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At least 739 records · Page 41

Observations of vector magnetic fields with a magneto-optic filter

The use of the magnetooptic filter to observe solar magnetic fields in the potassium line at 7699 A is described. The filter has been used in the Big Bear videomagnetograph since October 23. It gives a high sensitivity and dynamic range for longitudnal magnetic fields and enables measurement of transverse magnetic fields using the sigma component. Examples of the observations are presented.

Cacciani, Alessandro↗

On the role of the magnetic field in the solar wind interaction with Venus - Expectations versus observations

Observations of the magnetic field near Venus suggest that elements of three different models (direct interaction, tangential discontinuity, magnetic barrier) are present. A bow shock is found to occur at an altitude of about 0.3 Venus radii at the subsolar point. The compression of the decelerated solar wind plasma behind the bow shock causes interplanetary field lines to 'pile up'. The magnetic field inside the bow shock increases from approximately twice the IMF strength at the bow shock to values in the range of approximately 40-100 gammas at altitudes between about 200 and 1,200 km. The maximum value of the piled up field, which is correlated with the dynamic pressure of the solar wind outside the bow shock, is found at lower altitudes for larger field strengths. Just Venus-ward of the maximum field, the pressure of the cold plasma increases to a level balancing the pressure of the external magnetic field. Hence, to a first approximation, the ionosphere has a diamagnetic response excluding the magnetosheath field. However, strong magnetic fields are found at times throughout the ionosphere.

Luhmann, J. G.↗

Lunar surface magnetic field concentrations antipodal to young large impact basins

Planetary electron reflection magnetometry data of the Apollo 15 and 16 subsatellites indicate the presence of major regions of strong surface magnetic fields near the antipodes of four large, young, ringed impact basins. While mechanisms yielding surface magnetic field concentrations antipodal to impact basins are not yet clear, the present results' indicated period of strong lunar magnetic fields, at between about 3.85 and 3.6 aeons, is consistent with lunar paleomagnetic sample data. The origin of the strong surface magnetic fields is discussed.

Lin, R. P.↗

The filament eruption in the 3B flare of July 29, 1973 - Onset and magnetic field configuration

The filament eruption in the large expanding two-ribbon solar flare which occurred July 29, 1973 is discussed. Observational evidence is presented for the preflare magnetic field configuration, the nature of the filament destabilization and triggering of the flare, and the magnetic field configuration after the filament eruption. The observations show that the filament is under an arcade of closed magnetic field lines prior to the eruption. The eruption of the filament and the onset of the two-ribbon H-alpha flare are preceded by precursor activity in the form of small H-alpha brightenings and mass motion along the neutral line and well below the bottom edge of the filament. The precursor H-alpha brightenings and the first brightenings in the flare ribbons are in the vicinity of the steepest magnetic field gradient in the flare region.

Moore, R. L.↗

Interplanetary magnetic field data book

An interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) data set is presented that is uniform with respect to inclusion of cislunar IMF data only, and which has as complete time coverage as presently possible over a full solar cycle. Macroscale phenomena in the interplanetary medium (sector structure, heliolatitude variations, solar cycle variations, etc.) and other phenomena (e.g., ground level cosmic-ray events) for which knowledge of the IMF with hourly resolution is necessary, are discussed. Listings and plots of cislunar hourly averaged IMP parameters over the period November 27, 1963, to May 17, 1974, are presented along with discussion of the mutual consistency of the IMF data used herein. The magnetic tape from which the plots and listings were generated, which is available from the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC), is also discussed.

King, J. H.↗

A New Model of the Crustal Magnetic Field of Mars Using MGS and MAVEN

While devoid of an active magnetic dynamo field today, Mars possesses a remanent magnetic field that may reach several thousand nanoteslas locally. The exact origin and the events that have shaped the crustal magnetization remain largely enigmatic. Three magnetic field data sets from two spacecraft collected over 13 cumulative years have sampled the Martian magnetic field over a range of altitudes from 90 up to 6,000 km: (a) Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) magnetometer (1997–2006), (b) MGS Electron Reflectometer (1999–2006), and (c) Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) magnetometer (2014 to today). In this paper we combine these complementary data sets for the first time to build a new model of the Martian internal magnetic field. This new model improves upon previous ones in several aspects: comprehensive data coverage, refined data selection scheme, modified modeling scheme, discrete-to-continuous transformation of the model, and increased model resolution. The new model has a spatial resolution of ∼160 km at the surface, corresponding to spherical harmonic degree 134. It shows small scales and well-defined features, which can now be associated with geological signatures.

Magnetic↗

The magnetic field of solar prominences

A model is presented which accounts for the formation of coronal magnetic field lines with the appropriate 'dipped' structure to support prominences. The critical ingredients of the model are that the prominence magnetic field is a truly three-dimensional structure with significant variation along the prominence length, and the magnetic field is strongly sheared near the photospheric neutral line. Numerical calculations are presented which demonstrate that these two features lead to dip formation. In addition our model is able to account for the long-puzzling observation of inverse polarity in quiescent prominences.

Antiochos, S. K.↗

The Influence of Current Density and Magnetic Field Topography in Optimizing the Performance, Divergence, and Plasma Oscillations of High Specific Impulse Hall Thrusters

Recent studies of xenon Hall thrusters have shown peak efficiencies at specific impulses of less than 3000 s. This was a consequence of modern Hall thruster magnetic field topographies, which have been optimized for 300 V discharges. On-going research at the NASA Glenn Research Center is investigating this behavior and methods to enhance thruster performance. To conduct these studies, a laboratory model Hall thruster that uses a pair of trim coils to tailor the magnetic field topography for high specific impulse operation has been developed. The thruster-the NASA-173Mv2 was tested to determine how current density and magnetic field topography affect performance, divergence, and plasma oscillations at voltages up to 1000 V. Test results showed there was a minimum current density and optimum magnetic field topography at which efficiency monotonically increased with voltage. At 1000 V, 10 milligrams per second the total specific impulse was 3390 s and the total efficiency was 60.8%. Plume divergence decreased at 400-1000 V, but increased at 300-400 V as the result of plasma oscillations. The dominant oscillation frequency steadily increased with voltage, from 14.5 kHz at 300 V, to 22 kHz at 1000 V. An additional oscillatory mode in the 80-90 kHz frequency range began to appear above 500 V. The use of trim coils to modify the magnetic field improved performance while decreasing plume divergence and the frequency and magnitude of plasma oscillations.

Hofer, Richard R.↗

Intensity-dependent circular polarization and circumstellar magnetic fields from the observation of SiO masers

A new aspect of the propagation of astrophysical maser radiation in the presence of a magnetic field is described in which circular polarization is created. The resulting antisymmetric spectral line profile for this circular polarization resembles that produced by the ordinary Zeeman effect when the Zeeman splittings are much less than the spectral line breadth. It is caused by the change, with increasing maser intensity, in the axis of symmetry for the molecular quantum states from a direction that is parallel to the magnetic field to a direction that is parallel to the direction of propagation. When the maser is radiatively saturated, and the rate for stimulated emission is within an order of magnitude of the Zeeman splitting in frequency units, this 'intensity-dependent circular polarization' is greater than that due to the ordinary Zeeman effect by factors as large as 1000. The circular polarization that is observed in the spectra of circumstellar SiO (J = 1-0) masers associated with late-type giants and supergiants may then be caused by magnetic fields as weak as about 10 mG. With the standard Zeeman interpretation of the observations, magnetic fields of 10-100 G are indicated. The lower fields are similar to the limits obtained from the observation of the 22 GHz water masers which are typically somewhat further from the central star. The observed tendency for the fractional linear polarization of SiO masers to increase with increasing angular momentum of the molecular state is shown to be a likely result of anisotropic pumping. Errors are identified that invalidate a recent conflicting claim in the literature about the basic theory of maser polarization in the regime that is relevant here.

Nedoluha, Gerald E.↗

The electrical conductivity of the upper mantle as estimated from satellite magnetic field data

The electrical conductivity of the upper mantle is estimated from low-latitude magnetic field variations caused by large fluctuations in the equatorial ring current. The data base is derived from magnetic field magnitude data measured by satellites OGO 2, 4, and 6, which offer better global coverage than land-based observatories. The procedures of analysis consist of: (1) separation of the disturbance field into internal and external parts relative to the surface of the earth, (2) estimation of an electromagnetic response function Q(omega) which relates the internally generated magnetic field variations to the external variations due to the ring current, and (3) interpretation of the estimated response function using theoretical response functions for assumed conductivity profiles. Special consideration is given to possible oceanic and ionospheric effects. Best estimates of the geomagnetic response function Q(omega) for 0.2 to 2.0 cpd indicate an upper mantle conductivity of the order of 0.01 S/m.

Didwall, E. M.↗

Ring Current Modeling in a Realistic Magnetic Field Configuration

A 3-dimensional kinetic model has been developed to study the dynamics of the storm time ring current in a dipole magnetic field. In this paper, the ring current model is extended to include a realistic, time-varying magnetic field model. The magnetic field is expressed as the cross product of the gradients of two Euler potentials and the bounce-averaged particle drifts are calculated in the Euler potential coordinates. A dipolarization event is modeled by collapsing a tail-like magnetosphere to a dipole-like configuration. Our model is able to simulate the sudden enhancements in the ring current ion fluxes and the corresponding ionospheric precipitation during the substorm expansion.

Fok, M.-C.↗

Evidence for magnetic field line reconnection in the solar wind

The basic scheme of Petschek's (1963) models for slow and fast magnetic reconnection in the solar wind is reviewed in order to determine what sort of results one would expect from satellite observations of possible reconnection processes. Data from HEOS 1 and OGO 5 are then analyzed, in which four observations of neutral sheet structures with large change of magnetic field direction were made. All four may be interpreted as indicating magnetic line reconnections rather than as D-sheets because they all show two distinct discontinuities which bound a lower magnetic field intensity region. The geometry of the magnetic field in the reconnection region appears to be similar to that described by Petschek. In one case the reconnection rate is in agreement with Petschek's prediction, but in the other three cases it is much larger than his limit. The reconnection rates observed do, however, agree with Sonnerup's (1972) limit.

Formisano, V.↗

BIGEL analysis of gene expression in HL60 cells exposed to X rays or 60 Hz magnetic fields

We screened a panel of 1,920 randomly selected cDNAs to discover genes that are differentially expressed in HL60 cells exposed to 60 Hz magnetic fields (2 mT) or X rays (5 Gy) compared to unexposed cells. Identification of these clones was accomplished using our two-gel cDNA library screening method (BIGEL). Eighteen cDNAs differentially expressed in X-irradiated compared to control HL60 cells were recovered from a panel of 1,920 clones. Differential expression in experimental compared to control cells was confirmed independently by Northern blotting of paired total RNA samples hybridized to each of the 18 clone-specific cDNA probes. DNA sequencing revealed that 15 of the 18 cDNA clones produced matches with the database for genes related to cell growth, protein synthesis, energy metabolism, oxidative stress or apoptosis (including MYC, neuroleukin, copper zinc-dependent superoxide dismutase, TC4 RAS-like protein, peptide elongation factor 1alpha, BNIP3, GATA3, NF45, cytochrome c oxidase II and triosephosphate isomerase mRNAs). In contrast, BIGEL analysis of the same 1,920 cDNAs revealed no differences greater than 1.5-fold in expression levels in magnetic-field compared to sham-exposed cells. Magnetic-field-exposed and control samples were analyzed further for the presence of mRNA encoding X-ray-responsive genes by hybridization of the 18 specific cDNA probes to RNA from exposed and control HL60 cells. Our results suggest that differential gene expression is induced in approximately 1% of a random pool of cDNAs by ionizing radiation but not by 60 Hz magnetic fields under the present experimental conditions.

Non-NASA Center↗

The effects of magnetic fields on the growth of thermal instabilities in cooling flows

The effects of heat conduction and magnetic fields on the growth of thermal instabilities in cooling flows are examined using a time-dependent hydrodynamics code. It is found that, for magnetic field strengths of roughly 1 micro-Gauss, magnetic pressure forces can completely suppress shocks from forming in thermally unstable entropy perturbations with initial length scales as large as 20 kpc, even for initial amplitudes as great as 60 percent. Perturbations with initial amplitudes of 50 percent and initial magnetic field strengths of 1 micro-Gauss cool to 10,000 K on a time scale which is only 22 percent of the initial instantaneous cooling time. Nonlinear perturbations can thus condense out of cooling flows on a time scale substantially less than the time required for linear perturbations and produce significant mass deposition of cold gas while the accreting intracluster gas is still at large radii.

David, Laurence P.↗

Magnetotail changes in relation to the solar wind magnetic field and magnetospheric substorms

An attempt is made to understand some of the magnetotail dynamics by using simultaneous observations from several satellites: Explorers 33 and 35 in the solar wind, IMP 4 in the near magnetotail (30 RE), ATS 1, and OGO 5 in the magnetosphere. It was observed that in the main lobes of the tail the magnetic field increases slowly when the interplanetary magnetic field turns southward, and can decrease slowly after a substorm. The plasma sheet changes indicate a thinning when the interplanetary magnetic field turns southward and an expansion when it turns northward. When combined with the plasma sheet expansion, which has been observed to follow a substorm, these results allow a schematic view of the relations between the changes in the orientation of the solar wind magnetic field, the substorms, and the changes in the tail parameters to be developed.

Aubry, M. P.↗

On the effects of a weak magnetic field on turbulent transport

We discuss the effects of a weak large-scale magnetic field on turbulent transport. We show by means of a series of two-dimensional numerical experiments that turbulent diffusion can be effectively suppressed by a (large scale) magnetic field whose energy is small compared to equipartition. The suppression mechanism is associated with a subtle modification of the Lagrangian energy spectrum, and it does not require any substantial reduction of the turbulent amplitude. We exploit the relation between diffusion and random walking to emphasize that the effect of a large-scale magnetic field is to induce a long-term memory in the field of turbulence. The implications of the general case of three-dimensional transport are briefly discussed.

Cattaneo, F.↗

Solidifying Mn/Bi in a Magnetic Field

Report describes experiments in directional solidification of eutectic Mn/Bi in magnetic field. Study determines whether effects of gravitationally-induced convection reduced or eliminated by magnetic field. Morphological, thermal, and magnetic analyses done on samples grown at various speeds and various applied strengths. Magnetic effects similar to those of low gravity.

Decarlo, J. L.↗