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 1,315 records · Page 73

Rapid acceleration of energetic particles in the 1982 February 8 solar flare

Hard X-ray and gamma-ray measurements of the February 8, 1982 (1250 UT) solar flare made with spectrometers aboard the ISEE 3 and SMM spacecraft show that bursts of photons from 40 keV to 40 MeV are coincident within + or - 1 s. This indicates that the acceleration of particles to relativistic velocities can occur promptly (within 1 s). As far as the energetic particles interacting at the sun are concerned, the 'two-phase' process, which requires several minutes for particle acceleration to relativistic velocities, cannot account for the present gamma-ray observations. Even the 'two-step' acceleration process, which is assumed to occur in a small magnetic loop, is severely constrained by the present observations.

Kane, S. R.↗

Analysis and interpretation of the shocklike electrostatic noise observed during the AMPTE solar wind lithium releases

During the AMPTE (Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers) solar wind lithium release on September 11, and again on September 20, 1984, an intense burst of electrostatic noise was observed near the upstream edge of the ion cloud. Comparisons with measurements by the IMP-6 and ISEE-1 spacecraft show that the spectrum and overall features of this noise are very similar to electrostatic noise observed at the Earth's bow shock. A stability analysis using realistic parameters shows that the electrostatic noise can be accounted for by an ion beam-plasma instability caused by the solar wind proton beam streaming through the nearly stationary lithium cloud. The growth rate of this instability is largest when the ion density and solar wind proton density are similar, which explains why the noise only occurs near the outer edge of the ion cloud. The similarity to the noise in the Earth's bow shock suggest that a shock may exist in the solar wind plasma flow upstream of the ion cloud. If the noise is associated with a shock, then it must be an electrostatic shock, since the ion cyclotron radii are too small for the existence of a MHD shock. Since the electrostatic instability occurs at phase velocities near the lithium thermal velocity, the electrostatic turbulence may play a role in heating the lithium ions and transferring momentum from the solar wind to the ion cloud.

Gurnett, D. A.↗

Spatial distributions of magnetic field fluctuations in the dayside magnetosheath

In a study that tests the hypothesis that magnetosheath magnetic fields are disturbed on plasma streamlines which are connected to the quasi-parallel bow shock, magnetometer observations from the ISEE 2 and IMP 8 spacecraft are used to investigate the dayside spatial distributions of fluctuating magnetosheath fields for different interplanetary field orientations. The results suggest that although other sources such as Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities and flux transfer processes probably contribute to the fluctuations in the magnetosheath field, the quasi-parallel shock source is an important contributor in the dayside region.

Luhmann, J. G.↗

A theoretical and empirical study of the response of the high latitude thermosphere to the sense of the 'Y' component of the interplanetary magnetic field

Patterns of magnetospheric energetic plasma precipitation as a function of the Y component of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) are studied. The development of a three-dimensional, time-dependent global thermospheric model using a polar conversion electric field with a dependence on the Y component of the IMF to evaluate thermospheric wind circulation is examined. Thermospheric wind data from the ISEE-3 satellite, Dynamics Explorer-2 satellite, and a ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometer in Kiruna, Sweden, collected on December 1, 2, 6, 25, 1981 and February 12, 13, 1982 are described. The observed data and simulations of polar thermospheric winds are compared. In the Northern Hemisphere a strong antisunward ion flow on the dawn side of the geomagnetic polar cap is observed when the BY is positive, and the flow is detected on the dusk side when the BY is negative. It is concluded that the strength and direction of the IMF directly control the transfer of solar wind momentum and energy to the high latitude thermosphere.

Rees, D.↗

Energetic solar electrons in the interplanetary medium

Results are given of ISEE-3 measurements of energetic solar electrons extending down to 2 keV energy. Such measurements have provided a new perspective on energetic solar electrons in the interplanetary medium. Impulsive solar electron events are observed, on the average, several times a day near solar maximum, with about 40 percent detected only below about 15 keV. The electron energy spectra have a nearly power-law shape extending smoothly down to 2 keV, indicating that the origin of these events is high in the corona. In large solar flares which accelerate electrons and ions to relativistic energies, the electron spectrum appears to be modified by a second acceleration which results in a double power-law shape above about 10 keV with a break near 100 keV and flattening from about 10-100 keV. Solar type-III radio bursts are produced by the escaping 2-100 keV electrons through a beam-plasma instability.

Lin, R. P.↗

Solar filament eruptions and energetic particle events

The 1981 December 5 solar filament eruption that is associated with an energetic (E greater than 50 MeV) particle event observed at 1 AU. The eruption was photographed in H-alpha and was observed by the Solwind whitelight coronagraph on P78-1. It occurred well away from any solar active region and was not associated with an impulsive microwave burst, indicating that magnetic complexity and a detectable impulsive phase are not required for the production of a solar energetic particle (SEP) event. No metric type II or IV emission was observed, but an associated interplanetary type II burst was detected by the low-frequency radio experiment on ISEE 3. The December 5 and two other SEP events lacking evidence for low coronal shocks had unusually steep energy spectra (gamma greater than 3.5). In terms of shock acceleration, this suggests that shocks formed relatively high in the corona may produce steeper energy spectra than those formed at lower altitudes. It is noted that the filament itself maybe one source of the ions accelerated to high energies, since it is the only plausible coronal source of the He(+) ions observed in SEP events.

Kahler, S. W.↗

Experimental determination of the dominant wave mode in the active near-earth magnetotail

Measurements of the low frequency (2-128 Hz) electric field in the plasma sheet at approximately 19 earth radii during a substorm period obtained from the burst mode on the spherical double probe on the ISEE-1 satellite are examined. The data are analyzed to determine the frequencies and wave-lengths of the waves. It is detected that the observed frequencies correlate well with lower hybrid frequencies, the spectra have narrow peaks, and waves are present from the high latitude plasma sheet boundary to the neutral sheet. The observations are compared with theories of broad-band electrostatic waves. The data reveal that lower hybrid drift waves become unstable when the plasma sheet thins prior to substorm onset.

Cattell, C. A.↗

Comment on electric field evidence on the viscous interaction at the magnetopause, by F. S. Mozer

In his paper on ISEE-1 electric field measurements in the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL), Mozer (1984) concluded that LLBL contributes only about 10 percent of the average cross-tail potential difference Delta phi, and thus that viscous effects associated with the boundary layer are not very important as compared to the competing process of magnetic reconnection. Here, it is pointed out that Mozer may not have recognized an important feature of the LLBL, in that the maximum or minimum values of Delta phi (BL) may have occurred tailward of the spacecraft orbit. It is also pointed out that the sum of the viscous interaction potentials across the dawn and dusk low latitude boundary layers is closer to 30 kV than the 6 kV reported by Mozer. In his reply, Mozer gives reasons why the values he used are correct and that his earlier conclusions need no revision.

Heikkila, W. J.↗

The dependence of solar modulation on the sign of the cosmic ray particle charge

ISEE-3 spacecraft cosmic ray telescope data on the modulation of cosmic ray electrons are compared with IMP-8 spacecraft data on low energy He atoms to evaluate the effects of solar maxima on cosmic ray modulation. The investigation is constrained to the modulation of 70-95 MeV He-4 nuclei and 600-1000 MeV electrons over the period 1965-1984, an interval covering solar maxima in 1970 and 1981. It is shown that the occurrences of solar maxima are associated with magnetic field polarity reversals. When the interplanetary magnetic field reverses polarity, oppositely charged particles flow in different directions, thereby permitting studies of drift effects and modulation. Data on the recovery periods after the solar maxima show that the He-4 nuclei recovered before the electron population in 1970, while the situation was reversed in 1981. Actual flux ratio reversals were recorded in the years surrounding the maxima. Although the data support a connection between modulation of cosmic rays and the sign of charged particles, current models cannot account for the deviation of electron intensities from the nuclei intensities.

Garcia-Munoz, M.↗

Hot, diamagnetic cavities upstream from the earth's bow shock

On eight occasions the ISEE 1 and 2 spacecraft registered peculiar plasma structures upstream of the earth's bow shock. The events exhibit a temporary, strong reduction in the magnitude of the magnetic field and strong enhancements of the field strength bordering the reduction zone. The low field strength regions featured temperatures from 1-10 million k and pressure an order of magnitude greater than the solar wind. The pressure gradients exceeded the magnetic tension around the structures, although the field of the cavities may be a closed structure. A model is proposed of hot, expanding diamagnetic plasma cavities with scales on the order of a few earth radii. Speculations on the interaction and origin or impetus for the cavities within the bow shock, foreshock, the magnetosphere and the solar wind are discussed. Similarities between the phenomena detected and signatures obtained with the AMPTE releases of chemicals in the solar wind are noted.

Thomsen, M. F.↗

New waves at multiples of the plasma frequency upstream of the earth's bow shock

The first observations of waves at harmonics higher than the second of the electron plasma frequency are reported. The observations were made by the ISEE 1 spacecraft upstream of the earth's bow shock. The waves are interpreted as electromagnetic radiation at the fundamental and up to the fifth harmonic of the plasma frequency, with effective temperatures decreasing from 5 x 10 to the 17th K to 10 billion K over this range. Two models are proposed for the emission of the waves.

Cairns, I. H.↗

Accelerated plasma flows at the near-tail magnetopause

ISEE-1 and -2 fast plasma data of ion and electron distributions at 16 energies and 16 velocities are used to study accelerated particle flow events at the near-tail dusk magnetopause. The flows separated the plasma sheet from the magnetosheath, a situation which normally arises when the local magnetosheath and plasma sheet magnetic fields are close to being antiparallel. The flows were directed tailward at speeds up to twice those in the adjoining magnetosheath and had densities similar to those in the magnetosheath. The attendant ion and electron temperatures were between those in the magnetosheath and in the plasma sheet. The flow region closest to the magnetosheath had the highest velocity and the lowest density, and a lowered-density field line region appeared on the earthward side of the accelerated flow region. The flows had the velocity changes of a tangential stress balance and are taken as the location of field line merging near (and perhaps tailward) of the dawn-dusk terminator. Significantly fewer accelerated flows are seen in the dawn tail magnetopause, an asymmetry attributed to a seasonally dependent warping of the midtail neutral sheet or a superimposition of interplanetary magnetic field lines over the dusk magnetopause.

Gosling, J. T.↗

Survey of 0.1- to 16-keV/e plasma sheet ion composition

An analysis is performed of all plasma sheet data collected in 1978-79 in order to discern statistical trends in the data. Attention is focused on the bulk parameters of 0.1-16 keV/e plasma sheet ions detected by the Plasma Composition Experiment on the ISEE 1 satellite. The data were collected at 10-23 earth radii, and are averaged for various levels of activity in the AE index. Solar H(+) and He(2+) ions dominate during quiet periods and possess energies similar to those of the solar wind when the quiet period lasts several hours. Increasing AE index values eventually lead to a replacement of the solar ions with terrestrial ions, particularly O(+), which can have an average energy density of 3-4 keV/e at every activity level. The solar ions, however, increase in energy as their density decreases. The O(+) density is highest near the local midnight and becomes the most numerous during highly disturbed conditions. Finally, the O(+) density was observed to increase by a factor of three over the monitoring period, possibly due to enhanced solar EUV radiation.

Lennartsson, W.↗

Observed associations of substorm signatures at South Pole, at the auroral zone, and in the magnetotail

The characteristics and possible conditions which lead to the sudden poleward movement of auroras and associated magnetic and ionospheric disturbances from below the northern horizon are discussed. The abrupt excursions were recorded in terms of 427.8 nm photometry, 30 MHz riometry, and three-component flux gate magnetometry data recorded at South Pole Station. The data were taken at a 1 Hz rate during various occurrences in 1982-83 and compared with ISEE 1 and 2 electron flux data from the magnetotail. The poleward shift occurred from 30-60 min after the onset of a substorm expansive phase and coincided with recoveries of the magnetotail plasma sheet at distances of 15-20 earth radii. It is concluded that the excursions are part of the retreat of the substorm neutral line outward through the magnetotail during a late phase of substorms.

Hones, E. W., Jr.↗

Solar flare development during the impulsive phase as deduced from correlated radio and hard X-ray observations

A correlative study of metric type III/V bursts and hard X-ray events during the preflash and the impulsive phases of solar flares is presented. A total of 55 groups of type III bursts were observed with the Nancay radiospectrograph, and 32 of these were associated with hard X-ray bursts detected with instruments on ISEE 3, SMM, or both. X-ray bursts associated with type III or U bursts, and type V continuum emission lasting less than 10 s are relatively small, with peak fluxes at 30 keV of not more than 1 photon/sq cm per sec per keV. X-ray bursts associated with type III bursts and continuum emission lasting longer than 30 s are considerably more intense, with peak fluxes at 30 keV exceeding 1 photon/sq cm per sec per keV and spectra extending to not less than 100 keV. For these latter events, type III emission was observed at 169 MHz with the Nancay radioheliograph from several locations during the preflash phase. At the time of the rapid increase in the hard X-ray flux, a new source appeared at 169 MHz and proceeded to fluctuate in phase with one of the original sources that brightened at the same time. This type of behavior, observed in 13 flares, is interpreted as being caused by the rapid interaction of two or more magnetic structures giving rise to the impulsive phase of the flare.

Raoult, A.↗

Solar wind Fe and CNO measurements in high-speed flows

Solar wind characteristics in driver plasma and coronal hole-associated flow types are analyzed. Measurements of solar wind Fe charge states and densities in well-defined driver plasma and coronal hole-associated high-speed streams, and charge distributions of CNO ions in high speed streams collected with the ultra low energy charge analyzer on ISEE 3 are examined. The Fe-H velocity differences and Fe/H abundance ratios are studied. The data reveal that the driver plasma solar wind has charge states of 15 or 16 with a coronal temperature = 4 x 10 to the 6th K, and the Fe charge states distributions in coronal hole-associated streams = 9 or 10 with a coronal temperature = 1.4 x 10 to the 6th K; the ionization temperature for the CNO group = (1.3 + or - 0.3) x 10 to the 6th K.

Ipavich, F. M.↗

Quasi-stagnant plasmoid in the middle tail - A new preexpansion phase phenomenon

From the analysis of ISEE 3 data it is found that a plasmoid is sometimes formed in the middle tail outside the intervals of the substorm expansion phase. This plasmoid is produced by reconnection at the X-type neutral line, which is located earthward of the distant neutral line but beyond the substorm-associated near-tail neutral line, and it is almost stagnant in that the associated flow speed is less than 300 km/s. The blocking effect of the distant neutral line is the most probable reason for the slow movement. The quasi-stagnant plasmoid is observed at x = -60 to - 100 earth radii for a duration of a few tens of minutes, and in about one half of the cases it is followed by the fast tailward streaming. The onset of this streaming tends to coincide with the onset of the substorm expansion phase, and this probably occurs when the reconnection at the middle-tail neutral line comes close to processing the last closed field line. Intensification of the dawn-to-dusk electric field that causes the mantle plasma to reach the plasma sheet boundary closer to the earth is suggested as the reason for the formation of the middle-tail neutral line earthward of the distant neutral line. The effects on the energetic particle flux and relation to the near-tail reconnection are also discussed.

Nishida, A.↗

Measurements of hydrogen and helium isotopes in Galactic cosmic rays from 1978 through 1984

The propagation of light cosmic rays is examined using measurements of the relative abundances of the isotopes H-1, H-2 and He-3 and He-4 made with the ISEE 3 instrumentation. It is believed that cosmic ray particles experience spallation in traveling through the interstellar medium, thereby producing the isotopes examined in the present study. The isotopic ratios are therefore expected to yield data on outward migrating particles, which lose energy while moving toward extragalactic space, i.e., the 'leaky box approximation'. The energy ranges covered are 26-138 MeV/nucleon for H-1 and He-4, 24-89 MeV/nucleon for H-2 and 43-146 MeV/nucleon for He-3. Solar activity ranged from minimum to maximum over the observational period. Details of the experimental strategies, instrumentation features and calibration techniques employed with the particle detectors are provided. Histograms were geneated of the energies attributable to each particle track and mass ratios of the various isotopes were calculated over the measured energy ranges. Account was taken of errors introduced by solar modulation, and an escape path length of 5.6-7.8 g/sq cm was estimated for particle propagation through the Galaxy. The projected path length agrees with previous estimates based on data from heavier cosmic ray nuclei.

Kroeger, R.↗