Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “high magnetic fields”

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 1,045 records · Page 58
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Particles and fields measurements at Neptune with Voyager 2

The first results of measurements performed on the Voyager 2 spacecraft with the Neptune system on August 24-28, 1989 are summarized. These include measurements of the magnetic field, plasma, energetic and high energy particles, plasma waves and radio emissions, and additional information relating to UV emissions. The planetary magnetic field outside about 4 R(N) may be described by an offset, tilted, dipole of moment 0.133 Gauss-R(N) exp 3; inside that distance the field is dominated by higher order terms. Plasma densities are found to be generally low (about 5 exp -3/cu cm), except at magnetic equatorial crossings when densities are up to about 1/cu cm. A variety of plasma wave emissions were seen, including chorus, hiss, electroncyclotron waves, and upper hybrid resonance in the inner magnetosphere. The measured flux of soft electrons and ions over the polar region of about 2 x 10 exp -3 erg/sq cm sec results in an estimated power input of about 3 x 10 exp 7 W, which is substantially less than that at other planets.

Krimigis, S. M.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Diagnosing electric and magnetic fields in laser-driven coil targets

Laser-driven capacitor coils are widely used to generate intense magnetic fields for various applications in high-energy-density (HED) physics research. Accurate measurement of the magnetic fields is essential but challenging, due to the overlapping contributions from magnetic and electric fields in proton radiography, which is the primary tool diagnosing the field generation around the coils. In this study, we systematically analyze proton radiographs obtained from laser-driven capacitor-coil targets along two orthogonal axes under various electromagnetic field conditions, including magnetic field only, electric field only, and combined electromagnetic fields. By analyzing key features in the radiographs, we distinguish and characterize the respective contributions from magnetic and electric fields. Using detailed simulations validated by experimental benchmarks, methods to isolate and quantify the magnetic field and electric field are given. The methods are successfully applied to determine the electric current and charge distribution in a double coil configuration. Our findings provide insights into improving the diagnostic capability of proton radiography, potentially leading to more accurate measurements of electromagnetic fields and enhancing the utility of laser-driven capacitor coils in HED experiments.

electromagnetic field diagnostics↗
NASA NTRS2002

Pulsar Polar Cap Heating and Surface Thermal X-ray Emission: Inverse Compton Radiation Pair Fronts - 2

We investigate the production of electron-positron pairs by inverse Compton scattered (ICS) photons above a pulsar polar cap (PC) and calculate surface heating by returning positrons. This paper is a continuation of our self-consistent treatment of acceleration, pair dynamics, and electric field screening above pulsar PCs. We calculate the altitude of the inverse Compton pair-formation fronts, the flux of returning positrons, and present the heating efficiencies and X-ray luminosities. We revise pulsar death lines implying cessation of pair formation, and present them in surface magnetic field-period space. We find that virtually all known radio pulsars are capable of producing pairs by resonant and nonresonant ICS photons radiated by particles accelerated above the PC in a pure star-centered dipole field, so that our ICS pair death line coincides with empirical radio pulsar death. Our calculations show that ICS pairs are able to screen the accelerating electric field only for high PC surface temperatures and magnetic fields. We argue that such screening at ICS pair fronts occurs locally, slowing but not turning off acceleration of particles until screening can occur at a curvature radiation (CR) pair front at higher altitude. In the case where no screening occurs above the PC surface, we anticipate that the pulsar gamma-ray luminosity will be a substantial fraction of its spin-down luminosity. The X-ray luminosity resulting from PC heating by ICS pair fronts is significantly lower than the PC heating luminosity from CR pair fronts, which dominates for most pulsars. PC heating from ICS pair fronts is highest in millisecond pulsars, which cannot produce CR pairs, and may account for observed thermal X-ray components in the spectra of these old pulsars.

Harding, Alice K.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Plasma and Field Observations at the Day-Side, Equatorial Magnetopause, Boundary Layers and Magnetosphere

The Polar spacecraft's orbit has precessed in latitude to an orientation that places it at the dayside magnetopause every 18 hours. In this configuration the various regions near the magnetopause(LLBL, turbulent boundary layer, magnetosphere, and magnetosheath) are sampled with high temporal and spatial resolution. These observational periods-ranging from several minutes to more than two hours-provide an unprecedented look at plasma conditions in these regions. Initial analysis of the low-energy ion data from TIDE reveal plasmaspheric-like ions within the turbulent boundary layer. Within this layer, circularly polarized waves accelerate these ions to 30-40 kilometers per second perpendicular to the local magnetic field. These relatively high velocities allow the H(+) to be observed above the -2V spacecraft potential. They also put the low-density O(+) in the higher-energy, higher sensitivity channels such that densities of order 10e-2 can be observed.

Chandler, M. O.↗
NASA NTRS2004

An Extraordinary Magnetic Field Map of Mars

The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft has completed two Mars years in nearly circular polar orbit at a nominal altitude of 400 km. The Mars crust is at least an order of magnitude more intensely magnetized than that of the Earth [1], and intriguing in both its global distribution and geometric properties [2,3]. Measurements of the vector magnetic field have been used to map the magnetic field of crustal origin to high accuracy [4]. We present here a new map of the magnetic field with an order of magnitude increased sensitivity to crustal magnetization. The map is assembled from > 2 full years of MGS night-side observations, and uses along-track filtering to greatly reduce noise due to external field variations.

Connerney, J. E. P.↗
NASA NTRS1991

High-resolution spectra of solar magnetic features. II - Magnetic fields of umbral brightenings

The spectra of Fe I and Fe II Zeeman-sensitive lines enhanced by video processing of CCD images are considered. The magnetic-field variation within umbras is obtained from the nearly complete Zeeman splitting of the Stokes I profile. It is shown that small brightenings within umbrae have magnetic fields nearly equal to or slightly smaller than that of the darker surroundings; these features are also nearly at rest with respect to their surroundings. It is noted that the absence of significant motions in umbral dots implies that radiation transports most of the energy at and immediately below the surface. The small size of the dots implies that, if convective plumes transport energy below the surface of sunspot umbrae, they should have both a lateral extent and a depth of their upper boundary comparable to or smaller than the size of the dot.

Lites, Bruce W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

High resolution observations of the magnetic and velocity field of simple sunspots

We have observed the disk passage of relatively simple round sunspots using a narrowband filter and a large format CCD detector and have created magnetograms, Dopplergrams, and continuum images nearly simultaneously. In addition the spectral resolution of the filter allows the construction of 'spectra' for all points in the field of view. The mean inclination of the magnetic field increases from 45-50 deg to 70-75 deg across the penumbra and there is a fluctuation of the inclination angle about the mean of about 4 +/- 18 deg. The variation in inclination is large enough that substantial amounts of magnetic field are parallel to the solar surface from the mid to outer penumbra. The Evershed flow tends to occur in the regions where the magnetic field is horizontal. This suggests that the Evershed flow is confined to the regions of horizontal fields. We show that a simple sunspot model with azimuthal variations in inclination but no azimuthal variations of field strength is free from azimuthal Lorentz forces. The meridional component of the currents which arise from the azimuthal variation in inclination are parallel to the field lines. This suggests that a cylindrically symmetric magnetostatic sunspot model can be perturbed into one with azimuthal variations in inclination with some adjustment in the meridional force balance.

Title, Alan M.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Interplanetary planar magnetic structures associated with expanding active regions

Planar magnetic structures are interplanetary objects whose magnetic field cannot be explained by Parker's solar wind model. They are characterized by two-dimensional structure of magnetic field that are highly variable and parallel to a plane which is inclined to the ecliptic plane. They appeared independently of interplanetary compression, solar flares, active prominences nor filament disappearances, but the sources often coincided with active regions. On the other hand, it has been discovered by the Yohkoh Soft X-ray telescope that active-region corona expand outwards at speeds of a few to a few tens of km/s near the Sun. The expansions occurred repeatedly, almost continually, even in the absence of any sizable flares. In the Yohkoh Soft X-ray images, the active-region corona seems to expand out into interplanetary space. Solar sources of interplanetary planar magnetic structures observed by Sakigake were examined by Yohkoh soft X-ray telescope. During a quiet period of the Sun from January 6 to November 11, 1993, there found 5 planar magnetic structures according to the criteria (absolute value of Bn)/(absolute value of B) less than 0.1 for planarity and (dB)/(absolute value of B) greater than 0.7 for variability of magnetic field, where Bn, dB, and the absolute value of B are field component normal to a plane, standard deviation, and average of the magnitude of the magnetic field, respectively. Sources of 4 events were on low-latitude (less than 5 degrees) active regions from which loop-like structures were expanding. The coincidence, 80%, is extremely high with respect to accidental coincidence, 7%, of Sakigake windows of solar wind observation with active regions. The last source was on loop-like features which seemed to be related with a mid-latitude (20 degrees) active region.

Nakagawa, Tomoko↗
NASA NTRS1988

Simulations of plasma structure evolution in the high-latitude ionosphere

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.

Huba, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Initial ISEE magnetometer results - Shock observation

A selection of early measurements is used to illustrate the three advantages brought by ISEE to the study of natural collisionless shocks. These advantages are the ability to resolve most space/time ambiguity by means of simultaneous two-point measurements, instrumentation to make comprehensive field and particle observations covering all important quantities, and the capacity to record data at high time resolution. Magnetic-field records from shocks of various types are presented; the types of shock include laminar, supercritical, quasi-perpendicular, high-beta, and quasi-parallel. The spacing of the two spacecraft and the resolution of the system are employed to develop numerous kinematic descriptions of the shocks and the waves that compose and surround them. Data from a single particle experiment are correlated with field data for three cases to demonstrate the important role of comprehensive instrumentation.

Russell, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Large scale motions of Neptune's bow shock: Evidence for control of the shock position by the rotation phase of Neptune's magnetic field

The Voyager 2 spacecraft observed high levels of Langmuir waves before the inbound crossing of Neptune's bow shock, thereby signifying magnetic connection of the bow shock. The Langmuir waves occurred in multiple bursts throughout two distinct periods separated by an 85 minute absence of wave activity. The times of onsets, peaks, and disappearances of the waves were used together with the magnetic field directions and spacecraft position, to perform a 'remote-sensing' analysis of the shape and location of Neptune's bow shock prior to the inbound bow shock crossing. The bow shock is assumed to have a parabolidal shape with a nose location and flaring parameter determined independently for each wave event. The remote-sensing analysis give a shock position consistent with the time of the inbound shock crossing. The flaring parameter of the shock remains approximately constant throughout each period of wave activity but differs by a factor of 10 between the two periods. The absence of waves between two periods of wave activity coincides with a large rotation of the magnetic field and a large increase in the solar wind ram pressure' both these effects lead to magnetic disconnection of the spacecraft from shock. The planetwards motion of the shock's nose from 38.5 R(sub N) to 34.5 R(sub N) during the second time period occurred while the solar wind ram pressure remained constant to within 15 percent. This second period of planetwards motion of the shock is therefore strong evidence for Neptune's bow shock moving in response to the rotation of Neptune's oblique, tilted magnetic dipole. Normalizing the ram pressure, the remotely-sensed shock moves sunwards during the first wave period and planetwards in the second wave period. The maximum standoff distance occurs while the dipole axis is close to being perpendicular to the Sun-Neptune direction. The remote-sensing analysis provides strong evidence that the location of Neptune's bow shock is controlled by Neptune's rotation phase.

Cairns, Iver H.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Compton and synchrotron processes in spherically-symmetric non-thermal sources

A framework is developed for the accurate calculation of Compton and synchrotron processes in a special class of spherically-symmetric sources. The models considered take a distribution in magnetic field values and high-energy electron density that varies smoothly from central values to values at the outer boundary of the source. Further, the assumption is made that the magnetic field has local disorder (isotropy) and the high-energy electron distribution has local isotropy. Then, in terms of parameters of the source, the synchrotron brightness distribution, total synchrotron flux, Compton-synchrotron flux, and synchrotron self-absorption turnover are all computed accurately. Results are given with a view toward application to the analysis of compact non-thermal sources.

Gould, R. J.↗