Engineering topics

Russell, C. T.

Publications and source records attributed to Russell, C. T..

At least 361 records · Page 20

NASA NTRS1986

ISEE 1 and 2 observations of Birkeland currents in the earth's inner magnetosphere

Signatures of Birkeland currents in the earth's inner magnetosphere observed from the ISEE 1 and 2 spacecraft during November 1977-December 1978 at distances ranging from 2.4-7.0 earth radii are examined. The data reveal that most of the currents were detected during outbound rather than inbound passes. Large-scale current structures were identified as parts of the region 1 and 2 current systems in 27 percent of the spacecraft outbound passes; no distinguishable region 1 or 2 currents were detected in 19 percent of the outbound passes; and in 54 percent of the passes multiple current structures and ambiguous magnetic signatures were observed. The properties of Birkeland current structures observed on January 31, 1978, February 28, 1978, March 15, 1978, June 21, 1978, and June 25, 1978 are described. It is observed that the current sheet thicknesses range from 519-18,279 km; sheet current density ranges from 13-150 mA/m; and the volume current density ranges from 1.7-128 nA/sq m.

Kelly, T. J.↗

NASA NTRS1986

The warped neutral sheet and plasma sheet in the near-earth geomagnetic tail

An analysis of ISEE 2 plasma and magnetic field data indicates that the plasma sheet and neutral sheet in the near-earth magnetotail are warped in such a manner that in summer (winter) the neutral sheet rises above (dips below) the solar magnetospheric equatorial plane near the center of the tail, but dips below (rises above) the equatorial plane along the tail flanks. In the near tail, the neutral sheet crosses the equatorial plane at about 12 earth radii from the aberrated X axis, considerably closer to the center of the tail than has been inferred from data obtained farther downstream. This increase in the warp with decreasing distance from the earth is consistent with theoretical predictions. In the near tail, the warp is sufficiently strong when the dipole tilt angle is large that even in quiet times the upper or lower edge of the plasma sheet can be found close to the solar magnetospheric equatorial plane along the tail flanks. The seasonal dependence of the warp can produce certain dawn-dusk asymmetries in satellite data which are more apparent than real.

Gosling, J. T.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Average dimension and magnetic structure of the distant Venus magnetotail

The first major statistical investigation of the far wake of an unmagnetized object embedded in the solar wind is reported. The investigation is based on Pioneer Venus Orbiter magnetometer data from 70 crossings of the Venus wake at altitudes between 5 and 11 Venus radii during reasonably steady IMF conditions. It is found that Venus has a well-developed-tail, flaring with altitude and possibly broader in the direction parallel to the IMF cross-flow component. Tail lobe field polarities and the direction of the cross-tail field are consistent with tail accretion from the solar wind. Average values for the cross-tail field (2 nT) and the distant tail flux (3 MWb) indicate that most distant tail field lines close across the center of the tail and are not rooted in the Venus ionosphere. The findings are illustrated in a three-dimensional schematic.

Saunders, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

On the use of a sunward libration-point-orbiting spacecraft as an interplanetary magnetic field monitor for magnetospheric studies

In order to test the accuracy of using magnetometer data from a spacecraft orbiting the sunward libration point to determine the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), the angle between the IMF at ISEE 3, when it was positioned around the libration point, and at ISEE 1, orbiting the earth, has been calculated for a data set of 1-hour periods covering four months. For each period, a 10-minute average of ISEE 1 data is compared with 10-minute averages of ISEE 3 data at successively lagged intervals. It is concluded that the IMF orientation at a libration-point-orbiting spacecraft, lagged by the time required for the solar wind to convect to the earth, is a convenient predictor of IMF orientation near the earth, to within about 20-degree accuracy.

Kelly, T. J.↗

NASA NTRS1986

The near-earth cross-tail current sheet - Detailed ISEE 1 and 2 case studies

Three near geomagnetic tail current sheet crossings of the ISEE 1 and 2 satellites, on April 5, 1979, are examined in detail. All are assoicated with the passage of an interplanetary shock and the region of variable solar wind pressure behind it. The general geometry of field reversing current sheets is discussed, and this geometry is examined for the cases studied, by using the ISEE 1 and 2 coorbiting satellite data sets. A new technique is employed which removes the effects of a variable sheet normal velocity for the first time. This allows us to calculate firm upper bounds on the current sheet thicknesses, and by utilizing certain physically motivated assumptions, determine the most probable actual sheet thicknesses, and inclinations of the field lines within these sheets. Current density profiles derived with this technique show the main cross-tail current sheet to be a structure that is many thermal ion-gyroradii thick and which is sometimes imbedded in a region that is three or more times thicker and contains much smaller current densities. These profiles also exhibit a considerable amount of fine structure in the sheet which appears as narrow peaks in the current density distributions. Possible explanations for these structures, and for the overall sheet structure itself, are examined.

Mccomas, D. J.↗

NASA NTRS1986

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.↗

NASA NTRS1986

A gas dynamic magnetosheath field model for unsteady interplanetary fields - Application to the solar wind interaction with Venus

The steady state gas dynamic model of magnetosheath magnetic fields previously developed by Spreiter and Stahara (1980) is generalized for the common situation of a temporally varying interplanetary field orientation. Examples for the particular case of Venus in the solar wind illustrate the application of the model to the passage of rotational discontinuities and MHD waves through planetary magnetosheaths. The results of this model illustrate how the field structure near a planetary magnetopause or ionopause can be affected by interplanetary field variations rather than by local processes because of the 'pile up' of magnetosheath fields from a sequence of upstream fields. Changes in the spectrum of interplanetary waves on their transmission to the magnetopause are also indicated.

Luhmann, J. G.↗

NASA NTRS1986

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.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Near-tail reconnection as the cause of cometary tail disconnections

In a cometary tail disconnection event the plasma tail appears to separate from the coma and to accelerate away from it. As this occurs a new tail begins to form. It is proposed that these disconnections arise in a manner analogous to geomagnetic substorms, i.e., by the formation of a strongly reconnecting region in the near tail that forms a magnetic island in the coma and ejects the plasma tail by strengthening the magnetic 'slingshot' within the tail. This reconnection process may be triggered by several different processes, such as interplanetary shocks or variations in the Alfven Mach number.

Russell, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1986

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.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Gyrating and intermediate ion distributions upstream from the earth's bow shock

Study of ISEE 2 fast plasma data reveals that many suprathermal ion events that in previous studies would have been identified as intermediate ion events are actually gyrating ion events. Of 190 apparently intermediate ion events selected on the basis of their signature in energy-time spectrograms, half are actually found to be gyrating ion events. Using a model bow shock, the shock geometries and spacecraft locations for the observed gyrating and intermediate ion events are compared and found to be quite similar. Both gyrating and intermediate ion events are found to be associated with upstream MHD-like wave activity. Most gyrating ion events are associated with large-amplitude, monochromatic, weakly compressive waves, whereas many intermediate ion events are associated with smaller-amplitude, nonmonochromatic, weakly compressive waves. Some intermediate ion events are found to have no associated waves. Detailed study of the gyrating ion distributions reveals that the distributions are typically gyrotropic within about 4 earth radii of the bow shock, whereas at larger distances (up to about 10 earth radii) upstream from the shock the distributions are frequently 'gyrophase bunched'. In light of these observational characteristics, it is concluded that gyrating ion distributions are most likely generated both through coherent wave disruption of field-aligned beams and through reflection of solar wind ions off the shock.

Fuselier, S. A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Observations of field-aligned currents, waves, and electric fields at substorm onset

Substorm onsets, identified Pi 2 pulsations observed on the Air Force Geophysics Laboratory Magnetometer Network, are studied using magnetometer and electric field data from ISEE 1 as well as magnetometer data from the geosynchronous satellites GOES 2 and 3. The mid-latitude magnetometer data provides the means of both timing and locating the substorm onset so that the spacecraft locations with respect to the substorm current systems are known. During two intervals, each containing several onsets or intensifications, ISEE 1 observed field-aligned current signatures beginning simultaneously with the mid-latitude Pi 2 pulsation. Close to the earth broadband bursts of wave noise were observed in the electric field data whenever field-aligned currents were detected. One onset occurred when ISEE 1 and GOES 2 were on the same field line but in opposite hemispheres. During this onset ISEE 1 and GOES 2 saw magnetic signatures which appear to be due to conjugate field-aligned currents flowing out of the western end of the westward auroral electrojets. The ISEE 1 signature is of a line current moving westward past the spacecraft. During the other interval, ISEE 1 was in the near-tail region near the midnight meridian. Plasma data confirms that the plasma sheet thinned and subsequently expanded at onset. Electric field data shows that the plasma moved in the opposite direction to the plasma sheet boundary as the boundary expanded which implies that there must have been an abundant source of hot plasma present. The plasma motion was towards the center of the plasma sheet and earthwards and consisted of a series of pulses rather than a steady flow.

Smits, D. P.↗

NASA NTRS1986

The phase relationship between gyrophase-bunched ions and MHD-like waves

Recent calculations and computer simulations of the right-hand resonant ion beam instability have indicated that gyrophase-bunched ion distributions may be generated as a first step in the disruption of field-aligned beams. Theory predicts a distinct phase angle relationship between the gyrovelocity of the phase-bunched ions and the wave magnetic field. In this paper, observations of such a relationship between gyrophase-bunched ions and MHD-like waves upstream from the earth's bow shock are presented. The observed phases are in accord with the theoretical predictions of the right-hand resonant ion beam instability.

Fuselier, S. A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Simultaneous observation of upstream waves with ISEE and AMPTE

Measurements obtained by ISEE-2 and the UKS spacecraft upstream of the earth's bow shock are examined. Simultaneous observations show that upstream waves are excited over a broad frequency range. Even when peaked spectra occur the peaks can occur at different frequencies in different regions of space. Generally the spectra seen at the two locations are most similar at high frequencies and least similar at low frequencies. The position dependent nature of the upstream waves indicates that comparisons between ground-based measurements and in situ observations must be undertaken with some caution.

Russell, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Interplanetary magnetic field control of the Venus magnetosheath field and bow shock location

Six Venus years of Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) data are analyzed in a coordinate system which isolates magnetic effects. The field draping pattern features two lobes easily identifiable even in the near planet region. The magnetosheath magnetic magnitude has a hemispherical asymmetry controlled by the IMF orientation in a manner suggesting preferrential ion pickup in one hemisphere. This result complements recent findings that the bow shock position is responsive to IMF direction. Examination of the ionopause position to evaluate ionospheric effects on the overall asymmetry of thfe Venus-solar wind interaction produces negative but not conclusive results.

Phillips, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Interplanetary flux enhancements - Comparison with cometary models and observations

Interplanetary field enhancements (IFE's) are unusual nearly symmetric increases in the strength of the interplanetary magnetic field lasting tens of minutes to hours. Examples of interplanetary field enhancements are compared with MHD models and with the data obtained by the ICE spacecraft at Giacobini-Zinner. These comparisons suggest that the varying properties of IFE's are due to the fact that some events are due to passages in front of the nucleus, others in the near tail and yet others in the distant tail.

Russell, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1986

The Venus magnetotail

The magnetic structure of the Venus magnetotail has been measured using 9 seasons of Pioneer Venus measurements in the distant wake region. The magnetotail region is about 4 Venus radii wide and about 3.2 Venus radii high at 12 Venus radii behind the planet. The tail contains about 2.3 Megawebers of flux, much of which closes across the tail. The J x B force associated with this cross tail component accelerates the tail plasma down the tail causing an ion loss rate of about 10 to the 26th ions per second. The Venus tail does respond to solar activity and contains significantly less magnetic flux at solar minimum.

Russell, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Ion cyclotron waves observed near the plasmapause

Pc2 electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves at 0.1 Hz, near the oxygen cyclotron frequency, have been observed by ISEE-1 and -2 between L = 7.6 - 5.8 on an inbound near equatorial pass in the dusk sector. The waves occurred in a thick plasmapause of width about 1 earth radius and penetrated about 1 earth radius into the plasmasphere. Wave onset was accompanied by significant increases in the thermal (0-100 eV) He(+) and the warm (0.1-16 keV/e) O(+) and He(+) heavy ion populations. Wave polarization is predominantly left-handed with propagation almost parallel to the ambient magnetic field, and the spectral slot and polarization reversal predicted by multicomponent cold plasma propagation theory are identified in the wave data. The results are considered as an example of wave-particle interactions occurring during the outer plasmasphere refilling process at the time of the substorm recovery phase.

Fraser, B. J.↗