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Results for “THREE-FLUID MODEL”

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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25 records · Page 2

A dynamic model of the three-fluid solar wind: Equilibrium structures and fluxes

We report results from a dynamic approach to equilibrium for a three fluid solar-wind model in spherical 1D. We advance the mass, momentum and energy transport equations for protons, alpha particles and electrons, with full interspecies coulomb coupling and the simplifications recommended by Burgi (1992). They include no ion heat conduction and an ambipolar electric field in place of the negligible electron momentum coupling. At the inner boundary (the solar surface) we specify the inflow velocity, mass flux, and temperature for each species, and at the outer boundary at large radius we allow the fluids to flow freely from the computational domain. Starting from an initial wind model (e.g.. single fluid) we evolve to a three-fluid steady state. We will describe comparisons with Burgi's static equilibrium results. and examine the stability of the discontinuities which appear in his derived parameter variations.

Ruden, S. P.↗

Omegatron studies of a skimmed beam system.

Continuum source molecular beam facility, examining effect of source-skimmer distance variation on flux and spatial distribution of beam in collimation chamber downstream

MOLECULAR BEAM↗

Time dependent simulation of cosmic-ray shocks including Alfven transport

Time evolution of plane, cosmic-ray modified shocks was simulated numerically for the case with parallel magnetic fields. Computations were done in a 'three-fluid' dynamical model incorporating cosmic-ray and Alfven wave energy transport equations. Nonlinear feedback from the cosmic-rays and Alfven waves is included in the equation of motion for the underlying plasma, as is the finite propagation speed and energy dissipation of the Alfven waves. Exploratory results confirm earlier, steady state analyses that found these Alfven transport effects to be potentially important when the upstream Alfven speed and gas sound speeds are comparable. As noted earlier Alfven transport effects tend to reduce the transfer of energy through a shock from gas to energetic particles. These studies show as well that the time scale for modification of the shock is altered in nonlinear ways. It is clear, however, that the consequences of Alfven transport are strongly model dependent and that both advection of cosmic-rays by the waves and dissipation of wave energy in the plasma will be important to model correctly when quantitative results are needed. Comparison is made between simulations based on a constant diffusion coefficient and more realistic diffusion models allowing the diffusion coefficient to vary in response to changes in Alfven wave intensity. No really substantive differences were found between them.

Jones, T. W.↗

Time-dependent simulation of cosmic-ray shocks, including Alfven transport

Time evolution of plane, cosmic-ray modified shocks has been simulated numerically for the case with parallel magnetic fields. Computations were done in a 'three-fluid' dynamical model incorporating cosmic-ray and Alfven-wave energy transport equations. Nonlinear feedback from the cosmic rays and Alfven waves is included in the equation of motion for the underlying plasma, as is the finite propagation speed and energy dissipation of the Alfven waves. Exploratory results confirm earlier, steady state analyses that found these Alfven transport effects to be potentially important when the upstream Alfven speed and gas sound speeds are comparable. As noted earlier, Alfven transport effects tend to reduce the transfer of energy through a shock from gas to energetic particles. These studies show as well that the timescale for modification of the shock is altered in nonlinear ways. It is clear, however, that the consequences of Alfven transport are strongly model dependent and that both advection of cosmic rays by the waves and dissipation of wave energy in the plasma will be important to model correctly when quantitative results are needed. Comparison is made between simulations based on a constant diffusion coefficient and more realistic diffusion models allowing the diffusion coefficient to vary in response to changes in Alfven wave intensity. No really substantive differences were found between them.

Jones, T. W.↗

Understanding the Variability of Helium Abundance in the Solar Corona Using Three Fluid Modeling and Ultraviolet Observations

The variability of helium abundance in the solar corona and the solar wind is an important signature of solar activity, solar cycle, and solar wind sources, as well as coronal heating processes. Motivated by recently reported remote-sensing UV imaging observations by Helium Resonance Scattering in the Corona and Heliosphere payload sounding rocket of helium abundance in the inner corona on 2009 September 14 near solar minimum, we present the results of the first three-dimensional three-fluid (electrons, protons, and alpha particles) model of tilted coronal streamer belt and slow solar wind that illustrates the various processes leading to helium abundance differentiation and variability. We find good qualitative agreement between the three-fluid model and the coronal helium abundance variability deduced from UV observations of streamers, providing insight on the effects of the physical processes, such as heating, gravitational settling, and interspecies Coulomb friction in the outflowing solar wind that produce the observed features. The study impacts our understanding of the origins of the slow solar wind.

Leon Ofman↗

Investigations of a turbulence-driven solar wind model

This work presents an investigation of the properties of the one-dimensional, two-fluid turbulence-driven solar wind model introduced by Hollweg and Johnson (1988). It is found that the model has serious difficulties in reproducing the observed high-speed wind at 1 AU. In particular, the model proton temperatures are lower than those observed by a factor of 2 or more, and the highest temperature models yield excessive wave intensities at 1 AU. It appears that the problem stems from the specific spatial distribution of heat deposition in the model. Thus this study does not rule out a turbulence-driven fast solar wind, since other forms of the turbulent evolution could probably achieve better results. A three-fluid version of the model is also presented to show that the addition of alpha particles does not significantly reduce the extreme proton temperatures displayed near the sun by the Hollweg and Johnson work. Finally, it is suggested that the additional heating needs to be located well beyond the critical point, implying that the heating mechanism for the fast solar wind is likely not the same as that heating the solar corona.

Isenberg, Philip A.↗

On the preferential acceleration and heating of solar wind heavy ions

It is pointed out that the properties of solar wind ions heavier than H(+) have presented a puzzle to theorists for some time. The most recent theoretical efforts to explain the observations are considered, taking into account studies conducted by Dusenbery and Hollweg (1981) and Marsch et al. (1982). The first model of a wave-driven, three-fluid, supersonic solar wind is considered. Details of the resonant wave-particle interaction are discussed and the relevant equations for the model are derived. An investigation is conducted of the effects of resonant cyclotron acceleration and heating by a spectrum of nondispersive ion cyclotron waves on the model. It is found that there are serious difficulties with the hypothesis that the resonant cyclotron interaction is responsible for the preferential heating and acceleration of heavy ions in the solar wind. The model presented here is unable to produce the required energization by this mechanism. However, this model should be viewed as an approximate one, subject to possible correction by more advanced calculations.

Isenberg, P. A.↗