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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 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2011

Understanding Coronal Heating with Emission Measure Distributions

It is widely believed that the cross-field spatial scale of coronal heating is small, so that the fundamental plasma structures (loop strands) are spatially unresolved. We therefore must appeal to diagnostic techniques that are not strongly affected by spatial averaging. One valuable observable is the emission measure distribution, EM(T), which indicates how much material is present at each temperature. Using data from the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph on the Hinode mission, we have determined emission measure distributions in the cores of two active regions. The distributions have power law slopes of approximately 2.4 coolward of the peak. We compare these slopes, as well as the amount of emission measure at very high temperature, with the predictions of a series of models. The models assume impulsive heating (nanoflares) in unresolved strands and take full account of non equilibrium ionization. A variety of nanoflare properties and initial conditions are considered. We also comment on the selection of spectral lines for upcoming missions like Solar Orbiter.

Klimchik, James A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Ion-Neutral Coupling in Solar Prominence

Coupling between ions and neutrals in magnetized plasmas is fundamentally important to many aspects of heliophysics, including our ionosphere, the solar chromosphere, the solar wind interaction with planetary atmospheres, and the interface between the heliosphere and the interstellar medium. Ion-neutral coupling also plays a major role in the physics of solar prominences. By combining theory, modeling, and observations we are working toward a better understanding of the structure and dynamics of partially ionized prominence plasma. Two key questions are addressed in the present work: 1) what physical mechanism(s) sets the cross-field scale of prominence threads? 2) Are ion-neutral interactions responsible for the vertical flows and structure in prominences? We present initial results from a study investigating what role ion-neutral interactions play in prominence dynamics and structure. This research was supported by NASA.

Gilbert, H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Explorer 34 magnetic field measurements near the tail current sheet and auroral activity

Explorer 34 (Imp 4) 2.56 s magnetic data obtained during 131 traversals of the tail current sheet are presented, along with the simultaneous 2.5 min auroral electrojet indices AE and AL. The normal magnetic field satellite crossing times and positions are tabulated for these 131 crossings. Normal magnetic field is defined in the center of the sheet: it is the vector magnetic field at the time of field minimum during the crossing. It is remarkable that the only normal components too large in magnitude to be classified as fine structure occur near the time of onset of an AE event. Cases are discussed where the normal component, defined near the plasma sheet edges, has the opposite sign compared to the normal component defined at the sheet center. For quiet times, the current sheet may be only about 1000 km thick within a 3 earth-radii plasma sheet, and may carry some 10-15% of the total tail current.

Speiser, T. W.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Method for confining the magnetic field of the cross-tail current inside the magnetopause

A method is presented for analytically representing the magnetic field due to the cross-tail current and its closure on the magnetopause. It is an extension of a method used by Tsyganenko (1989b) to confine the dipole field inside an ellipsoidal magnetopause using a scalar potential. Given a model of the cross-tail current, the implied net magnetic field is obtained by adding to the cross-tail current field a potential field B = - del gamma, which makes all field lines divide into two disjoint groups, separated by the magnetopause (i.e., the combined field is made to have zero normal component with the magnetopause). The magnetopause is assumed to be an ellipsoid of revolution (a prolate spheroid) as an approximation to observations (Sibeck et al., 1991). This assumption permits the potential gamma to be expressed in spheroidal coordinates, expanded in spheroidal harmonics and its terms evaluated by performing inversion integrals. Finally, the field outside the magnetopause is replaced by zero, resulting in a consistent current closure along the magnetopause. This procedure can also be used to confine the modeled field of any other interior magnetic source, though the model current must always flow in closed circuits. The method is demonstrated on the T87 cross-tail current, examples illustrate the effect of changing the size and shape of the prescribed magnetopause and a comparison is made to an independent numerical scheme based on the Biot-Savart equation.

Sotirelis, T.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Empirical models of high latitude electric fields

Model cross sections of the high latitude dawn-dusk electric field based on OGO-6 data are presented for the signature profiles, most frequently encountered for both + and -Y orientations of the interplanetary magnetic field. Line integrals give a total potential of 76 keV in each case. To illustrate extremes, examples of model cross-sections with total potentials of 23 keV and 140 keV are also given. Model convection patterns are also presented utilizing OGO-6 data on boundary locations at other magnetic local times. When this information is combined with characteristic field geometries in the region of the Harang discontinuity, and is supplemented by data from Ba+ cloud motions in the polar cap, it becomes possible to construct realistic convection patterns on the nightside which deviate from the usual sun-aligned patterns. The observational models presented are of limited applicability as a consequence of the variability of observed distributions. These limitations are emphasized with particular attention given to several types of recurrent deviations which have not previously been discussed.

Heppner, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Semiconductor crystal growth in crossed electric and magnetic fields: Center Director's Discretionary Fund

A unique growth cell was designed in which crossed electric and magnetic fields could be separately or simultaneously applied during semiconductor crystal growth. A thermocouple was inserted into an InSb melt inside the growth cell to examine the temperature response of the fluid to applied electromagnetic fields. A static magnetic field suppressed time-dependent convection when a destabilizing thermal field was applied. The simultaneous application of electric and magnetic fields resulted in forced convection in the melt. The InSb ingots grown in the cell were polycrystalline. An InGaSb crystal, 0.5 cm in diameter and 23-cm long, was grown without electromagnetic fields applied. The axial composition results indicated that complete mixing in the melt occurred for this large aspect ratio.

Mazuruk, K.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Collisional excitation of electron Landau levels in strong magnetic fields

The cross sections for the excitation and deexcitation of the quantized transverse energy levels of an electron in a magnetic field are calculated for electron-proton and electron-electron collisions in light of the importance of the cross sections for studies of X-ray pulsar emission. First-order matrix elements are calculated using the Dirac theory of the electron, thus taking into account relativistic effects, which are believed to be important in accreting neutron stars. Results for the collisional excitation of ground state electrons by protons are presented which demonstrate the importance of proton recoil and relativistic effects, and it is shown that electron-electron excitations may contribute 10 to 20% of the excitation rate from electron-proton scattering in a Maxwellian plasma. Finally, calculations of the cross section for electron-proton small-angle scattering are presented which lead to relaxation rates for the electron velocity distribution which are modified by the magnetic field, and to a possible increase in the value of the Coulomb logarithm.

Langer, S. H.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Cross-tail current, field-aligned current, and B(y)

Orbits of individual charged particles were traced in a one-dimensional magnetic field model that included a uniform cross-tail component B(sub yo). The effects of B(sub yo) on the cross-tail current distribution j(sub y)(z), the average cross-tail drift velocity(nu(sub y)z), and the average pitch angle change(delta alpha) experienced during current sheet encounters were calculated. The addition of a B(sub yo) that exceeded several tenths of one nanotesla completely eliminated all resonance effects for odd-N orbits. An odd-N resonance involves ions that enter and exit the current sheet on the same side. Pitch angles of nearly all such ions changed substantially during a typical current sheet interaction, and there was no region of large cross-tail drift velocity in the presence of a modest B(sub yo). the addition of a very large B(sub yo) guide field in the direction that enhances the natural drift produces a large j(y) and small (Delta alpha) for ions with all energies. The addition of a modest B(sub yo) had less effect near even-N resonances. In this case, ions in a small energy range were found to undergo so little change in pitch angle that particles which originated in the ionosphere would pass through the current sheet and return to the conjugate ionosphere. Finally, the cross-tail drift of ions from regions dominated by stochastic orbits to regions dominated by either resonant or guiding center orbits was considered. The ion drift speed changed substantially during such transitions. The accompanying electrons obey the guiding center equations, so electron drift is more uniform. Any difference between gradients in the fluxes associated with electron and ion drifts requires the presence of a Birkeland current in order to maintain charge neutrality. This plasma sheet region therefore serves as a current generator. The analysis predicts that the resulting Birkeland current connects to the lowest altitude equatorial regions in which ions drift to or from a point at which stochastic orbits predominate. The proposed mechanism appears only in analyses that include non-guiding-center effects.

Kaufmann, Richard L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Flow field measurements in a crossing shockwave turbulent boundary layer interaction at Mach 3

An experimental study has been conducted to examine the flow field of the 3D crossing shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction. A symmetric pair of 9-deg fins were used to generate the crossing shocks. The incoming boundary layer was developed on the tunnel sidewall and thus was relatively thick, 0.49 arcsec, and suited for pitot probe surveys. The test conditions were a nominal Mach number of 3 and unit Reynolds number of 1.2 x 10 exp 7/ft. The measurements obtained included surface oil flow visualizations, surface static pressures, and boundary layer pitot pressure profiles. The results showed that downstream of the crossing shock intersection, the stagnation pressure losses were significant and the stagnation pressure profiles were highly nonuniform. Despite the severe shock disturbances, the law of the wall and the law of the wake were found to give relatively good agreement with the experimental data.

Lachowicz, Jason T.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Electron/Ion-Scattering Apparatus

In new apparatus, most of electrons scattered inelastically over wide range of angles measured simultaneously, with consequent increase in signal-to-noise ratio by factor of about 10 to 4th power. Beam of electrons and beam of ions aimed along low-intensity magnetic field between pair of electric-field plates. Crossed electric and magnetic fields hardly affect ions but cause electrons to drift toward ions by trochoidal motion. With modifications, apparatus used for measurements of excitation cross sections in neutral atoms, molecules, radicals, and excited states of atoms and molecules.

Chutjian, Ara↗
NASA NTRS1987

Electric field measurements at subcritical, oblique bow shock crossings

ISEE-1 electric field measurements at three oblique, subcritical dispersive bow shock crossings are presented. The potential drops across the shock due to the large spatial scale normal component of the electric field were found to vary between 340 and 520 V. The measurements provide the first observations in a space plasma of the oscillations in the normal component of the electric field connected with the whistler precursor phase standing at a collisionless shock. Intense, rapidly varying electric fields with peak amplitudes ranging up to 100 mV/m were observed at the magnetic ramp of the shock in the high time resolution data.

Wygant, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Cross Sections From Scalar Field Theory

A one pion exchange scalar model is used to calculate differential and total cross sections for pion production through nucleon- nucleon collisions. The collisions involve intermediate delta particle production and decay to nucleons and a pion. The model provides the basic theoretical framework for scalar field theory and can be applied to particle production processes where the effects of spin can be neglected.

Norbury, John W.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Coincidence measurement of the fully differential cross section for atomic-field bremsstrahlung

A coincidence measurement was made of the absolute cross section for electron-atomic-field bremsstrahlung, differential in photon energy, photon-emission angle, and electron scattering angle. The incident electron energy was 140 keV and the scattering materials were thin films of aluminum and gold. The data are compared to the theoretical calculations of Elwert and Haug and of Bethe and Heitler. Both theories give generally satisfactory agreement for aluminum. The Elwert-Haug theory is somewhat more accurate for gold.

Faulk, J. D.↗