Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Ising”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 901 records · Page 50

Magnetosheath quasi-trapped distributions and ion flows associated with reconnection

Using a sample of ISEE 1 and 2 magnetopause crossings previously identified as times of quasi-steady reconnection, flows of medium energy ions in the magnetosheath are identified. The paper then investigates the particle pitch angle distribution immediately before and after each of these events for the signature of quasi-trapped distributions of energetic ions. Several of the ion flows identified were observed simultaneously with previously identified flux transfer events (FTEs). While FTEs identified from the magnetometer tracings typically show evidence of ion flows, the converse is not necessarily true. However, all properties of the magnetosheath ion flows are the same regardless of whether an FTE can be identified from the magnetometer data. Evidence is found for small-scale reconnection processes (FTEs, ion flows) embedded within a larger region of interconnected field, which is traced out by the quasi-trapped particles. Quasi-trapped distributions of medium-energy ions are seen to sandwich reconnection-associated ion flows in the magnetosheath. The results of this survey have been used to suggest a morphology for reconnection events that incorporates both large- and small-scale features.

Neff, J. E.↗

The physics of thermal plasma in the magnetosphere; Proceedings of Symposium 9 of the 26th COSPAR Plenary Meeting, Toulouse, France, June 30-July 11, 1986

The conference presents papers on the shape, dynamics, and thermal structure of the plasmasphere and plasmapause; the ionosphere as a supplier of plasma to the earth's magnetosphere; the modeling and remote sensing of thermal plasma in the earth's magnetosphere; and magnetospheric cold plasmas as a medium for wave generation and propagation. Particular attention is given to whistler studies of plasmasphere shape and dynamics, plasmasphere thermal structure as measured by ISEE-1 and DE-1, low-energy ion flows into the magnetosphere, field-aligned flows of ionospheric plasma in the magnetosphere, and field-aligned plasmaspheric flows at moderate latitudes. Papers are also presented on the effects of a tailward stretching geomagnetic field on the drift motion of plasma particles in the magnetospheric equatorial plane, ion cyclotron waves observed near the plasmapause, and the response of energetic particles to nightside magnetic pulsations as seen by AMPTE/CCE.

Chappell, C. R.↗

Ion cyclotron waves observed near the plasmapause

Pc2 electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves at 0.1 Hz, near the oxygen cyclotron frequency, have been observed by ISEE-1 and -2 between L = 7.6 - 5.8 on an inbound near equatorial pass in the dusk sector. The waves occurred in a thick plasmapause of width about 1 earth radius and penetrated about 1 earth radius into the plasmasphere. Wave onset was accompanied by significant increases in the thermal (0-100 eV) He(+) and the warm (0.1-16 keV/e) O(+) and He(+) heavy ion populations. Wave polarization is predominantly left-handed with propagation almost parallel to the ambient magnetic field, and the spectral slot and polarization reversal predicted by multicomponent cold plasma propagation theory are identified in the wave data. The results are considered as an example of wave-particle interactions occurring during the outer plasmasphere refilling process at the time of the substorm recovery phase.

Fraser, B. J.↗

The speeds of electrons that excite solar radio bursts of type III

Evidence is presented that solar type III radio bursts at kilometric wavelengths are excited by electrons with average speeds of 0.14 c; i.e., in good agreement with in situ measurements by Lin et al. (1981; 1986), but considerably lower than the generally accepted values of 0.3 to 0.5 c. A set of 28 bursts for which electrons and/or plasma waves were observed at ISEE-3 is examined, and it is found that the initial parts of all bursts were due to plasma radiation at the fundamental, and that the fastest electrons that produce radio emission range from 0.25 c down to 0.07 c (average 0.14 c). The slower electrons, those that produce fundamental radiation at approximately the time of burst peak, have an average speed of 0.06 c and a range from about 0.10 c down to 0.03 c.There is no evidence in the data for a systematic increase or decrease of exciting electron speed with distance from the sun.

Dulk, G. A.↗

Observations of plasma distributions during the coordinated data analysis workshop substorms of March 31 to April 1, 1979

On March 31 and April 1, 1979, a sequence of substorms was recorded on the ground. During the entire active period the ISEE 1 and 2 satellites were located in the magnetotail, between 22 R(E) and 12 R(E) from the earth. Observations of plasma distributions made at varying levels of activity during these substorms provide good examples of typical magnetotail responses. While the entire magnetotail undergoes temporal variations during substorm activity, the most obvious effect seen is spatial motion of preexisting plasma regimes; for example, at substorm onset the central plasma sheet contracts. This can cause a spacecraft to move from the plasma sheet into the boundary layer. As the plasma sheet boundary layer almost always comprises streaming plasma, the high-speed flows observed there are not necessarily due to the substorm process. The essential nature of the main plasma regions of the magnetotail is relatively unchanged during high activity.

Huang, C. Y.↗

On the loss of O(+) ions (less than 17 keV/e) in the ring current during the recovery phase of a storm

ISEE-1 observations of magnetospheric H(+) and O(+) ions at 0.01-17.4 keV/e during the recovery phase of the magnetic storm of December 11, 1977 are reported. The data are presented graphically and analyzed in detail. It is found that the phase-space density of H(+) in the magnetotail remained about the same during the recovery, while that of O(+) decreased steadily, and the loss of low-energy O(+) from the outer ring current is attributed to inward convection of the decreasing density in the tail.

Cladis, J. B.↗

Electron dynamics and potential jump across slow mode shocks

In the de Hoffmann-Teller reference frame, the cross-shock electric field is simply the thermoelectric field responsible for preserving charge neutrality. As such, it gives information regarding the heating and dissipation occurring within the shock. The total cross-shock potential can be determined by integrating a weighted electron pressure gradient through the shock, but this requires knowledge of the density and temperature profiles. Here, a recently proposed alternative approach relying on particle dynamics is exploited to provide an independent estimate of this potential. Both determinations are applied to slow mode shocks which form the plasma sheet boundary in the deep geomagnetic tail as observed by ISEE 3. The two methods correlate well. There is no indication of the expected transition from resistive to viscous shocks, although the highest Mach number shocks show the highest potentials. The implications of these results for the electron dissipation mechanisms and turbulence at the shock are discussed.

Schwartz, Steven J.↗

Fast shocks at the edges of hot diamagnetic cavities upstream from the earth's bow shock

Recently, several events described as hot expanding diamagnetic cavities have been observed upstream from the earth's bow shock using the ISEE 1 and 2 spacecraft. It has been suggested that fast shocks may form at the edges of some of these events because of the rapid expansion of the cavities. Here, plasma density, temperature, velocity, and total field changes across the edges of several events were examined, and these changes were found to be consistent with the presence of shocks there. The presence of flat-topped electron distributions and occasional electron beams at and down-stream from the edges provides additional evidence for shocks. Plasma wave observations also show shocklike electrostatic noise at the edges of several events. It is concluded that the edges of diamagnetic cavity events are often shocks, with a range of shock strengths similar to that observed in the interplanetary medium. The range of shock strengths may be the result of different convection and/or expansion speeds of the cavities.

Fuselier, S. A.↗

Solar wind parameters and magnetospheric coupling studies

This paper presents distributions, means, and standard deviations of the fluxes of solar wind protons, momentum, and energy as observed near earth during the solar quiet and active years 1976 and 1979. Distributions of ratios of energies (Alfven Mach number, plasma beta) and distributions of interplanetary magnetic field orientations are also given. Finally, the uncertainties associated with the use of the libration point orbiting ISEE-3 spacecraft as a solar wind monitor are discussed.

King, Joseph H.↗

Shocks and storm sudden commencements

Recent gains in understanding the relationship between shocks and storm sudden commencements (SSCs) are reviewed with emphasis on spacecraft observations in general and ISEE-3 observations in particular. The topics discussed include the relation of SSC amplitude to increase in solar wind pressure, the inference of shock properties from SSC amplitudes, SSCs as representative of the transient response of the magnetosphere to a step function input, and magnetic storms accompanying shocks.

Smith, E. J.↗

Twisting of the geomagnetic tail

Theory and models indicate that the IMF causes the magnetotail to produce an observable twist, predicting that the torque should bring the north lobe south of the GSM xy plane on one flank of the magnetotail, and the south lobe north of the plane on the other flank. In this paper, ISEE-3 geotail observations are compared with simultaneously made IMP 8 IMF observations supplemented by inferred IMF B(y) polarities to demonstrate the IMF-induced magnetotail twist. The results indicate that twisting is the single most important factor accounting for observations of the north lobe south of the GSM xy plane and the south lobe north of the plane. The value of the observed magnetotail twist about its aberrated axis is about 18 deg.

Sibeck, D. G.↗

Planetary science - 1983-1986

Results obtained in the U.S. planetary science programs during 1983-1986 are discussed in a brief review. Topics examined include Halley observations and probes, the flyby of comet Giacobini-Zinner by ISEE-3 (ICE), the Voyager 2 encounter with Uranus, analysis of Voyager 1 and 2 data from the Jupiter and Saturn systems, Pioneer Venus Orbiter observations, theoretical models of lunar evolution, and antarctic meteorites of lunar and perhaps Martian origin.

Clifford, Stephen M.↗

A comparative study of plasma heating by ion acoustic and modified two-stream instabilities at subcritical quasi-perpendicular shocks

Plasma heating due to the ion acoustic instability and the modified two-stream instability is examined for quasi-perpendicular subcritical shocks. Electron and ion heating is investigated as a function of upstream electron to ion temperature ratio and plasma beta using second-order heating rates. A simple shock model is employed in which the cross-field electron-ion drift speed is adjusted until the total (adiabatic plus anomalous) heating matches that required by the Rankine-Hugoniot relations. Quantities such as the width of the shock and the maximum electric field fluctuations are also calculated, and the results are compared with the ISEE data set of subcritical bow shock crossings. The observed width of the shock, the amount of plasma heating, and the low-frequency electric field intensity are in reasonably good agreement with the calculations for the modified two-stream instability. On the other hand, the wave intensities at higher frequency are about 4 orders of magnitude smaller than those predicted for the ion acoustic instability at saturation, consistent with the fact that the measured shock widths imply cross-field drift speeds that are below threshold for this instability. It is therefore concluded that the dissipation at these shocks is most likely due to the lowest frequency, modified two-stream instability.

Winske, D.↗

Quadrennial review of the magnetotail

The findings of research conducted on the magnetotail in the years 1983-1986 are presented. The topics discussed include observations of the distant (between 60 and 220 earth radii) and the near-earth (earthward of 35 earth radii) magnetotail regions by the ISEE l, 2, and 3 and IMP 8 spacecraft, and magnetotail theory and modeling. These studies established the association between substorms and plasmoids in the deep tail and the linkage between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere via field-aligned currents and electric fields.

Huang, C. Y.↗

The composition of Galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles

The progress made by U.S. researchers during 1983-1986 in studies on the composition of the Galactic cosmic-ray source (GCRS) and solar energetic particles (SEP) is reviewed. New information concerning element abundances in GCRS (obtained from HEAO-3 data) and SEP composition in large flares and (He-3)-rich events (from data obtained by the Voyager and ISEE spacecraft) was used to obtain direct correlation between the GCRS and SEP compositions. For elements heavier than He, the linear correlation coefficient beween the points was 0.96, and the slope of the least-squares fit line was found to be 1.01 + or - 0.01. Hydrogen and helium are more abundant in the SEP than in the GCRS. The close resemblance between the SEP composition and the GCRS composition means that the ratio of SEP abundances to solar-system abundances shows a correlation with the first ionization potential.

Mason, G. M.↗

Compound streams, magnetic clouds, and major geomagnetic storms

Data from ISEE 3, Helios A, and Helios B were used to identify the components of two compound streams and to determine their configurations. In one case, ejecta containing a magnetic cloud associated with a disappearing quiescent filament were interacting with a corotating stream. In the second case, ejecta containing a magnetic cloud associated with a 2B flare were overtaking ejecta from a different source. Each of these compound streams produced an unusually large geomagnetic storm, on April 3, 1979, and on April 25, 1979, respectively. The largest geomagnetic storm in the period 1968-1986, which occurred on July 13, 1982, was associated with a compound stream. Thirty geomagnetic storms with A(p) greater than 90 occurred between 1972 and 1983, and there are interplanetary magnetic field and plasma data for 17 of these events. The data suggest that most large geomagnetic storms are associated with compound streams and/or magnetic clouds.

Burlaga, L. F.↗

The ionosphere as a fully adequate source of plasma for the earth's magnetosphere

The ionospheric contribution of the polar wind and cleft ion fountain at energies less than 10 eV has been added to previously measured sources; this total ion outflow has then been used to calculate the resulting ion density in the different internal regions of the earth's magnetosphere: plasmasphere, plasma trough, plasma sheet, and magnetotail lobes. Using estimated volumes for these regions and an ion residence time characteristic of each region, it is found that the observed magnetospheric densities can be attained in all cases with no contribution from the solar wind plasma. In the case of the plasma sheet the ionospherically supplied density is more than enough to match the observations and even suggests an invisible component of low-energy plasma (less than 10 eV) which has never been observed. A detailed comparison between the calculated ionospheric source effects in the plasma sheet and those recently measured by ISEE shows excellent agreement and suggests a direct polar low-energy ion source for the plasma sheet which has remained unmeasured because of spacecraft potential effects. Although the solar wind is clearly the earth's magnetospheric energy source and energetic solar wind ions are observed in the magnetosphere, these calculations suggest the possibility that the ionospheric source alone is sufficient to supply the entire magnetospheric plasma content under all geomagnetic conditions.

Chappell, C. R.↗

Ion precipitation from the magnetopause current sheet

Measurements from the polar-orbiting S3-3 satellite show that energetic ions frequently precipitate with isotropic pitch-angle distributions at auroral latitudes on the dayside. It is proposed that this precipitation results from nonguiding center motion of radiation-belt ions that drift into the magnetopause current sheet, and that the ion precipitation and flows of energetic ions observed in the magnetosheath originate together within the magnetopause current sheet. Ions ejected from the magnetopause toward the earth flow along open field lines that are adjacent to the separatrix between open and closed field lines. Those ejected into the magnetosheath flow along field lines that are connected to the geomagnetic field and adjacent to the separatrix between the connected field lines and purely magnetosheath fields lines. These proposals are tested by comparing the S3-3 observations of precipitating ions with previously analyzed ISEE-1 observations of energetic ions, obtained near the magnetopause and in the magnetosheath. The S3-3 observations imply that the region of ion precipitation is often continuous as a function of local time. This suggests that, at least on the dayside, there is often a continuous shell of manetospheric ions within the magnetosheath flowing from the magnetosphere. These ions are likely an important source for energetic ions in the interplanetary medium.

Lyons, L. R.↗