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At least 1,549 records · Page 86

Modeling Heatshield Erosion Due to Dust Particle Impacts for Martian Entries

Heatshield design for spacecraft entering the atmosphere of Mars may be affected by the presence of atmospheric dust. Particle impacts with sufficient kinetic energy can cause spallation damage to the heatshield that must be estimated. The dust environment in terms of particle size distribution and number density can be inferred from ground-based or atmospheric observations at Mars. Using a Lagrangian approach, the particle trajectories through the shock layer can be computed using a set of coupled ordinary differential equations. The dust particles are small enough that non-continuum effects must be accounted for when computing the drag coefficient and heat transfer to the particle surface. Surface damage correlations for impact crater diameter and penetration depth are presented for fused-silica, AVCOAT, Shuttle tiles, cork, and Norcoat Liège. The cork and Norcoat Liège correlations are new and were developed in this study. The modeling equations presented in this paper are applied to compute the heatshield erosion due to dust particle impacts on the ExoMars Schiaparelli entry capsule during dust storm conditions.

Palmer, Grant↗

Warm Absorber Diagnostics of AGN Dynamics

Warm absorbers and related phenomena are some of the observable manifestations of outflows or winds from active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Warm absorbers are common in low-luminosity AGNs. They have been extensively studied observationally and are well described by simple phenomenological models. However, major open questions remain. What is the driving mechanism? What is the density and geometrical distribution? How much associated fully ionized gas is there? What is the relation to the quasi-relativistic "ultrafast outflows"? In this paper we present synthetic spectra for the observable properties of warm absorber flows and associated quantities. We use ab initio dynamical models, i.e., solutions of the equations of motion for gas in finite difference form. The models employ various plausible assumptions for the origin of the warm absorber gas and the physical mechanisms affecting its motion. The synthetic spectra are presented as an observational test of these models. In this way we explore various scenarios for warm absorber dynamics. We show that observed spectra place certain requirements on the geometrical distribution of the warm absorber gas, and that not all dynamical scenarios are equally successful at producing spectra similar to what is observed.

Kallman, Timothy R.↗

POLARRIS: A POLArimetric Radar Retrieval and Instrument Simulator

This paper introduces a synthetic polarimetric radar simulator and retrieval package, POLArimetric Radar Retrieval and Instrument Simulator (POLARRIS), for evaluating cloud‐resolving models (CRMs). POLARRIS is composed of forward (POLARRIS‐f) and inverse (retrieval and diagnostic) components (iPOLARRIS) to generate not only polarimetric radar observables (Zh, Zdr, Kdp, ρhv) but also radar‐consistent geophysical parameters such as hydrometeor identification, vertical velocity, and rainfall rates retrieved from CRM data. To demonstrate its application and uncertainties, POLARRIS is applied to simulations of a mesoscale convective system over the Southern Great Plains on 23 May 2011, using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with both spectral bin microphysics (SBM) and the Goddard single‐moment bulk 4ICE microphysics. Statistical composites reveal a significant dependence of simulated polarimetric observables (Zdr, Kdp) on the assumptions of the particle axis ratio (oblateness) and orientation angle distributions. The simulated polarimetric variables differ considerably between the SBM and 4ICE microphysics in part due to the differences in their ice particle size distributions as revealed by comparisons with aircraft measurements. Regardless of these uncertainties, simulated hydrometeor identification distributions overestimate graupel and hail fractions, especially from the simulation with SBM. To minimize uncertainties in forward model, the particle shape and orientation angle distributions of frozen particles should be predicted in a microphysics scheme in addition to the size distributions and particle densities.

Toshi Matsui↗

Updates on the Debrisat Hypervelocity Experiment and Characterization of Fragments in Support of Environmental Models

To develop, maintain, and update orbital debris environmental and break-up models, such as the NASA Orbital Debris Engineering Model (ORDEM) and the NASA Standard Satellite Breakup Model (SSBM), the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) relies on the most recent validated datasets from various measurement sources, both laboratory and environmental. One key project that will provide insight for break-up events using modern-day spacecraft materials and construction techniques is the DebriSat laboratory hypervelocity-impact test. Based on the mass of the target, the projectile, and the impact velocity, the expected number of fragments greater than 2 mm, generated using the NASA SSBM, was estimated to be close to 85,000. To date, the DebriSat fragment database continues to grow, with over 200,000 fragments collected that will help inform updates to the SSBM. Additionally, the growing fragment ensemble will support key parameters for the next release of NASA’s environmental models, employing fragment shapes, densities, and size distributions. To further support these environmental models, specifically the size parameter used in ground-based optical measurements, optical characterization on a subset of DebriSat fragments is being conducted in ODPO’s Optical Measurement Center (OMC). Broadband bidirectional reflectance distribution (BRDF) measurements will provide insight into the optical-based NASA Size Estimation Model (OSEM). The OSEM equates an object’s brightness to size (e.g., diameter of a disk or sphere) given several assumed parameters, including a defined phase function, albedo, and range. To address the first defined parameter, the ODPO has been using ray-tracing software to simulate light conditions in the OMC and to generate phase functions (i.e., specular, Lambertian, and experimentally-derived) of known shapes, materials, and sizes. This simulated data, in addition to the experimentally derived measurements collected in the OMC, will aid in determining whether a new phase function would be suitable for an updated OSEM. The OSEM also assumes a single-value albedo, thus pre-impact spectral measurements on a subset of DebriSat materials were acquired for baseline material characterization and to provide insight into spacecraft material taxonomies. This DebriSat spectral data, along with spectral measurements from other known spacecraft material samples, will allow for better analyses of albedo variations and the effect on size calculations of defined laboratory targets, thus further supporting OSEM updates. This paper provides an overview of DebriSat, the status of the project, updates on the parameter distributions, an overview of the NASA SSBM, and ongoing fragment characterization efforts within the OMC.

Heather Cowardin↗

Updates on the DebriSat Hypervelocity Experiment and Characterization of Fragments in Support of Environmental Models

To develop, maintain, and update orbital debris environmental and break-up models, such as the NASA Orbital Debris Engineering Model (ORDEM) and the NASA Standard Satellite Breakup Model (SSBM), the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) relies on the most recent validated datasets from various measurement sources, both laboratory and environmental. One key project that will provide insight for break-up events using modern-day spacecraft materials and construction techniques is the DebriSat laboratory hypervelocity-impact test. Based on the mass of the target, the projectile, and the impact velocity, the expected number of fragments greater than 2 mm, generated using the NASA SSBM, was estimated to be close to 85,000. To date, the DebriSat fragment database continues to grow, with over 200,000 fragments collected that will help inform updates to the SSBM. Additionally, the growing fragment ensemble will support key parameters for the next release of NASA’s environmental models, employing fragment shapes, densities, and size distributions. To further support these environmental models, specifically the size parameter used in ground-based optical measurements, optical characterization on a subset of DebriSat fragments is being conducted in ODPO’s Optical Measurement Center (OMC). Broadband bidirectional reflectance distribution (BRDF) measurements will provide insight into the optical-based NASA Size Estimation Model (OSEM). The OSEM equates an object’s brightness to size (e.g., diameter of a disk or sphere) given several assumed parameters, including a defined phase function, albedo, and range. To address the first defined parameter, the ODPO has been using ray-tracing software to simulate light conditions in the OMC and to generate phase functions (i.e., specular, Lambertian, and experimentally-derived) of known shapes, materials, and sizes. This simulated data, in addition to the experimentally derived measurements collected in the OMC, will aid in determining whether a new phase function would be suitable for an updated OSEM. The OSEM also assumes a single-value albedo, thus preimpact spectral measurements on a subset of DebriSat materials were acquired for baseline material characterization and to provide insight into spacecraft material taxonomies. This DebriSat spectral data, along with spectral measurements from other known spacecraft material samples, will allow for better analyses of albedo variations and the effect on size calculations of defined laboratory targets, thus further supporting OSEM updates. This paper provides an overview of DebriSat, the status of the project, updates on the parameter distributions, an overview of the NASA SSBM, and ongoing fragment characterization efforts within the OMC.

Heather Cowardin↗

Taming the Untamable: Making An Enceladus-Like Plume by Hypervelocity Oblique Impacts at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR) Facility

Enceladus’ plume was extensively investigated by the Cassini-Huygens mission [1-4], giving information about the icy moon interior, and the existence of a plausibly inhabited global ocean. The plume is a mixture of gas, sub-micrometer to micrometer ice, and non-ice particles, expanding into space from vents in the Tiger Stripes region [5]. Collecting plume’s ice particles for signs of Life is a fundamental objective of future fly-by missions to Enceladus, and other icy moons, e.g., Europa, where icy plumes could exist. However, understanding particle collection on high-speed flybys through a plume environment is a challenging task. To address the above, in collaboration with the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), we have been testing the collection of impact-generated ice grains from simulated ice plumes at the NASA Ames Vertical GunRange (AVGR) facility [e.g., 6-7].Of particular interest is the alteration of organic material in the particles during the high-speed collection process. Any such alteration could degrade the ability of instruments to detect biomarkers in the samples collected. An experimental and theoretical understanding of the organic alteration as a function of collection speed could be used to unravel these effects. Methods: Plumes of -170°C ice particles traveling at an initial speed of 2 – 3 km/s were created by shooting 3-mm hollow Aluminum (Al) projectiles (up to 6 km/s) at liquid-nitrogen-cooled ice targets of synthetic seawater (SSW). An Al witness foil is positioned to determine particle size, and ice particle impact speed is determined by high-speed video. The ice particles smash and sublimate on impact leaving salt residue, dents, and pits on the Al witness foil. We characterized Ice grains type, abundance, density, shape, and distribution caliper (Ferret)diameter via image pattern recognition analysis (ImageJ Software) of still camera photographs of the Al target. Results: Our hyper-velocity impact experiments generated an Enceladus plume analog with an ice particle mean diameter within the particle size distribution (i.e., 2 micrometers to 50 micrometers) as determined by Cassini’s multiple instruments [8]. Simulated impact speed ranged0.2 km/s to 1-2 km/s. The continued experimental production of high-velocity, micrometer-sized ice grains is underway at the AVGR. The relevance of ice particle generation is multifold, so are its applications. These include testing for fragmentation of molecular organics to interpret Cassini’s data (e.g., Cassini Data Analysis Program) and studies of forwarding contamination (a planetary protection issue).

Rosalba Bonaccorsi↗

Semispan Test Results of an Active Flow Control Enabled High-Lift Common Research Model in Landing Configuration

A 10%-scale semispan, Active Flow Control (AFC) enabled, simplified high-lift version of the Common Research Model (CRM-SHL-AFC) was tested in the 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel at the NASA Langley Research Center. The main objective of the test was to develop an AFC system that can provide the necessary lift recovery on a simple-hinged flap high-lift system while minimizing its pneumatic power requirement. Three new types of AFC approaches were examined: Double-Row Sweeping Jets (DRSWJ), Alternating Pulsed Jets (APJ), and High Efficiency Low Power (HELP) actuators. The DRSWJ and the APJ actuators used two rows of unsteady jets, whereas the HELP actuators used an upstream row of sweeping jets combined with a downstream row of steady jets to overcome strong adverse pressure gradients. The test was conducted mostly at a freestream Mach number of 0.20. For exploration purposes, a limited number of runs were made at lower Mach numbers or using vortex generators (VGs). Minimal sensitivity to Mach number or VGs, for the cases evaluated, were observed. The AFC-induced lift coefficient increment was maintained over the AFC-off case for most flow-control cases examined. The CRM-SHL-AFC configuration equipped with HELP actuation was the only actuator configuration able to match or exceed the targeted lift performance of a reference conventional high-lift configuration. The presented aerodynamic data include lift, drag, and pitching moment coefficients as a function of angle of attack, with and without the Transonic Wall Interference Correction System (TWICS) method applied. Lift increments as a function of AFC pneumatic power usage (i.e., nozzle pressure ratio, mass flow, momentum coefficient, and power coefficient) are also presented at a lower angle of attack (α = 8.9°) and at maximum lift (α= 17.1°). At the two angles of attack, the surface pressure distributions and autospectral densities from the unsteady pressure transducers for the AFC-off case and the best HELP actuation case are compared.

high-lift↗

Time-dependent Photoionization Modeling of Warm Absorbers: High-resolution Spectra and Response to Flaring Light Curves

Time-dependent photoionization modeling of warm absorber (WA) outflows in active galactic nuclei can play an important role in understanding the interaction between WAs and the central black hole. The WA may be out of the equilibrium state because of the variable nature of the central continuum. In this paper, with the help of time dependent photoionization modeling, we study how the WA gas properties change with time and how it reacts to changing radiation fields. Incorporating a flaring incident light curve, we investigate the behavior of WAs using a photoionization code that simultaneously and consistently solves the time-dependent equations of level population, heating and cooling, and radiative transfer. We simulate the physical processes in the gas clouds, such as ionization, recombination, heating, cooling, and the transfer of ionizing radiation through the cloud and present high-resolution time-resolved absorption spectra. We demonstrate that time-dependent radiative transfer is important and the calculations that omit this effect quantitatively and systematically underestimate the absorption. Time-dependent photoionization models provide crucial insights into the characteristics of WAs and can be used to constrain their density and spatial distribution.

Astrophysicists↗

Time-Dependent Photoionization Modeling of Warm Absorbers: High-Resolution Spectra and Response to Flaring Light Curves

Time-dependent photoionization modeling of warm absorber (WA) outflows in active galactic nuclei can play an important role in understanding the interaction between WAs and the central black hole. The WA may be out of the equilibrium state because of the variable nature of the central continuum. In this paper, with the help of time dependent photoionization modeling, we study how the WA gas properties change with time and how it reacts to changing radiation fields. Incorporating a flaring incident light curve, we investigate the behavior of WAs using a photoionization code that simultaneously and consistently solves the time-dependent equations of level population, heating and cooling, and radiative transfer. We simulate the physical processes in the gas clouds, such as ionization, recombination, heating, cooling, and the transfer of ionizing radiation through the cloud and present high-resolution time-resolved absorption spectra. We demonstrate that time-dependent radiative transfer is important and the calculations that omit this effect quantitatively and systematically underestimate the absorption. Time-dependent photoionization models provide crucial insights into the characteristics of WAs and can be used to constrain their density and spatial distribution.

Dev R. Sadaula↗

Deep Convective Cloud Calibration Sensitivity Studies in Support of Radiometrically Scaling GEO Imagers With VIIRS

The NASA CERES SYN1deg product provides the scientific community regional hourly TOA and surface broadband fluxes and clouds. For consistent geostationary (GEO) derived fluxes and clouds the GEO imagers are radiometrically scaled to the Aqua-MODIS calibration reference. The CERES project utilizes GEO and MODIS or VIIRS analogous channel coincident, collocated, and co-angled radiance pairs as the primary method to inter-calibrate the GEO imagers. Tropical deep convective clouds (DCC) are bright, near Lambertian, top of atmosphere pseudo invariant Earth targets that do not rely on coincident ray-matched radiance pairs to radiometrically scale sensors to a common calibration reference. The DCC invariant target (DCC-IT) methodology collectively analyzes all tropical DCC identified pixel radiances by way of probability density function (PDF) distributions. Perfectly inter-calibrated sensor pairs should reveal nearly identical PDF distributions given the same DCC identification criterion. The PDF median, mean, mode, and inflection point statistics were tested as a function of DCC identification criterion using SNPP-VIIRS and Himawari-8 AHI 0.65μm channel radiances during January 2019. It was found that the PDF inflection point provided inter-calibration factors within 0.25% that were nearly independent of DCC identification criterion. The PDF median provided inter-calibration factors within 0.25% for the coldest BT and most stringent homogeneity factors. The PDF mean and mode statistics were inadequate under any DCC conditions. It is critical for the DCC pixel radiances to be anisotropically corrected. The DCC-IT methodology will also be tested for other visible and SWIR bands.

DCC↗

Graph-Augmented Normalizing Flows for Anomaly Detection of Multiple Time Series

Anomaly detection is a widely studied task for a broad variety of data types; among them, multiple time series appear frequently in applications, including for example, power grids and traffic networks. Detecting anomalies for multiple time series, however, is a challenging subject, owing to the intricate interdependencies among the constituent series. We hypothesize that anomalies occur in low density regions of a distribution and explore the use of normalizing flows for unsupervised anomaly detection, because of their superior quality in density estimation. Moreover, we propose a novel flow model by imposing a Bayesian network among constituent series. A Bayesian network is a directed acyclic graph (DAG) that models causal relationships; it factorizes the joint probability of the series into the product of easy-to-evaluate conditional probabilities. We call such a graph-augmented normalizing flow approach GANF and propose joint estimation of the DAG with flow parameters. We conduct extensive experiments on real-world datasets and demonstrate the effectiveness of GANF for density estimation, anomaly detection, and identification of time series distribution drift.

Dai, Enyan↗

Cross Correlating Cosmological Probes for LSST & CMB-S4

The upcoming years will be populated with state-of-the-art Stage-IV cosmological surveys. This paper forecasts the cosmological information we expect to constrain using probes from the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and CMB-S4. We explore the effectiveness of different large-scale-structure probes, including the power spectra of galaxy weak lensing, galaxy position, Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) lensing, and their cross-correlations. We use correlated lognormal simulations with the expected redshift distributions, galaxy number densities, and noise levels of the LSST survey. For CMB weak lensing, we use CMB-S4 lensing simulations with anticipated noise levels to obtain the expected error bars of each probe. We investigate the constraining power of the cosmological parameters for the individual probes and their combinations in an idealized scenario. We do not take into account astrophysical and observational parameters such as galaxy bias variations and photometric redshift un- certainties. Overall, we find the auto-correlated probes hold stronger constraints on cosmological parameters than the cross-correlated probes due to kernel differences. However, the cross-correlation of galaxy clustering and CMB lensing is very comparable to the auto-correlation of galaxy clustering with only an 8% stronger constraint in S8. It will be important for future surveys to use these auto and cross probes in combination due to the different astrophysical and systematic effects involved in CMB and late-time galaxy data. When systematics are added to this analysis, the cross probes will serve as a check for systematic biases in individual probes. In addition, we find a significant increase in constraint using all four probes in combination. This can be illustrated by the increase in constraint of S8 by 93.2% comparing galaxy clustering auto-correlation to a combination of all probes. Our study is a first step toward forecasting the high-precision cosmological constraints we expect to obtain using the next generation of large-scale structure probes.

Gibbins, Grace↗

Effect of local environment on Ly$α$ line profile in DESI/ODIN LAEs

Lyman-Alpha Emitters (LAEs) are star-forming galaxies with significant Ly$α$ emission and are often used as tracers of large-scale structure at high redshift. We explore the relationship between the Ly$α$ line profile and environmental density with spectroscopy from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) of LAEs selected with narrow-band photometry through the One-hundred-deg$^2$ DECam Imaging in Narrowbands (ODIN) survey. We use LAE surface density maps in the N419 (z $\sim$ 2.45) and N501 (z $\sim$ 3.12) narrow bands to probe the relationship between local environmental density and the Ly$α$ line profile. In both narrow bands, we stack the LAE spectra in bins of environmental density and inside and outside of protocluster regions. The N501 data shows $\sim$15% higher Ly$α$ line luminosity for galaxies in protoclusters, suggesting increased star formation in these regions. However, the line luminosity is not appreciably greater in protocluster galaxies in the N419 band, suggesting a potential redshift evolution of this effect. The shape of the line profile itself does not vary with environmental density, suggesting that line shape changes are caused by local effects independent of a galaxy's environment. These data indicate a potential relationship between LAE local environmental density, ionized gas distribution, and Ly$α$ line luminosity.

Uzsoy, Ana M. [Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.↗

Kinetic entropy-based measures of distribution function non-Maxwellianity: theory and simulations

We investigate kinetic entropy-based measures of the non-Maxwellianity of distribution functions in plasmas, i.e. entropy-based measures of the departure of a local distribution function from an associated Maxwellian distribution function with the same density, bulk flow and temperature as the local distribution. First, we consider a form previously employed by Kaufmann & Paterson (J. Geophys. Res., vol. 114, 2009, A00D04), assessing its properties and deriving equivalent forms. To provide a quantitative understanding of it, we derive analytical expressions for three common non-Maxwellian plasma distribution functions. We show that there are undesirable features of this non-Maxwellianity measure including that it can diverge in various physical limits and elucidate the reason for the divergence. We then introduce a new kinetic entropy-based non-Maxwellianity measure based on the velocity-space kinetic entropy density, which has a meaningful physical interpretation and does not diverge. We use collisionless particle-in-cell simulations of two-dimensional anti-parallel magnetic reconnection to assess the kinetic entropy-based non-Maxwellianity measures. We show that regions of non-zero non-Maxwellianity are linked to kinetic processes occurring during magnetic reconnection. We also show the simulated non-Maxwellianity agrees reasonably well with predictions for distributions resembling those calculated analytically. These results can be important for applications, as non-Maxwellianity can be used to identify regions of kinetic-scale physics or increased dissipation in plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Mapping the structural–mechanical landscape of amorphous carbon with ReaxFF molecular dynamics

We use ReaxFF molecular dynamics (MD) to investigate the relationship between structural and mechanical properties in bulk and nanostructured amorphous carbon (a-C). The liquid-quench MD method is used to generate isotropic bulk samples with mass densities ranging from 0.96 to 3.29 g/cm3. Structural analysis identifies two types of structures with distinct short- and medium-range order: lower-density sp2-dominated a-C, which is characterized by a bimodal ring-size distribution, and higher-density sp3-dominated tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C), exhibiting a unimodal ring-size distribution. Stress–strain MD simulations and analysis reveal how an atomistic structure impacts elastic properties and post-yield atomic rearrangements. All stretched structures demonstrate elastic isotropy and plasticity driven by a ring-size expansion mechanism reflected in changes in ring statistics. The plastic region is substantially larger in ta-C than in a-C due to the post-yield shift from sp3 to sp2 C dominant bonding. In both a-C and ta-C, ultimate failure occurs when a reactive crack, traversed by long sp chains, forms and propagates predominantly perpendicular to the direction of the applied strain. Oxygen infiltration into the fractured region significantly reduces stress resistance, primarily through the early rupture of long sp chains. MD simulations and analysis are extended to a-C slabs, a-C nanotubes, and partially a-C nanotubes. The latter nanostructure highlights the differences between the elastically isotropic a-C walls, which develop circumferential cracking, and the crystalline walls, which tear along crystallographic directions. These results provide a strong foundation for further computational characterization of a-C materials.

Dernov, A. (ORCID:0009000004220973)↗

Velocity-Resolved Far-Infrared Spectra of [Fe 2]: Evidence for Mixing and Clumping in SN 1987A

We present approx. 400 km/s resolution profiles of the 17.94 and 25.99 micron [Fe II] transitions from SN 1987A at t approx. 400 days after core collapse. These observations used the facility cooled grating spectrometer aboard NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory. The two profiles are similar and have FWHM line widths of approx. 2700 km/s. The higher signal-to-noise 18 micron profile is somewhat asymmetric, falling off more steeply on the redshifted side than on the blue. Gaussian fits to the profiles yield an average centroid velocity of 280 +/- 140 km/s relative to the Large Magellanic Cloud. The wings of the profiles extend to velocities is approx. greater than 3000 km/s. This shows that a significant fraction of the iron has been mixed outward into the hydrogen-rich envelope, which has a minimum expansion velocity of 2100-2400 km/s. Both profiles also contain an unresolved 3-5 sigma emission feature on the redshifted wing at nu(LSR) approx. + 3900 km/s. We interpret this feature as emission from a high-velocity clump of material containing approx. 3% of the total iron mass. The total line flux of the 26 micron ground-state transition yields an optically thin, singly ionized iron mass of 0.026 solar mass, relatively independent of the assumed temperature. This is significantly less than the 0.06 Me of Fe+ determined from the decline of the optical light curve and the ionization of measured nickel lines, implying that the iron transitions still have appreciable optical depth. However, because of the small change in the 26 micron line flux from our measurement at 250 days, and the similarity of our profiles to the 1.26 micron [Fe II] profile, most of the emission is believed to originate from optically thin material with a temperature of 4406 +/- 400 K. A comparison of the data with spherically symmetric models indicates a power-law density exponent of -3.2 +/- 1.1 and a minimum expansion velocity of 650 +/- 650 km/s for this optically thin component. The [Fe II] line fluxes and profiles also imply that the remainder of the material has high optical depth and is distributed in clumps throughout the ejecta, rather than being concentrated at low velocities in the center of a smooth density distribution.

Haas, Michael R.↗

Gravitational microlensing of high-redshift supernovae by compact objects

An analysis of the effect of microlensing by a cosmologically dominant density of compact objects is performed, using high-redshift Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia's) as probes. The compact objects are modeled as a three-dimensional distribution of point masses, and Monte Carlo simulations are done to calculate the resulting amplification probability distributions for several column densities and cosmologies. By combining these distributions with the intrinsic SN Ia luminosity function and comparing with the results for a perfectly smooth universe, estimates are made of the number of supernovae that would need to be observed to confirm or rule out this lensing scenario. It is found that about 1000 SN Ia's with redshifts of z = 1 would be needed to perform this test, which is beyond what current searches can hope to accomplish. Observations of many fewer high-redshift supernovae, used merely as standard candles, appears a promising way of distinguishing between different cosmological models.

Rauch, Kevin P.↗

Estimating Electron Temperature and Density Using Van Allen Probe Data: Typical Behavior of Energetic Electrons in the Inner Magnetosphere

Abstract The Earth's inner magnetosphere contains multiple electron populations influenced by different factors. The cold electrons of the plasmasphere, warm plasma that contributes to the ring current, and the relativistic plasma of the radiation belts often seem to behave independently. Using omni‐directional flux and energy measurements from the HOPE and Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer instruments aboard the Van Allen Probes, we provide a detailed density and temperature description of the inner magnetosphere, offering a comprehensive statistical analysis of the entire Van Allen Probe era. While number density and temperature data at geosynchronous orbit are available, this study focuses on the warm plasma in the inner magnetosphere . Values of density and temperature are extracted by fitting energy and phase space density to obtain the distribution function. The fitted distributions are related to the zeroth and second moments to estimate the number density and temperature. Analysis has indicated that a two Maxwellian fit is sufficient over a wide range of and that there are two independent plasma populations. The more energetic population has a median number density of approximately and a temperature of around 130 keV, with a temperature peak observed between L * = 4 and L * = 4.5. This population is relatively uniform in magnetic local time (MLT). In contrast, the less energetic warm electron population has a median number density of about and a temperature of 7.4 keV. Strong statistical trends in density and temperature across both L * and MLT are presented, along with potential sources driving these variations.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗