The viscous magnetopause
Magnetopause representation by mixing region of plasma streams with different velocities and magnetic fields, assuming hydromagnetic viscosity caused by wave-particle interactions
SEARCH · Search NASA
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.
Magnetopause representation by mixing region of plasma streams with different velocities and magnetic fields, assuming hydromagnetic viscosity caused by wave-particle interactions
The convective motion and its relation to the electric field in the magnetosphere of Jupiter are investigated. It is shown that the electric field is induced in the Jovian ionosphere due to the corotating action of the ionospheric gases and further is communicated into the magnetosphere along the magnetic lines of force which connect between the ionosphere and the magnetosphere. This electric field drives the plasma to corotate with the planet in the magnetosphere. The distribution of the electric field and its effect on the plasma motion is estimated in the magnetosphere. The shape of the magnetosphere is then estimated considering the equilibrium condition. Discussion is given on the equilibrium plasma distribution in the magnetosphere and on the condition for the excitation of wave-particle interaction at the Io orbit.
The distortion of the electron velocity distribution caused by a large amplitude Landau wave is determined analytically for the initial-value problem. The resulting stability of electrostatic perturbations impressed on the evolving plasma is studied. Narrow sidebands of the applied frequency experience consecutive growths of large magnitude during the early stages of the nonlinear wave-particle interaction. The significance of the derived results to both wave propagation experiments and triggered VLF emissions in the magnetosphere is discussed.
The high time resolution (HTR) experiment considered consists of four sections, including electrostatic deflection plates, electron multiplier, preamplifier-integrator, and frequency analyzer. Electrons in the energy range from 4 to 6 keV electrons are selected by the deflection system, after which they are detected, multiplied, and passed to the charge sensitive preamplifier. The charge pulses are amplified and integrated, and the resulting voltage pulse series is fed to the frequency analyzer. The experiment is essentially a flux detector, so that estimates of the input flux can be made from the mean value of the output spectrum. The results obtained with the HTR in a rocket flight on March 14, 1974, are discussed. The lack of modulation noticed in the high-frequency range indicates that there is insufficient wave energy available in the vicinity of the rocket to produce a wave-particle interaction which the HTR is able to observe. This finding is consistent with the stabilization of the plasma by the low flux of energetic electrons.
Microscopic wave-particle interaction phenomena must generally affect the evolution of a traveling interplanetary discontinuity such as a collisionless shock, and solar wind plasma instabilities should also be associated with interplanetary acceleration, diffusion, and dissipation. Recent local measurements from diagnostics on widely separated spacecraft illustrate some examples of these interaction phenomena, and two bounding cases are considered in detail here. It is shown that the interplanetary shock of September 14, 1974 (detected on IMP-7, 8, Hawkeye-1, and Pioneer 11) was associated with intense local electrostatic noise and ion acceleration, while the shock of January 6, 1975 (detected on IMP-7 and Helios-1) had no detectable electrostatic turbulence.
Analysis of VLF emissions that have been observed near 3/2, 5/2, and 7/2 f sub H by Ogo 5 in the magnetosphere (f sub H is the electron cyclotron frequency) in the light of the mechanism used for the diffuse plasma resonance f sub Dn observed by Alouette 2 and Isis 1. The VLF emission is considered to be generated by nonlinear coupling mechanisms in certain portions of the observation as the f sub Dn is enhanced by its association with nonlinear wave-particle interaction of the electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic wave, including the instability due to the nonlinear inverse Landau damping mechanism in the turbulence. The difference between the two observations is in the excitation mechanism of the turbulence; the turbulence in the plasma trough detected by Ogo 5 is due to natural origins, whereas the ionospheric topside sounder makes the plasma wave turbulence artificially by submitting strong stimulation pulses. Electron density values in the plasma trough are deduced by applying the f sub Dn-f sub N/f sub H relationship obtained from the Alouette 2 experiment as well as by applying the condition for the wave-particle nonlinear interactions. The electron density values reveal good agreement with the ion density values observed simultaneously by the highly sensitive ion mass spectrometer.
The IMP-H plasma wave experiment is designed to extend knowledge of wave-particle interactions in the disturbed cislunar region, the distant geomagnetic tail, the upstream solar wind, and the flanks of the magnetosheath-shock interface. It is expected to identify plasma instabilities, study particle acceleration and heating at collisionless shocks and other discontinuities, analyze turbulent conductivity and field line merging, and provide new information on dissipation processes for suprathermal particles. Instrumentation for the plasma wave experiment is designed to measure local electric and magnetic field oscillations over the frequency range 10 Hz to 100 kHz. A 24 inch electric dipole, a 7 inch diameter air core search coil, and the associated preamplifiers are mounted on a spacecraft counterweight boom. The frequency range of 10 Hz to 100 kHz for both E and B is processed using an eight-channel spectrum analyzer located in the instrument main-body package (a standard IMP trapezoidal module, 3 inches high). Electric fields as small as 10-100 microvolts/meter and magnetic signals as small as 1-3 milligamma will be detected.
A theory for the spatial development of linearly unstable, coupled waves is presented in which both quasilinear and mode-coupling effects are treated in a self-consistent manner. Steady-state excitation of two waves is assumed at the boundary x = 0, the plasma being homogeneous in the y and z directions. Coupled equations are derived for the x dependence of the amplitudes of the primary waves and the secondary waves, correct through terms of second order in the wave amplitude, but without the usual approximation of small growth rates. This general formalism is then applied to the case of coupled ion-acoustic waves driven unstable by an ion beam streaming in the direction of the x axis. If the modifications of the ion beam by the waves (quasilinear effects) are ignored, explosive instabilities (singularities in all of the amplitudes at finite x) are found even when all of the waves have positive energy. If these wave-particle interactions are included, the solutions are no longer singular, and all of the amplitudes have finite maxima.
A theory for the spatial development of linearly unstable, coupled waves is presented in which both quasi-linear and mode coupling effects are treated in a self-consistent manner. Steady state excitation of two waves is assumed at the boundary x = 0, the plasma being homogeneous in the y and z directions. Coupled equations are derived for the x dependence of the amplitudes of the primary waves and the secondary waves, correct through second order terms in the wave amplitude, but without usual approximation of small growth rates. This general formalism is then applied to the case of coupled ion acoustic waves driven unstable by an ion beam streaming in the direction of the x axis. If the modifications of the ion beam by the waves (quasi-linear effects) are ignored, explosive instabilities (singularities in all of the amplitudes at finite x) are found, even when all of the waves have positive energy. If these wave-particle interactions are included, the solutions are no longer singular, and all of the amplitudes have finite maxima.
General survey of the Ogo 5 plasma-wave measurements for the dayside polar-cusp encounters of Nov. 1, 1968, and detailed analysis of the observations at the low-altitude (r approximately 3 to 5 earth radii) cusp boundaries. The survey section contains an overall discussion of the ULF magnetic-field wave levels and the VLF electric-field amplitude ranges measured from perigee out to 9 earth radii on Nov. 1, 1968. These cusp-associated observations are compared with those made on Oct. 27 and Nov. 6, 1968, when Ogo 5 traversed the dayside magnetosphere without encountering the cusp. It is shown that at the November 1 low-altitude cusp boundaries intense wave levels were detected over a broad spectral region at the steep gradients in cusp plasma density and thermal energy. The results are interpreted in terms of drift instabilities for low-beta plasmas with hot ions, and associated wave-particle and wave-wave interactions are briefly discussed.
Simultaneous observations of plasma waves from the electric field instruments on Pioneer 9 and OGO 5 are used to illustrate the difference between near-earth and deep space conditions. It is shown that the experimental study of true interplanetary wave-particle interactions is difficult to carry out from an earth orbiter because the earth provides significant fluxes of nonthermal particles that generate intense plasma turbulence in the upstream region.
Type III solar radio bursts were observed from 10 MHz to 10 KHz by satellite experiments above the terrestrial plasmasphere. Solar radio emission in this frequency range results from excitation of the interplanetary plasma by energetic particles propagating outward along open field lines over distances from 5 solar radii to at least 1 AU from the sun. This review summarizes the morphology, characteristics and analysis of individual as well as storms of bursts. Burst rise times are interpreted in terms of exciter length and dispersion while decay times refer to the radiation damping process. The combination of radio observations at the lower frequencies and in-situ measurements on nonrelativistic electrons at 1 AU provide data on the energy range and efficiency of the wave-particle interactions responsible for the radio emission.
Whistler mode waves that propagate through the magnetosphere exchange energy with energetic electrons by wave-particle interaction mechanisms. Using linear theory, a detailed investigation is presented of the resulting amplitude variations of the wave as it propagates. Arbitrary wave frequency and direction of propagation are considered. A general class of electron distributions that are nonseparable in particle energy and pitch-angle is proposed. It is found that the proposed distribution model is consistent with available whistler and particle observations. This model yields insignificant amplitude variation over a large frequency band, a feature commonly observed in whistler data. This feature implies a certain equilibrium between waves and particles in the magnetosphere over a wide spread of particle energy, and is relevant to plasma injection experiments and to monitoring the distribution of energetic electrons in the magnetosphere.
The area of wave experiments for the PPEPL is considered in broad terms. It was found that most experiments in this area can be classified typically by a few generalized experiments. These experiment possibilities are discussed in terms of advantages, disadvantages, and probable areas for future investigation. It was concluded that the areas where wave experiments have the most promise are wave sources, wave propagation, and nonlinear interactions and should be implemented in that order. It was recommended that the PPEPL facility remain sufficiently flexible to handle new ideas as they appear, and a continuing effort should be made to solicit new ideas and approaches. It was also felt that detailed investigations should begin as soon as possible in the areas of antennas, both conventional and particle types, and wave-particle interaction experiments. For Vol. 1, see N74-28169; for Vol. 3, see N74-28171.
It is shown that the plasma in Jupiter's ionosphere is collisionless above a certain level. In the outer magnetosphere, where the rotational force dominates the gravitational force, the collisionless plasma has a beam-like distribution and gives rise to a two-stream instability. This leads to trapping of plasma in the centrifugally dominated region of the magnetosphere. Plasma is lost by recombination. Equilibrium-trapped particle densities are calculated by requiring a balance between trapping by wave-particle interaction and loss by recombination. The results are compared with recent observations from Pioneer 10. It is suggested that the observations require an unexplained ion-heating mechanism. Some consequences of the model are discussed.
Whistler waves are launched from an electric dipole of length L in a large-volume laboratory plasma. With increasing wave amplitude, the radiation pattern narrows and finally forms a duct of diameter approximately equal to L. The ducted waves propagate nearly undamped. The observed nonlinear effects are explained by wave-particle interactions.
The plasma in Jupiter's ionosphere is collisionless above a certain level. In the outer magnetosphere, where the rotational force dominates the gravitational force, the collisionless plasma has a beamlike distribution and gives rise to a two-stream instability. This leads to trapping of plasma in the centrifugally dominated region of the magnetosphere. Plasma is lost through recombination. The equilibrium concentration of trapped particles is calculated by assuming a balance between trapping by wave-particle interaction and loss by recombination. The results are compared with recent observations from Pioneer 10. The observations appear to require an unexplained ion-heating mechanism.
Using the Mariner 5 solar wind plasma and magnetic field data, we present observations of field-aligned suprathermal proton velocity distributions having pronounced high-energy shoulders. These observations, similar to the interpenetrating stream observations of Feldman et al. (1974), are clear evidence that such proton distributions are interplanetary rather than bow shock associated phenomena. Large Alfven speed is found to be a requirement for the occurrence of suprathermal proton distribution; further, we find the proportion of particles in the shoulder to be limited by the magnitude of the Alfven speed. It is suggested that this last result could indicate that the proton thermal anisotropy is limited at times by wave-particle interactions