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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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NASA NTRS2022

Space Weather: From Solar Origins to Risks and Hazards Evolving in Time

Space Weather is the portion of space physics that has a direct effect onhumankind. Space Weather is an old branch of space physics that originatesback to 1808 with the publication of a paper by the great naturalist Alexandervon Humboldt (Von Humboldt, Ann. Phys. 1808, 29, 425–429),first defining a“Magnetische Ungewitter”or magnetic storm from auroral observations fromhis home in Berlin, Germany. Space Weather is currently experiencing explosivegrowth, because its effects on human technologies have become more andmore diverse. Space Weather is due to the variability of solar processes thatcause interplanetary, magnetospheric, ionospheric, atmospheric and groundlevel effects. Space Weather can at times have strong impacts on technologicalsystems and human health. The threats and risks are not hypothetical, and in theevent of extreme Space Weather events the consequences could be quitesevere for humankind. The purpose of the review is to give a brief overall view ofthe full chain of physical processes responsible for Space Weather risks andhazards, tracing them from solar origins to effects and impacts in interplanetaryspace, in the Earth’s magnetosphere and ionosphere and at the ground. Inaddition, the paper shows that the risks associated with Space Weather have notbeen constant over time; they have evolved as our society becomes more andmore technologically advanced. The paper begins with a brief introduction tothe Carrington event, arguably the greatest geomagnetic storm in recordedhistory. Next, the descriptions of the strongest known Space Weather processesare reviewed, tracing them from their solar origins. The concepts ofgeomagnetic storms and substorms are briefly introduced. The main effects/impacts of Space Weather are also considered, including geomagneticallyinduced currents (GICs) which are thought to cause power outages. Theeffects of radiation on avionics and human health, ionospheric effects andimpacts, and thermosphere effects and satellite drag will also be discussed.Finally, we will discuss the current challenges of Space Weather forecasting andexamine some of the worst-case scenarios.

Natalia Buzulukova↗
NASA NTRS1978

A set of satellite experiments for studying the magnetosphere-ionosphere communications

Magnetospheric substorms are one of the basic problems in the physics of near earth space. They appear as magnetic and ionospheric perturbations, disturbances in radio communication, polar auroras and electromagnetic radiation in different frequency ranges. These phenomena were studied from single satellites. However, it is impossible to study these phenomena adequately without simultaneous measurements from at least two different positions with identical instruments. A suitable program can be developed based on the Interkosmos work using new achievements in electronics.

Gringauz, K. I.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Studies of Westward Electrojets and Field-Aligned Currents in the Magnetotail During Substorms: Implications for Magnetic Field Models

This section outlines those tasks undertaken in the final year that contribute integrally to the overarching project goals. Fast, during the final year, it is important to note that the project benefited greatly with the addition of a Boston University graduate student, Ms. Karen Hirsch. Jointly, we made substantial progress on the development of and improvements to magnetotail magnetic field and plasma models. The ultimate aim of this specific task was to assess critically the utility of such models for mapping low-altitude phenomena into the magnetotail (and vice-versa). The bulk of this effort centered around the finite-width- magnetotail convection model developed by and described by Spence and Kivelson (J. Geophys. Res., 98, 15,487, 1993). This analytic, theoretical model specifies the bulk plasma characteristics of the magnetotail plasma sheet (number density, temperature, pressure) across the full width of the tail from the inner edge of the plasma sheet to lunar distances. Model outputs are specified by boundary conditions of the source particle populations as well as the magnetic and electric field configuration. During the reporting period, we modified this code such that it can be interfaced with the auroral particle precipitation model developed by Dr. Terry Onsager. Together, our models provide a simple analytic specification of the equatorial distribution of fields and plasma along with their low-altitude consequences. Specifically, we have built a simple, yet powerful tool which allows us to indirectly 'map' auroral precipitation signatures (VDIS, inverted-V's, etc.) measured by polar orbiting spacecraft in the ionosphere, to the magnetospheric equatorial plane. The combined models allow us to associate latitudinal gradients measured in the ion energy fluxes at low-altitudes with the large-scale pressure gradients in the equatorial plane. Given this global, quasi-static association, we can then make fairly strong statements regarding the location of discrete features in the context of the global picture. We reported on our initial study at national and international meetings and published the results of our predictions of the low-altitude signatures of the plasma sheet. In addition, the PI was invited to contribute a publication to the so-called 'Great Debate in Space Physics' series that is a feature of EOS. The topic was on the nature of magnetospheric substorms. Specific questions of the when and where a substorm occurs and the connection between the auroral and magnetospheric components were discussed in that paper. This paper therefore was derived exclusively from the research supported by this grant. Attachment: Empirical modeling of the quite time nightside magnetosphere.' 'CRRES observations of particle flux dropout event.' The what, where, when, and why of magnetospheric substorm triggers'. and 'Low altitude signature of the plasma sheet: model prediction of local time dependence'.

Spence, Harlan E.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Atmospheric, Magnetospheric and Plasmas in Space (AMPS) spacelab payload definition study. Volume 3: Interface control documents. Part 3: AMPS payload to instruments ICD

General physical, functional, and operational interface control requirements for instruments on the first AMPS payload are presented. Interface specifications are included to satisfy ground handling, prelaunch, launch, stowage, operation, and landing activities. Applicable supporting documentation to implement the information is also given.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2022

The Earth's Exosphere and Its Response to Space Weather

Neutral-Plasma charge exchange is a fundamental physical process that occurs ubiquitously across the universe. In geospace, charge exchange occurs in the Earth’s topside ionosphere, polar wind, plasmasphere, inner magnetosphere, and magnetosheath. Past and current space missions have profiled plasma and electromagnetic characteristics in various parts of the Earth’s magnetospheric system. However, observations of the exosphere, i.e., neutrals above 500 km altitude, are still sparse and, in some regions, non-existent, which limits our understanding of the neutral contribution to the overall dynamics of the geospace environment. Cold exospheric neutrals (< 10 eV) play an important role in the Sun-Earth interaction. Variability of exospheric density provides key information of the Earth’s atmospheric loss under dynamic space environment conditions. Various neutral species and their density variations in the polar wind can alter ion outflow patterns, modifying global magnetospheric dynamics. Exospheric neutrals also provide an energy sink for the inner magnetosphere by creating Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENAs) through charge exchange with high-energy ring current ions, which subsequently leave our geospace system unimpeded by magnetic fields. Exospheric neutrals also provide a means to observe the global interaction of the solar wind – magnetosphere, through global imaging of the system via ENAs (e.g., the TWINS and IMAGE missions) and soft X-rays (e.g., the upcoming LEXI and SMILE missions), the byproducts of neutral-plasma charge exchange. In the coming decade, we advocate that our community needs to increase our exploration of the neutral populations in the outermost reaches of the Earth’s atmosphere. It is imperative that we improve both in-situ and remote-sensing technologies for measuring key neutral species in our exosphere. We also encourage dedicated exosphere missions and to stimulate model developments of our exosphere and its interaction with the co-located magnetospheric system and neighboring Ionosphere - Thermosphere - Mesosphere system.

Hyunju Connor↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Inner Magnetospheric Physics

The inner magnetosphere extends from just above the topside ionosphere to approximately 8 RE geocentric distance. Magnetospheric physics is a young science that only started to be recognized as a region with the space observations by Explorer 1 in 1958. The region is mostly populated by ionized gas or plasma from Earth’s ionosphere. Plasma populations are differentiated by their energies primarily. From the least energetic to most are the plasmasphere, ring current, and radiation belts, extending from about 1 eV to 10 MeV in energy and from 1,000s cm-3 down to a few particles per cubic centimeter and less, respectively. The solar wind and solar erupted coronal mass ejections (CMEs) arriving and interacting with Earth’s magnetic field creates a dynamo effect that drives million ampere currents along magnetic field lines that close through the ionosphere. The solar wind dynamo also creates a 100s kV electric field across the magnetosphere that drives convective motion of the plasma within it. The solar wind driven currents compress Earth’s magnetic field on the sunward side and greatly extents the field on the nightside to form the magnetotail. The energy stored in the magnetotail is impulsively released when magnetic field lines there merge, releasing energy into the plasma trapped by the magnetic field. Those plasma become the ring current that loses plasma into the atmosphere to produce the aurora and at the same time ring current plasma can be further energized by wave-particle interactions to become the radiation belts. The presentation will review these topics and a few of the underlying physical processes that are involved in this highly coupled planetary system.

inner magnetosphere↗
NASA NTRS1975

Solar and terrestrial physics

The effects of solar radiation on the near space and biomental earth, the upper atmosphere, and the magnetosphere are discussed. Data obtained from the OSO satellites pertaining to the solar cycle variation of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation are analyzed. The effects of solar cycle variation of the characteristics of the solar wind are examined. The fluid mechanics of shock waves and the specific relationship to the characteristics of solar shock waves are investigated. The solar and corpuscular heating of the upper atmosphere is reported based on the findings of the AEROS and NATE experiments. Seasonal variations of the upper atmosphere composition are plotted based on OGO-6 mass spectrometer data.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1976

Spacelab - New tool for research and investigations in space

The Orbiter/Spacelab system is regarded as an entity that provides an orbital platform for experiments in a wide variety of scientific and technological fields. The paper presents a brief summary of the Spacelab system and its operation as an introduction to a new tool to be available to an international community of users through the 1980s. Investigations have shown that all the more conventional fields of space research and applications can benefit from the use of Spacelab, such as astronomy, magnetospheric physics, remote sensing, communications, and many others. It is expected that new areas that would gain from using Spacelab will be recognized as its operational life matures. Numerous sketches and photographs supplement the text.

Gibson, R.↗
NASA NTRS2015

NASA Operational Simulator for Small Satellites (NOS3)

The Simulation-to-Flight 1 (STF-1) CubeSat mission aims to demonstrate how legacy simulation technologies may be adapted for flexible and effective use on missions using the CubeSat platform. These technologies, named NASA Operational Simulator (NOS), have demonstrated significant value on several missions such as James Webb Space Telescope, Global Precipitation Measurement, Juno, and Deep Space Climate Observatory in the areas of software development, mission operationstraining, verification and validation (VV), test procedure development and software systems check-out. STF-1 will demonstrate a highly portable simulation and test platform that allows seamless transition of mission development artifacts to flight products. This environment will decrease development time of future CubeSat missions by lessening the dependency on hardware resources. In addition, through a partnership between NASA GSFC, the West Virginia Space Grant Consortium and West Virginia University, the STF-1 CubeSat will hosts payloads for three secondary objectives that aim to advance engineering and physical-science research in the areas of navigation systems of small satellites, provide useful data for understanding magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and space weather, and verify the performance and durability of III-V Nitride-based materials.

modeling simulation↗
NASA NTRS2016

Simulation-To-Flight (STF-1): A Mission to Enable CubeSat Software-Based Validation and Verification

The Simulation-to-Flight 1 (STF-1) CubeSat mission aims to demonstrate how legacy simulation technologies may be adapted for flexible and effective use on missions using the CubeSat platform. These technologies, named NASA Operational Simulator (NOS), have demonstrated significant value on several missions such as James Webb Space Telescope, Global Precipitation Measurement, Juno, and Deep Space Climate Observatory in the areas of software development, mission operations/training, verification and validation (V&V), test procedure development and software systems check-out. STF-1 will demonstrate a highly portable simulation and test platform that allows seamless transition of mission development artifacts to flight products. This environment will decrease development time of future CubeSat missions by lessening the dependency on hardware resources. In addition, through a partnership between NASA GSFC, the West Virginia Space Grant Consortium and West Virginia University, the STF-1 CubeSat will hosts payloads for three secondary objectives that aim to advance engineering and physical-science research in the areas of navigation systems of small satellites, provide useful data for understanding magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and space weather, and verify the performance and durability of III-V Nitride-based materials.

navigation↗
NASA NTRS2010

Dynamics of the Earth's Inner Magnetosphere and its Connection to the Ionosphere: Current Understanding and Challenges

The Earth's inner magnetosphere, a vast volume in space spanning from 1.5 Re (Earth radii) to 10 Re, is a host to a variety of plasma populations (with energy from 1 eV to few MeV) and physical processes where most of which involve plasma and field coupling. As a gigantic particle accelerator, the inner magnetosphere includes three overlapping regions: the plasmasphere, the ring current, and the Van Allen radiation belt. The complex structures and dynamics of these regions are externally driven by solar activities and internally modulated by intricate interactions and coupling. As a major constituent of Space Weather, the inner magnetosphere is both scientifically intriguing and practically important to our society. In this presentation, I will discuss our recent results from the Comprehensive Ring Current Model, in the context of our current understanding of the inner magnetosphere in general and challenges ahead in making further progresses.

Zheng, Yihua↗
NASA NTRS2011

Dynamics of the Earth's Inner Magnetosphere and Its Connection to the Ionosphere: Current Understanding and Challenges

The Earth's inner magnetosphere, a vast volume in space spanning from 1.5 Re (Earth radii) to 10 Re, is a host to a variety of plasma populations (with energy from 1 eV to few MeV) and physical processes where most of which involve plasma and field coupling. As a gigantic particle accelerator, the inner magnetosphere includes three overlapping regions: the plasmasphere, the ring current, and the Van Allen radiation belt. The complex structures and dynamics of these regions are externally driven by solar activities and internally modulated by intricate interactions and coupling. As a major constituent of Space Weather, the inner magnetosphere is both scientifically intriguing and practically important to our society. In this presentation, I will discuss our recent results from the Comprehensive Ring Current Model, in the context of our current understanding of the inner magnetosphere in general and challenges ahead in making further progresses.

Zheng, Yihua↗
NASA NTRS1987

Plasma depletions in the Jovian magnetosphere - Evidence of transport and solar wind interaction

A series of plasma voids ('dropouts') was observed by the Plasma Science (PLS) experiment in Jupiter's magnetosphere during the Voyager 2 encounter with that planet. A reexamination of Voyager 2 data has led to the conclusion that the dropout phenomenon cannot be a manifestation of a plasma wake produced by Ganymede. Rather, the appearance of the dropouts is attributed to changes in the upstream solar wind conditions and the global state of the magnetosphere; the proximity of Voyager 2 to Ganymede at the time is considered to be coincidental. It is suggested that these dropouts are evidence of a state of 'bubbling' of the magnetosphere that alternates with 'laminar' states in which, as in the case of the Voyager 1 encounter with Jupiter, voids are not present and that these states correspond to different processes by which plasma is transported out of the system. The nature of these states is related to changes in the magnitude of the upstream solar wind ram pressure. In the bubbling state, this pressure is higher than in the laminar state and drives an intermittent instability. The analysis presented is one of the first attempts to introduce, in space physics, recently acquired theoretical notions of the physics of the finite-beta plasmas of which the Jovian magnetospheric plasma is an important example.

Mcnutt, Ralph L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Applications of numerical codes to space plasma problems

Solar wind, earth's bowshock, and magnetospheric convection and substorms were investigated. Topics discussed include computational physics, multifluid codes, ionospheric irregularities, and modeling laser plasmas.

Northrop, T. G.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Global MHD Simulations of Space Plasma Environments: Heliosphere, Comets, Magnetospheres of Plants and Satellites

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) provides an approximate description of a great variety of processes in space physics. Accurate numerical solutions of the MHD equations are still a challenge, but in the past decade a number of robust methods have appeared. Once these techniques made the direct solution of MHD equations feasible, a number of global three-dimensional models were designed and applied to many space physics objects. The range of these objects is truly astonishing, including active galactic nuclei, the heliosphere, the solar corona, and the solar wind interaction with planets, satellites, and comets. Outside the realm of space physics, MHD theory has been applied to such diverse problems as laboratory plasmas and electromagnetic casting of liquid metals. In this paper we present a broad spectrum of models of different phenomena in space science developed in the recent years at the University of Michigan. Although the physical systems addressed by these models are different, they all use the MHD equations as a unifying basis.

Kabin, K.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Heliocentric Distance and Solar Activity Dependence of Sustained Quasi-radial Interplanetary Magnetic Field Occurrence

Planets close to their stars experience an interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) that is dominantly quasi-radial. Our solar system serves as a laboratory to study how the occurrence of quasi-radial IMF varies away from the star and under different stellar activities. Furthermore, on time and spatial scales relevant to magnetospheric physics, solar wind variability prevails in the form of structures generated both at the Sun and locally in the interplanetary space. The stationary Parker spiral model only approximates the large-scale structure of the IMF. Deviations from the Parker spiral often result in strongly radial magnetic fields that give rise to kinetic foreshock turbulence, which in turn can impact planetary magnetospheres. The relative significance of this type of interaction can be estimated statistically based on the occurrence rate of cases where the IMF is directed along the radial direction, leading to the entire day-side magnetosphere being downstream of the ion foreshock. We use observations covering radial distances from 0.1 to 10 au and more than 2 solar cycles to quantify the prevalence of radial IMFs throughout the heliosphere. Near Earth's orbit, it is found that the occurrence rates of quasi-radial and southward IMF orientations are similar, and that the Pearson correlation coefficient is ${{ \mathcal R }}_{{xy}}\sim -0.7$ calculated between quasi-radial IMF occurrence rate and solar activity. A negative correlation is demonstrated for radial distances extending to at least Mars but not to Saturn.

Brandon L Burkholder↗
NASA NTRS2021

Core-Plasma Refilling and Erosion: Science Justification

Global magnetospheric models do not currently couple dynamic plasmaspheric plasma due to computational limitations that will be overcome by 2050. A true GGCM will need to include a dynamic plasmasphere for both physics and space weather prediction. Such inclusion requires that we answer longstanding, fundamental questions about the life cycle of core (<10 eV, plasmaspheric) plasma: how it gets into the inner magnetosphere, and how it is eroded. Erosion and refilling are processes controlling a fundamental space plasma population. During every geomagnetic disturbance, tens of metric tons of plasma are rapidly eroded away, then slowly and unevenly replenished. After several decades we still do not understand the cross-scale mechanisms proposed to be responsible for these 2 processes. Removal and replacement of this enormous plasma mass is as important to the dynamics of the magnetosphere as solar-wind driving. Our community must dedicate the resources and effort needed to solve this enduring puzzle. Other white papers submitted in response to the HP2050 call are discussing cold plasma and ionospheric outflow in more general contexts. This white paper deals specifically with the science justification for studying refilling and erosion.

Plasmasphere, core-plasma, erosion, refilling↗