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NASA NTRS1984

Fast collisionless tearing in an anisotropic neutral sheet

The collisionless tearing mode in a neutral sheet is studied in the presence of ion temperature (Ti) anisotropy, using Vlasov description for both ions and electrons. It is found that the growth rate of the instability is significantly enhanced if the ratio of Ti perpendicular to the equilibrium magnetic field to Ti parallel to the field is greater than one. For typical magnetotail parameters with modest temperature anisotropy, it is shown that the linear e-folding time is reduced to a small fraction of the time delays believed to precede the onset of reconnection. This enhancement of the growth rate is due to the Lorentz force acting on the ions that cross the neutral plane, traversing beyond the conventional electron-tearing layer.

Chen, J.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Neutron viscosity in accretion disks

Neutron viscosity is investigated as a possible mechanism for the dissipation of kinetic energy into luminosity in the innermost parts of accretion disks around compact objects. Simplified models are presented of the self-consistent, steady-state accretion flows in which viscosity is provided by neutron collisions with accreting ions. Ion temperatures are determined by balancing the heating of ions by viscous dissipation to their cooling by Coulomb collisions with the electrons, providing a self-consistent solution between neutron production and their impact on energy dissipation. The results indicate that neutrons can indeed provide the necessary dissipation to sustain the steady-state accretion of matter at rates of about 10 to the -8th solar mass/yr or less, and electron temperatures of about 100 keV-1 MeV. Neutrons thus present a promising way of modeling bright Galactic X-ray sources.

Guessoum, Nidhal↗

NASA NTRS1978

The diurnal and solar cycle variation of the charge exchange induced hydrogen escape flux

On the basis of ion temperature and density data at specific points and times in June 1969 provided by the OGO 6 satellite, and altitude profiles of the ion and electron temperature and concentration provided by the Arecibo radar facility over the period February 1972-April 1974, the diurnal and solar cycle variation of the charge-exchange-induced hydrogen escape flux was investigated. It was calculated that for low to moderate solar activity at Arecibo, the diurnal ratio of the maximum-to-minimum charge-exchange-induced hydrogen escape flux was approximately 6 with a peak around noon and a minimum somewhere between 0100 and 0300 h LT. This study of a limited amount of OGO 6 and Arecibo data seems to indicate that the charge-exchange-induced hydrogen escape flux increases as the F(10.7) flux increases for low to moderate solar activity.

Maher, L. J.↗

NASA NTRS1982

EUV spectroscopic plasma diagnostics for the solar wind acceleration region

Possibilities are considered for probing physical conditions in the solar corona with strong EUV resonance lines from ions such as N V, O VI, Ne VIII, Mg X, and Si XII. Through measurements of the intensities and profiles of EUV spectral lines with coronagraphic instrumentation employing normal incidence reflecting optics, it is possible to acquire information on electron, proton, and ion temperatures and velocity distributions; electron, H I, and ion densities; mass flow and nonthermal velocities; and chemical abundances. This information will provide critical empirical constraints on physical processes responsible for plasma heating, solar wind acceleration, and transport of mass, momentum, and energy in the solar corona, as well as providing constraints on theoretical models for solar and stellar coronae and mass loss.

Kohl, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Planetary fast neutral emission and effects on solar wind - A cometary exosphere analog

Ion-neutral charge exchange reactions occurring in planetary magnetospheres produce a copious supply of fast neutrals in the form of high-speed magnetospheric neutral winds. Theoretical models of such processes and their subsequent effects on the solar wind are investigated. Source strengths for emission from earth's ring current (10 to the 25th - 10 to the 26th/s), Jupiter's Io plasma torus (1-2 x 10 to the 28th/s), and both the Dione-Tethys torus and the Titan hydrogen torus (10 to the 26th - 10 to the 27th/s) of Saturn are evaluated. The effects of an extensive atomic nitrogen cloud surrounding the orbit of Titan are also considered in connection with the Saturnian aurora. Reionization and pickup of sulfur atoms in the circumplanetary region of Jupiter lead to a small mass-loading effect on the solar wind velocity (less than 10 percent); however, the heat input is substantial, resulting in a large increase in the effective ion temperature (not less than 100 percent). The pickup ion model is also applied tot the generation of electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves in the local neighborhood of the central body. The model suggests the preferential excitation of left-hand-polarized waves in regions where the solar wind-magnetic field angle is large (outer sheath) and right-hand waves in regions where the angle is small (near-tail).

Barbosa, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Theoretical study of the electron temperature in the high-latitude ionosphere for solar maximum and winter conditions

The T(e) variation in the high-latitude ionosphere at altitudes between 120 and 800 km has been modeled for solar maximum, winter solstice, and strong magnetic activity conditions. The calculated electron temperatures are consistent with the plasma densities and ion temperatures computed from a time-dependent ionospheric model. Heating rates for both solar EUV and auroral precipitation were included. In general, the predicted UT variation of the electron temperature that results from the displacement between the magnetic and geographic poles is only a few hundred degrees. However, in sunlit trough regions, T(e) hot spots develop, and these hot spots show a marked UT variation, by as much as 2500 K. The dominant parameter controlling the T(e) variation above 200 km is the magnetospheric heat flux into the ionosphere, which is essentially unknown. For realistic values of the magnetospheric heat flux, the maximum electron temperature ranges from 5000 to 10,000 K at 800 km. A magnetospheric heat flux is particularly effective in enhancing trough electron temperatures. In general, the electron heat flux at high altitudes is uniquely related to the electron temperature and gradient, except on auroral field lines where thermoelectric heat flow is important.

Schunk, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A quantitative model of plasma in Neptune's magnetosphere

A model encompassing plasma transport and energy processes is applied to Neptune's magnetosphere. Starting with profiles of the neutral densities and the electron temperature, the model calculates the plasma density and ion temperature profiles. Good agreement between model results and observations is obtained for a neutral source of 5 x 10 exp 25/s if the diffusion coefficient is 10 exp -8 L3R(N)/2s, plasma is lost at a rate 1/3 that of the strong diffusion rate, and plasma subcorotates in the region outside Triton.

Richardson, John D.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Plasma expansion and evolution of density perturbations in the polar wind - Comparison of semikinetic and transport models

Comparisons are made between transport and semikinetic models in a study of the time evolution of plasma density perturbations in the polar wind. The situations modeled include plasma expansion into a low-density region and time evolution of localized density enhancements and cavities. The results show that the semikinetic model generally yields smoother profiles in density, drift velocity, and ion temperature than the transport model, principally because of ion velocity dispersion. While shocks frequently develop in the results of the transport model, they do not occur in the semikinetic results. In addition, in the semikinetic results, two ion streams, or double-humped distributions, frequently develop. In the transport model results the bulk parameters, at a given time, often have a one-to-one correspondence in the locations of their local minima or maxima. This is a consequence of the coupling of the fluid equations. There is, however, no such relationship among the moments produced by the semikinetic model where the local moment maxima and minima are often shifted in altitude. In general, incorporation of enhanced heat fluxes in the transport model leads to somewhat improved agreement with the semikinetic results.

Ho, C. W.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Implications of Depleted flux Tubes in the Jovian Magnetosphere

A rare but persistent phenomenon in the jovian magnetosphere is the occurrence of apparently depleted flux tubes, whose magnetic pressures are significantly above ambient levels. These flux tubes occur about 0.25% of the observing time in the region of the Io torus in the Galileo high resolution data. The importance of these tubes is that they can return to the inner magnetosphere the magnetic flux that has been convected radially outward with the iogenic plasma to the tail. The paucity of these tubes is consistent with the expected flux return rates if the tubes are moving inward at an average rate of about 5-10 km/s in the torus. Depleted flux tubes have yet to be observed inside of the lo orbit where the plasma beta is lower than in the hot torus. Estimates of the plasma density outside the tube from plasma wave measurements enable the average perpendicular temperature to be obtained from the magnetic field change. Extrapolating this temperature back to lo, we obtain an average ion temperature of approximately 60 eV. These values are generally consistent with earlier Voyager observations but on the low side of their range of uncertainty, and agree quite well with contemporaneous Galileo measurements where these are available.

Russell, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Small Mercury Ion Clock for On-board Spacecraft Navigation

I.Small Ion Clock Approach and Heritage: a) No lasers, uwave cavities, cryogenics, atomic beams, etc. b) Ions are electrically shuttled between separate optical and microwave traps. II. Each trap is optimized for its task: quadrupole for optical state selection; multi-pole for microwave clock. a) Very good stability shown in USNO. Timescale running "open loop." III. "Open loop" operation means no self-measurements of frequency offsets: (Zeeman, ion temperature,... etc.) a) Fewer parts and procedures, produces stable output continuously. IV. Ion clock is not so sensitive to temperature fluctuations a) Measured u:nshielded temperature coefficient of few 10(exp -15) per C. b) No bulky temperature isolation needed.

Prestage, John D.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Thermal structure of the ionosphere of Mars - Simulations with one- and two-dimensional models

Heat flux saturation effects are included in the present one- and two-dimensional models of the Martian upper ionosphere's thermal structure. The inclusion of small upper boundary and volume heat sources is found to yield satisfactory simulations of the dayside ion temperature observation results obtained by Viking 1's retarding potential analyzers. It is noted that the plasma flow-transport of heat from the dayside to the nightside makes no contribution to the ion and electron temperatures that have been calculated for the nightside.

Singhal, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A study of the atmosphere and ionosphere using satellite observations of 300-1400 Ang airglow

A study of the O(+) ion distribution reveals that the OII 834 A emission can be used to infer the O(+) density as a function of altitude. The ion temperature was obtained from these measurements. Variations of the ion density distributions were obtained as a function of latitude. Daytime observations show that the OII 834 A emissions contain the signature of the Appleton anomary. Analysis of the 300 to 900 A auroral spectra reveals a large number of OII features. Several pairs of OII features with a common upper state were used to obtain their branching ratios and compared with laboratory observations and theoretical calculations. Evidence for OIII emissions were also found in an aurora.

Chakrabarti, S.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The generation of electrostatic noise in the plasma sheet boundary layer

The one and two ion beam instability is considered as a possible explanation for the observations of broadband electrostatic noise in the plasma sheet region of the geomagnetic tail. When only hot streaming plasma sheet boundary layer ions are present, no broadband waves are excited. Cold, streaming ionospheric ions can generate electrostatic broadband waves propagating in the slow beam acoustic mode, but the growth rates of the waves are significantly enhanced when hot boundary layer ions are present. (Both the slow and fast beam acoustic modes can be excited, depending on the relative ion drift.) This model predicts that the wave intensity of the broad band noise should peak in the plasma sheet boundary layer. Observations of less intense electrostatic waves in the lobes and plasma sheet are likely a result of the absence of hot ion beams or large ion temperatures, respectively, which result in smaller growth rates. The ion beam instability may play an important role in the formation of the central plasma sheet.

Dusenbery, P. B.↗

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 NTRS1991

The Io sulfur torus in 1981

Io torus spectrometry obtained in the S II and S III forbidden lines during February-March 1981 indicate that these emissions are correlated in the warm torus, and possess similar scale heights along the magnetic field lines. The observed emission scale heights can be used to estimate the ion temperature parallel to the magnetic field, given the effective ion mass. Attention is also given to simultaneous measurements of the S II forbidden 6731 line profile obtained on one night with a Fabry-Perot scanning spectrophotometer.

Oliversen, Ronald J.↗

NASA NTRS1962

Estimation of Critical Temperature for Surface Ion Currents from Electron Emission Data

A method of calculating a relation for the critical surface temperature for ion current emission is presented. The method is based on the S-shaped electron emission curves for surfaces in the presence of ionizable vapors and upon the assumptions of thermodynamic equilibrium involved in the Saha-Langmuir relation. A comparison of the critical temperatures so calculated with the relation obtained from actual ion emission data on the cesium-tungsten system shows good agreement over a wide current density range. Critical temperatures for cesium ion current densities of 0.21 and 1.9 amperes per square centimeter calculated by this method are presented for surfaces of rhenium, molybdenum, tantalum, and niobium. Tentative relations of the form log j equals A (sub p) plus (B (sub p) over T) are presented for these same systems, where j is the ion current density, A (sub p) and B (sub p) are constants, and T is the temperature.

ELECTRON EMISSION↗

NASA NTRS1986

Expansion velocity and temperatures of gas and ions measured in the coma of Comet Halley

In situ measurements of flow velocity and temperature in the inner coma were obtained from ram energy spectra of molecules and ions observed by the Giotto neutral mass spectrometer. Radial flow speed is 800 km/sec; near 2,500 km from the nucleus increasing to more than 1000 m/sec at 20,000 km. A near zero volt spacecraft potential was inferred. Ion temperatures are approx. 200 K inside the contact surface (approx. 4500 km) where the plasma is collisionally coupled to the gas; at this boundary ion temperature rises by approx. 1000 K. The observations indicate a heat source which is effective to large distances.

Laemmerzahl, P.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Thermal diffusion in partially ionized gases - The case of unequal temperatures

Previous calculations of thermal diffusion coefficients in partially ionized gases are extended to the case of unequal neutral and ion temperatures and/or temperature gradients. Formulas are derived for the general case of a major gas as well as for minor atoms and ions. Strong enhancements of minor-ion thermal diffusion coefficients over their values in the fully ionized gas are found when the degree of ionization in the main gas is relatively low. However, compared to the case of equal temperatures, the enhancements are less strong when the neutrals are cooler than the ions. The specific case of the H-H(+) mixture, which is important in the study of solar and stellar atmospheres, is discussed as an application.

Geiss, J.↗