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At least 271 records · Page 15

Crres Observations of Particle Flux Dropout Events

The complete disappearance of energetic electrons was observed by CRRES in the near geosynchronous region in 7.5% of the orbits examined. These total flux dropouts were defined by the fluxes rapidly dropping to levels below the sensitivity of the MEA energetic electron spectrometer on the CRRES satellite. They were separated into those that were only energetic electron dropouts and those that were associated with energetic ion and plasma dropouts. Approximately 20% of the events showed dropouts of 0 particle fluxes, and these were usually coincident with large increases in the local magnetic intensity and signatures of strong current systems. The energetic particle instruments and magnetometer on CRRES provide a detailed picture of the particle and field responses to these unusual conditions. Both the local morning and dusk events were associated with strong azimuthal (eastward) and radial changes in the magnetic field indicative of a strong current system approaching and sometimes crossing the CRRES position at the time of the flux dropouts. The direction of the field changes and the details of particle observations are consistent with CRRES passing through the plasma sheet boundary layer and entering the tail lobe for a significant number of the events.

Fennell, J.↗

Real-time observation of toroidal current redistributions induced by three-dimensional MHD phenomena triggering vertical displacement events in tokamak plasmas

Three-dimensional MHD instabilities, including edge-localized modes (ELMs) and internal reconnection events (IREs), have been observed to precipitate loss of vertical stability in tokamak plasmas, resulting in vertical displacement events (VDEs). This vertical destabilization can occur due to toroidal current redistributions and/or shape changes resulting from these phenomena. Using a recently introduced method for rapidly reconstructing the two-dimensional toroidal plasma current density profile in real-time, results are presented that demonstrate the specific current distribution changes that occur during ELMs (on KSTAR) and IREs (on MAST-U) that lead to loss of vertical control. The method most efficiently reconstructs the toroidal current density profile by doing so on a basis of principal components of historical profiles. These principal components isolate dominant current profile dynamics, improving interpretability, increasing speed, and reducing dimensionality of the profile computation. On KSTAR, this computation is executed in the real-time plasma control system at a rate of 10 kHz (limited by available CPU cycle times), allowing the current profile evolution to be assessed at several times over the course of each ELM event. Further, by incorporating the reconstructions into a novel vertical stability metric, the contribution of specific current profile dynamics to the loss of vertical stability can be assessed in real-time for VDE avoidance and improved understanding of the causal relationship between three-dimensional MHD phenomena and VDEs. The success of this method in approximating toroidal current density profiles from kinetic equilibrium reconstructions is also presented ($R^2=0.990$), along with its capability to produce other equilibrium quantities of interest in real-time at high time resolution.

edge-localized modes↗

Daytime Observations of Mid-Latitude Sporadic-E and QP Radar Echoes

Although sporadic-E layers and quasi-periodic (QP) radars are typically detected during nighttime conditions at mid-latitudes, they also may exist in the daytime lower ionosphere as well. We present observations of ionosonde observations of daytime sporadic-E layers gathered at the Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, in the late morning to noon local times. The data reveal sporadic-E characteristics similar to nighttime observations including considerable variations in frequency and altitude. For one event, observed on 23 July 1999 near 14 U.T. (10 L.T.), we present coincident strong Wallops ionosonde sporadic-E observations and SOMHz backscatter radar observations of quasi-periodic echoes gathered with the University of Illinois radar situated at Ft. Macon, N.C., whose beam was perpendicular to the magnetic field in the lower E-region over Wallops. The radar data show daytime QP structuring that is very similar to the nighttime observations, suggesting a similar driving mechanism. A statistical survey of the daytime ionogram data at Wallops shows a preponderance of daytime sporadic-E events occurring during the local summer months, a seasonal dependence that is well-established for nighttime sporadic-E conditions in the northern hemisphere. No clear correlation is observed between the daytime sporadic- E events and magnetic storms, suggesting that the daytime sporadic-E events are not necessarily driven by the disturbance dynamo. Rather, we speculate that the same large wind shears that are believed to be the main engine for the nighttime sporadic-E and QP echoes, may also be at work during the daytime. The existence of enhanced plasma density layers during the daytime and their role in generating QP-echoes during the day remain open questions.

Pfaff, Robert↗

Potential design problems for ITER fusion device

The international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) is a worldwide project currently being built in France for the demonstration of the feasibility of thermonuclear technologies for future realization of successful commercial fusion energy. ITER is of the tokamak based design using strong magnetic fields to confine the very hot plasma needed to induce the fusion reaction. Tokamak devices are currently the front leading designs. Building a successful magnetic fusion device for energy production is of great challenge. A key obstacle to such design is the performance during abnormal events including plasma disruptions and so-called edge-localized modes (ELMs). In these events, a massive and sudden release of energy occurs quickly, due to loss of full or partial plasma confinement, leading to very high transient power loads on the reactor surface boundaries. A successful reactor design should tolerate several of these transient events without serious damages such as melting and vaporization of the structure. This paper highlights, through comprehensive state-of-the-art computer simulation of the entire ITER interior design during such transient events, e.g., ELMs occurring at normal operation and disruptions during abnormal operation, potential serious problems with current plasma facing components (PFCs) design. The HEIGHTS computer package is used in these simulations. The ITER reactor design was simulated in full and exact 3D geometry including all known relevant physical processes involved during these transient events. The current ITER divertor design may not work properly and may requires significant modifications or new innovative design to prevent serious damage and to ensure successful operation.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Methods and Results of a Search for Gravitational Waves Associated with Gamma-Ray Bursts Using the GEO 600, LIGO, and Virgo Detectors

In this paper we report on a search for short-duration gravitational wave bursts in the frequency range 64 Hz-1792 Hz associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), using data from GEO600 and one of the LIGO or Virgo detectors. We introduce the method of a linear search grid to analyze GRB events with large sky localization uncertainties such as the localizations provided by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). Coherent searches for gravitational waves (GWs) can be computationally intensive when the GRB sky position is not well-localized, due to the corrections required for the difference in arrival time between detectors. Using a linear search grid we are able to reduce the computational cost of the analysis by a factor of O(10) for GBM events. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our analysis pipeline can improve upon the sky localization of GRBs detected by the GBM, if a high-frequency GW signal is observed in coincidence. We use the linear search grid method in a search for GWs associated with 129 GRBs observed satellite-based gamma-ray experiments between 2006 and 2011. The GRBs in our sample had not been previously analyzed for GW counterparts. A fraction of our GRB events are analyzed using data from GEO600 while the detector was using squeezed-light states to improve its sensitivity; this is the first search for GWs using data from a squeezed-light interferometric observatory. We find no evidence for GW signals, either with any individual GRB in this sample or with the population as a whole. For each GRB we place lower bounds on the distance to the progenitor, assuming a fixed GW emission energy of 10(exp -2)Stellar Mass sq c, with a median exclusion distance of 0.8 Mpc for emission at 500 Hz and 0.3 Mpc at 1 kHz. The reduced computational cost associated with a linear search grid will enable rapid searches for GWs associated with Fermi GBM events in the Advanced detector era.

methods↗

Temperature and moisture conditions for life in the extreme arid region of the Atacama desert: four years of observations including the El Nino of 1997-1998

The Atacama along the Pacific Coast of Chile and Peru is one of the driest and possibly oldest deserts in the world. It represents an extreme habitat for life on Earth and is an analog for life in dry conditions on Mars. We report on four years (September 1994-October 1998) of climate and moisture data from the extreme arid region of the Atacama. Our data are focused on understanding moisture sources and their role in creating suitable environments for photosynthetic microorganisms in the desert surface. The average air temperature was 16.5 degrees C and 16.6 degrees C in 1995 and 1996, respectively. The maximum air temperature recorded was 37.9 degrees C, and the minimum was -5.7 degrees C. Annual average sunlight was 336 and 335 W m(-2) in 1995 and 1996, respectively. Winds averaged a few meters per second, with strong fohn winds coming from the west exceeding 12 m s(-1). During our 4 years of observation there was only one significant rain event of 2.3 mm, which occurred near midnight local time. We suggest that this event was a rainout of a heavy fog. It is of interest that the strong El Nino of 1997-1998 brought heavy rainfall to the deserts of Peru, but did not bring significant rain to the central Atacama in Chile. Dew occurred at our station frequently following high nighttime relative humidity, but is not a significant source of moisture in the soil or under stones. Groundwater also does not contribute to surface moisture. Only the one rain event of 2.3 mm resulted in liquid water in the soil and beneath stones for a total of only 65-85 h over 4 years. The paucity of liquid water under stones is consistent with the apparent absence of hypolithic (under-stone) cyanobacteria, the only known primary producers in such extreme deserts.

Biogenesis↗

On Hammershock Propagation in a Supersonic Flow Field

A wind tunnel test program was conducted to acquire flow-field data during a supersonic propulsion system compressor stall and inlet unstart sequence. The propulsion system consisted of a mixed-compression, two-dimensional bifurcated inlet coupled to a General Electric J85-13 turbojet engine. The propulsion system was mounted beneath a large flat plate that simulated an underwing propulsion pod installation. Transient flow-field pitot pressure and wing simulator surface static pressure data were acquired during multiple compressor stall and inlet unstart events at a free-stream Mach number of 2.20. The experimental results obtained in this investigation indicate that a supersonic propulsion system compressor stall-inlet unstart transient event adversely affects the surrounding local flow field. The data show that the stall-unstart event affects the surrounding flow field on a millisecond time scale and causes a three-dimensional expanding wave front called a hammershock to propagate outward from the inlet. The flow nearest the wing simulator separates from the surface during the transient event. At the end of the transient event, a distinct process occurs wherein the affected flow field recovers to free-stream conditions and the wing simulator boundary layer reattaches to the flow surface.

Porro, A. Robert↗

Hierarchical Convolutional Neural Networks for Event Classification on PMU Measurements

Event classification is one of the central components of automated disturbance analysis based on PMU measurements. Obtaining high-quality event labels remains a challenge for supervised learning-based classification of local and system-wide events in power grids due to its labor-intensive requirement. We present a sensitivity study considering rapidly refined, partially and fully inspected event labels that leads to evidence that hierarchical convolutional neural networks (HCNNs) outperform traditional classification models regardless of the quality of the available event labels. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that performance similar to the one obtained using entirely domain-driven labeling can be achieved as long as the involved expert does not mislabel more than ~5% of the event data captured by PMU measurements.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Ionospheric traveling convection vortices observed near the polar cleft - A triggered response to sudden changes in the solar wind

Analysis of 20-second resolution magnetometer data from an array of temporary stations operated around Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland, during the summer of 1986 shows the signatures of localized ionospheric traveling convection vortices. An example of an isolated event of this kind observed near 08 local time is presented in detail. This event consists of a twin vortex pattern of convection consistent with the presence of two field-aligned current filaments separated by about 600 km in the east-west direction. This system of currents is observed to move westward (tailward) past the array of stations at about 4 km/sec. The event is associated with relative quiet time ionospheric convection and occurs during an interval of northward IMF. It is, however, associated with a large fluctuation in both the Z and Y components of the IMF and with a large sudden decrease in the solar wind number density. The propagation of the system is inconsistent with existing models of FTE current systems, but nevertheless appears to be related to a readjustment of the magnetopause boundary to a sudden change in the solar wind dynamic pressure and/or to a change in reconnection brought about by a sudden reorientation of the IMF.

Friis-Christensen, E.↗

Micropulsations in the electric field near the plasmapause, observed by Isee 1

The results of a survey of occurrence of micropulsations near and inside the plasmapause, made on the basis of 1 year of data from the double probe electric field instrument on Isee 1, are presented. It is reported that the observed pulsations are classified as Pc 3 and P 2, and that one single Pc 1 event is observed. It is found that Pc 3 events are common during the local day, with a maximum percentage of occurrence as high as 72 in the morning hours. Attention is given to Pi 2 events showing that they are concentrated on the local nightside. Finally, it is noted that pulsations in the Pc 1 range appear on only one inbound pass, which makes the Pc 1 a rare phenomenon at low and moderate latitudes in the plasmasphere.

Moe, T. E.↗

A statistical study of large electric field events in the earth's magnetotail

A statistical study of large electric field events, measured on ISEE 1 at geocentric distances of 3 to 23 earth radii, has been performed in order to determine the occurrence frequency and spatial distribution of such events. Large electric fields were seen at all altitudes, with the lowest altitude events occurring on auroral field lines and the higher altitude events occurring on the high latitude boundary of the plasma sheet. The largest events had amplitudes that were approximately proportional to the square root of the local magnetic field strength, in agreement with expectations of a simple mapping model. The apparent concentration of big field events near local midnight is caused, at least in part, by a nonuniform frequency of satellite crossings through the plasma sheet boundary as a function of local time. Thus, the spatial distribution and amplitudes of the large field events are not inconsistent with the mapping of low-altitude electrostatic shocks to the plasma sheet boundary along equipotential magnetic field lines.

Levin, S.↗

Search for Gravitational Waves Associated with Gamma-Ray Bursts Detected by the Interplanetary Network

We present the results of a search for gravitational waves associated with 223 gamma ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the InterPlanetary Network (IPN) in 2005-2010 during LIGO's fifth and sixth science runs and Virgo's first, second, and third science runs. The IPN satellites provide accurate times of the bursts and sky localizations that vary significantly from degree scale to hundreds of square degrees. We search for both a well-modeled binary coalescence signal, the favored progenitor model for short GRBs, and for generic, unmodeled gravitational wave bursts. Both searches use the event time and sky localization to improve the gravitational wave search sensitivity as compared to corresponding all-time, all-sky searches. We find no evidence of a gravitational wave signal associated with any of the IPN GRBs in the sample, nor do we find evidence for a population of weak gravitational wave signals associated with the GRBs. For all IPN-detected GRBs, for which a sufficient duration of quality gravitational wave data are available, we place lower bounds on the distance to the source in accordance with an optimistic assumption of gravitational wave emission energy of 10(exp−2) solar mass c(exp 2) at 150 Hz, and find a median of 13 Mpc. For the 27 short-hard GRBs we place 90% confidence exclusion distances to two source models: a binary neutron star coalescence, with a median distance of 12 Mpc, or the coalescence of a neutron star and black hole, with a median distance of 22 Mpc. Finally, we combine this search with previously published results to provide a population statement for GRB searches in first-generation LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors and a resulting examination of prospects for the advanced gravitational wave detectors.

gravitational wave detectors↗

Probing the Environment around GW170817 with DESI: Insights on Galaxy Group Peculiar Velocities for Standard Siren Measurements

We present a new measurement of the Hubble constant, H 0 , following the gravitational-wave event GW170817 and Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) observations. A standard siren measurement with a nearby (luminosity distance ∼40 Mpc) event such as GW170817 is typically sensitive to the peculiar motion of the host galaxy owing to local dynamics. Previous measurements from this event have taken advantage of peculiar velocity measurements of nearby galaxies, including a handful of objects in the galaxy group that the host of the event, NGC 4993, has been associated with. Still, the group’s properties and NGC 4993’s membership were debated. We present DESI observations of thousands of galaxies in the vicinity of NGC 4993, resulting in 39 group galaxies and a fivefold increase in galaxies compared to previous observations, with many contributing to a peculiar velocity measurement. Examining the local dynamics, our observations support the presence of a galaxy group of which NGC 4993 is a part with a halo mass of order ∼10 13 M ⊙ . Using peculiar velocity measurements from our fundamental plane galaxy observations, we find $H_0 = 70.9^{+6.4}_{-8.5}$ km s −1 Mpc −1 . In addition, using a peculiar velocity measurement for NGC 4993 from surface brightness fluctuations in Cosmicflows-4, we find $H_0 = 73.4^{+3.3}_{-3.9}$ km s −1 Mpc −1 . We study the impact of different galaxy selection criteria on the determination of the peculiar velocity and, in turn, on the H 0 measurement. Our results demonstrate the value of multiplexed spectroscopic observations for probing the local environments of gravitational-wave events used in standard siren measurements.

Amsellem, A. J. [Carnegie Mellon University, Pitts↗

On the maintenance of short-term subtropical wind maxima in the Southern Hemisphere during SOP-1, FGGE

The extent to which divergent circulations, induced by tropical heating, help to maintain westerly maxima in the Southern Hemisphere subtropics during the SOP-1 of FGGE is explored using Level III-b analyses from the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres. The contribution of the divergent wind component to the total ageostrophic flow in the subtropics is examined, as are the roles of other forcing terms in the localized Eliassen-Palm (1961) flux zonal momentum equation. Throughout the summertime subtropics, it is generally found that the dominant term in the zonal momentum budget is the Coriolis force applied to the diabatically driven meridional circulation. The largest positive tendencies due to this term are found in the entrance regions of the subtropical westerly maxima, and divergent circulations account for nearly all of the total ageostrophic flow. In the SPCZ region, however, it is found that transient eddies play an important role by partially offsetting the strong Coriolis acceleration in the entrance region of the local jet, and they help accelerate the westerly flow in the exit region through both barotropic and baroclinic processes. Energetically, the dominant term in the rotational kinetic energy budget throughout the subtropical belt is the conversion of divergent to rotational kinetic energy. The evidence supports the view that tropical heating in transient events drives or enhances local meridional overturning in the atmosphere, which, in turn, strengthens the summer subtropical westerly jet stream.

Hurrell, James W.↗

Data-Driven Event Detection of Power Systems Based on Unequal-Interval Reduction of PMU Data and Local Outlier Factor

With the deployment of phasor measurement units (PMU) and wide area measurement system (WAMS), it is feasible to have an insight into the events occurred in power systems based on measured data. Thus, a novel data-driven algorithm based on local outlier factor (LOF) is proposed in this work to detect and locate events in power systems using reduced PMU data. First, the unequal-interval reduction method is presented to reduce the scale of PMU data in sub-stations and reconstruct it in master station of WAMS, which can relieve the burden of communication systems. Then, principle component analysis (PCA)-based similarity search method is proposed to measure the differences of operation state between any two buses. Next, LOF is presented to detect the abnormal events in power systems, and employed to determine the region of the event source. Finally, six cases from the Western electricity coordinating council (WECC) 179-bus power system, a case from the South China power system (SCPS), and a case from the Guangdong power system (GDPS) are utilized to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Overall, the results show that proposed algorithm is effective and can be applied to event detection, event location, and online monitoring, which can enhance the situation awareness ability of power system operators.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗