Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “magnetization distributions”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2

On the relation between photospheric flow fields and the magnetic field distribution on the solar surface

Using the technique of local correlation tracking on a 28 minute time sequence of white-light images of solar granulation, the horizontal flow field on the solar surface is measured. The time series was obtained by the Solar Optical Universal Polarimeter (SOUP) on Spacelab 2 (Space Shuttle flight 51-F) and is free from atmospheric blurring and distortion. The SOUP flow fields have been compared with carefully aligned magnetograms taken over a nine hour period at the Big Bear Solar Observatory before, during, and after the SOUP images. The flow field and the magnetic field agree in considerable detail: vectors which define the flow of the white-light intensity pattern (granulation) point toward magnetic field regions, magnetic fields surround flow cells, and magnetic features move along the flow arrows. The projected locations of free particles ('corks') in the measured flow field congregate at the same locations where the magnetic field is observed.

Simon, George W.↗

The Ivrea zone as a model for the distribution of magnetization in the continental crust

Units are identified within the Ivrea zone of northern Italy exhibiting magnetic susceptibilities greater than 0.0005 cgs, saturation magnetization values above 0.009 emu/cu cm, and Curie points as high as 570-580 C. Amphibolites from the granulite-amphibolite facies transition, and the mafic-ultramafic granulite facies lithologies exhibit high values of initial susceptibility and saturation remanence, are laterally continuous, and may be considered as a deep crustal source for long-wavelength anomalies in low-geothermal gradient areas. Evidence is presented which suggests that such mafic-ultramafic bodies as those exposed in the Toce valley were synmetamorphic additions to the base of the crust.

Wasilewski, P.↗

The latitudinal distribution of magnetic holes in the solar wind

A large number of magnetic holes have been found in the Ulysses data during its cruise in the ecliptic. They are interpreted as convecting structures, probably caused by the mirror instability which exists in high beta plasmas with anisotropic temperatures. The characteristics of the holes reflect the solar wind condition of the region in which the holes are formed, and the point of observation may be far removed from where the instability occurs. A preliminary survey appears to indicate that the number of holes has no significant radial dependence. However, the number of holes does appear to increase with increasing heliographic latitude. Yet the large scale solar wind structures with their compression regions disappeared at approximately 57 deg south latitude. Thus any causal relationship between the holes and large scale solar wind structures is questionable. The temperature anisotropy and high beta required by the mirror instability must be generated by other mechanisms. In order to tie the magnetic holes and the mirror instability to their cause, the evolution of their characteristics with heliocentric distance and latitude needs to be investigated. With the progression of Ulysses around the sun a survey will be conducted to ascertain the characteristics of the magnetic holes as a function of heliographic latitude and heliocentric distance. A comparison of the results with the solar wind conditions may lead to the identification of the magnetic hole generating mechanism(s).

Winterhalter, D.↗

Coordinates for Mapping the Distribution of Magnetically Trapped Particles

Dipole representations of the earth's magnetic field have been found to have insufficient accuracy for the study of magnetically trapped particles. A coordinate system consisting of the magnitude of the magnetic field B, and the integral invariant I has been found to adequately organize, measurements made at different geographic locations. It is shown in the present paper, that a parameter L = f(B,I) can be defined which retains most of the desirable properties of I and which has the additional property of organizing measurements along lines of force. Since the parameter L is the analog of a physical distance in a dipole field (the equatorial radius of a magnetic shell), it is usually found to present fewer conceptual difficulties than the integral invariant I.

McIlwain, Carl E.↗

A method of inversion of satellite magnetic anomaly data

A method of finding a first approximation to a crustal magnetization distribution from inversion of satellite magnetic anomaly data is described. Magnetization is expressed as a Fourier Series in a segment of spherical shell. Input to this procedure is an equivalent source representation of the observed anomaly field. Instability of the inversion occurs when high frequency noise is present in the input data, or when the series is carried to an excessively high wave number. Preliminary results are given for the United States and adjacent areas.

Mayhew, M. A.↗

Inversion of satellite magnetic anomaly data

A method of finding a first approximation to a crustal magnetization distribution from inversion of satellite magnetic anomaly data is described. Magnetization is expressed as a Fourier series in a segment of spherical shell. Input to this procedure is an equivalent source representation of the observed anomaly field. Instability of the inversion occurs when high frequency noise is present in the input data, or when the series is carried to an excessively high wave number. Preliminary results are given for the United States and adjacent areas.

Mayhew, M. A.↗

Crustal Magnetic Spectra from Correlated Sources on Mars

The spectral method for distinguishing crustal from core-source magnetic fields has been re-examined, modified and applied to both a comprehensive geomagnetic field model and an altitude normalized magnetic map of Mars. These observational spectra are fairly fitted by theoretical forms expected from certain elementary classes of magnetic sources. For Earth we found fields from a core radius 3512 +/- 64 km and a crust represented by a shell of random dipolar sources at radius 6367 +/- 14 km. For Mars we found only a field from a crust represented in the same way, but 46 +/- 10 km below the planetary menu radius. More realistic theoretical spectra, allowing for crustal thickness, oblateness and magnetization by a planet centered dipole, were derived and discussed, as were spectral effects of laterally correlated sources. The main effect of laterally correlated sources is to soften the spectrum at high degrees. We tend to over-estimate source shell depth when this is omitted. To include this effect simply size and magnetization distribution functions for extended sources are recast as a characteristic diameter and mean square magnetization amplitude for an ensemble of vertically magnetized spherical caps on a shell. For small caps, and at moderated degrees, the practical derivatives of the log-theoretical spectrum with respect to amplitude, shell radius, and cap diameter are approximately proportional to l, n, and -n **2, respectively. Separation of diameter from amplitude from layer thickness. Results from applications to observational spectra are discussed, noting that there are now several fine field models for Mars; moreover, the terrestrial magnetic spectrum at high degrees, as revised, updated with high precision Oerstad data, and upgrade with high resolution Champ data, appears softer than before.

Voorhies, Coerte V.↗

Magnetization of the Lunar Crust

Magnetic fields measured by the satellite Lunar Prospector show large scale features resulting from remanently magnetized crust. Vector data synthesized at satellite altitude from a spherical harmonic model of the lunar crustal field, and the radial component of the magnetometer data, have been used to produce spatially continuous global magnetization models for the lunar crust. The magnetization is expressed in terms of localized basis functions, with a magnetization solution selected having the smallest root-mean square magnetization for a given fit to the data, controlled by a damping parameter. Suites of magnetization models for layers with thicknesses between 10 and 50 km are able to reproduce much of the input data, with global misfits of less than 0.5 nT (within the uncertainties of the data), and some surface field estimates. The magnetization distributions show robust magnitudes for a range of model thicknesses and damping parameters, however the magnetization direction is unconstrained. These global models suggest that magnetized sources of the lunar crust can be represented by a 30 km thick magnetized layer. Average magnetization values in magnetized regions are 30-40 mA/m, similar to the measured magnetizations of the Apollo samples and significantly weaker than crustal magnetizations for Mars and the Earth. These are the first global magnetization models for the Moon, providing lower bounds on the magnitude of lunar crustal magnetization in the absence of multiple sample returns, and can be used to predict the crustal contribution to the lunar magnetic field at a particular location.

Lunar↗

Ring current particle distributions during the magnetic storms of December 16-18, 1971.

Proton density energy distributions during two magnetic storms on Dec. 16 and 18, 1971, are derived from proton detector data of the S3-A satellite and are analyzed to show the contrast in the ring current developments during the two events. Ground magnetograms are also used in the analysis to show the magnetic field variations during the storms. Satellite orbits 97 through 103 are covered.

Smith, P. H.↗

An equivalent layer magnetization model for the United States derived from satellite altitude magnetic anomalies

Long wavelength magnetic anomalies measured by the Pogo series satellites at altitudes 400-700 km over the United States and adjacent areas are inverted to an equivalent layer magnetization model based on an equal area dipole source array at the earth's surface. Minimum source spacing giving a stable solution and a physically meaningful magnetization distribution is 300 km, and a scheme is presented for effectively sampling the distribution on a grid twice as fine. The model expresses lateral variation in the vertical integral of magnetization and is a starting point for models of lateral variation in the form of the magnetization-depth curve in the magnetic crust. The magnetization model contours correlate with large-scale tectonic features, and in the western part of the country, probably reflect Curie isotherm undulations.

Mayhew, M. A.↗

The Faraday Effect Tracker of Coronal and Heliospheric Structure (FETCH) Instrument

There continue to be open questions regarding the solar wind and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). For example: how do magnetic fields within CMEs and corotating/stream interaction regions (CIRs/SIRs) evolve in the inner heliosphere? What is the radially distributed magnetic profile of shock-driving CMEs? What is the internal magnetic structure of CMEs that cause magnetic storms? It is clear that these questions involve the magnetic configurations of solar wind and transient interplanetary plasma structures, for which we have limited knowledge. In order to better understand the origin of the magnetic field variability in steady-state structures and transient events, it is necessary to probe the magnetic field in Earth-directed structures/disturbances. This is the goal of the Multiview Observatory for Solar Terrestrial Science (MOST) mission (Gopalswamy et al., 2022). For MOST to answer the aforementioned questions, we propose the instrument concept of the Faraday Effect Tracker of Coronal and Heliospheric structures (FETCH), a simultaneous quad-line-of-sight polarization radio remote-sensing instrument. With FETCH, spacecraft radio beams passing through the Sun–Earth line offer the possibility of obtaining information of plasma conditions via analysis of radio propagation effects such as Faraday rotation and wave dispersion, which provide information of the magnetic field and total electron content (TEC). This is the goal of the FETCH instrument, one of ten instruments proposed to be hosted on the MOST mission. The MOST mission will provide an unprecedented opportunity to achieve NASA’s heliophysics science goal to “explore and characterize the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun” (Gopalswamy et al., 2022).

Solar corona↗

Modeling the thermal structure and magnetic properties of the crust of active regions with application to the Rio Grande rift

Experiments in Curie depth estimation from long wavelength magnetic anomalies are summarized. The heart of the work is equivalent-layer-type magnetization models derived by inversion of high-elevation, long wavelength magnetic anomaly data. The methodology is described in detail in the above references. A magnetization distribution in a thin equivalent layer at the Earth's surface having maximum detail while retaining physical significance, and giving rise to a synthetic anomaly field which makes a best fit to the observed field in a least squares sense is discussed. The apparent magnetization contrast in the equivalent layer is approximated using an array of dipoles distributed in equal area at the Earth's surface. The dipoles are pointed in the direction of the main magnetic field, which carries the implicit assumption that crustal magnetization is dominantly induced or viscous. The determination of the closest possible dipole spacing giving a stable inversion to a solution having physical significance is accomplished by plotting the standard deviation of the solution parameters against their spatial separation for a series of solutions.

Source record↗

Electron Velocity Distribution Function in Magnetic Clouds in the Solar Wind

We present a study of the kinetic properties of the electron velocity distribution functions within magnetic clouds, since they are the dominant thermal component. The study is based on high time resolution data from the GSFC WIND/SWE electron spectrometer and the Berkeley 3DP electron plasma instruments. Recent studies on magnetic clouds have shown observational evidence of anti-correlation between the total electron density and electron temperature, which suggest a polytrope law P(sub e) = alpha(Nu(sub e) (sup gamma)) for electrons with the constant gamma approximates 0.5 < 1. This anti-correlation and small polytropic gamma-values is interpreted in the context of the presence of highly non-Maxwellian electron distributions (i.e. non-thermal) within magnetic clouds. These works suggested that the non-thermal electrons can contribute as much as 50% of the total electron pressure within magnetic clouds. We have revisited some of the magnetic cloud events previously studied and attempted to quantify the nature of the non-thermal electrons by modeling the electron velocity distribution function using a kappa distribution function to characterize the kinetic non-thermal effects. If non-thermal tail effects are the source for the anti-correlation between the moment electron temperature and density and if the kappa distribution is a reasonable representative model of non-thermal effects, then the electron velocity distribution within magnetic clouds should show indication for small K-values when gamma < 1.

Nieves-Chinchil, Teresa↗

Paleomagnetic Analysis Using SQUID Microscopy

Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscopes are a new generation of instruments that map magnetic fields with unprecedented spatial resolution and moment sensitivity. Unlike standard rock magnetometers, SQUID microscopes map magnetic fields rather than measuring magnetic moments such that the sample magnetization pattern must be retrieved from source model fits to the measured field data. In this paper, we presented the first direct comparison between paleomagnetic analyses on natural samples using joint measurements from SQUID microscopy and moment magnetometry. We demonstrated that in combination with apriori geologic and petrographic data, SQUID microscopy can accurately characterize the magnetization of lunar glass spherules and Hawaiian basalt. The bulk moment magnitude and direction of these samples inferred from inversions of SQUID microscopy data match direct measurements on the same samples using moment magnetometry. In addition, these inversions provide unique constraints on the magnetization distribution within the sample. These measurements are among the most sensitive and highest resolution quantitative paleomagnetic studies of natural remanent magnetization to date. We expect that this technique will be able to extend many other standard paleomagnetic techniques to previously inaccessible microscale samples.

Weiss, Benjamin P.↗