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At least 1,099 records · Page 61

Enhanced Star Formation and Black Hole Accretion Rates in Galaxy Mergers in IllustrisTNG50

Many theoretical and observational studies have suggested that galaxy mergers may trigger enhanced star formation or active galactic nucleus activity. We present an analysis of merging and nonmerging galaxies from 0.2 ≤ z ≤ 3 in the IllustrisTNG50 simulation. These galaxies encompass a range of masses (M ⋆ > 10 8 M ⊙ ) and mass ratios (≥1:10) and multiple merger stages. We examine the effect that galaxy mergers have on star formation and black hole accretion rates in the TNG50 universe. We additionally investigate how galaxy and black hole mass, merger stage, merger mass ratio, and redshift affect these quantities. Mergers in our sample show excess specific star formation rates (sSFR) at z ≤ 3 and enhanced specific black hole accretion rates (sBHAR) at z ≲ 2. The difference between sSFRs and sBHARs in the merging sample compared to the nonmerging sample increases as redshift decreases. Additionally, we show that these enhancements persist for at least ∼1 Gyr after the merger event. Investigating how mergers behave in the TNG50 simulation throughout cosmic time enables both a better appreciation of the importance of spatial resolution in cosmological simulations and a better basis to understand our high- z Universe with observations from JWST.

AGN host galaxies↗

Alaska Transportation & Infrastructure - Identifying Permafrost Subsidence Using NASA Earth Observations to Pinpoint Road & Infrastructure Vulnerability in Fairbanks, Alaska

A rapidly warming Arctic has compromised the structural integrity of critical infrastructure through accelerated permafrost thaw and thermokarst development underlying these areas. Infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and airports across the state of Alaska are particularly at risk, as permafrost underlies ~85% of the state. However, monitoring the impacts of permafrost thaw on infrastructure is largely limited to in situ observations and frequently identified after the damage is evident. In order to assist transportation and infrastructure decision-makers in Alaska, this project identified and quantified areas of surface subsidence near critical infrastructure. Seasonal interferograms were created using Sentinel-1 C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and L-band Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle SAR (UAVSAR) data to identify areas experiencing surface deformation. Additionally, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) datasets were used to validate select interferograms created between 2017 and 2019. Validation of subsidence detection across platforms was performed over a 7x8 sq. kilometer field site for 2017. UAVSAR and Sentinel-1 seasonal deformation returns produced consistent spatial deformation patterns with residual root mean squared errors of 13 and 21 millimeters, respectively. These results suggest that both UAVSAR and Sentinel-1 platforms are capable of detecting surface subsidence. The higher resolution of UAVSAR is better able to resolve localized subsidence features of less than 80 meters, but is limited by temporal resolution.In conjunction, UAVSAR and Sentinel-1 can provide complementary spatial and temporal resolutions for subsidence analysis in the absence of in situ data.

Patrick Saylor↗

Mechanical properties, strain hardening, and fracture behavior of ultrasonic additively manufactured Zircaloy-4 after low-temperature neutron irradiation

Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) is a solid-state, layer-by-layer advanced manufacturing process that has the potential to create custom spatially controlled composites with embedded wires and sensors for nuclear component manufacture. For this work, to assess the feasibility of using UAM for nuclear-relevant materials research, the technique was used to produce a 3.5-mm-thick Zircaloy-4 plate for irradiation testing. The UAM Zircaloy-4 specimens were irradiated in the High Flux Isotope Reactor at a target irradiation temperature of 117 °C to 2.9 displacements per atom (dpa) to assess differences in irradiation-hardening behavior as a function of alloy processing path. The UAM and reference baseplate (BP) materials increased in yield strength by 372±27 MPa and 346±21 MPa, respectively, and both suffered significant reductions in uniform and total elongation attributed to irradiation hardening at low-temperature. Although the materials had similar nanoscale defect structures, including nanoscale black dot/loop features and strain-induced dislocation channels, the UAM material’s processing-related defects resulted in accelerated strain localization and failure as demonstrated by lower post-irradiation uniform elongation of UAM specimens (0.5 %) compared to BP (1.5 %) material. The UAM material also showed considerable anisotropy in mechanical response due to crack propagation along weld boundaries, resulting in differences in strength & ductility when tested parallel and perpendicular to the prior UAM build orientation. Therefore, although the fundamental irradiation response of UAM-processed Zircaloy-4 was phenomenologically comparable to that of BP reference material, additional optimization of the UAM processing is needed to produce irradiation-resistant and nuclear-relevant materials.

Digital image correlation↗

Magnetic Field Optimization of an In-Vacuum Undulator at NSLS-II Transactions on Applied Superconductivity

A 3.0 m long In-Vacuum Undulator (IVU) is employed at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) for the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe (HXN) beamline providing structural and X-ray fluorescence imaging with world-leading spatial resolution. On July 1 st 2018 a gearbox shaft in the gap drive train assembly sheared due to corrosion fatigue caused by stress due to mechanical misalignment. Furthermore, the device was extracted from the storage ring and measured. The magnetic field measurements detected a degradation of the magnetic performance as well as a localized demagnetization of the magnetic modules of the first 3 upstream periods. We describe here the mechanical repairs and the magnetic phase shimming optimization implemented to restore the spectral performance of the device.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Quantifying concentration distributions in redox flow batteries with neutron radiography

Abstract The continued advancement of electrochemical technologies requires an increasingly detailed understanding of the microscopic processes that control their performance, inspiring the development of new multi-modal diagnostic techniques. Here, we introduce a neutron imaging approach to enable the quantification of spatial and temporal variations in species concentrations within an operating redox flow cell. Specifically, we leverage the high attenuation of redox-active organic materials (high hydrogen content) and supporting electrolytes (boron-containing) in solution and perform subtractive neutron imaging of active species and supporting electrolyte. To resolve the concentration profiles across the electrodes, we employ an in-plane imaging configuration and correlate the concentration profiles to cell performance with polarization experiments under different operating conditions. Finally, we use time-of-flight neutron imaging to deconvolute concentrations of active species and supporting electrolyte during operation. Using this approach, we evaluate the influence of cell polarity, voltage bias and flow rate on the concentration distribution within the flow cell and correlate these with the macroscopic performance, thus obtaining an unprecedented level of insight into reactive mass transport. Ultimately, this diagnostic technique can be applied to a range of (electro)chemical technologies and may accelerate the development of new materials and reactor designs.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Approaches to investigate crop responses to ozone pollution: from O 3 -FACE to satellite-enabled modeling

Ozone (O 3 ) is a damaging air pollutant to crops. As one of the most reactive oxidants known, O 3 rapidly forms other reactive oxygen species (ROS) once it enters leaves through stomata. Those ROS in turn can cause oxidative stress, reduce photosynthesis, accelerate senescence, and decrease crop yield. To improve and adapt our feed, fuel, and food supply to rising O 3 pollution, a number of Free Air Concentration Enrichment (O 3 -FACE) facilities have been developed around the world and have studied key staple crops. In this review, we provide an overview of the FACE facilities and highlight some of the lessons learned from the last two decades of research. We discuss the differences between C 3 and C 4 crop responses to elevated O 3 , the possible trade-off between productivity and protection, genetic variation in O 3 response within and across species, and how we might leverage this observed variation for crop improvement. We also highlight the need to improve understanding of the interaction between rising O 3 pollution and other aspects of climate change, notably drought. Finally, we propose the use of globally modeled O 3 data that are available at increasing spatial and temporal resolutions to expand upon the research conducted at the limited number of global O 3 -FACE facilities.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

In-vivo neuronal dysfunction by Aβ and tau overlaps with brain-wide inflammatory mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease

The molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remain uncharacterized. Here, we identify genes, molecular pathways and cellular components associated with whole-brain dysregulation caused by amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau deposits in the living human brain. We obtained in-vivo resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI), Aβ- and tau-PET for 47 cognitively unimpaired and 16 AD participants from the Translational Biomarkers in Aging and Dementia cohort. Adverse neuronal activity impacts by Aβ and tau were quantified with personalized dynamical models by fitting pathology-mediated computational signals to the participant’s real rs-fMRIs. Then, we detected robust brain-wide associations between the spatial profiles of Aβ-tau impacts and gene expression in the neurotypical transcriptome (Allen Human Brain Atlas). Within the obtained distinctive signature of in-vivo neuronal dysfunction, several genes have prominent roles in microglial activation and in interactions with Aβ and tau. Moreover, cellular vulnerability estimations revealed strong association of microglial expression patterns with Aβ and tau’s synergistic impact on neuronal activity (q < 0.001). These results further support the central role of the immune system and neuroinflammatory pathways in AD pathogenesis. Neuronal dysregulation by AD pathologies also associated with neurotypical synaptic and developmental processes. In addition, we identified drug candidates from the vast LINCS library to halt or reduce the observed Aβ-tau effects on neuronal activity. Top-ranked pharmacological interventions target inflammatory, cancer and cardiovascular pathways, including specific medications undergoing clinical evaluation in AD. Our findings, based on the examination of molecular-pathological-functional interactions in humans, may accelerate the process of bringing effective therapies into clinical practice.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Time Projection Chambers instrumented with resistive MicroMegas for the SAND near detector of DUNE

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a next-generation long-baseline neutrino accelerator experiment aiming for precise measurements of the neutrino oscillation parameters. DUNE will include a near detector complex regrouping three different detectors among which SAND (System for on-Axis Neutrino Detection) that will be the only one permanently on the neutrino beam axis in charge of monitoring in detail the emitted neutrino beam and its stability through time, a crucial characteristic to realize accurate oscillation measurements at the percent level. SAND will reuse the superconducting magnet and the electromagnetic calorimeter of the KLOE experiment. We will describe in the following the proposal of using, as inner tracker of SAND, a large 3D matrix of 1.5cm side scintillator cubes (3DST) surrounded by 3 gaseous Time Projection Chambers. This setup allows to realize accurate beam monitoring combining the 3DST unprecedented capability of neutron detection and energy measurement with the high precision momentum resolution for charged particles offered by the TPCs. The proposed TPC design allows to reach spatial resolutions of a few hundreds of micrometers using 1 cm pads by deploying the resistive MicroMegas technology for the charge readout.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Scaling neural simulations in STACS

Abstract As modern neuroscience tools acquire more details about the brain, the need to move towards biological-scale neural simulations continues to grow. However, effective simulations at scale remain a challenge. Beyond just the tooling required to enable parallel execution, there is also the unique structure of the synaptic interconnectivity, which is globally sparse but has relatively high connection density and non-local interactions per neuron. There are also various practicalities to consider in high performance computing applications, such as the need for serializing neural networks to support potentially long-running simulations that require checkpoint-restart. Although acceleration on neuromorphic hardware is also a possibility, development in this space can be difficult as hardware support tends to vary between platforms and software support for larger scale models also tends to be limited. In this paper, we focus our attention on Simulation Tool for Asynchronous Cortical Streams (STACS), a spiking neural network simulator that leverages the Charm++ parallel programming framework, with the goal of supporting biological-scale simulations as well as interoperability between platforms. Central to these goals is the implementation of scalable data structures suitable for efficiently distributing a network across parallel partitions. Here, we discuss a straightforward extension of a parallel data format with a history of use in graph partitioners, which also serves as a portable intermediate representation for different neuromorphic backends. We perform scaling studies on the Summit supercomputer, examining the capabilities of STACS in terms of network build and storage, partitioning, and execution. We highlight how a suitably partitioned, spatially dependent synaptic structure introduces a communication workload well-suited to the multicast communication supported by Charm++. We evaluate the strong and weak scaling behavior for networks on the order of millions of neurons and billions of synapses, and show that STACS achieves competitive levels of parallel efficiency.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Precision Closed-Loop Orbital Maneuvering System Design and Performance for the Magnetospheric Multiscale Formation

NASAs Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission successfully launched on March 13,2015 (UTC) consists of four identically instrumented spin-stabilized observatories that function as a constellation to study magnetic reconnection in space. The need to maintain sufficiently accurate spatial and temporal formation resolution of the observatories must be balanced against the logistical constraints of executing overly-frequent maneuvers on a small fleet of spacecraft. These two considerations make for an extremely challenging maneuver design problem. This paper focuses on the design elements of a 6-DOF spacecraft attitude control and maneuvering system capable of delivering the high-precision adjustments required by the constellation designers specifically, the design, implementation, and on-orbit performance of the closed-loop formation-class maneuvers that include initialization, maintenance, and re-sizing. The maneuvering control system flown on MMS utilizes a micro-gravity resolution accelerometer sampled at a high rate in order to achieve closed-loop velocity tracking of an inertial target with arc-minute directional and millimeter-per second magnitude accuracy. This paper summarizes the techniques used for correcting bias drift, sensor-head offsets, and centripetal aliasing in the acceleration measurements. It also discusses the on-board pre-maneuver calibration and compensation algorithms as well as the implementation of the post-maneuver attitude adjustments.

Maneuver and Attitude Dynamics↗

Precision Closed-Loop Orbital Maneuvering System Design and Performance for the Magnetospheric Multi-Scale Mission (MMS) Formation

NASA's Magnetospheric Multi-Scale (MMS) mission successfully launched on March 13, 2015 (UTC) consists of four identically instrumented spin-stabilized observatories that function as a constellation to study magnetic reconnection in space. The need to maintain sufficiently accurate spatial and temporal formation resolution of the observatories must be balanced against the logistical constraints of executing overly-frequent maneuvers on a small fleet of spacecraft. These two considerations make for an extremely challenging maneuver design problem. This paper focuses on the design elements of a 6-DOF spacecraft attitude control and maneuvering system capable of delivering the high-precision adjustments required by the constellation designers---specifically, the design, implementation, and on-orbit performance of the closed-loop formation-class maneuvers that include initialization, maintenance, and re-sizing. The maneuvering control system flown on MMS utilizes a micro-gravity resolution accelerometer sampled at a high rate in order to achieve closed-loop velocity tracking of an inertial target with arc-minute directional and millimeter-per-second magnitude accuracy. This paper summarizes the techniques used for correcting bias drift, sensor-head offsets, and centripetal aliasing in the acceleration measurements. It also discusses the on-board pre-maneuver calibration and compensation algorithms as well as the implementation of the post-maneuver attitude adjustments.

Determination and Control↗

The Future Electron-Ion Collider

Generalized Parton Distributions include rich information and became a powerful tool for studying hadron structure. Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering is the golden channel to access GPDs. The development of high luminosity and high-acceptance detectors (Electron-Ion Collider) allows physicists to overcome the difficulty of DVCS measurements. The outstanding performance of the accelerator performs the eA collisions at the center of mass energy from 20 to 140 GeV, while the luminosity at the scale of 1034 cm?2s?1. The new type of high-density crystal, PWO-II, produced by CRYTUR in 2×2×20 cm3 will be utilized in the calorimeter. The transparency of PWO-II crystals is > 70% at 620 nm, > 60% at 420 nm, and >35% at 360 nm. The crystals also show good radiation hardness under 30 Gy radiation exposure. Ten PWO-II crystals have a uniform light yield at 30 p.e./MeV, providing sufficient light yield to reduce the fluctuation of the energy measurements. Near 3000 crystals were constructed inside the 12-sided polygon supporting structure in the simulation. The island clustering algorithm was used for reconstructed the energy. The energy resolution study by the particle gun shows the stochastic term and constant term are 1.8% and 1.2%, respectively. The spatial resolution of NEEMC varies from 5% to 15% of the crystal?s width depending on the particle?s incident angle. The pion rejection of NEEMC can reach 103 with electron efficiency > 85% when the particle?s energy is larger than 1GeV. The Pi0- identified efficiency study can be interpreted as finding the local maxima in the single cluster caused by two high energy close photons. The study results show that efficiency is nearly 100% for pi0 energy is smaller than 10 GeV, and efficiency drops to 30% with 20 GeV pi0. The new type of 3x3 pixelated AC-LGAD were wire bonded to ALTIROC for performance test. The cross-talk between the adjacent channels is about 20% for VPA and 10% for TZ. A series of the TDC characteristic measurements show that the jitter for both preamplifiers is about 20 ps, and the time-walk effect is mild for inject charge > 12 pF. Furthermore, the beta source radiation results quantify the sharing scale of the 3x3 pixels AC-LGAD (? 20%). The electronics simulation study results show no significant changes in the spatial resolution, whether ADC resolution is 8, 10, or 12 bits. The 8-bit ADC is decided to use in the EICROC as it has a smaller size and power consumption than the 10-bit and 12-bit ADC. The ECCE is one of the full detector proposals for EIC. The new type of DVCS generator, called TOPEG, is used to generate the high acceptance beam configurations of 18×110 GeV2 electron and 4He. The acceptance study shows a -1.8 < ? < -1.4 gap between the BEMC and EEMC. The 10?x,y geometry cut is applied on the Roman Pots, so the acceptance of Roman Pots quickly drops to 0% when the polar angle of the recoiled 4He < 2 mrad. This primary ECCE simulation study suggests extending the acceptance of BEMC longitudinally as the structure limits the radial size of EEMC. The acceptance of the Roman Pots is still challenging. In 2023, The overall design of ePIC was finalized by merging two full detector proposals (ECCE and ATHENA) after a series of intensive simulation studies.

Wang, Pu-Kai↗

Critical impact of experimentally-driven strut level anisotropic material models in advanced stress analysis of additively manufactured lattice structures

The rapid acceleration in materials discovery may overshadow the importance of thoroughly understanding the mechanical performance of newly developed materials in demanding environments. The recent interest in combining parametric studies with machine learning techniques to explore how changes in specific processing parameters or model inputs affect the overall behavior of a material system can only be truly beneficial if the governing constitutive relations describing material behavior are accurately established. In this study, we demonstrate the critical impact of accurately representing strut-level anisotropic material behavior in advanced stress analysis of additively manufactured lattice structures (AMLS). We introduce a systematic experimental and modeling approach for developing strut-level anisotropic elastoplastic material models that account for the influence of microstructural features such as porosity, texture, and surface roughness on the development of local anisotropic mechanical properties, which vary with strut orientation relative to the build direction (BD). As a result the presented material model captures and relates the statistics of spatially varying struts’ microstructural features to the local stress distribution. Our findings suggest that incorporating strut-level anisotropic material behavior into unit cell analysis significantly influences the load distribution and evolution of local stresses within the structure. Therefore, accounting for this anisotropy is critical for developing an understanding of unit cell behavior and performance, including subsequent topology/component design optimization based on this analysis.

Sahoo, Subhadip [University of Arizona]↗

Relation Between Type II Bursts and CMEs Inferred from STEREO Observations

The inner coronagraph (COR1) of the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) mission has made it possible to observe CMEs in the spatial domain overlapping with that of the metric type II radio bursts. The type II bursts were associated with generally weak flares (mostly B and C class soft X-ray flares), but the CMEs were quite energetic. Using CME data for a set of type II bursts during the declining phase of solar cycle 23, we determine the CME height when the type II bursts start, thus giving an estimate of the heliocentric distance at which CME-driven shocks form. This distance has been determined to be approx. 1.5Rs (solar radii), which coincides with the distance at which the Alfven speed profile has a minimum value.We also use type II radio observations from STEREO/WAVES and Wind/WAVES observations to show that CMEs with moderate speed drive either weak shocks or no shock at all when they attain a height where the Alfven speed peaks (approx. 3Rs - 4Rs). Thus the shocks seem to be most efficient in accelerating electrons in the heliocentric distance range of 1.5Rs to 4Rs. By combining the radial variation of the CME speed in the inner corona (CME speed increase) and interplanetary medium (speed decrease) we were able to correctly account for the deviations from the universal drift-rate spectrum of type II bursts, thus confirming the close physical connection between type II bursts and CMEs. The average height (approx 1.5Rs) of STEREO CMEs at the time of type II bursts is smaller than that (2.2Rs) obtained for SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) CMEs. We suggest that this may indicate, at least partly, the density reduction in the corona between the maximum and declining phases, so a given plasma level occurs closer to the Sun in the latter phase. In two cases, there was a diffuse shock-like feature ahead of the main body of the CME, indicating a standoff distance of 1Rs - 2Rs by the time the CME left the LASCO field of view.

Solar Energetic Particles↗

X-ray Polarization Detection of Cassiopeia A with IXPE

We report on a ∼5σ detection of polarized 3–6 keV X-ray emission from the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A) with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). The overall polarization degree of 1.8% ± 0.3% is detected by summing over a large region, assuming circular symmetry for the polarization vectors. The measurements imply an average polarization degree for the synchrotron component of ∼2.5%, and close to 5% for the X-ray synchrotron-dominated forward shock region. These numbers are based on an assessment of the thermal and nonthermal radiation contributions, for which we used a detailed spatial-spectral model based on Chandra X-ray data. A pixel-by-pixel search for polarization provides a few tentative detections from discrete regions at the ∼ 3σ confidence level. Given the number of pixels, the significance is insufficient to claim a detection for individual pixels, but implies considerable turbulence on scales smaller than the angular resolution. Cas A's X-ray continuum emission is dominated by synchrotron radiation from regions within ≲1017 cm of the forward and reverse shocks. We find that (i) the measured polarization angle corresponds to a radially oriented magnetic field, similar to what has been inferred from radio observations; (ii) the X-ray polarization degree is lower than in the radio band (∼5%). Since shock compression should impose a tangential magnetic-field structure, the IXPE results imply that magnetic fields are reoriented within ∼1017 cm of the shock. If the magnetic-field alignment is due to locally enhanced acceleration near quasi-parallel shocks, the preferred X-ray polarization angle suggests a size of 3 × 1016 cm for cells with radial magnetic fields.

Polarimetry↗

Time-resolved X-ray imaging of the current filamentation instability in solid-density plasmas

The streaming of energetic charged particles can magnetize astrophysical and laboratory plasmas via the current filamentation instability. Despite its importance, the experimental characterization of this instability has remained a challenge. Here, we report an experiment combining a high-intensity optical laser with a high-brightness X-ray free electron laser that successfully images the instability in solid-density plasmas with 200 nm spatial and 50 fs temporal resolution. We characterize the development of μm-scale filamentary structures and their evolution over tens of picoseconds through a non-linear merging process. The measured plasma density modulations and long merging time reveal the critical importance of space-charge effects and ion motion on this electron-driven instability. Supporting theoretical analysis and kinetic simulations help distinguish the relative role of space-charge and resistive effects. Our findings indicate that magnetic fields on the order of 10 megagauss are produced, with important implications for transport and radiation emission of energetic particles in plasmas.

Schoenwaelder, Christopher [SLAC National Accelera↗

A fresh perspective on the role of band bending, and related contributors, in light-driven production of electricity and chemicals

It is widely known that semiconductor-based solar energy conversion could power our planet. This is in part because high-quality semiconductor structures are unrivalled in their ability to separate photogenerated electrons and holes. One effective approach to achieving this photoinduced charge separation relies on a phenomenon known as “band bending”. But details to justify why band bending results in photoinduced charge separation are more complex than often appreciated. This underappreciation is an impediment to the rational, hypothesis-driven design of next-generation approaches to solar energy conversion. Herein we show, by means of derivations rooted in physical chemistry, that several phenomena – not just band bending – can facilitate photoinduced charge separation, and that each is influenced by nonequilibrium species concentration and a parameter, such as diffusion coefficient or rate coefficient, that introduces dynamics. To help visualize the impact of each phenomenon, we introduce plots that depict their contributions as free energy, force, flux, force constant, and rate. We reveal that spatial dopant distributions that define band bending are predictors of initial photogenerated species transport rates. But charge separation alone does not guarantee high-efficiency operation. A photogenerated change in energy that is freely available to do useful work is also essential, and is strongly dependent on semiconductor optical properties and reaction kinetics. Notably, this information reveals that specificity of interfacial chemical reactions – even when they are not preceded by charge separation elsewhere – can result in efficient solar energy conversion. We expect that this tutorial will guide researchers in their pursuit to uncover new mechanisms for light to perform useful work.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Temporal-Spatial Structure of Magnetic Merging at the Magnetopause Inferred from 557.7-nm All-Sky Images

We demonstrate that high-resolution 557.7-nm all-sky images are useful tools for investigating the spatial and temporal evolution of merging on the dayside magnetopause. Analysis of ground and satellite measurements leads us to conclude that high-latitude merging events can occur at multiple sites simultaneously and vary asynchronously on time scales of 30 s to 3 min. Variations of 557.7 nm emissions were observed at a 10 s cadence at Ny-Alesund on 19 December 2001, while significant changes in the IMF clock angle were reaching the magnetopause. The optical patterns are consistent with a scenario in which merging occurs around the rim of the high-latitude cusp at positions dictated by the IMF clock angle. Electrons energized at merging sites represent plausible sources for 557.7 nm emissions in the cusp. Polar observations at the magnetopause have directly linked enhanced fluxes of > or = 0.5 keV electrons with merging. Spectra of electrons responsible for some of the emissions, measured during a DMSP F15 overflight, exhibit "inverted-V" features, indicating further acceleration above the ionosphere. SuperDARN spectral width boundaries, characteristic of open-closed field line transitions, are located at the equatorward edge of the 557.7nm emissions. Optical data suggest that with IMF B(sub Y) > 0, the Northern Hemisphere cusp divides into three source regions. When the IMF clock angle was approx. 150 deg structured 557.7-nm emissions came from east of the 13:00 MLT meridian. At larger clock angles the emissions appeared between 12:00 and 13:00 MLT. No significant 557.7-nm emissions were detected in the prenoon MLT sector. MHD simulations corroborate our scenario, showing that with the observed large dipole-tilt and IMF clock angles, merging sites develop near the front and eastern portions of the high-altitude cusp rim in the Northern Hemisphere and near the western part of the cusp rim in the Southern Hemisphere.

Maynard, N. C.↗