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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 253 records · Page 14
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NASA NTRS1985

Gravity Waves

In recent years it has been widely recognized that vertically propagating gravity waves play an important role in the dynamics of the middle atmosphere in partly determining the large scale temperature and wind structure through their energy and momentum transport. In particular, the meridional temperature distribution and the mean wind profile in the upper mesosphere are considered to be largely affected by the turbulence diffusion and friction that gravity waves induce through their breaking. For an understanding of the middle atmosphere circulation, it is therefore very important to know the global distribution and temporal variation of gravity waves in a climatological sense. The results of the statistics for gravity wave activity in the stratosphere and mesosphere are presented as a function of latitude and month, with the aid of meteorological rocket network observations.

Hirota, I.↗
NASA NTRS1974

On the generation of the sequence of diffuse resonances observed on top side ionograms

Two different plasma wave instabilities have been invoked in earlier models for the generation of top side ionogram diffuse resonances. Arguments are presented that support the model based on the Harris instability, i.e., the instability resulting from a sounder-stimulated anisotropic electron velocity distribution. Two modifications to this model are also presented. First, it is only necessary for the instability mechanism to operate for a period of the order of milliseconds (rather than tens of milliseconds) in order to explain the observations. Second, the wave associated with the second harmonic of the electron cyclotron frequency, which enters into the nonlinear wave-wave interaction process included in the model, comes from the side bands of the transmitted sounder pulse rather than from the turbulent state of the plasma caused by the pulse. The second modification provides an explanation for the variation of the time duration observed among the members of the sequence of diffuse resonances.

Benson, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS2005

MHD Simulation Heliospheric Magnetic Fields and Turbulence

This talk will present a summary of our results on simulations of heliospheric structure and dynamics. We use a three-dimensional MHD code in spherical coordinates to produce a solar wind containing a rotating, tilted heliospheric current sheet, fast-slow stream and microstream shear layers, waves, 2-D turbulence, and pressure balanced structures that are input to the inner (superAlfvenic) boundary. The evolution of various combinations of these has led to a deeper understanding of sector structure, magnetic holes, fluctuation anisotropies, and general turbulent evolution. We show how the sectors are likely to be connected, how spiral fields can arise, and how field line diffusion can be caused by waves with transverse structure and microstream shears.

Roberts, D. Aaron↗
NASA NTRS1972

Reformulation of quasi-linear theory.

Standard plasma quasi-linear theory is reformulated on the basis of a classical quantum derivation proceeding from the Vlasov equation and dealing only with frequency, wavenumber, and velocity. The wave amplitudes are assumed to be weakly time-dependent, and no distinction is made between growing and decaying waves. The proposed method leads to no negative diffusivity of 'fake' diffusion. By appropraite treatment of nonresonant interaction, expressions are obtained for wave energy and momentum.

Kaufman, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Hybrid Simulations of Interstellar Pickup Ion Acceleration at the Solar Wind Termination Shock

Hybrid (kinetic ion/fluid electron) simulations have been used to study self-consistently the injection and initial stages of acceleration of interstellar pickup ions at the solar wind termination shock. Results are presented from one-dimensional simulations of high Mach number oblique (40 deg-50 deg) shocks with a 10% population of interstellar pickup hydrogen. In these simulations, the pickup ions, the solar wind ions, the shock fields and the waves are all treated self-consistently. Pickup ions reflected by the shock excite large amplitude (DELTA.B / B approximately 0.3) upstream magnetosonic waves. These waves, in turn, scatter the pickup hydrogen, as expected in the diffusive shock acceleration process. The spectrum of excited waves broadens in time. We find that, for the parameters studied, the termination shock efficiently injects and accelerates the interstellar pickup hydrogen, and thus this work represents a microscopic verification of this anomalous cosmic ray injection mechanism. Comparison of injected fluxes from the simulations with Voyager fluxes extrapolated to the termination shock suggests that injection at the termination shock is probably greater than injection by interplanetary shocks. A study of accelerated pickup ion orbits shows that the energy gain comes predominantly from shock drift acceleration in the shock front, with the upstream waves aiding the acceleration by allowing multiple encounters with the shock.

Liewer, P. C.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Low-freqency instabilities and the resulting velocity distributions of pickup ions at comet Halley

The interaction between the solar wind and newborn cometary ions is studied using a new analytical theory as well as one- and two-dimensional hybrid simulations. Using the observed parameters upstream of the comet Halley, a detailed study of wave excitation and the resulting particle distributions is presentd. Linear theory as well as simulations show that a variety of modes such as the fast magnetosonic mode, high frequency whistlers and obliquely propagating Alfven ion cyclotron waves can be excited. However, parallel propagating waves are found to be dominant in the wave spectrum and to control the scattering of the pickup ions. Several features of the observed distributions of pickup protons are explained. In particular, it is shown that the observed asymmetric pitch distribution for the pickup protons is due to the small saturation amplitude of the waves for the given parameters. Water group associated waves can lead to energy diffusion and further pitch angle scattering of protons. This effect is most likely to be important in the vicinity of the bow shock of comet Halley where the density of water group ions becomes comparable to that of protons. It is shown that the observed increase in the radius of the proton velocity shell just outside the bow shock can be due to water group waves. The nearby isotropic proton pitch angle distribution observed by Neugebauer et al. (1989) just outside the bow shock may, however, be related to the presence of a rotational discontinuity which has been identified in the magnetic field data. Just outside the bow shock, simulations show that parallel propagating water group waves can steepen with attached whistler wave packets. The steepening process at parallel propagation is a transient effect, in an important contrast to the case of steepening at oblique angles. The smaller beam densitites at comet Halley appears to be the main reason not only why waves at comet Halley have smaller amplitudes but also why oblique, steepening magnetosonic waves have not been detected at comet Halley, whereas they have been seen at comet Giacobini-Zinner. Halley, whereas they have been seen at comet Giacobini-Zinner.

Karimabadi, H.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Magnetospheric Multiscale Observations of Large-Amplitude Parallel, Electrostatic Waves Associated with Magnetic Reconnection at the Magnetopause

We report observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites of large-amplitude, parallel, electrostatic waves associated with magnetic reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause. The observed waves have parallel electric fields (E(sub parallel)) with amplitudes on the order of 100 mV/m and display nonlinear characteristics that suggest a possible net E(sub parallel). These waves are observed within the ion diffusion region and adjacent to (within several electron skin depths) the electron diffusion region. They are in or near the magnetosphere side current layer. Simulation results support that the strong electrostatic linear and nonlinear wave activities appear to be driven by a two stream instability, which is a consequence of mixing cold (less than 10eV) plasma in the magnetosphere with warm (approximately 100eV) plasma from the magnetosheath on a freshly reconnected magnetic field line. The frequent observation of these waves suggests that cold plasma is often present near the magnetopause.

Ergun, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Solar Phenomena Associated with "EIT Waves"

In an effort to understand what an 'EIT wave' is and what its causes are, we have looked for correlations between the initiation of EIT waves and the occurrence of other solar phenomena. An EIT wave is a coronal disturbance, typically appearing as a diffuse brightening propagating across the Sun. A catalog of EIT waves, covering the period from 1997 March through 1998 June, was used in this study. For each EIT wave, the catalog gives the heliographic location and a rating for each wave, where the rating is determined by the reliability of the observations. Since EIT waves are transient, coronal phenomena, we have looked for correlations with other transient, coronal phenomena: X-ray flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and metric type II radio bursts. An unambiguous correlation between EIT waves and CMEs has been found. The correlation of EIT waves with flares is significantly weaker, and EIT waves frequently are not accompanied by radio bursts. To search for trends in the data, proxies for each of these transient phenomena are examined. We also use the accumulated data to show the robustness of the catalog and to reveal biases that must be accounted for in this study.

Biesecker, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Waves in the Jovian upper atmosphere

We examine a propagating wave interpretation of the temperature profile features observed in the Jovian upper atmosphere by Veverka et al. (1974). Inertia-gravity waves with frequencies on the order of .003 per sec are consistent with the data. If the interpretation is correct, and if the waves carry energy upward, it implies (1) that there is excitation of such waves at lower levels, (2) that eddy diffusivities on the order of 1,000,000 sq cm/sec are probably generated by the waves, and (3) that the energy carried by waves is important to the upper atmospheric heat balance.

French, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Gravity wave-driven fluctuations in OH nightglow from an extended, dissipative emission region

The paper theoretically examines the modification of the characteristics of OH nightglow from an extended emission region by eddy momentum and eddy thermal diffusivities. The reactions that account for OH decay are presented with the additional modifications demonstrating the importance of the upper limit of vertical integration of the extended source. When the vertical wavelengths are smaller than the thickness of the main OH emission region, oscillations cause the effects, particularly at long wavelengths. Eddy diffusion increases the vertical wavelength, and therefore the interference effects related to a finite range of vertical integration can be reduced by accounting for eddy diffusion. It is determined that the effects of eddy momentum and thermal diffusivities are important elements of gravity wave dynamics and should be considered when calculating OH emission perturbations and related variables.

Schubert, G.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Upstream hydromagnetic waves and their association with backstreaming ion populations - ISEE 1 and 2 observations

Measurements from the Lepedea plasma instruments and the flux gate magnetometers on ISEE 1 and 2 are used to examine the nature of the hydromagnetic waves associated with the various classes of ions backstreaming from the earth's bow shock. The reflected ions, which are confined to a narrow energy and angular range, are accompanied by small amplitude (less than approximately 1/2 gamma peak to peak) left-handed waves at frequencies close to 1 Hz in the spacecraft frame. Diffuse backstreaming particles with a broad energy spectrum are associated with low frequency (approximately 30-s period), large amplitude (approximately 5 gamma peak to peak) waves. Intermediate particles are associated with a mixture of these two wave types. Often the waves associated with the diffuse beams steepen as if they were minishocks. The leading edge (trailing edge in the spacecraft frame) frequently appears to break up into a whistler mode wave packet. These discrete wave packets are right-hand polarized and have frequencies from below the proton gyrofrequency to well above it in the plasma frame and are blown back towards the earth by the solar wind.

Hoppe, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Relaxation of the loss-cone by quasi-linear diffusion of the electron-cyclotron maser instability in the solar corona

A self-consistent numeric two-dimensional code using kinetic-wave particle equations has been developed and applied to the maser dynamics of the solar corona. Time histories generated by the code reveal details of the evolution of the linear phase, the saturation and subsequent relaxation of the loss cone. Quantitative values are obtained for the saturation time, the amount of the converted free energy, the critical wave energy level for onset of maser diffusion, the velocity and pitch angle range of the resonant particles, and the relative importance of the different magnetoionic modes and harmonics. A wide range of initial conditions is covered by varying the loss-cone distribution and the ambient cold plasma parameters.

Aschwanden, Markus J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A perpendicular ion beam instability - Solutions to the linear dispersion relation

A 200-eV Xe(+) ion beam directed perpendicular to the terrestrial magnetic field in the F region ionosphere produced very narrow band electrostatic emissions just above multiples of the hydrogen cyclotron frequency. Although the plasma conditions associated with the ion beam were undoubtedly very complex, a simple ion beam in a background ionosphere is considered first. The dispersion relation for flute mode waves and an unmagnetized perpendicular ion beam is solved for a diffuse H(+) plasma and then for a combination of dense O(+) and diffuse H(+). These solutions account for most of the wave properties, including the observation of narrow spectral peaks separated by the hydrogen cyclotron frequency and the observation of no spectral peaks below 2000 Hz. We cannot dismiss field-aligned currents associated with the Xe(+) beam as an alternate source of free energy for the narrow band emissions. However, our intention here is to examine closely the Xe(+) beam as a source for directly exciting the plasma waves.

Kintner, P. M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Particle simulations in magnetospheric plasmas

In view of the recent remarkable advancement of computer technology and simulation software, simulation studies are one of the most powerful academic tools for establishment of quantitative space physics and modelling of our space environment. The complex nature encountered in space plasma physics has motivated considerable development in computer simulations, which have played an essential role in the development of space plasma theory. This report describes research undertaken to understand physical processes involved in plasma waves observed in the magnetospheric plasmas, and associated nonlinear phenomena such as heating, diffusion, and acceleration of particles due to excited waves. The research explains and clarifies the observational data both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Nishikawa, Ken-Ichi↗
NASA NTRS1994

The Nonlinear Evolution of the Inviscid Secondary Instability of Streamwise Vortex Structures

The weakly nonlinear evolution of an inviscid marginally unstable wave growing on a boundary layer supporting a streamwise vortex structure is investigated. The nonlinear growth of the wave is found to be controlled by the diffusion layer located at the edge of the critical layer associated with the wave. The evolution equation is found to depend on the upstream history of the wave and the solution of the equation suggests that the wave either restructures the mean state so as to make it stable or develops a singularity at a finite distance downstream of the point of neutral stability.

Blackaby, Nicholas D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Acceleration of energetic particles

Acceleration of some particles from the background plasma to highly superthermal energies is a common feature of collisionless shocks in interplanetary space. The complete in situ measurements of bulk flows, thermal plasma, electromagnetic waves and energetic particles available for interplanetary shocks both suggest and test the models of shock acceleration in the solar system and the rest of the universe. This tutorial will review the present state of shock acceleration theory. Scatter-free acceleration by grad B drift in the plasma electric field E = -V x B/c, and diffusive acceleration resulting from scattering by Alfven waves in the plasma on both sides of the shock are discussed. The diffusive theory in simple steady state gives power-law spectra, but also shows the effects of time-dependent shocks and injection rates, escape and other losses, the self-consistent Alfven wave spectra, and plasma flow fields affected by diffusive energetic particle acceleration.

Forman, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Ion heating via turbulent ion acoustic waves.

The ion acoustic turbulence in the turbulent-heating experiment reported is excited by the ion-ion beam instability. Graphs are presented, showing the spatial evolution of the parallel ion beam energy and the spatial evolution of the ion acoustic turbulent wave spectrum. The observed characteristics of test waves in a turbulent beam-plasma imply that wave saturation is a dynamic balance between the emission of waves by the beam and the destruction or damping of wave coherence by the turbulent diffusion of particle orbits.

Taylor, R. J.↗