Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Russell, C. T..
Reconnection is defined as the process whereby plasma flows across a surface that separates regions containing topologically different field lines. The magnitude of the plasma flow is a measure of the merging rate. Evidence for reconnection on the sun, in the solar wind, and in the magnetospheres of the terrestrial planets and Jupiter is briefly reviewed. Dependence of the merging rate on interplanetary conditions is discussed.
Magnetic-field measurements made on board the Apollo 15 and 16 subsatellites in low-altitude lunar orbit are used to study compressions of the magnetic field over terminator regions when the moon is in the solar wind. These compressional disturbances occur at just in front of the terminator, but only when specific selenographic regions appear at the lunar limb. The occurrence rate, strength, and position of the compression relative to the limb are different for each source region. Where overlaps of limb-compression occurrence statistics and lunar magnetic-field maps exist, the limb-compression occurrence rates have a high degree of correlation with magnetic-field strength. Thus the most probable cause of limb compressions is deflection of the solar wind by the lunar surface magnetic field as the solar wind flows past the lunar terminators.
A report on progress on magnetospheric magnetic fields during the years from 1971 to 1974 is presented. The topology of the magnetosphere is considered along with the bow shock, upstream phenomena, the magnetosheath and magnetopause, the polar cusp, and the tail and the plasma sheet. Attention is given to the outer magnetosphere and magnetic field models, questions of convection, field-aligned currents and electric fields, and aspects of merging.
Measurements from six OGO-5 particle and field experiments are used to examine the structure of the earth's bow shock during a period of extremely high beta (the ratio of plasma thermal to magnetic energy density), as determined from simultaneous measurements of the upstream plasma on board the HEOS satellite. Even though the interplanetary field is nearly perpendicular to the shock normal, the shock is extremely turbulent. Large field increases are observed up to a factor of 20 above the upstream values. Ahead of these large enhancements, smaller magnetic effects accompanied by electrostatic noise, electron heating, and ion deflection are observed for several minutes. These observations suggest that a steady-state shock may not be able to form at very high beta. Further, they show that while the magnetic energy density may be relatively unimportant in the upstream flow, it can become very significant within the shock structure, and hence the magnetic field should not be ignored in theoretical treatments of very high beta shocks.
Earlier Ogo 5 discussions of high-latitude magnetospheric wave-particle interaction phenomena associated with field aligned current systems are extended by considering some September 7, 1968, out-bound measurements and corresponding March 11, 1969, observations, when the spacecraft was traversing auroral L shells in midafternoon. It is shown that during moderate magnetospheric disturbances the most intense waves and currents were detected near sharp boundaries in the density of polar cleft electrons, and it is possible that local wave-particle interactions produced anomalous resistivity. Some observed changes in the electron distribution functions might be explained in terms of local acceleration, but significant causal questions about the dynamics remain open if one can use only local data from a single spacecraft in this region.
Several properties of the A/C index of polar cap variations introduced by L. Svalgaard in 1972 have been found to vary with time. In the presatellite era, C days, as measured by the Ap index, are almost twice as geomagnetically active as A days, while in the modern epoch they have essentially identical activity. Prior to 1962 there were over 40% more A days than C days per year, while during the modern epoch there are essentially equal numbers of A days and C days. In view of this strong bias to assigning a 'toward' classification on geomagnetically active days it is recommended that the Svalgaard A/C classification not be used in studies of geomagnetic activity. It is also recommended that a full and thorough documentation of the index be prepared and/or that others undertake to compile such a classification separately.
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It was found that low solar wind parameters M (less than or around 2.5) and beta (much less than 1) and high angles to the local shock normal, theta (greater than or around 65 deg), produced oblique laminar shock profiles as expected from theory, with marginal or vanishing upstream standing whistlers probably damped by acoustic or other plasma wave instabilities. The whistler mode appeared to dominate the electromagnetic spectrum. The laminar shock ramp thickness was several hundred kilometers and equal to (2-4)c/omega-pi. Composition of the shock as an accumulation of near-standing waves and an evidently reproducible varying flux pattern was discernible. Electron thermalization occurred early in, or just before, the magnetic ramp, while proton thermalization appeared to occur later in the ramp. Instantaneous shock velocities derived from the standing whistler wavelength were consistent with average velocities derived from the elapsed time estimates and were as high as 200 km/sec.
The program of invited talks at the Third Solar Wind Conference is provided, with a table of contents of the proceedings.
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Measurements conducted with the aid of the Apollo 15 subsatellite reported by Coleman et al. (1972) showed that the lunar field was detectable at an altitude of 100 km. Since that time there has been much activity in mapping the lunar magnetic field from orbit. A review is presented of the mapping procedure used in producing lunar field maps and an investigation is conducted of the altitude dependence of the lunar magnetic field which significantly affects these maps. Attention is also given to the history of lunar magnetic field maps, the fine-scale maps, low-altitude Apollo 16 maps, the altitude dependence, and the source of the magnetization of the lunar crust. It is found that the strong altitude dependence evident in the records is different for the three components.
The reported investigation presents the magnetic observations averaged in a format that facilitates comparison with models of plasma diamagnetic effects. These models demonstrate that a decreased plasma energy density in the lunar vicinity always causes an induced dipole that increases the external field. Hence, an increased plasma energy density in the lunar environs is required to account for the observed magnetic decrease. There are several different plasma populations in the high-latitude geomagnetic tail lobes, including the lunar ions resulting from photoionization of lunar atmosphere neutrals, possible fluxes of polar-wind protons, low-energy particle events which consist of antisolar directed fluxes of 100-eV protons, photoelectrons from the dayside lunar surface, and a high-energy thermal population.
Apollo 15 subsatellite magnetic field observations have been used to measure both the permanent and the induced lunar dipole moments. Although only an upper limit of 1.3 x 10 to the 18th gauss-cubic centimeters has been determined for the permanent dipole moment in the orbital plane, there is a significant induced dipole moment which opposes the applied field, indicating the existence of a weak lunar ionosphere.
The results of the Apollo 15 subsatellite magnetometer experiment are reported. The magnetometer is described including the operation, and specifications. Orbit plots presented are altitude versus time, selenographic longitude versus latitude, and the ecliptic projection of the earth-moon system. The lunar magnetic field, solar wind interaction with the moon, the transfer function of the moon, and the plasma sheet interaction with the moon are discussed.
The existence of a day-side lunar cavity in the plasma sheet, showing some depletion of plasma, has been inferred from cavity-associated magnetic characteristics observed by orbital and surface lunar magnetometers. These characteristics include a day-side enhancement in the mean magnetic field and day-side levels of amplification of eddy current induced magnetic field fluctuations typical of cavity confinement.
The maximum attainable accuracy in inferring the interplanetary magnetic polarity from polar cap magnetograms is about 88%. This is achieved in practice, when high-latitude polar cap stations are used during local summer months, and the signature in the ground records is strong. An attempt by Svalgaard (1972) to use this effect to infer an index of interplanetary magnetic polarity back to 1926 has not been so successful. Furthermore, some of the properties of the index have changed with time. Prior to 1963, the inferred polarities are strongly dependent on geomagnetic activity, while after this time they are not. Thus, this index should not be used to separate solar-magnetic from solar-activity effects prior to 1963.
The Third Solar Wind Conference consisted of nine sessions. The following subjects were discussed: (1) solar abundances; (2) the history and evolution of the solar wind; (3) the structure and dynamics of the solar corona; (4) macroscopic and microscopic properties of the solar wind; (5) cosmic rays as a probe of the solar wind; (6) the structure and dynamics of the solar wind; (7) spatial gradients; (8) stellar winds; and (9) interactions with objects in the solar wind. The invited and contributed talks presented at the conference are summarized.
Magnetic field, plasma flux, and ELF wave data have been studied for several encounters of Ogo 5 with the earth's magnetopause. In one case of a crossing in the near-earth region of the geomagnetic tail, the structure agreed closely with a simple Chapman-Ferraro type of model with nearly complete neutralization of the charge separation electric field. Departures from the simple structure were observed at other magnetopause crossings. One crossing revealed a well-defined double structure with a large change in field direction closer to the earth than the ion flux and field strength gradients. The thickness of the magnetopause often depended on whether the change in field strength, the change in field direction, or the change in ion flux was being considered. Bursts of ELF waves were occasionally observed at the magnetopause.