Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE”

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 1,459 records · Page 81
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2014

The Role of Higher-Order Modes on the Electromagnetic Whistler-Cyclotron Wave Fluctuations of Thermal and Non-Thermal Plasmas

Two fundamental challenging problems of laboratory and astrophysical plasmas are the understanding of the relaxation of a collisionless plasmas with nearly isotropic velocity distribution functions and the resultant state of nearly equipartition energy density with electromagnetic plasma turbulence. Here, we present the results of a study which shows the role that higher-order-modes play in limiting the electromagnetic whistler-like fluctuations in a thermal and non-thermal plasma. Our main results show that for a thermal plasma the magnetic fluctuations are confined by regions that are bounded by the least-damped higher order modes. We further show that the zone where the whistler-cyclotron normal modes merges the electromagnetic fluctuations shifts to longer wavelengths as the beta(sub e) increases. This merging zone has been interpreted as the beginning of the region where the whistler-cyclotron waves losses their identity and become heavily damped while merging with the fluctuations. Our results further indicate that in the case of nonthermal plasmas, the higher-order modes do not confine the fluctuations due to the effective higher-temperature effects and the excess of suprathermal plasma particles. The analysis presented here considers the second-order theory of fluctuations and the dispersion relation of weakly transverse fluctuations, with wave vectors parallel to the uniform background magnetic field, in a finite temperature isotropic bi-Maxwellian and Tsallis-kappa-like magnetized electron-proton plasma. Our results indicate that the spontaneously emitted electromagnetic fluctuations are in fact enhanced over these quasi modes suggesting that such modes play an important role in the emission and absorption of electromagnetic fluctuations in thermal or quasi-thermal plasmas.

Vinas, Adolfo F.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Data for "Propagation of EMIC Waves from Shabansky Orbits in the Dayside Magnetosphere"

Full-wave simulations of electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves in a non-dipole compressed magnetic field have been conducted using the Petra-M simulation code. The manuscript investigates the effect of misalignment of the Faraday screen and electron density in the scrape-off layer on the excitation and propagation of fast helicon and slow mode waves.

Magnetosphere: outer↗
NASA NTRS1971

Current driven electrostatic and electromagnetic ion cyclotron instabilities

Growth rates and parameter dependences are calculated for the current driven instabilities of electrostatic (with finite-beta corrections) and electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves. For 0.25 (T sub e)/(T sub i) 2.5, ion cyclotron waves have large growth rates, while ion acoustic waves are still stable. In fusion devices, where electrostatic waves may be stable, electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves are unstable for beta sub i 0.001.

Forslund, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Plasma wave observations at comet Giacobini-Zinner

The plasma wave instrument on the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) detected strong ion acoustic waves together with electromagnetic whistlers and low-level electron plasma oscillations when the spacecraft was within two million km of the nucleus of comet Giacobini-Zinner. As ICE approached the anticipated bow-shock location, electromagnetic and electrostatic wave levels increased significantly, but even amidst this turbulence, the wave instrument detected structures with familiar bow shock characteristics that were correlated with observations of localized electron heating phenomena. Just beyond the visible coma, high-amplitude broadband waves were detected accounting for the significant electron heating observed in this region. Near closest approach, broadband electrostatic noise was detected together with a changing pattern of weak electron plasma oscillations that yielded a density profile for the outer layers of the cold plasma tail. Near the tail axis, the plasma wave instrument also detected a nonuniform flux of dust impacts, and a preliminary profile of the Giacobini-Zinner dust distribution for micrometer-sized particles is presented.

Scarf, F. L.↗
NASA NTRS2011

The Roles of Transport and Wave-Particle Interactions on Radiation Belt Dynamics

Particle fluxes in the radiation belts can vary dramatically during geomagnetic active periods. Transport and wave-particle interactions are believed to be the two main types of mechanisms that control the radiation belt dynamics. Major transport processes include substorm dipolarization and injection, radial diffusion, convection, adiabatic acceleration and deceleration, and magnetopause shadowing. Energetic electrons and ions are also subjected to pitch-angle and energy diffusion when interact with plasma waves in the radiation belts. Important wave modes include whistler mode chorus waves, plasmaspheric hiss, electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves, and magnetosonic waves. We investigate the relative roles of transport and wave associated processes in radiation belt variations. Energetic electron fluxes during several storms are simulated using our Radiation Belt Environment (RBE) model. The model includes important transport and wave processes such as substorm dipolarization in global MHD fields, chorus waves, and plasmaspheric hiss. We discuss the effects of these competing processes at different phases of the storms and validate the results by comparison with satellite and ground-based observations. Keywords: Radiation Belts, Space Weather, Wave-Particle Interaction, Storm and Substorm

Fok, Mei-Ching↗
DOE OSTI2020

Topological Gaseous Plasmon Polariton in Realistic Plasma

Nontrivial topology in bulk matter has been linked with the existence of topologically protected interfacial states. In this work, we show that a gaseous plasmon polariton (GPP), an electromagnetic surface wave existing at the boundary of magnetized plasma and vacuum, has a topological origin that arises from the nontrivial topology of magnetized plasma. Because a gaseous plasma cannot sustain a sharp interface with discontinuous density, one must consider a gradual density falloff with scale length comparable to or longer than the wavelength of the wave. We show that the GPP may be found within a gapped spectrum in present-day laboratory devices, suggesting that platforms are currently available for experimental investigation of topological wave physics in plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1987

Effect of wave localization on plasma instabilities

The Anderson model of wave localization in random media is involved to study the effect of solar wind density turbulence on plasma processes associated with the solar type III radio burst. ISEE-3 satellite data indicate that a possible model for the type III process is the parametric decay of Langmuir waves excited by solar flare electron streams into daughter electromagnetic and ion acoustic waves. The threshold for this instability, however, is much higher than observed Langmuir wave levels because of rapid wave convection of the transverse electromagnetic daughter wave in the case where the solar wind is assumed homogeneous. Langmuir and transverse waves near critical density satisfy the Ioffe-Reigel criteria for wave localization in the solar wind with observed density fluctuations -1 percent. Numerical simulations of wave propagation in random media confirm the localization length predictions of Escande and Souillard for stationary density fluctations. For mobile density fluctuations localized wave packets spread at the propagation velocity of the density fluctuations rather than the group velocity of the waves. Computer simulations using a linearized hybrid code show that an electron beam will excite localized Langmuir waves in a plasma with density turbulence. An action principle approach is used to develop a theory of non-linear wave processes when waves are localized. A theory of resonant particles diffusion by localized waves is developed to explain the saturation of the beam-plasma instability. It is argued that localization of electromagnetic waves will allow the instability threshold to be exceeded for the parametric decay discussed above.

Levedahl, William Kirk↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Rapid Reddening and Featureless Optical Spectra of the Optical Counterpart of GW170817, AT 2017gfo, during the First Four Days

We present the spectroscopic evolution of AT 2017gfo, the optical counterpart of the first binary neutron star (BNS) merger detected by LIGO and Virgo, GW170817. While models have long predicted that a BNS merger could produce a kilonova (KN), we have not been able to definitively test these models until now. From one day to four days after the merger, we took five spectra of AT 2017gfo before it faded away, which was possible because it was at a distance of only 39.5 Mpc in the galaxy NGC 4993. The spectra evolve from blue (∼6400 K) to red (∼3500 K) over the three days we observed. The spectra are relatively featureless—some weak features exist in our latest spectrum, but they are likely due to the host galaxy. However, a simple blackbody is not sufficient to explain our data: another source of luminosity or opacity is necessary. Predictions from simulations of KNe qualitatively match the observed spectroscopic evolution after two days past the merger, but underpredict the blue flux in our earliest spectrum. From our best-fit models, we infer that AT 2017gfo had an ejecta mass of 0.03 M{sub ⊙}, high ejecta velocities of 0.3c, and a low mass fraction ∼10{sup −4} of high-opacity lanthanides and actinides. One possible explanation for the early excess of blue flux is that the outer ejecta is lanthanide-poor, while the inner ejecta has a higher abundance of high-opacity material. With the discovery and follow-up of this unique transient, combining gravitational-wave and electromagnetic astronomy, we have arrived in the multi-messenger era.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Numerical approximation of the Schrödinger equation with the electromagnetic field by the Hagedorn wave packets

In this paper, we approximate the semi-classical Schrödinger equation in the presence of electromagnetic field by the Hagedorn wave packets approach. By operator splitting, the Hamiltonian is divided into the modified part and the residual part. The modified Hamiltonian, which is the main new idea of this paper, is chosen by the fact that Hagedorn wave packets are localized both in space and momentum so that a crucial correction term is added to the truncated Hamiltonian, and is treated by evolving the parameters associated with the Hagedorn wave packets. The residual part is treated by a Galerkin approximation. We prove that, with the modified Hamiltonian only, the Hagedorn wave packets dynamics give the asymptotic solution with error O(ε{sup 1/2}), where ε is the scaled Planck constant. We also prove that, the Galerkin approximation for the residual Hamiltonian can reduce the approximation error to O(ε{sup k/2}), where k depends on the number of Hagedorn wave packets added to the dynamics. This approach is easy to implement, and can be naturally extended to the multidimensional cases. Unlike the high order Gaussian beam method, in which the non-constant cut-off function is necessary and some extra error is introduced, the Hagedorn wave packets approach gives a practical way to improve accuracy even when ε is not very small.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1993

On the generation of plasma waves in Saturn's inner magnetosphere

Voyager 1 plasma wave measurements of Saturn's inner magnetosphere are reviewed with regard to interpretative aspects of the wave spectrum. A comparison of the wave emission profile with the electron plasma frequency obtained from in situ measurements of the thermal ion density shows good agreement with various features in the wave data identified as electrostatic modes and electromagnetic radio waves. Theoretical calculations of the critical flux of superthermal electrons able to generate whistler-mode waves and electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic waves through a loss-cone instability are presented. The comparison of model results with electron measurements shows excellent agreement, thereby lending support to the conclusion that a moderate perpendicular anisotropy in the hot electron distribution is present in the equatorial region of L = 5-8.

Barbosa, D. D.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Identification of Water-Saturated Zones in a Protective Hydraulic Earthen Structure by Synchronous Electromagnetic and Seismic Sounding

Results of field experiments in synchronized investigation of the protection embankment of the tailing pond of JSC Kovdor Mining and Processing Plant by means of different wave methods of electromagnetic and seismic sounding are presented. A comparative analysis of the data is carried out by means of which boundaries of zones of different degrees of water saturation of the embankment soils may be reliably established. The ranges of velocity of the electromagnetic wave and range of values of the ratio of the velocities of the longitudinal and transverse elastic wave in the transition from dry dense soil of the embankment to moistened soil right up through water-saturated soil are determined.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2014

Relativistic electron precipitation events driven by electromagnetic ion-cyclotron waves

We adopt a canonical approach to describe the stochastic motion of relativistic belt electrons and their scattering into the loss cone by nonlinear EMIC waves. The estimated rate of scattering is sufficient to account for the rate and intensity of bursty electron precipitation. This interaction is shown to result in particle scattering into the loss cone, forming ∼10 s microbursts of precipitating electrons. These dynamics can account for the statistical correlations between processes of energization, pitch angle scattering, and relativistic electron precipitation events, that are manifested on large temporal scales of the order of the diffusion time ∼tens of minutes.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

A characterization of plasma properties of a heterogeneous magnetized low pressure discharge column

An approach is presented for characterizing heterogeneous magnetized plasma discharge tubes through the scattering of electromagnetic plane waves. Here, we formulate the analytical problem of electromagnetic scattering from a gyrotropic plasma column. The scattering accounts for the heterogeneous composition of the cylindrical discharge plasma and facilitates determining its propensity for gyrotropic scattering, particularly when electron collisional damping may be prevalent. The analytical results are validated using computational simulations. Scattered fields from the magnetized plasma are measured experimentally, and, by comparing the analytical and experimental results, the unknown parameters of the discharge, i.e., characteristic plasma and electron collisional damping frequencies, are determined. The technique is relatively straight-forward to use and removes the need for commercial computational electromagnetic simulations when experimental data on scattering characteristics of such cylindrical discharge plasmas are available.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Low-Γ jets from compact stellar mergers: candidate electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave sources

Short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are believed to be produced by relativistic jets from mergers of neutron stars (NSs) or NSs and black-holes (BHs). If the Lorentz-factors Γ of jets from compact stellar mergers follow a similar power-law distribution to those observed for other high-energy astrophysical phenomena (e.g., blazars, active galactic nuclei), the population of jets should be dominated by low-Γ outflows. These jets will not produce prompt gamma-rays, but jet energy will be released as X-ray/optical/radio transients when they collide with the ambient medium. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we study the properties of such transients. Approximately 78% of merger jets <300 Mpc result in failed GRBs if the jet Γ follows a power-law distribution of index −1.75. X-ray/optical transients from failed GRBs will have broad distributions of their characteristics: light-curves peak t{sub p}∼0.1--10 days after a merger; flux peaks for X-ray 10{sup −6} mJy≲ F{sub x}≲10{sup −2} mJy; and optical flux peaks at 14≲ m{sub g}≲22. X-ray transients are detectable by Swift XRT, and ∼85% of optical transients will be detectable by telescopes with limiting magnitude m{sub g}≳21, for well localized sources on the sky. X-ray/optical transients are followed by radio transients with peak times narrowly clustered around t{sub p}∼10 days, and peak flux of ∼10–100 mJy at 10 GHz and ∼0.1 mJy at 150 MHz. By considering the all-sky rate of short GRBs within the LIGO/Virgo range, the rate of on-axis orphan afterglows from failed GRBs should be 2.6(26) per year for NS–NS(NS–BH) mergers, respectively. Since merger jets from gravitational-wave (GW) trigger events tend to be directed to us, a significant fraction of GW events could be associated with the on-axis orphan afterglow.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗