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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Transverse ion heating in multicomponent plasmas

A new mechanism is proposed for plasma modes which can occur only in a multicomponent plasma and not in pure electron-ion plasma. The addition of ions creates a new instability near the ion-ion hybrid mode whose frequency is adequate for the wave to interact with oxygen ions. To study heating of ions (such as ionospheric oxygen ions) in presence of auroral electrons, several numerical simulations were carried out using a one-dimensional electrostatic code in a magnetic field. It was found that in the presence of electrons drifting along auroral field lines into the ionosphere, the ion-ion hybrid mode can be driven unstable when the electron drift speed is too small to excite the lower hybrid instability. Since the ion-ion mode has a smaller frequency than that of the lower hybrid waves, it can couple to the heavy ions, resulting in a substantial heating of heavy ions; on the other hand, because of their frequencies, the lower hybrid waves can accelerate only light ion species.

Ashour-Abdalla, M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Electron acceleration and radiation signatures in loop coronal transients

It is proposed that in loop coronal transients an erupting loop moves away from the solar surface, with a velocity exceeding the local Alfven speed, pushing against the overlying magnetic fields and driving a shock in the front of the moving part of the loop. Lower hybrid waves are excited at the shock front and propagate radially toward the center of the loop with phase velocity along the magnetic field that exceeds the thermal velocity. The lower hybrid waves stochastically accelerate the tail of the electron distribution inside the loop. The manner in which the accelerated electrons are trapped in the moving loop are discussed, and their radiation signature is estimated. It is suggested that plasma radiation can explain the power observed in stationary and moving type IV bursts.

Vlahos, L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Simulation studies of electron acceleration by ion ring distributions in solar flares

A 2.5-dimensional fully relativistic EM, particle-in-cell code (PIC) is used to investigate a potential electron acceleration mechanism in solar flares. The free energy is provided by ions which have a ring velocity distribution about the magnetic-field direction. Ion rings may be produced by perpendicular shocks, which could in turn be generated by the super-Alfvenic motion of magnetic flux tubes emerging from the photosphere or by coronal mass ejections. Such ion distributions are known to be unstable to the generation of lower hybrid waves, which have phase velocities in excess of the electron thermal speed parallel to the field and can, therefore, resonantly accelerate electrons in that direction. The simulations show the transfer of perpendicular ion energy to energetic electrons via lower hybrid wave turbulence. With plausible ion ring velocities, the process can account for the observationally inferred fluxes and energies of non-thermal electrons during the impulsive phase of flares.

Mcclements, K. G.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Lower hybrid heating of ionospheric ions due to ion ring distributions in cusp

The stability of H(+) and H(++) ring distributions which have been observed downflowing into the cusp on the DE and S3-3 satellites is examined in the context of the feedback of those instabilities on plasma of ionospheric origin consisting of (H(+) and O(+). Lower hybrid waves are excited by the ring distributions in three distinct phases of wave-particle interaction: linear growth, trapping, and quasi-linear diffusion.The latter phase accounts for most particle heating. Including background O(+) and/or a He(++) ring introduces new modes not present in a pure H(+) plasma which play an important role in heating heavier ions. O(+) is heated significantly more by a He(++) ring than a H(+) ring of comparable energy density. It is suggested that lower hybrid waves generated by downflowing ion ring distributions play a role in energizing ion conics in the cusp.

Roth, I.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Radiation from large space structures in low earth orbit with induced ac currents

Large conducting space structures in low earth orbit will have a nonnegligible motionally induced potential across their structures. The induced current flow through the body and the ionosphere causes the radiation of Alfven and lower hybrid waves. This current flow is taken to be ac and the radiated power is studied as a function of the ac frequency. The current may be ac due either to inductive coupling from the power system on the structure or by active modulation. A Space Station-like structure and tether are studied. For the Space Station structure the radiation impedance is particularly high for frequencies in the tens of kilohertz range which suggests that the Space Station may be efficient source of lower hybrid waves. The tether is also shown to be a generator of VLF waves up to source ac frequencies in the megahertz range. The implications for these two structures are discussed.

Hastings, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Investigation of plasma instabilities in the polar cusp

During the last six months, considerable progress was made in studying the excitation of electromagnetic waves in the whistler frequency range by an anisotropic or gyrating electron beam. A paper entitled 'Electron Cyclotron Wave Generation by Relativistic Electrons' was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Another paper entitled 'Electron Beam Excitation of Upstream Waves in the Whistler Mode Frequency Range' was submitted for publication in Journal of Geophysical Research. This paper is in collaboration with Dr. C. W. Smith at Bartol Research Institute. In this paper, it was shown that an anisotropic electron beam (or gyrating electron beam) is capable of generating both left-hand and right-hand polarized electromagnetic waves in the whistler frequency range. Our earlier paper 'Electromagnetic Components of Auroral Hiss and Lower Hybrid Waves in the Polar Magnetosphere' was accepted for publication in the AGU Chapman Conference on Micro and Meso Scale Phenomena in Space Plasmas. Electromagnetic waves in the lower hybrid and whistler waves regime were identified and a mechanism of how these waves are generated was suggested.

Wong, H. K.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Cross Scale Coupling of Alfven Turbulence in the Polar Wind Region

Ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling phenomena are extremely complex and diverse, involving a whole series of processes operating over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. One of the fundamental aspects of understanding this coupling is the polar wind, which is a dominant mechanism of mass transport from the ionospheric source region to the magnetosphere and strongly influences the plasma parameters above the F2 density peak. The combined effects of photoelectrons, and the ponderomotive force will be presented based on our polar wind model. The presence of photoelectrons and low frequency oscillations (that create the ponderomotive force) increase ion outflows. It is also demonstrated that large-amplitude low-frequency waves (LFW) may generate lower hybrid waves (LHW) in the auroral zone. The excitation of LHW by a LF wave may lead to the appearance of an additional channel of energy transfer from, for example, Alfven or fast magnetosonic waves, to particles. This process then influences the formation of the plasma distribution function at the expense of acceleration in the tail of the distribution during the collapse of the LHW. The ion energization due to the LHW can be comparable with that produced by the ponderomotive force of the LFW.

Khazanov, George V.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Low Frequency Turbulence as the Source of High Frequency Waves in Multi-Component Space Plasmas

Space plasmas support a wide variety of waves, and wave-particle interactions as well as wavewave interactions are of crucial importance to magnetospheric and ionospheric plasma behavior. High frequency wave turbulence generation by the low frequency (LF) turbulence is restricted by two interconnected requirements: the turbulence should be strong enough and/or the coherent wave trains should have the appropriate length. These requirements are strongly relaxed in the multi-component plasmas, due to the heavy ions large drift velocity in the field of LF wave. The excitation of lower hybrid waves (LHWs), in particular, is a widely discussed mechanism of interaction between plasma species in space and is one of the unresolved questions of magnetospheric multi-ion plasmas. It is demonstrated that large-amplitude Alfven waves, in particular those associated with LF turbulence, may generate LHW s in the auroral zone and ring current region and in some cases (particularly in the inner magnetosphere) this serves as the Alfven wave saturation mechanism. We also argue that the described scenario can playa vital role in various parts of the outer magnetosphere featuring strong LF turbulence accompanied by LHW activity. Using the data from THEMIS spacecraft, we validate the conditions for such cross-scale coupling in the near-Earth "flow-braking" magnetotail region during the passage of sharp injection/dipolarization fronts, as well as in the turbulent outflow region of the midtail reconnection site.

Khazanov, George V.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Observations of plasma waves within regions of perpendicular ion acceleration

The acceleration of ionospheric ions transverse to the geomagnetic field by factors of 1000 is believed to be caused by plasma waves. The authors made simultaneous measurements of electric fields and energetic ions within regions of perpendicular ion acceleration from the sounding rocket MARIE. Perpendicular ion acceleration was correlated with plasma waves near and above the lower hybrid frequency. Ions were detected up to energies of 300 eV and the broadband lower hybrid waves reached an amplitude of 10-30 mV/m (RMS) over the frequency band 4-16 kHz. Although electric field amplitudes near the O(+) cyclotron frequency reached a maximum value of 10 mV/m (RMS), there was no spectral evidence of electrostatic ion cyclotron waves associated with ion acceleration. There was spectral evidence of H(+) Bernstein modes near the lower hybrid frequency.

Kintner, P. M.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Lower Hybrid Frequency Range Waves Generated by Ion Polarization Drift Due to Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves: Analysis of an Event Observed by the Van Allen Probe B

We analyze a wave event that occurred near noon between 07:03 and 07:08 UT on 23 February 2014 detected by the Van Allen Probes B spacecraft, where waves in the lower hybrid frequency range (LHFR) and electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves are observed to be highly correlated, with Pearson correlation coefficient of approximately 0.86. We assume that the correlation is the result of LHFR wave generation by the ions polarization drift in the electric field of the EMIC waves. To check this assumption the drift velocities of electrons and H+, He+, and O+ ions in the measured EMIC wave electric field were modeled. Then the LHFR wave linear instantaneous growth rates for plasma with these changing drift velocities and different plasma compositions were calculated. The time distribution of these growth rates, their frequency distribution, and the frequency dependence of the ratio of the LHFR wave power spectral density (PSD)parallel and perpendicular to the ambient magnetic eld to the total PSD were found. These characteristics of the growth rates were compared with the corresponding characteristics of the observed LHFR activity. Reasonable agreement between these features and the strong correlation between EMIC and LHFR energy densities support the assumption that the LHFR wave generation can be caused by the ions polarization drift in the electric field of an EMIC wave.

Van Allen Probes↗
NASA NTRS1995

Low-frequency waves associated with Langmuir waves in solar wind

The Ulysses spacecraft has detected several events of low-frequency electromagnetic waves in association with Langmuir waves in the solar wind. The high time resolution observations show that the Langmuir waves are very intense and occur as broad peaks superposed by collapsing millisecond spikes. The low-frequency waves are identified as electromagnetic lower hybrid waves. The observed energy densities of these waves often exceed the strong turbulence thresholds. It is shown that none of the parametric decay instabilities involving Langmuir and low-frequency waves are energetically favorable to explain the present observations. The low-frequency waves are proposed to arise from currents associated with gradients in the electron beam originating at sites where Langmuir waves scatter the beam electrons.

Thejappa, G.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Ion Velocity Characterization of the 12.5-kW Advanced Electric Propulsion System Engineering Hall Thruster

During development testing of the 12.5-kW Advanced Electric Propulsion System engineering unit Hall thruster, which is magnetically shielded, a laser-induced fluorescence test was performed. During this test, a third medium-energy ion population was found near the inner front pole cover in addition to two low-energy counter-streaming ion populations that were found in previous testing. This newly found ion population matched in characteristics with the single population found near the outer front pole cover. The measured characteristics of the medium-energy ions matched the behavior expected of them if they were energized by a plasma wave with magnetized electrons, such as a lower hybrid wave. Comparison of the data from this test to prior tests showed that this engineering thruster had very similar ion characteristics as the precursor laboratory thruster. The acceleration zone was found to move upstream with increasing background pressure, decreasing anode flowrate, and increasing magnetic field strength. For the low-energy ions, the energy of the ions arriving at the inner pole did not vary noticeably with background pressure but did increase with increasing magnetic field strength and decreasing anode flow rate. For the medium-energy ions, the energy of the ions increased with decreasing background pressure, decreasing anode flow rate, and increasing magnetic field strength. Testing at different cathode flow fraction showed that the energy of the low-energy ions from the cathode decreased with increasing cathode flow.

Electric propulsion↗
NASA NTRS2009

Initial Results from the Vector Electric Field Investigation on the C/NOFS Satellite

Initial results are presented from the Vector Electric Field Investigation (VEFI) on the Air Force Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite, a mission designed to understand, model, and forecast the presence of equatorial ionospheric irregularities. The VEFI instrument includes a vector DC electric field detector, a fixed-bias Langmuir probe operating in the ion saturation regime, a flux gate magnetometer, an optical lightning detector, and associated electronics including a burst memory. The DC electric field detector has revealed zonal and meridional electric fields that undergo a diurnal variation, typically displaying eastward and outward-directed fields during the day and westward and downward-directed fields at night. In general, the measured DC electric field amplitudes are in the 0.5-2 mV/m range, corresponding to I3 x B drifts of the order of 30-150 m/s. What is surprising is the high degree of large-scale (10's to 100's of km) structure in the DC electric field, particularly at night, regardless of whether well-defined spread-F plasma density depletions are present. The spread-F density depletions and corresponding electric fields that have been detected thus far have displayed a preponderance to appear between midnight and dawn. Associated with the narrow plasma depletions that are detected are broad spectra of electric field and plasma density irregularities for which a full vector set of measurements is available for detailed study. On some occasions, localized regions of low frequency (< 8 Hz) magnetic field broadband irregularities have been detected, suggestive of filamentary currents, although there is no one-to-one correspondence of these waves with the observed plasma density depletions, at least within the data examined thus far. Finally, the data set includes a wide range of ELF/VLF/HF waves corresponding to a variety of plasma waves, in particular banded ELF hiss, whistlers, and lower hybrid wave turbulence triggered by lightning-induced sferics. The VEFI data set represents a treasure trove of measurements that are germane to numerous fundamental aspects of the electrodynamics and irregularities inherent to the Earth's low latitude ionosphere.

Pfaff, R.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Initial Results of DC Electric Fields, Associated Plasma Drifts, Magnetic Fields, and Plasma Waves Observed on the C/NOFS Satellite

Initial results are presented from the Vector Electric Field Investigation (VEFI) on the Air Force Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite, a mission designed to understand, model, and forecast the presence of equatorial ionospheric irregularities. The VEFI instrument includes a vector DC electric field detector, a fixed-bias Langmuir probe operating in the ion saturation regime, a flux gate magnetometer, an optical lightning detector, and associated electronics including a burst memory. Compared to data obtained during more active solar conditions, the ambient DC electric fields and their associated E x B drifts are variable and somewhat weak, typically < 1 mV/m. Although average drift directions show similarities to those previously reported, eastward/outward during day and westward/downward at night, this pattern varies significantly with longitude and is not always present. Daytime vertical drifts near the magnetic equator are largest after sunrise, with smaller average velocities after noon. Little or no pre-reversal enhancement in the vertical drift near sunset is observed, attributable to the solar minimum conditions creating a much reduced neutral dynamo at the satellite altitude. The nighttime ionosphere is characterized by larger amplitude, structured electric fields, even where the plasma density appears nearly quiescent. Data from successive orbits reveal that the vertical drifts and plasma density are both clearly organized with longitude. The spread-F density depletions and corresponding electric fields that have been detected thus far have displayed a preponderance to appear between midnight and dawn. Associated with the narrow plasma depletions that are detected are broad spectra of electric field and plasma density irregularities for which a full vector set of measurements is available for detailed study. Finally, the data set includes a wide range of ELF/VLF/HF oscillations corresponding to a variety of plasma waves, in particular banded ELF hiss, whistlers, and lower hybrid wave turbulence triggered by lightning-induced sferics. The VEFI data represents a new set of measurements that are germane to numerous fundamental aspects of the electrodynamics and irregularities inherent to the Earth's low latitude ionosphere.

Pfaff, R.↗
NASA NTRS2005

The Role of the Heavy Ions in the Generation of EMIC Waves

The effect of EMIC waves, generated by a positive ion temperature anisotropy on Earth s RC dynamics is one of the best known examples of wave-particle interaction in the magnetosphere and the most controversial mechanism of RC losses. Under certain conditions, relativistic electrons with energy greater than or equal to 1 MeV can be removed from the outer RB by EMIC wave scattering during a magnetic storm much faster than by any other loss mechanisms. That is why the calculation of EMIC waves are very critical part of the LWS program. Systematic studies of magnetosphere-plasmasphere-ionosphere coupling are needed in order to provide EMIC waves forecast on a global scale and include WPI processes in the RB modeling. To quantify the EMIC wave effects on the RC-ion and RB-electron dynamics, a self-consistent theoretical description of the ions, electrons, and EMIC waves should be employed in future RB studies. This talk will emphasize the role of the heavy ions in the EMIC waves formation on a global scale and their nonlinear coupling with lower hybrid waves.

Khazanov, G. V.↗