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Okuda, H.

Publications and source records attributed to Okuda, H..

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Numerical simulation of the subsolar magnetopause current layer in the sun-earth meridian plane

The formation and stability of the magnetopause current layer near the subsolar point in the sun-earth meridian plane are examined using a 2D electromagnetic particle simulation. For the case of zero IMF, the simulation results show that the current layer remains stable and is essentially the same as in the 1D simulation. The width of the current layer is given by the electron-ion hybrid gyroradius which is much smaller than the ion gyroradius. The current layer is found to remain stable for the northward IMF as well. As in the 1D simulation, the jump of the magnetic field at the current layer for the northward IMF remains small. For the southward IMF, collisionless magnetic reconnection is found to develop, leading to the formation of magnetic islands and density peaking within the current layer.

Okuda, H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Balloon observations of interstellar CII (158 microns) and OI (63 microns) forbidden lines

Interstellar CII and OI forbidden lines were observed by the Balloon-Borne Infrared Telescope (BIRT) with a Fabry-Perot spectrometer. Two balloon flights were successfully made. With a method of 'frequency switching', diffuse CII forbidden-line emission was efficiently detected and mapped in extended regions around HII/molecular cloud complexes and in a wide area of the Galactic plane. It has been shown that the CII forbidden-line emission is very strong and ubiquitously distributed in interstellar space in the Galaxy.

Shibai, H.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Structure of the magnetopause current layer at the subsolar point

Attention is given to a 1D electromagnetic particle simulation model developed for the magnetopause current layer between the shocked solar wind and the dipole magnetic field at the subsolar point, which was extended to include the IMF in the solar wind. Interaction of the solar wind with the vacuum dipole field as well as the dipole field filled with a low-density magnetospheric plasma are investigated. The width and structure of the magnetopause current layer are found to differ markedly depending on the direction of the IMF. When the IMF is pointing southward, the current layer between the solar wind and the dipole field is narrow, and the magnetic field has a single ramp structure caused by the reflection of the solar wind at that point. The current layer becomes several times wider and the magnetic field develops a multiple ramp structure when the IMF is northward. Comparisons of these simulation results with the recent spacecraft data of the magnetopause crossing near the subsolar point are provided.

Okuda, H.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Low-frequency electrostatic instabilities excited by injections of an electron beam in space

One-dimensional particle simulations have been carried out to study the low-frequency broadband electrostatic noise that propagates almost perpendicularly from the magnetic field line when a nonrelativistic electron beam is injected into space from a spacecraft. For T(e) = T(i) the electrostatic ion cyclotron waves appear as well as the waves near the lower hybrid frequency. When the magnetic field is reduced so that Omega(e) is much less than omega(pe) in a nonisothermal plasma, T(e) greater than T(i) oblique ion acoustic instabilities appear to propagate almost perpendicular to the magnetic field. In addition, a very low frequency mode at omega much less than Omega(i) is found to be generated by the electrons flowing into the conductor. Both the injected beam electrons as well as the ambient electrons flowing into the spacecraft are responsible for generating those instabilities, which accelerate ions perpendicular to the magnetic field.

Hwang, Y. S.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Propagation of electron beams in space

Particle simulations were performed in order to study the effects of beam plasma interaction and the propagation of an electron beam in a plasma with a magnetic field. It is found that the beam plasma instability results in the formation of a high energy tail in the electron velocity distribution which enhances the mean free path of the beam electrons. Moreover, the simulations show that when the beam density is much smaller than the ambient plasma density, currents much larger than the thermal return current can be injected into a plasma.

Ashour-Abdalla, M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Transverse ion heating in multicomponent plasmas

A new mechanism is proposed for plasma modes which can occur only in a multicomponent plasma and not in pure electron-ion plasma. The addition of ions creates a new instability near the ion-ion hybrid mode whose frequency is adequate for the wave to interact with oxygen ions. To study heating of ions (such as ionospheric oxygen ions) in presence of auroral electrons, several numerical simulations were carried out using a one-dimensional electrostatic code in a magnetic field. It was found that in the presence of electrons drifting along auroral field lines into the ionosphere, the ion-ion hybrid mode can be driven unstable when the electron drift speed is too small to excite the lower hybrid instability. Since the ion-ion mode has a smaller frequency than that of the lower hybrid waves, it can couple to the heavy ions, resulting in a substantial heating of heavy ions; on the other hand, because of their frequencies, the lower hybrid waves can accelerate only light ion species.

Ashour-Abdalla, M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

On the generation of broadband electrostatic noise

Linear theory analysis and particle simulation studies were carried out to understand the mechanisms generating broadband electrostatic noise (BEN) and the effects of BEN on particles as well as the nonlinear saturation level in the geomagnetic tail region. Streaming ion beams as well as warm ions and electrons are used to model the plasma-sheet particle population. When the beam ion temperature is comparable to the temperature of the warm plasma-sheet particles, electrostatic ion cyclotron instabilities become unstable, giving rise to low-frequency noise at omega less than about n(Omega i), where Omega i is the ion gyrofrequency.

Ashour-Abdalla, M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Theory and simulations of broadband electrostatic noise in the geomagnetic tail

The excitation mechanism for broadband electrostatic noise (BEN) and the effects of BEN particles in the geomagnetic tail are examined using the linear analysis theory and particle simulations. The linear theory for electrostatic instabilities is discussed. The plasma sheet particle population is simulated using counter-streaming cold ion beams, and warm ions and electrons. The ion-ion instability, ion-acoustic mode, and the electrostatic ion cyclotron harmonic waves are studied. The velocity distributions, electric field intensity, and electron plasma waves for the plasma sheet boundary layer are evaluated. The frequency wave spectrum and particle distributions are computed and analyzed. The conditions for the two simulations, which differ only in beam ion drift speed, are described; it is observed that in the first simulation the dominate modes propagate parallel to the magnetic field and in the second simulation the propagation modes are oblique. The simulation data reveal that when beam temperature is smaller than plasma sheet temperature ion-acoustic and ion-ion instabilities grow to large amplitudes heating both electrons and ions. The data are compared to ISEE-1 observations and good correlation is obtained.

Ashour-Abdalla, M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Electron acoustic instabilities in the geomagnetic tail

Electron acoustic waves present in a two temperature electron plasma can be driven unstable when ion beams propagate along the magnetic field. Both linear theory and numerical simulations indicate that this instability contributes to the generation of broadband electrostatic noise (BEN) in the geomagnetic tail.

Ashour-Abdalla, M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Liquid helium cooled Fabry-Perot spectrometers

An account is given of two successful efforts to construct cryogenic Fabry-Perot interferometers that are sufficiently compact and stable for such harsh conditions as those of balloon or space observations, as well as ground-based ones. Attention is given to the design features and performance of a Fabry-Perot interferometer incorporating an electromagnet actuator, the ISAS interferometer, a Fabry-Perot spectrometer with superconducting actuators, and the University of Arizona interferometer.

Okuda, H.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Turbulent heating of heavy ions on auroral field lines

Electrostatic ion cyclotron turbulence and the associated acceleration of ions on auroral field lines are investigated analytically and by plasma simulations. The auroral plasma is assumed to consist of drifting electrons and stationary hydrogen and oxygen ions. It is found that for a given critical drift, the maximum ion perpendicular heating is generally larger for oxygen ions than for hydrogen ions. Simulation results show that unless the oxygen ions are a minority species, oxygen transverse heating generally exceeds that of hydrogen ions. Theory and numerical simulations are in good agreement.

Ashour-Abdalla, M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Ion-beam-driven electrostatic ion cyclotron instabilities

Results are presented of a particle simulation study of the electrostatic ion-cyclotron (EIC) instability driven by a parallel ion beam. The results of this simulation study demonstrate the nonlinear consequences of nonresonant EIC waves destabilized by an ion beam parallel to the magnetic field for the case of a large beam velocity. As a consequence of the instability, it is shown that the beam ions are heated strongly in the perpendicular direction and suffer a strong anomalous friction via EIC waves which leads to the beam slowing down. Simulation results indicate that the anomalous slowing down of beam ions by EIC waves is much larger than that from the classical electron-drag, and the perpendicular collision frequency measured from perpendicular beam heating is as large as that from Bohm diffusion. It is concluded that the ion beam driven EIC wave is a viable mechanism for the transfer of ion parallel beam energy to the ion perpendicular energy.

Okuda, H.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Acceleration of hydrogen ions and conic formation along auroral field lines

Electrostatic ion cyclotron turbulence and the formation of ion conics at low altitudes (about 1500 km) along auroral field lines have been investigated analytically and by plasma numerical simulations. Ion cyclotron waves are assumed to be driven unstable by the upgoing cold ionospheric electrons associated with the downward auroral current. When the electron drift speed is comparable to the electron thermal speed, it was found that the large-amplitude (the saturation level is approximately equal to unity) coherent (omega equals the ion gyrofrequency) ion cyclotron waves should exist along auroral field lines at low altitudes extending a few hundred kilometers. Ion conics are associated with ion cyclotron turbulence, and the ion bulk temperature is found to increase by a factor of 10 from the initial ionospheric temperature, while the temperature of the high-energy tail can be as much as 100 times the ionospheric temperature. Theory and simulations are in good agreement.

Okuda, H.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Transverse acceleration of ions on auroral field lines

This paper examines transverse ion heating on auroral field lines associated with current-driven electrostatic ion cyclotron waves theoretically and by numerical simulations. The auroral plasma is assumed to consist of drifting electrons and stationary hydrogen and oxygen ions. Depending on the ratio of the electron drift speed to the thermal speed and the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen concentrations, preferential heating of either hydrogen or oxygen ions can take place. It is found that unless the oxygen ions are a minority species, oxygen transverse heating generally exceeds that of hydrogen ions. Theory and numerical simulations are in good agreement.

Ashour-Abdalla, M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Plasma physics on auroral field lines - The formation of ion conic distributions

The formation of the conical distribution function and the acceleration of ions on aurora field lines are considered. Ion cyclotron waves were assumed to be excited by drifting electrons associated with the return current in the auroral zone. A theoretical analysis of ion cyclotron waves is given, and a simulation model is described. Simulation results are presented. The heating of ions and the evolution of ion cyclotron waves on auroral field lines and in the magnetosphere are discussed.

Ashour-Abdalla, M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Generation of nonthermal continuum radiation in the magnetosphere

Generation of electromagnetic continuum radiation from electrostatic fluctuations near the upper hybrid resonance frequency has been calculated by using cold plasma theory in an inhomogeneous plasma near the plasmapause. It is shown that both the polarization and the amplitude of electromagnetic radiation are in good quantitative agreement with spacecraft observations for nonthermal continuum radiation.

Okuda, H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Acceleration of heavy ions on auroral field lines

Results of both a linear and a nonlinear study of oxygen cyclotron waves and the associated oxygen heating are presented. Linear theory predicts that oxygen cyclotron waves will have smaller growth rates than hydrogen cyclotron waves. Results of a simulation study in which the free energy source is an initial drifting electron distribution indicate that oxygen cyclotron waves only grow to small amplitudes, while the hydrogen cyclotron waves achieve larger amplitudes. In an attempt to model more realistically the continuous ionospheric outflow, a simulation model is used, in which the electron velocity distribution is maintained by a constant flow of electrons. This latter model predicts that the oxygen waves grow to amplitudes much larger than the hydrogen waves resulting in the preferential heating of the heavier ions.

Ashour-Abdalla, M.↗