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NASA NTRS1988

Nonlinear, dispersive, elliptically polarized Alfven wavaes

The derivative nonlinear Schroedinger (DNLS) equation is derived by an efficient means that employs Lagrangian variables. An expression for the stationary wave solutions of the DNLS that contains vanishing and nonvanishing and modulated and nonmodulated boundary conditions as subcases is then obtained. The solitary wave solutions for elliptically polarized quasiparallel Alfven waves in the magnetohydrodynamic limit (nonvanishing, unmodulated boundary conditions) are obtained. These converge to the Korteweg-de Vries and the modified Korteweg-de Vries solitons obtained previously for oblique propagation, but are more general. It is shown that there are no envelope solitary waves if the point at infinity is unstable to the modulational instability. The periodic solutions of the DNLS are characterized.

Kennel, C. F.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Modelling of solar magnetic field and prominence structures

Using plasma theory, the interaction is studied between high frequency and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves from which a set of coupling equations resulted. On the basis of this formalism, the modulation instabilities of an electromagnetic soliton in a current sheet are examined, and it is shown that there is a resistive instability at the onset of the magnetic field reconnection. This mechanism could be used to explain the onset of solar flares and prominences. To improve the resolution of vector magnetic fields at the sun's surface, state-of-the-art optics is examined to improve the design and fabrication of a new spaceborne solar vector magnetograph as part of the SAMEX (Solar Active Measurements Experiment) program.

Wu, Shi Tsan↗

NASA NTRS1989

Soliton and strong Langmuir turbulence in solar flare processes

The occurrence of modulational instability in the current sheet of a solar flare is investigated. Special attention is given to the plasma microinstability in this sheet and its relation to the flare process. It is found that solitons or strong Langmuir turbulence are likely to occur in the diffusion region under solar flare conditions in which the electric resistivity could be enhanced by several orders of magnitude in the region, resulting in significant heating and stochastic acceleration of particles. A numerical example is used to demonstrate the transition of the magnetic field velocity and plasma density from the outer MHD region into the diffusive region and then back out again with the completion of the energy conversion process. This is all made possible by an increase in resistivity of four to five orders of magnitude over the classical value.

Song, M. T.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Particle simulation of Langmuir turbulence during ionospheric heating

Ionospheric heating leads to strong Langmuir turbulence including modulational instability, soliton formation, and spatial collapse. The Zakharov model usually used to describe these effects contains a low-frequency ion-acoustic wave equation which cannot be rigorously justified in the ionosphere where the electron and ion temperatures are comparable. In the present work, the low-frequency physics is described by a many-ion computer simulation. While some differences are found, the results for the most part confirm the earlier, much less difficult, Zakharov calculations.

Clark, K. L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Two-component model of strong Langmuir turbulence - Scalings, spectra, and statistics of Langmuir waves

A simple two-component model of strong turbulence that makes clear predictions for the scalings, spectra, and statistics of Langmuir waves is developed. Scalings of quantities such as energy density, power input, dissipation power wave collapse, and number density of collapsing objects are investigated in detail and found to agree well with model predictions. The nucleation model of wave-packet formation is strongly supported by the results. Nucleation proceeds with energy flowing from background to localized states even in the absence of a driver. Modulational instabilities play little or no role in maintaining the turbulent state when significant density nonuniformities are present.

Robinson, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Nonlinear penetration of whistler pulses into collisional plasmas via conductivity modifications

A strong electromagnetic impulse (about 0.2 microsec) with central frequency in the whistler-wave regime is applied to a large laboratory plasma dominated by Coulomb collisions. Local electron heating at the antenna and transport along B0 create a channel of high conductivity along which the whistler pulse penetrates with little damping. Because of its rapid temporal evolution, this new form of modulational instability does not involve ducting by density gradients which require ion time scales to develop.

Urrutia, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Transport of time-varying plasma currents by whistler wave packets

The relationship between pulsed currents and electromagnetic waves is examined in a regime characterized by electron MHD. Pulsed currents are generated by (1) collection/emission of charged particles by/from biased electrodes and (2) induction of currents by time-varying and moving magnetic fields. Pulsed currents are observed to propagate at the speed of whistler wave packets. Their field structure forms ropelike configurations which are electromagnetically force-free. Moving sources induce 'eddy' currents which excite waves and form Cerenkov-like whistler 'wings'. The radiation patterns of moving magnetic antennas and electrodynamic tethers are investigated. Nonlinear effects of large-amplitude, antenna-launched whistler pulses are observed. These involve a new modulational instability in which a channel of high conductivity which permits the wave/currents to penetrate deeply into a collisional plasma is formed.

Stenzel, R. L.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Pondermotive versus mirror force in creation of the filamentary cavities in auroral plasma

Recently rocket observations on spikelets of lower-hybrid waves along with strong density cavities and transversely heated ions were reported. The observed thin filamentary cavities oriented along the magnetic field in the auroral plasma have density depletions up to several tens of percent. These observations have been interpreted in terms of a theory for lower-hybrid wave condensation and collapse. The modulational instability leading to the wave consensation of the lower-hybrid waves yields only weak density perturbations, which cannot explain the above strong density depletions. The wave collapse theory is based on the nonlinear pondermotive force in a homogeneous ambient plasma and the density depletion is determined by the balance between the wave pressure (pondermotive force) and the plasma pressure. In the auroral plasma, the balance is achieved in a time tau(sub wc) equal to or less than 1 ms. It is shown here that the mirror force, acting on the transversely heated ions at a relatively long time scale, is an effective mechanism for creating the strong plasma cavities. We suggest that the process of wave condensation, through the pondermotive force causing generation of short wavelength waves from relatively long wavelength waves, is a dominant process until the former waves evolve and become effective in the transverse heating of ions. As soon as this happens, mirror force on ions becomes an important factor in the creation of the density cavities, which may further trap and enhance the waves. Results from a model of cavity formation by transverse ion heating show that the observed depletions in the density cavities can be produced by the heating rates determined by the observed wave amplitudes near the lower-hybrid frequency. It is found that the creation of a strong density cavity takes a few minutes.

Singh, Nagendra↗

NASA NTRS1995

An intercomparison of plasma turbulence at three comets: Grigg-Skjellerup, Giacobini-Zinner, and Halley

The power laws are approximately f(exp -1.9), f(exp -1.9), and f(exp -2.1) respectively for the Grigg-Shjellerup (GS), Giacobini-Zinner (GZ), and Halley (H) comets. Other than similarities in the power spectra, the magnetic field turbulence is considerably different at the three comets. Phase steepening is demonstrated to occur at the trailing edges of the GS waves. This is probably due to nonlinear steepening plus dispersion of the left-hand mode components, i.e., the turbulence is whistler-mode. This too can be explained by nonlinear steepening plus dispersion of the magnetosonic waves. At the level of GS and GZ turbulence development when the spacecraft measurements were made, classical three-wave processes, such as the decay or modulation instabilities do not appear to play important roles. It is most likely that the nonlinear steepening and dispersive time scales are more rapid than three-wave processes, and the latter had not had time to develop for the relatively new turbulence. The wave turbulence at Halley is linearly polarized. The exact nature of this turbulence is still not well understood. Several possibilities are suggested, based on a preliminary analyses.

Tsurutani, Bruce T.↗

NASA NTRS1995

An intercomparison of plasma turbulence at three comets: Grigg-Skjellerup, Giacobini-Zinner, and Halley

We examine and intercompare the LF plasma wave turbulence at three comets: Grigg-Skjellerup (GS), Giacobini-Zinner (GZ), and Halley (H). All three have power spectral peaks at the local ion cyclotron frequency (the pump wave) at approx. 10(exp -2) Hz, and a power-law fall-off at higher frequencies that suggest the development of turbulent cascades. The power laws for the three comets are approximately f(exp -1.9), f(exp -1.9) and f(exp -2.1), respectively. However, other than the similarities in the power spectra, we find the magnetic field turbulence is considerably different at the three comets. Phase steepening is demonstrated to occur at the trailing edges of the GS waves. This is probably due to nonlinear steepening plus dispersion of the left-hand mode components. A coherency analysis of GZ turbulence indicates that it is primarily composed of righthanded mode components, i.e., the turbulence is 'whistlermode.' This too can be explained by nonlinear steepening plus dispersion of the magnetosonic waves. At the level of GS and GZ turbulence development when the spacecraft measurements were made, classical three-wave processes, such as the decay or modulation instabilities do not appear to play important roles. It is most likely that the nonlinear steepening and dispersive time scales are more rapid than three-wave processes, and the latter had not had time to develop for the relatively 'new' turbulence. The wave turbulence at Halley is linearly polarized. The exact nature of this turbulence is still not well understood at this time. Several possibilities are suggested, based on our preliminary analyses.

Tsurutani, Bruce T.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Ring Current-Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves Coupling

The effect of Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) waves, generated by ion temperature anisotropy in Earth s ring current (RC), is the best known example of wave- particle interaction in the magnetosphere. Also, there is much controversy over the importance of EMIC waves on RC depletion. Under certain conditions, relativistic electrons, with energies 21 MeV, can be removed from the outer radiation belt (RB) by EMIC wave scattering during a magnetic storm. That is why the calculation of EMIC waves must be a very critical part of the space weather studies. The new RC model that we have developed and present for the first time has several new features that we have combine together in a one single model: (a) several lower frequency cold plasma wave modes are taken into account; (b) wave tracing of these wave has been incorporated in the energy EMIC wave equation; (c) no assumptions regarding wave shape spectra have been made; (d) no assumptions regarding the shape of particle distribution have been made to calculate the growth rate; (e) pitch-angle, energy, and mix diffusions are taken into account together for the first time; (f) the exact loss-cone RC analytical solution has been found and coupled with bounce-averaged numerical solution of kinetic equation; (g) the EMIC waves saturation due to their modulation instability and LHW generation are included as an additional factor that contributes to this process; and (h) the hot ions were included in the real part of dielectric permittivity tensor. We compare our theoretical results with the different EMIC waves models as well as RC experimental data.

Khazanov, G. V.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Phase Coupling Between Spectral Components of Collapsing Langmuir Solitons in Solar Type III Radio Bursts

We present the high time resolution observations of one of the Langmuir wave packets obtained in the source region of a solar type III radio burst. This wave packet satisfies the threshold condition of the supersonic modulational instability, as well as the criterion of a collapsing Langmuir soliton, i.e., the spatial scale derived from its peak intensity is less than that derived from its short time scale. The spectrum of t his wave packet contains an intense spectral peak at local electron plasma frequency, f(sub pe) and relatively weaker peaks at 2f(sub pe) and 3f(sub pe). We apply the wavelet based bispectral analysis technique on this wave packet and compute the bicoherence between its spectral components. It is found that the bicoherence exhibits two peaks at (approximately f(sub pe), approximately f(sub pe)) and (approximately f(sub pe) approximately 2f(sub pe)), which strongly suggest that the spectral peak at 2f(sub pe) probably corresponds to the second harmonic radio emission, generated as a result of the merging of antiparallel propagating Langmuir waves trapped in the collapsing Langmuir soliton, and, the spectral peak at 3f(sub pe) probably corresponds to the third harmonic radio emission, generated as a result of merging of a trapped Langmuir wave and a second harmonic electromagnetic wave.

Thejappa, G.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Modulational and decay instabilities of Alfven waves - Effects of streaming He(2+)

The parametric instability of a circularly polarized Alfven wave propagating along the background magnetic field are considered, with emphasis on the effects of a second ion species, He(2+), which drifts relative to the protons. Even though its abundance is small, the He(2+) modifies the dispersion relation of the 'pump' Alfven wave and introduces a new sound wave (alpha sound) in addition to the usual sound wave carried primarily by the electrons and protons. Instabilities which are close to the He(2+) gyroresonance are found. This may provide a means of directly transferring Alfven wave energy to the alpha particles, if the alphas are able to resonantly extract energy from the unstable waves without quenching the instability altogether. Instabilities which are close to the alpha particle sound speed are also found.

Hollweg, Joseph V.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Convective Instability of a Gravity Modulated Fluid Layer with Surface Tension Variation

Gravity modulation of an unbounded fluid layer with surface tension variations along its free surface is investigated. In parameter space of (wavenumber, Marangoni number) modulation has a destabilizing effect on the unmodulated neutral stability curve for large Prandtl number, Pr, and small modulation frequency, Omega, while a stabilizing effect is observed for small Pr and large Omega. As Omega yields infinity, the modulated neutral stability curves approach the unmodulated neutral stability curve. At certain values of Pr and L2 multiple minima are observed and the neutral stability curves become highly distorted. Closed regions of subharmonic instability are also observed. Alternating regions of synchronous and subharmonic instability separated by very thin stable regions are observed in (1/Omega,g(sub 1)) space for the singly diffusive cases. Quasiperiodic behavior in addition to the synchronous and subharmonic responses, are observed for the case of a double diffusive fluid layer. Minimum acceleration amplitudes were observed to closely correspond with a subharmonic response, Lambda(sub im) = Omega/2 .

Skarda, J. Raymond Lee↗

NASA NTRS1992

The effect of gravity modulation on thermosolutal convection in an infinite layer of fluid

The effect of time-periodic vertical gravity modulation on the onset of thermosolutal convection in an infinite horizontal layer with stress-free boundaries is investigated using Floquet theory for the linear stability analysis. Situations for which the fluid layer is stably stratified in either the fingering or diffusive regimes of double-diffusive convection are considered. Results are presented both with and without steady background acceleration. Modulation may stabilize an unstable base solution or destabilize a stable base solution. In addition to synchronous and subharmonic response to the modulation frequency, instability in the double diffusive system can occur via a complex conjugate mode. In the diffusive regime, where oscillatory onset occurs in the unmodulated system, regions of resonant instability occur and exhibit strong coupling with the unmodulated oscillatory frequency. The response to modulation of the fundamental instability of the unmodulated system is described both analytically and numerically; in the double-diffusive system this mode persists under subcritical conditions as a high-frequency lobe.

Saunders, B. V.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Current understanding of the physics of type III solar radio bursts

One of the most exciting plasma physics investigations of recent years has been connected with the understanding of a new strong turbulent plasma state excited by propagating electron beams. This new state is initiated on the linear level by parametric instabilities (OTS, modulational, etc.) and results in a very dynamic state composed of collective clusters of modes called solitons, cavitons, spikons, etc. Introduction of these concepts into the classic beam-plasma interaction problem has rendered quasi-linear and weak turbulence theories inapplicable over most of the interesting parameter range, and helped explain many paradoxes connected with the propagation of beams in the laboratory and space. Following a brief review of these nonlinear notions, the means by which their application to type III solar radiobursts has revolutionized understanding of their propagation, radioemission and scaling properties and has guided the in situ observations towards a more complete understanding are demonstrated. A particular burst (May 16, 1971) is analyzed in detail and compared with numerical predictions.

Papadopoulos, K.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Vortex shedding in high-speed compressor blade wakes

The wakes of highly loaded compressor blades are generally considered to be turbulent flows. Recent work has suggested that the blade wakes are dominated by a vortex streetlike structure. The experimental evidence supporting the wake vortex structure is reviewed. This structure is shown to redistribute thermal energy within the flowfield. The effect of the wake structure on conventional aerodynamic measurements of compressor performance is noted. A two-dimensional, time-accurate, viscous numerical simulation of the flow exhibits both vortex shedding in the wake and a lower-frequency flow instability that modulates the shedding. The numerical results are shown to agree quite well with the measurement from transonic compressor rotors.

Epstein, A. H.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Flow-induced morphological instabilities due to temporally-modulated stagnation-point flow

The influence of periodically-modulated planar stagnation-point flow on the morphological stability of a directionally-solidifying interface is presently considered with a view to the effect of unsteady nonparallel flows on single-crystal growth. The modeling of the system assumes that the viscous boundary layer thickness is much greater than that of the solute boundary layer, and that the modulation frequency is much smaller than the strength of plane stagnation-point flow. The solidifying interface is either stabilized or destabilized depending on the ratio of the period of modulation to the solute-diffusion time.

Merchant, G. J.↗