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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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At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Plasma and magnetic field variations in the distant magnetotail associated with near-earth substorm effects

Examination of many individual event periods in the ISEE 3 deep-tail data set has suggested that magnetospheric substorms produce a characteristic pattern of effects in the distant magnetotail. During the growth, or tail-energy-storage phase of substorms, the magnetotail appears to grow diametrically in size, often by many earth radii. Subsequently, after the substorm expansive phase onset at earth, the distant tail undergoes a sequence of plasma, field, and energetic-particle variations as large-scale plasmoids move rapidly down the tail following their disconnection from the near-earth plasma sheet. ISEE 3 data are appropriate for the study of these effects since the spacecraft remained fixed within the nominal tail location for long periods. Using newly available auroral electrojet indices (AE and AL) and Geo particle data to time substorm onsets at earth, superposed epoch analyses of ISEE 3 and near-earth data prior to, and following, substorm expansive phase onsets have been performed. These analyses quantify and extend substantially the understanding of the deep-tail pattern of response to global substorm-induced dynamical effects.

Baker, D. N.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A current disruption mechanism in the neutral sheet for triggering substorm expansions

Two main areas were addressed in support of an effort to understand mechanism responsible for the broadband electrostatic noise (BEN) observed in the magnetotail. The first area concerns the generation of BEN in the boundary layer region of the magnetotail whereas the second area concerns the occassional presence of BEN in the neutral sheet region. For the generation of BEN in the boundary layer region, a hybrid simulation code was developed to perform reliable longtime, quiet, highly resolved simulations of field aligned electron and ion beam flow. The result of the simulation shows that broadband emissions cannot be generated by beam-plasma instability if realistic values of the ion beam parameters are used. The waves generated from beam-plasma instability are highly discrete and are of high frequencies. For the plasma sheet boundary layer condition, the wave frequencies are in the kHz range, which is incompatible with the observation that the peak power in BEN occur in the 10's of Hz range. It was found that the BEN characteristics are more consistent with lower hybrid drift instability. For the occasional presence of BEN in the neutral sheet region, a linear analysis of the kinetic cross-field streaming instability appropriate to the neutral sheet condition just prior to onset of substorm expansion was performed. By solving numerically the dispersion relation, it was found that the instability has a growth time comparable to the onset time scale of substorm onset. The excited waves have a mixed polarization in the lower hybrid frequency range. The imposed drift driving the instability corresponds to unmagnetized ions undergoing current sheet acceleration in the presence of a cross-tail electric field. The required electric field strength is in the 10 mV/m range which is well within the observed electric field values detected in the neutral sheet during substorms. This finding can potentially account for the disruption of cross-tail current and its diversion to the ionosphere to form the substorm current wedge. Furthermore, a number of features associated with substorm expansion onset can be understood based on this substorm onset scenario.

Lui, A. T. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A current disruption mechanism in the neutral sheet - A possible trigger for substorm expansions

A linear analysis is performed to investigate the kinetic cross-field streaming instability in the earth's magnetotail neutral sheet region. Numerical solution of the dispersion equation shows that the instability can occur under conditions expected for the neutral sheet just prior to the onset of substorm expansion. The excited waves are obliquely propagating whistlers with a mixed polarization in the lower hybrid frequency range. The ensuing turbulence of this instability can lead to a local reduction of the cross-tail current causing it to continue through the ionosphere to form a substorm current wedge. A substorm expansion onset scenario is proposed based on this instability in which the relative drift between ions and electrons is primarily due to unmagnetized ions undergoing current sheet acceleration in the presence of a cross-tail electric field. The required electric field strength is within the range of electric field values detected in the neutral sheet region during substorm intervals. The skew in local time of substorm onset location and the three conditions under which substorm onset is observed can be understood on the basis of the proposed scenario.

Lui, A. T. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A possible case of radially antisunward propagating substorm onset in the near-earth magnetotail

It is generally thought that the local effects associated with substorm onset in the near-earth magnetotail (R less than about 10 earth radii) have a component of propagation which is radially earthward. This study presents a case during which it is possible that the local effects of substorm onset propagated radially antisunward, examining energetic-ion and magnetic-field data from AMPTE/CCE and energetic-particle data from the GEO satellite 1982-019 during a period of weak substorm activity on June 11, 1985. Although the effects of this event on the ground were very weak, the substorm had a dramatic effect on at least one portion of the near-earth magnetotail. During the period the spacecraft were in an unusually close radial alignment. The data show that phenomena associated with the local effects of substorm onset began at or near GEO before they were observed at CCE. This event is best explained by a near-earth disruption of the cross-tail current sheet and the consequent formation of a substorm current wedge, with a component of expansion antisunward down the tail.

Lopez, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Energy density of ionospheric and solar wind origin ions in the near-Earth magnetotail during substorms

Comprehensive energy density studies provide an important measure of the participation of various sources in energization processes and have been relatively rare in the literature. We present a statistical study of the energy density of the near-Earth magnetotail major ions (H(+), O(+), He(++), He(+)) during substorm expansion phase and discuss its implications for the solar wind/magnetosphere/ionosphere coupling. Our aim is to examine the relation between auroral activity and the particle energization during substorms through the correlation between the AE indices and the energy density of the major magnetospheric ions. The data we used here were collected by the charge-energy-mass (CHEM) spectrometer on board the Active Magnetospheric Particle Trace Explorer (AMPTE)/Charge Composition Explorer (CCE) satellite in the near-equatorial nightside magnetosphere, at geocentric distances approximately 7 to 9 R(sub E). CHEM provided the opportunity to conduct the first statistical study of energy density in the near-Earth magnetotail with multispecies particle data extending into the higher energy range (greater than or equal to 20 keV/E). the use of 1-min AE indices in this study should be emphasized, as the use (in previous statistical studies) of the (3-hour) Kp index or of long-time averages of AE indices essentially smoothed out all the information on substorms. Most distinct feature of our study is the excellent correlation of O(+) energy density with the AE index, in contrast with the remarkably poor He(++) energy density - AE index correlation. Furthermore, we examined the relation of the ion energy density to the electrojet activity during substorm growth phase. The O(+) energy density is strongly correlated with the pre-onset AU index, that is the eastward electrojet intensity, which represents the growth phase current system. Our investigation shows that the near-Earth magnetotail is increasingly fed with energetic ionospheric ions during periods of enhanced dissipation of auroral currents. The participation of the ionosphere in the substorm energization processes seems to be closely, although not solely, associated with the solar wind/magnetosphere coupling. That is, the ionosphere influences actively the substorm energization processes by responding to the increased solar wind/magnetosphere coupling as well as to the unloading dissipation of stored energy, with the increased feeding of new material into the magnetosphere.

Daglis, Loannis A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Characteristics of the field-aligned current system in the nighttime sector during auroral substorms

Fujii et al. (1994) obtained characteristics of the electrodynamic parameters, that is, field-aligned currents, electric fields, and electron precipitation, which are associted with auroral substorm events in the nighttime sector, through a unique analysis that places the ionospheric measurements of these parameters into the context of a generic substorm determined from global auroral images. In this paper we investigate in considerably more detail the characteristics of the field-aligned currents using data from the same set of passes as the previuos study. We show for the first time that the net upward field-aligned currents throughout the surge and surge horn are sufficient to account for most if not all of the converging currents of the auroral electrojets. Current densities are largest in the surge and surge horn. Current region continuity does not appear to exist across the substorm bulge region. Much of the auroral substorm field-aligned current is composed of filamentary currents and finite current segments at large angles to each other. The westward electrojet may contain large gradients in intensity both in local time and latitude due to sets of localized field-aligned currents. The net downward current for several hours to the west of the surge is insufficient to account for the eastward electrojet, consistent with the concept that this electrojet originates primarily on the dayside. Our pattern of field-aligned currents associated with the surge has common features and also differs significantly from the patterns previously derived from data from radars and ground-based magnetometer arrays. Our pattern is considerably more complex, probably due to the much higher resolution in latitude of the satellite data. It is also larger in area, since our average substorm is much larger than those pertaining to the previous patterns, giving a substorm wedge considerably wider than that obtained from the radar and array data.

Hoffman, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

The response of ionospheric convection in the polar cap to substorm activity

We report multi-instrument observations during an isolated substorm on 17 October 1989. The European Incoherent Scatter (EISCAT) radar operated in the SP-UK-POLI mode measuring ionospheric convection at latitudes 71 deg Lambda - 78 deg Lambda. Sub-Auroral Magnetometer Network (SAMNET) and the EISCAT Magnetometer Cross provide information on the timing of substorm expansion phase onset and subsequent intensifications, as well as the location of the field aligned and ionospheric currents associated with the substorm current wedge. Interplanetary Monitoring Platform-8 (IMP-8) magnetic field data are also included. Evidence of a substorm growth phase is provided by the equatorward motion of a flow reversal boundary across the EISCAT radar field of view at 2130 MLT, following a southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). We infer that the polar cap expanded as a result of the addition of open magnetic flux in the tail lobes during this interval. The flow reversal boundary, which is a lower limit to the polar cap boundary, reached an invariant latitude equatorward of 71 deg Lambda by the time of the expansion phase onset. We conclude that the substorm onset region in the ionosphere, defined by the westward electrojet, mapped to a part of the tail radially earthward of the boundary between open and closed magnetic flux, the distant neutral line. Thus the substorm was not initiated at the distant neutral line, although there is evidence that it remained active during the expansion phase.

Lester, M.↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Role of Self-Organized Criticality in the Substorm Phenomenon and its Relation to Localized Reconnection in the Plasma Sheet

Recent observations of the magnetotail plasma sheet have shown it to be a dynamic and turbulent region. Research has found strong turbulence in the plasma sheet at approximately 20 Earth's Radius tailward of Earth; the turbulence is observed at all activity levels. The existence of strong turbulence in the plasma sheet in the region associated with substorm onset might be thought difficult to reconcile with the coherence and repeatability of the substorm cycle. We review a variety of evidence that strongly suggests the magnetotail is driven, through magnetic flux transfer, into a state of "self-organized criticality" (SOC). It is an important property of physical systems that evolve into SOC that they self-organize into a unique, global dynamic state. This global state is inevitable, and repeatable. In this state, however, small-spatiotemporal-scale system fluctuations are unpredictable and can be only described statistically. This is the basis, we think, for the global coherence and repeatability of the substorm phenomenon in the turbulent plasma sheet. At, or near, substorm onset the plasma sheet can be described by a global SOC state containing significant small scale turbulence. In several recent studies, "sandpile" models were driven into SOC and then shown to reproduce various measures of substorm activity. We discuss the plasma physical foundation of these sandpile models. The evolution of simple continuum plasma sheet models into SOC-like states of many small reconnection events in the turbulent plasma sheet under the will be demonstrated. We view the substorm phenomenon as an avalanche assumption that the plasma sheet is in a SOC state.

Klimas, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Auroral Substorm Time Scales: Seasonal and IMF Variations

The time scales and phases of auroral substorm, activity are quantied in this study using the hemispheric power computed from Polar Ultraviolet Imager (UVI) images. We have applied this technique to several hundred substorm events and we are able to quantify how the characterist act, of substorms vary with season and IMF Bz orientation. We show that substorm time scales vary more strongly with season than with IMF Bz orientation. The recovery time for substorm. activity is well ordered by whether or not the nightside oral zone is sunlit. The recovery time scales for substorms occurring in the winter and equinox periods are similar and are both roughly a factor of two longer than in summer when the auroral oval is sunlit. Our results support the hypothesis that the ionosphere plays an active role in governing the dynamics of the aurora.

Chua, D.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Occurrence frequencies of IMF triggered and nontriggered substorms

The occurrence of triggered and nontriggered substorm are examined in light of current interest in such issues as substorm identification, IMF By variations, and potentially undetected small-scale solar wind perturbation. Global substorms are identified using a sudden, persistent decrease in the AL index. The onset of this global expansion is taken to be the time of the Pi 2 burst nearest in time to the beginning of the AL, decrease. IMF triggers were identified both subjectively through visual scanning of the data and automatically with a computer algorithm. Both northward turnings of the IMF Bz and decreases in the amplitude of the By component were considered as possible triggers. Two different solar wind monitors were used in the investigation: IMP-8 in a circular orbit with a distance 12 to approx.35 Re to the Earth-Sun line and ISEE-2 in an elliptical orbit with a distance only 5 to approx.10 Re to the Earth-Sun line. The IMP-8 results show that the triggering probability does not depend on the distance of the monitor from the Earth-Sun line in the range 12-35 Re. The ISEE dataset shows that closer than 12 Re the triggering probability is the same as it is in the IMP-8 data set. Thus there appears to be no dependence of triggering on the location of the monitor provided it is within 35 Re of the Earth. We also demonstrate that including the By component does not significantly increase the probability of substorm triggering. Approximately 60% of all substorms appear to be triggered. Of the 40% for which we could not identify a trigger, 10% occurred while the IMF was northward. The data suggest that substorm onset is a consequence of an internal magnetospheric instability that is highly sensitive to changes in magnetospheric convection induced by a sudden change in the IMF, but that these changes are not always necessary.

Hsu, Tung-Shin↗
NASA NTRS2008

What Might We Learn About Magnetospheric Substorms at the Earth from the MESSENGER Measurements at Mercury?

Satellite observations at the Earth, supported by theory and modeling, have established a close connection between the episodes of intense magnetospheric convection termed substorms and the occurrence of magnetic reconnection. Magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause results in strong energy input to the magnetosphere. This energy can either be stored or used immediately to power the magnetospheric convection that produces the phenomena that collectively define the 'substorm.' However, many aspects of magnetic reconnection and the dynamic response of the coupled solar wind - magnetosphere - ionosphere system at the Earth during substorms remain poorly understood. For example, the rate of magnetic reconnection is thought to be proportional to the local Alfven speed, but the limited range of changes in this solar wind parameter at 1 AU have made it difficult to detect its influence over energy input to the Earth's magnetosphere. In addition, the electrical conductance of the ionosphere and how it changes in response to auroral charged particle precipitation are hypothesized to play a critical role in the development of substorms, but the nature of this electrodynamic interaction remain difficult to deduce from Earth observations alone. The amount of energy the terrestrial magnetosphere can store in its tail, the duration of the storage, and the trigger(s) for its dissipation are all thought to be determined by not only the microphysics of the cross-tail current layer, but also the properties of the coupled magnetosphere - ionosphere system. Again, the separation of microphysics effects from system response has proved very difficult using measurements taken only at the Earth. If MESSENGER'S charged particle and magnetic field measurements confirm the occurrence of terrestrial-style substorms in Mercury's miniature magnetosphere, then it may be possible to determine how magnetospheric convection, field-aligned currents, charged particle acceleration, reconnection, and tail energy storage are influenced by the intense magnetic reconnection expected to be associated with solar wind conditions at 0.3 - 0.5 AU from the Sun and the simplified electrodynamic feed-back anticipated for a planet lacking an ionosphere. MESSENGER observations from its 14 January 2008 Mercury flyby relevant to the occurrence of magnetic reconnection and substorms at Mercury will be discussed.

Slavin, James A.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Impact of Substorm Time O+ Outflow on Ring Current Enhancement

Energetic O+ ions (tens of keV) rapidly increase in the inner magnetosphere and contribute significantly to the ring current during substorms. Previously, two source regions of the energetic O+ ions have been proposed. The first one is the dayside polar region. Ions from the dayside polar region are transported to the lobe; then they are injected to the nightside plasma sheet during substorm expansion phase. The second one is the nightside aurora region. After the substorm onset, energetic O+ ions are extracted from the ionosphere with the auroral acceleration processes, and the O+ ions are directly supplied to the nightside plasma sheet. We investigated the relative importance of these two regions on supplying the energetic O+ ions in the inner magnetosphere. We performed a test particle simulation in global MHD electromagnetic fields. We obtained the following results. (1) During the substorm growth phase, O+ ions at tens of eV are extracted from the dayside polar region, resulting in the enhancement of the warm O+ ions (hundreds of eV) in the lobe. After the substorm onset, the warm O+ ions are nonadiabatically accelerated to tens of keV and injected to the inner magnetosphere. These O+ ions contribute to most of the O+ ring current. (2) O+ ions at less than a few keVs are supplied from the nightside aurora region to the plasma sheet. However, their contribution to the O+ ring current remains small. From the results, we concluded that the main source of the energetic O+ ions is the dayside polar region.

outflow↗
NASA NTRS1972

Precipitation of low energy electrons at high latitudes: Effects of substorms, interplanetary magnetic field and dipole tilt angle

Data from the auroral particles experiment on OGO-4 were used to study effects of substorm activity, interplanetary magnetic field latitutde, and dipole tilt angle on high-latitude precipitation of 700 eV electrons. It was found that: (1) The high-latitude zone of 700 eV electron precipitation in late evening and early morning hours moves equatorward by 5 to 10 deg during substorms. (2) The low-latitude boundary of polar cusp electron precipitation at 9 to 15 hours MLT also moves equatorward by several degrees during substorms and, in the absence of significant substorm activity, after a period of southward interplanetary magnetic field. (3) With times containing substorm activity or a southward interplanetary magnetic field eliminated, the low-latitude boundary of polar cusp electron precipitation is found to move by approximately 4 deg over the total yearly range of tilt angles. At maximum winter and summer conditions the invariant latitude of the boundary is shown to shift by approximately -3 deg and +1 deg respectively from its equinox location.

Burch, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Behavior of outer radiation zone and a new model of magnetospheric substorm.

This paper presents particle data obtained from synchronous altitudes and attempts to evaluate the origin and nature of particle flux variations observed during substorms. The correlated particle intensities, time variations, and energy spectrums are compared between the equatorial and auroral zones. The correlated particle and field observations during substorms are tied together and a model of magnetospheric substorms is derived. Among the features predicted by the model is the poleward expansion of visual auroras observed at the onset of magnetospheric substorms. The model also explains how substorms are triggered in a few minutes time scale during sudden commencements.

Parks, G. K.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Electric and magnetic field observations during a substorm of 24 February 1970

A series of electric field measurements is reported which was obtained from the Injun 5 satellite along with a simultaneous magnetic disturbance observed in the interplanetary medium and on the ground during a magnetic substorm. The substorm analyzed took place on February 24, 1970. Prior to the onset of the substorm a greatly enhanced anti-sunward plasma flow was observed over the polar cap. The enhanced plasma flow occurred about 30 minutes after a switch in the direction of the interplanetary magnetic field from northward to southward. The electric fields across the polar cap immediately before and during the substorm were essentially unchanged indicating that an enhancement in the ionospheric conductivity rather than the electric field must be responsible for the large increase in the auroral electrojet current during the substorm.

Gurnett, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Substorm effects in auroral spectra

A substorm time parameter is defined and used to order a large body of photometric data obtained on aircraft expeditions at high latitudes. The statistical analysis demonstrates hardening of the electron spectrum at the time of substorm, and it is consistent with the accepted picture of poleward expansion of aurora at the time of substorm and curvature drift of substorm-injected electrons. These features are not evident from a similar analysis in terms of magnetic time. We conclude that the substorm time concept is a useful ordering parameter for auroral data.

Eather, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Solar wind and substorm-related changes in the lobes of the geomagnetic tail

The relationship of the geomagnetic tail lobe energy density to solar wind dynamic pressure, the north-south component of the interplanetary magnetic field, and substorm expansion onsets is investigated. Enhanced lobe energy densities are observed to follow both southward turnings of the interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind dynamic pressure increases. An empirical relationship is developed relating the tail lobe magnetic energy density to the solar wind dynamic pressure by using data obtained when the interplanetary field was northward. Localized, off-center, or multiple-onset substorm expansion phases are shown to have little effect on the lobe magnetic field. A positive correlation is found between magnetosphere-wide substorm expansions and decreases in the lobe energy density. The positive correlation of the energy density with both the solar wind dynamic pressure and a southward interplanetary magnetic field and the positive correlation between magnetospheric substorm activity and lobe energy density decreases are demonstrated to be consistent with a phenomenological model of substorm behavior.

Caan, M. N.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Electric and magnetic field observations during a substorm on February 24, 1970

Description of a series of electric field measurements obtained from the Injun 5 satellite and simultaneous magnetic disturbances observed in the interplanetary medium and on the ground during a magnetic substorm. The substorm analyzed took place on Feb. 24, 1970. Prior to the onset of the substorm, a greatly enhanced antisunward plasma flow was observed over the polar cap. The enhanced plasma flow occurred about 30 minutes after a switch in the direction of the interplanetary magnetic field from northward to southward. The electric fields across the polar cap immediately before and during the substorm were essentially unchanged, and it is thus indicated that an enhancement in the ionospheric conductivity rather than the electric field must be responsible for the large increase in the auroral electrojet current during the substorm.

Gurnett, D. A.↗