassium in some cases to further increase the ionization. Experiments are described in which a 3-inch-diameter subsonic free jet at atmospheric pressure is used, and the results are presented. The plasma obtained by using this method is sufficient to simulate plasma conditions expected for reentering hypersonic vehicles. The unseeded plasma stream temperature is indicated to be about 4,200 K, with the degree of ionization indicated to be that expected from thermal equilibrium considerations. Measurements of radio-signal loss due to the unseeded flame plasma are presented for microwaves of 8 to 20 kmc transmitted through the stream and for a dipole transmitting model of 219.5 mc immersed in the stream. Favorable comparison of these results with the simple plane-wave signal-attenuation theory was obtained. In the case of a 9.4-kmc microwave signal of 30-kw peak power, the preliminary indication is that the plasma characteristics were not changed due to this strong signal. Comparison of a simplified concept of radio-signal attenuation due to plasmas is made with some hypersonic reentry vehicle signal-loss data. Other areas of plasma research using this method for the transmission problem are indicated.
The results of analytical studies of quasi-static electric fields along geomagnetic field lines are discussed. The calculations were targeted at the structure, generation mechanisms and stability parameters. The field consists of two oppositely charged layers, either weakly or strongly charged, with an electric field between. Existence conditions are defined for the double layer field and balancing requirements are explored. Details of the simulation techniques, i.e., particle in cell and Vlasov simulations, for studying the double layer are outlined, noting that both periodic and quasi-periodic simulations are used. Solutions to Poisson's equation for fixed and floating point boundary conditions are generated. Finally, attention is also given to oblique and two-dimensional magnetic double layers.
The Naval Research Laboratory has recently developed a two-dimensional inertial, electrostatic code which has been successfully applied to the development and evolution of ionospheric structure driven by plasma instabilities. This code models the ionosphere and magnetosphere as a set of horizontal two-dimensional layers which are coupled by the vertical magnetic field lines at high latitudes. It is shown that the development of instability-generated structure can be strongly dependent on this coupling. For example, the influence of magnetospheric coupling on the E x B gradient drift instability is to retard the instability's growth and to isotropize density irregularities. The influence of ionospheric coupling on the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is to retard its growth and to suppress vortex formation. This paper presents the results of numerical simulations of these instabilities and discusses their application to high-latitude ionospheric structure.
Nonlinear Landau damping has been often suggested to be the cause of the dissipation of Alfven waves in the solar wind as well as the mechanism for ion heating and selective preacceleration in solar flares. We discuss the viability of these processes in light of our theoretical and numerical results. We present one-dimensional hybrid plasma simulations of the nonlinear Landau damping of parallel Alfven waves. In this scenario, two Alfven waves nonresonantly combine to create second-order magnetic field pressure gradients, which then drive density fluctuations, which in turn drive a second-order longitudinal electric field. Under certain conditions, this electric field strongly interacts with the ambient ions via the Landau resonance which leads to a rapid dissipation of the Alfven wave energy. While there is a net flux of energy from the waves to the ions, one of the Alfven waves will grow if both have the same polarization. We compare damping and growth rates from plasma simulations with those predicted by Lee and Volk (1973), and also discuss the evolution of the ambient ion distribution. We then consider this nonlinear interaction in the presence of a spectrum of Alfven waves, and discuss the spectrum's influence on the growth or damping of a single wave. We also discuss the implications for wave dissipation and ion heating in the solar wind.
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Malfunctions and failures in OAO spacecraft due to interactions between electrical systems and surrounding ionospheric plasma
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Any spiral structure in computer-generated galaxies is generally short lived and the final state is a rotating bar. The bar thus obtained rotates more slowly than the stars. It has been argued that core/halo components have a stabilizing effect on galaxies and result in longer lived spiral structure. However, numerical experiments with large fixed stellar components representing the core/halo component show that multiarmed spiral structure develops and persists for many rotations but only in an evolving manner. That is, the spiral structure is either wound up into a tight pattern or it is wound up and then reappears again. A recent study of the effect of fixed core/halo components does show that the bar instability is indeed inhibited by a sufficiently large fixed component. The present study determines the effect of a self-consistent (rather than fixed) core/halo component in order to show whether there are any instabilities (such as two-stream) or other important interactions present that may be suppressed with a fixed core. Also studied were the effects of finite thickness of the disk and of three-dimensional essentially spherical core/halo components.
A wake model was defined for the NASCAP/LEO finite element model for the plasma interaction experiment (PIX-II) launched to study the interaction between high-voltage large solar arrays with the space plasma environment. The cell surface model considers the individual cells, distances between interconnects, and the fraction of surface covered by interconnects. Account is taken of the electrostatic potential around the spacecraft, which travels at 7500 mps, over five times the speed of thermal ions. Ram ions are produced ahead of the array and the wake ion density is described with a geometric shadowing model. The model correctly predicted the currents in high and low bias voltages when compared to orbital data. The panel snapover, however, was projected to occur at 100 V and instead occurred at 300 V, which indicates that the snapover state is bistable. Finally, a low potential was both predicted and measured in the wake.