Engineering topics

Lundin, R.

Publications and source records attributed to Lundin, R..

12 records

NASA NTRS1999

Energetic Neutral Atom Imager on the Swedish Microsatellite Astrid

The Swedish microsatellite ASTRID was launched by a Russian Cosmos rocket on January 24, 1995 into a 1000 km circular orbit with 83 deg inclination. Besides the main objective of technological demonstration, imaging of energetic neutral atoms (ENAS) was attempted. The imager detected ENA in the energy range 0.1 - 140 keV utilizing two different techniques. Neutrals of the energy 13 - 140 keV were recorded by 14 solid state detectors with the total field of view 5 deg x 322 deg. For half a spin (approx. 1.5 s) of the ASTRID spacecraft, almost all of space was covered with an angular resolution 2.5 deg x 25 deg. Less energetic neutrals of approx. 0.1 - 70 keV were converted on a graphite target into secondary particles which then were detected by a microchannel plate with 32 anodes. A fraction of primary neutrals was directly reflected towards the sensor. This technique provided the total ENA flux with an angular resolution 4.6 deg x 11.5 deg. The instrument weight is 3.13 kg. Successful operation of the instrument during the first 5 weeks of the mission provided the first ENA images of the ring current at low altitudes.

Barabash, S.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Vorticity equation for MHD fast waves in geospace environment

The MHD vorticity equation is modified in order to apply it to nonlinear MHD fast waves or shocks when their extent along the magnetic field is limited. Field-aligned current (FAC) generation is also discussed on the basis of this modified vorticity equation. When the wave normal is not aligned to the finite velocity convection and the source region is spatially limited, a longitudinal polarization causes a pair of plus and minus charges inside the compressional plane waves or shocks, generating a pair of FACs. This polarization is not related to the separation between the electrons and ions caused by their difference in mass, a separation which is inherent to compressional waves. The resultant double field-aligned current structure exists both with and without the contributions from curvature drift, which is questionable in terms of its contribution to vorticity change from the viewpoint of single-particle motion.

Yamauchi, M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Recent results on Mars and Venus; Proceedings of Symposium 3 and the Topical Meetings of the Interdisciplinary Scientific Commission C (Meeting C1) and D (Meeting D1) of the COSPAR 28th Plenary Meeting, The Hague, Netherlands, June 25-July 6, 1990

In this volume, latest results on Mars and Phobos studies are discussed along with recent results on Venus and on Martian plasma environment. Papers are presented on the characteristics of aerosol phenomena in Martian atmosphere from KRFM-experiment data, Phobos map and Phobos globe, submicron-sized dust grains in the Martian environment, remote sensing of Venus atmospheric dynamics, the latitude structure of upper clouds of Venus, and Venus thermospheric response to short-term solar variations. Attention is also given to a comparison between the bow shocks and magnetotails of Venus and Mars, comparative studies of the solar wind interaction with weakly magnetized planets, the magnetic field environment of Mars as studied by Phobos-2, waves and cold plasmas near Mars, and multiple-ion effects at Martian plasma boundaries.

Shorthill, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Picked-up protons near Mars - Phobos observations

The measurements carried out by the plasma spectrometer, Aspera, on board the Phobos-2 spacecraft show that protons, originating in the extended hydrogen corona of Mars, were observed at altitudes not greater than 7500 km. The cyclotron instability of these pickup ions appears to generate Alfven waves observed by the Magma magnetometer. Analysis of the plasma data shows that weak pitch-angle diffusion of a ring-distribution of pickup protons occurs. The altitude profiles of pickup proton fluxes and number densities of the parent hydrogen atoms are derived.

Barabash, S.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Pc 5 pulsations in the outer dawn magnetosphere seen by ISEE 1 and 2

A long-lasting Pc 5 pulsation at the dawn flank of the magnetosphere is studied using particle and field instrumentation from the ISEE 1 and 2 satellites. Electric field and particle modulation signatures were clearer than magnetic field variations, consistent with the satellites' position in latitude near the equatorial node of a fundamental resonance. Pulsation flow velocities along the ISEE 1 trajectory were calculated from particle characteristics using data from several instruments and from electric and magnetic field data. These flow velocities were all consistent with each other, but the velocities derived from plasma and energetic particle observations were a factor of 2.5 larger than velocities derived from the fields data. In contrast to observations of pulsations during magnetic storms, which often involve resonant or gyrating particle behavior, particles at all energies sampled (10 eV to 200 keV) appeared to respond passively to the pulsation throughout most of the period of interest.

Mitchell, D. G.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Resonant geomagnetic field oscillations and Birkeland currents in the morning sector

The relationship between large-scale Birkeland currents and resonant oscillations of the geomagnetic field is investigated on the basis of Viking magnetic-field, electric-field, and particle measurements and AMPTE-CEE and IMP-8 magnetic-field measurements obtained during April 23-25, 1986. The data are presented in extensive graphs and characterized in detail. The 3-16-mHz 5-60-nT magnetic-field oscillations detected by Viking are also seen by AMPTE-CEE below L = 8.8 and extend from the lower L shells to the boundary between regions 1 and 2 of the Birkeland-current system, and this boundary is shown to be closely related to the interface between the low-latitude boundary layer and the central plasma sheet. It is suggested that the magnetospheric oscillations may be driven by several different solar-wind features, possibly depending on the direction of the IMF.

Potemra, T. A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Analyses of convective flows and spatial gradients in energetic ion observations

Based on the measured anisotropy of three-dimensional energetic ion distributions obtained from the Medium Energy Particle Instrument experiment of the ISEE 1 spacecraft, bulk flow, epsilon x B convection, and pressure gradients in magnetospheric plasmas are measured with two techniques. In the first technique, using a Compton-Getting transform into the appropriate rest frame in an iterative fashion and converging to the unique velocity that removes the first-order anisotropy from the flux angular distribution, the actual measured angular distribution, and spectrum at each angle, are employed. The second technique uses a first moment of the distribution function in which the shift in velocity space of the distribution function is obtained at two phase space density values. The convection contribution to the velocity shift is assumed to be perpendicular to the pressure gradient contribution if an MHD generator condition is assumed, rendering the two shifts separable, and a gradient scale and a lower limit to the convection electric field are derived in one calculation.

Mitchell, D. G.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Auroral morphology of the midday oval

Auroral displays in the noon sector were examined by using hundreds of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program auroral images, taken over the southern polar region in austral winters, in order to determine the morphology. The auroral displays in the midday part of the auroral oval can be grouped into five characteristic types, depending on the geomagnetic activity and the Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field. An important characteristic is the clear disconnection in appearance between the noonside and the nightside discrete auroras. Also, there is the lack of correlation between the concurrent nightside substorm activity and midday discrete auroral activity. Thus, the occurrence of bright, discrete auroras in the midday oval may be caused by the local injection of the magnetosheath plasma into the dayside boundary layer. The observed discontinuity of discrete auroras between the dayside and the nightside ovals is consistent with the existence of two separated major injection regions along the auroral oval: the dayside cusp and the nightside plasma sheet.

Meng, C.-I.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Trigger, an active release experiment that stimulated auroral particle precipitation and wave emissions

The experimental design by which a cesium vapor cloud was suddenly released in order to stimulate auroral particle precipitation is described along with the general results obtained. A drastic increase of the field-aligned charged-particle flux was observed with subsequent particle bursts. It is suggested that low-energy acceleration was due to parallel electric fields created by an instability which was driven by field-aligned currents resulting from the plasma injection. Pitch angle scattering in the deep magnetosphere may account for particle precipitation continuing for 130 sec after release.

Holmgren, G.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Artificial stimulation of auroral electron acceleration by intense field aligned currents

A cesium-doped high explosion was detonated at 165 km altitude in the auroral ionosphere during quiet conditions. An Alfven wave pulse with a 200-mV/m electric field was observed, with the peak occurring 135 ms after the explosion at a distance of about 1 km. The count rate of fixed energy 2-keV electron detectors abruptly increased at 140 ms, peaked at 415 ms, and indicated a downward field-aligned beam of accelerated electrons. An anomalously high-field aligned beam of backscattered electrons was also detected. The acceleration is interpreted as due to production of an electrostatic shock or double layer between 300 and 800 km altitude. The structure was probably formed by an instability of the intense field-aligned currents in the Alfven wave launched by the charge-separation electric field due to the explosion.

Holmgren, G.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Trigger, an active release experiment that stimulated auroral particle precipitation and wave emissions

The experiment design, including a description of the diagnostic and chemical release payload, and the general results are given for an auroral process simulation experiment. A drastic increase of the field aligned charged particle flux was observed over the approximate energy range 10 eV to more than 300 keV, starting about 150 ms after the release and lasting about one second. The is evidence of a second particle burst, starting one second after the release and lasting for tens of seconds, and evidence for a periodic train of particle bursts occurring with a 7.7 second period from 40 to 130 seconds after the release. A transient electric field pulse of 200 mv/m appeared just before the particle flux increase started. Electrostatic wave emissions around 2 kHz, as well as a delayed perturbation of the E-region below the plasma cloud were also observed. Some of the particle observations are interpreted in terms of field aligned electrostatic acceleration a few hundred kilometers above the injected plasma cloud. It is suggested that the acceleration electric field was created by an instability driven by field aligned currents originating in the plasma cloud.

Holmgren, G.↗

NASA NTRS1973

An example of anticorrelation of auroral particles and electric fields.

The question of whether correlation or anticorrelation should occur is complex and depends on many factors, e.g., the internal impedance of the source; the Pedersen conductivity, which in turn is dependent on the incident energy of the precipitated particles; whether space charge can build up; and the magnitude of the incoming flux. Data are presented from a case in which an anticorrelation between auroral particles and electric fields is especially striking. The data were obtained from a Nike Tomahawk launched from the Norwegian rocket range at Andoya. The experiments carried are described briefly. The data support the anticorrelation model as one mechanism that can affect the electric field strength in auroral regions.

Maynard, N. C.↗