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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Space weather observations, modeling, and alerts in support of human exploration of Mars

Space weather observations and modeling at Mars have begun but they must be significantly increased to support the future of Human Exploration on the Red Planet. A comprehensive space weather understanding of a planet without a global magnetosphere and a thin atmosphere is very different from our situation at Earth so there is substantial fundamental research remaining. It is expected that the development of suitable models will lead to a comprehensive operational Mars space weather alert (MSWA) system that would provide rapid dissemination of information to Earth controllers, astronauts in transit, and those in the exploration zone (EZ) on the surface by producing alerts that are delivered rapidly and are actionable. To illustrate the importance of such a system, we use a magnetohydrodynamic code to model an extreme Carrington-type coronal mass ejection (CME) event at Mars. The results show a significant induced surface field of nearly 3,000 nT on the dayside that could radically affect unprotected electrical systems that would dramatically impact human survival on Mars. Other associated problems include coronal mass ejection (CME) shock-driven acceleration of solar energetic particles producing large doses of ionizing radiation at the Martian surface. In summary, along with working more closely with international partners, the next Heliophysics Decadal Survey must include a new initiative to meet expected demands for space weather forecasting in support of humans living and working on the surface of Mars. It will require significant effort to coordinate NASA and the international community contributions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Adiabatic Heating of Electrons in the Magnetospheric Current Sheet

Electron dynamics and acceleration in an electromagnetic field configuration modeling the current sheet configuration of the Earth’s magnetotail region is investigated. A focus is made on the role of the dawn−dusk magnetic field component B{sub y} in the convection electron heating by an electric field E{sub y}. For numerical integration of a large number of test particle trajectories over long time intervals, the equations of motion written in the guiding center approximation are used. It is shown that the presence of a B{sub y} ≠ 0 magnetic field significantly changes the electron heating and allows electrons with small pitch angles to gain energy much more efficiently than the equatorial electrons. As a result, the convection heating in the current sheet with B{sub y} ≠ 0 leads to the formation of an accelerated anisotropic population of particles with energies higher than a few hundred electronvolts. The obtained results and spacecraft observations in the Earth’s magnetotail are compared, and possible limitations in the proposed model approaches are discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Electron-scale Magnetic Holes Generation Driven by Whistler-to-Bernstein Mode Conversion in Fully Kinetic Plasma Turbulence

Magnetic holes (MHs) are coherent structures characterized by a strong and localized magnetic field amplitude dip, commonly observed in the heliosphere. These structures come in different sizes, from magnetohydrodynamic to kinetic scales. Subion-scale MHs are usually sustained by an electron current vortex and exhibit a strong electron temperature anisotropy, with higher temperatures perpendicular to the background magnetic field. Magnetospheric multiscale observations (MMSs) have revealed electron-scale MHs to be ubiquitous in the turbulent Earth’s magnetosheath and the solar wind, potentially playing an important role in the energy cascade and dissipation. Despite abundant observations, the origin of electron-scale MHs is still unclear and debated. In this work, we use fully kinetic simulations to investigate the role of plasma turbulence in generating electron-scale MHs. We find that the turbulence spontaneously produces electron-scale MHs via the following mechanism: first, large-scale turbulent velocity shears produce regions with high electron temperature anisotropy; these localized regions become unstable, generating oblique electron-scale whistler waves; as they propagate over the inhomogeneous turbulent background, whistler fluctuations develop an electrostatic component, turning into Bernstein-like modes; the strong electrostatic fluctuations produce current filaments that merge into an electron-scale current vortex; the resulting electron vortex locally reduces the magnetic field amplitude, finally evolving into an electron-scale MH. We show that MHs generated by this mechanism have properties consistent with MMSs and nontrivial kinetic features with a “mushroom”-shaped electron velocity distribution function. Our results have potential implications for understanding the formation and occurrence of electron-scale MHs in astrophysical turbulent and space environments, such as the Earth’s magnetosheath and the solar wind.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Statistical Study of Energy Dissipation in Magnetic Structures During Turbulent Reconnection in the Earth's Magnetotail

Magnetic reconnection is a ubiquitous plasma phenomenon that plays a critical role in particle heating and energization. During reconnection, the topology of magnetic field rearranges, depositing energy into the surrounding plasma through bulk flow, thermal heating, or non-thermal particle acceleration. While the pathways of this transformation from magnetic energy into kinetic have been studied extensively in recent years through theoretical or case-by-case observations, comprehensive statistical studies remain limited. In this paper, we present a statistical investigation using data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, and detail the particle energization mechanisms in magnetic structures found near reconnecting regions in turbulent Earth's magnetotail. We find that electrons with motion perpendicular to the magnetic field dominate $\vec{j}$ ⋅ $\vec{E}$ dissipation. In contrast to the conventional picture of unidirectional energy transfer to particles by laminar two-dimensional (2D) reconnection, we find that energy exchange within magnetic structures during turbulent reconnection tends to be bidirectional with only a small positive bias from electromagnetic fields to particles. Specific electron energization mechanisms are quantified, including those due to parallel electric field, Fermi energization from curvature drift, betatron heating from magnetic field inhomogeneity, and polarization drift.

Wang, Rachel [Princeton University, NJ (United Sta↗
DOE OSTI2025

Ohm’s Law, the Reconnection Rate, and Energy Conversion in Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection

Magnetic reconnection is a ubiquitous plasma process that transforms magnetic energy into particle energy during eruptive events throughout the universe. Reconnection not only converts energy during solar flares and geomagnetic substorms that drive space weather near Earth, but it may also play critical roles in the high energy emissions from the magnetospheres of neutron stars and black holes. In this review article, we focus on collisionless plasmas that are most relevant to reconnection in many space and astrophysical plasmas. Guided by first-principles kinetic simulations and spaceborne in-situ observations, we highlight the most recent progress in understanding this fundamental plasma process. We start by discussing the non-ideal electric field in the generalized Ohm’s law that breaks the frozen-in flux condition in ideal magnetohydrodynamics and allows magnetic reconnection to occur. We point out that this same reconnection electric field also plays an important role in sustaining the current and pressure in the current sheet and then discuss the determination of its magnitude (i.e., the reconnection rate), based on force balance and energy conservation. This approach to determining the reconnection rate is applied to kinetic current sheets with a wide variety of magnetic geometries, parameters, and background conditions. We also briefly review the key diagnostics and modeling of energy conversion around the reconnection diffusion region, seeking insights from recently developed theories. Finally, future prospects and open questions are discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Trapped Proton Environment in Medium-Earth Orbit (2000-2010)

This report describes the method used to derive fluxes of the trapped proton belt along the GPS orbit (i.e., a Medium-Earth Orbit) during 2000 – 2010, a period almost covering a solar cycle. This method utilizes a newly developed empirical proton radiation-belt model, with the model output scaled by GPS in-situ measurements, to generate proton fluxes that cover a wide range of energies (50keV- 6MeV) and keep temporal features as well. The new proton radiation-belt model is developed based upon CEPPAD proton measurements from the Polar mission (1996 – 2007). Comparing to the de-facto standard empirical model of AP8, this model is not only based upon a new data set representative of the proton belt during the same period covered by GPS, but can also provide statistical information of flux values such as worst cases and occurrence percentiles instead of solely the mean values. The comparison shows quite different results from the two models and suggests that the commonly accepted error factor of 2 on the AP8 flux output over-simplifies and thus underestimates variations of the proton belt. Output fluxes from this new model along the GPS orbit are further scaled by the ns41 in-situ data so as to reflect the dynamic nature of protons in the outer radiation belt at geomagnetically active times. Derived daily proton fluxes along the GPS ns41 orbit, whose data files are delivered along with this report, are depicted to illustrate the trapped proton environment in the Medium-Earth Orbit. Uncertainties on those daily proton fluxes from two sources are evaluated: One is from the new proton-belt model that has error factors < ~3; the other is from the in-situ measurements and the error factors could be ~ 5.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Enhanced electron mixing and heating in 3-D asymmetric reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause

Here, electron heating and mixing during asymmetric reconnection are studied with a 3-D kinetic simulation that matches plasma parameters from Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft observations of a magnetopause diffusion region. The mixing and heating are strongly enhanced across the magnetospheric separatrix compared to a 2-D simulation. The transport of particles across the separatrix in 3-D is attributed to lower hybrid drift turbulence excited at the steep density gradient near the magnetopause. In the 3-D simulation (and not the 2-D simulation), the electron temperature parallel to the magnetic field within the mixing layer is significantly higher than its upstream value in agreement with the MMS observations.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

A “Cosmic Comb” Model of Fast Radio Bursts

Recent observations of fast radio bursts (FRBs) indicate a perplexing, inconsistent picture. We propose a unified scenario to interpret diverse FRBs observed. A regular pulsar, otherwise unnoticeable at a cosmological distance, may produce a bright FRB if its magnetosphere is suddenly “combed” by a nearby, strong plasma stream toward the anti-stream direction. If the Earth is to the night side of the stream, the combed magnetic sheath would sweep across the direction of Earth and make a detectable FRB. The stream could be an AGN flare, a GRB or supernova blastwave, a tidal disruption event, or even a stellar flare. Since it is the energy flux received by the pulsar rather than the luminosity of the stream origin that defines the properties of the FRB, this model predicts a variety of counterparts of FRBs, including a possible connection between FRB 150418 and an AGN flare, a possible connection between FRB 131104 and a weak GRB, a steady radio nebula associated with the repeating FRB 121102, and probably no bright counterparts for some FRBs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Cosmological Neutron Stars Produce Diffuse Axion X-Ray Signatures

Axion-like particles can be abundantly produced through scattering processes in the cores of neutron stars (NSs). If they are ultralight ($m_a \lesssim 10^{-4}$ eV), then they can efficiently convert to detectable photons in the external NS magnetospheres, and if they are heavy ($m_a \gtrsim 1$ eV), then they can decay into photons before reaching Earth. In this work, we search for the resulting X-ray signatures from both of these channels summing over the $\textit{cosmological}$ NS population. We compare the predicted axion-induced X-ray signal to the cosmic X-ray background today as measured by a number of instruments such as NuSTAR, HEAO, Swift, and INTEGRAL. We model the axion-induced signal using NS cooling simulations and magnetic field evolution models. We find no evidence for axions and derive strong constraints for both ultralight and heavy axion scenarios, covering new parameter space for the axion-photon and axion-nucleon couplings. Our results rule out the axion-explanation of the Magnificent Seven X-ray excess from nearby isolated NSs.

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.C↗
DOE OSTI2017

Simultaneous event-specific estimates of transport, loss, and source rates for relativistic outer radiation belt electrons: Event-Specific 1-D Modeling

The most significant unknown regarding relativistic electrons in Earth’s outer Van Allen radiation belt is the relative contribution of loss, transport, and acceleration processes within the inner magnetosphere. Detangling each individual process is critical to improve the understanding of radiation belt dynamics, but determining a single component is challenging due to sparse measurements in diverse spatial and temporal regimes. However, there are currently an unprecedented number of spacecraft taking measurements that sample different regions of the inner magnetosphere. With the increasing number of varied observational platforms, system dynamics can begin to be unraveled. In this work, we employ in-situ measurements during the 13-14 January 2013 enhancement event to isolate transport, loss, and source dynamics in a one dimensional radial diffusion model. We then validate the results by comparing them to Van Allen Probes and THEMIS observations, indicating that the three terms have been accurately and individually quantified for the event. Finally, a direct comparison is performed between the model containing event-specific terms and various models containing terms parameterized by geomagnetic index. Models using a simple 3/Kp loss timescale show deviation from the event specific model of nearly two orders of magnitude within 72 hours of the enhancement event. However, models using alternative loss timescales closely resemble the event specific model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

An Extended MHD Study of the 16 October 2015 MMS Diffusion Region Crossing

The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission has given us unprecedented access to high cadence particle and field data of magnetic reconnection at Earth's magnetopause. MMS first passed very near an X-line on 16 October 2015, the Burch event, and has since observed multiple X-line crossings. Subsequent 3-D particle-in-cell (PIC) modeling efforts of and comparison with the Burch event have revealed a host of novel physical insights concerning magnetic reconnection, turbulence-induced particle mixing, and secondary instabilities. In this study, we employ the Gkeyll simulation framework to study the Burch event with different classes of extended, multifluid magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), including models that incorporate important kinetic effects, such as the electron pressure tensor, with physics-based closure relations designed to capture linear Landau damping. Such fluid modeling approaches are able to capture different levels of kinetic physics in global simulations and are generally less costly than fully kinetic PIC. Herein we focus on the additional physics one can capture with increasing levels of fluid closure refinement via comparison with MMS data and existing PIC simulations. In particular, we find that the ten-moment model well captures the agyrotropic structure of the pressure tensor in the vicinity of the X-line and the magnitude of anisotropic electron heating observed in MMS and PIC simulations. However, the ten-moment model is found to have difficulty resolving the lower hybrid drift instability, which plays a fundamental role in heating and mixing electrons in the current layer.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Revisiting the Local Leo Cold Cloud and revised constraints on the Local Hot Bubble

The Local Leo Cold Cloud (LLCC, at a distance of 11–24 pc) was studied in its relation to the Local Hot Bubble (LHB) and the result suggested that much of the observed 1/4 keV emission in that direction originates in front of the cloud. This placed a strong constraint on the distribution of X-ray emission within the LHB and called into question the assumption of a uniform distribution of X-ray emitting plasma within the Local Cavity. However, recent work has quantified the contribution of heliospheric solar wind charge exchange (SWCX) emission to the diffuse X-ray background measured by the ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS) at 1/4 keV, and led to the consistency of pressure measurements between the LHB and the local cloud component of the complex of local interstellar clouds (CLICs) surrounding the Sun. In this paper we revisit the LLCC and improve the previous analysis by using higher resolution RASS data, a serendipitous ROSAT pointed observation, a rigorous treatment of the band-averaged X-ray absorption cross section, and models for the heliospheric and magnetospheric SWCX contributions. We find that the foreground emission to the cloud is in excess of the expected heliospheric (interplanetary plus near Earth) SWCX contribution but that it is marginally consistent with the range of possible LHB plasma path lengths between the LLCC and the CLICs given the currently understood plasma emissivity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

The Cold Ion Population at Geosynchronous Orbit and Transport to the Dayside Magnetopause: September 2015 to February 2016

During intervals of enhanced magnetospheric convection, a high-density plume of cold ions is eroded from the plasmasphere and can flow toward the dayside magnetopause where it has the potential to reduce the rate of magnetic reconnection. In any interval of long-duration enhanced convection, tons of ions may follow such a trajectory. The study here concerns cold ion observations from geosynchronous orbit (GEO) during both calm and active periods. Probability distributions of the cold ion density and cold ion flow speed are determined during the 6-month period from September 2015 to February 2016, inclusive. During low geomagnetic activity, the cold, dense ions are in corotation with the Earth, and flow speeds seldom exceed 10 km/s. During elevated geomagnetic activity, the cold ions between 12 and 18 magnetic local time are observed to flow toward the dayside magnetosphere with a speed of >10 km/s approximately 50% of the time. The Shue et al. (1998, https://doi.org/10.1029/98JA01103) model of the magnetopause location is used to derive the distribution of approximate minimum times for the cold ions to be transported from GEO to the dayside magnetopause. On average, during enhanced convection periods (Kp > 3) ions will take a mean time of ~4.5 hr to travel from GEO to the dayside magnetopause.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Kinetic characterization of 3D magnetic reconnection: A transformative step (Final Report)

We investigated magnetic reconnection in the Earth’s magnetopause, magnetotail, and the bow shock, by means of fully kinetic simulations and analysis of space data obtained by NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. We elucidated signatures of particle energization in particle distribution functions in the vicinity of reconnection X-line, properties of reconnection in shock-driven turbulence, and wave excitations and nonlinear structures. We advanced the understanding of magnetic reconnection from the viewpoint of particle kinetics in the diffusion region.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Large Scale GPU Accelerated PPMLR-MHD Simulations for Space Weather Forecast

PPMLR-MHD is a new magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model used to simulate the interactions of the solar wind with the magnetosphere, which has been proved to be the key element of the space weather cause-and-effect chain process from the Sun to Earth. Compared to existing MHD methods, PPMLR-MHD achieves the advantage of high order spatial accuracy and low numerical dissipation. However, the accuracy comes at a cost. On one hand, this method requires more intensive computation. On the other hand, more boundary data is subject to be transferred during the process of simulation. In this work, we present a parallel hybrid solution of the PPMLR-MHD model implemented using the computing capabilities of both CPUs and GPUs. We demonstrate that our optimized implementation alleviates the data transfer overhead by using GPU Direct technology and can scale up to 151 processes and achieve significant performance gains by distributing the workload among the CPUs and GPUs on Titan at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The performance results show that our implementation is fast enough to carry out highly accurate MHD simulations in real time.

Computer Science↗