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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 739 records · Page 41
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NASA NTRS1979

Solar wind and magnetosphere interactions

The relationship between the magnetosphere and the solar wind is addressed. It is noted that this interface determines how much of the solar plasma and field energy is transferred to the Earth's environment, and that this coupling not only varies in time, responding to major solar disturbances, but also to small changes in solar wind conditions and interplanetary field directions. It is recommended that the conditions of the solar wind and interplanetary medium be continuously monitored, as well as the state of the magnetosphere. Other recommendations include further study of the geomagnetic tail, tests of Pc 3,4 magnetic pulsations as diagnostics of the solar wind, and tests of kilometric radiation as a remote monitor of the auroral electrojet.

Russell, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Energetic solar particle behaviour in the magnetosphere

The behavior of energetic solar flare particles in the magnetosphere is discussed. In the absence of magnetospheric motion, the problem of particle transport can be treated as simple propagation of charged particles in a stationary magnetic field configuration using, for instance, trajectory calculations in model fields. This single particle approach is the basis for the determination of intensity and anisotropy structures over the polar caps and in the geomagnetic tail from different interplanetary conditions. Particle transport on closed field lines is in addition strongly affected by resonant interaction processes as pitch angle scattering and radial diffusion.

Scholer, M.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Magnetosphere-ionosphere interactions

The present understanding of magnetosphere ionosphere interactions is described, and present and future predictive capabilities are assessed. Ionospheric features directly coupled to the magnetosphere to a significant degree are considered, with emphasis given to those phenomena of major interest to forecasters and users.

Vondrak, R. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Auroral magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling: A brief topical review

Auroral arcs result from the acceleration and precipitation of magnetospheric plasma in narrow regions characterized by strong electric fields both perpendicular and parallel to the Earth's magnetic field. The various mechanisms proposed for the origin of such strong electric fields include electrostatic double layers, double reverse shocks, anomalous resistivity, magnetic mirroring of hot plasma, mapping of the magnetospheric convection electric field through an auroral discontinuity.

Chiu, Y. T.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Results of an ISEE-1 experiment to study the interactions between energetic particles and discrete VLF waves in the magnetosphere

Despite the malfunctioning of the digital portion of the experiment which is encoding the absolute amplitude of the wave spectrum with a fixed bias of approximately 20 dB, the analog portion of the instrument is acquiring excellent data concerning the wave function and relative amplitude. Results obtained over a 2-year period which have important implications for magnetospheric wave-particle interactions are examined in the areas of emission generation by nonconducted coherent waves, and cold plasma distribution in the inner magnetosphere.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1979

Empirical relationships between interplanetary conditions, magnetospheric flux transfer, and the AL index

Holzer and Slavin (1978) have found that the transfer of magnetic flux to and from the dayside magnetosphere as inferred from observed displacements of the magnetopause surface is correlated with both the magnitude of the auroral zone magnetic index AL and the incident flux of southward IMF. Empirical expressions specifying the rate at which magnetic flux is eroded in terms of interplanetary parameters and the rate of magnetic flux return as a function of AL have been developed. These relations are then used to predict magnetotail magnetic field enhancements from interplanetary and ground based data during an interval of substorm activity. The total magnetic flux in the tail is increased during intervals when the amount of flux transferred into its volume by dayside erosion exceeds the flux lost to the dayside by magnetospheric convection. Using Ogo-5 tail observations it is found for the sample events considered that these magnetic field enhancements can be described by empirical expressions for the magnetic flux transfer rates.

Slavin, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A kinetic approach to magnetospheric modeling

The earth's magnetosphere is caused by the interaction between the flowing solar wind and the earth's magnetic dipole, with the distorted magnetic field in the outer parts of the magnetosphere due to the current systems resulting from this interaction. It is surprising that even the conceptually simple problem of the collisionless interaction of a flowing plasma with a dipole magnetic field has not been solved. A kinetic approach is essential if one is to take into account the dispersion of particles with different energies and pitch angles and the fact that particles on different trajectories have different histories and may come from different sources. Solving the interaction problem involves finding the various types of possible trajectories, populating them with particles appropriately, and then treating the electric and magnetic fields self-consistently with the resulting particle densities and currents. This approach is illustrated by formulating a procedure for solving the collisionless interaction problem on open field lines in the case of a slowly flowing magnetized plasma interacting with a magnetic dipole.

Whipple, E. C., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Computer modeling of events in the inner magnetosphere

The first effort at computer simulating the behavior of the inner magnetosphere during a substorm-type event on 19 September 1976 was completed. The computer model simulates many aspects of the behavior of the closed-field-line portion of the earth's magnetosphere, and the auroral and subauroral ionosphere. For these regions, the program self-consistently computes electric fields, electric currents, hot-plasma densities, plasma flow velocities and other parameters. Highlights of the results of our event simulation are presented. Predicted electric fields for several times during the event agree reasonably well with corresponding data from satellite S3-2. Detailed discussion is presented for a case of rapid subauroral flow that was observed on one S3-2 pass and is predicted by the computer runs. The computed global distribution of Birkeland current agrees reasonably well with the observations of Iijima and Potemra.

Harel, M.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Model magnetosphere of Mercury

A three-dimensional quantitative model of Mercury's magnetosphere based on Mariner 10 data is presented. The model assumes that the Mercury surface magnetic field consists of a dipole, a quadrupole, and an octupole. The dipole moment is determined, noting that the intensity of the quadrupole moment is 45% of the dipole, and that of the octupole moment is 29% of the dipole. The model meets four critical tests: (1) it produces the smallest residuals, (2) it can reproduce the crossing of a tail current sheet by Mariner 10, (3) all planetary field lines are confined inside the model magnetosphere, and (4) the size of the model agrees with the magnetopause crossings observed from Mariner 10. In addition, the plasma characteristics and regions of quiet and disturbed signatures observed from Mariner 10 are discussed.

Whang, Y. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Dynamics of plasma, energetic particles, and fields near synchronous orbit in the nighttime sector during magnetospheric substorms

Two phases of substorm-associated magnetospheric dynamics are discussed in terms of particles and fields at synchronous orbit. The first phase corresponds to the 'decreases' of energetic particle flux. The second phase is the conventional expansion phase that begins with the 'onset', characterized in the study by (1) a sudden decrease in the tail current and a return of the inflated magnetosphere to a dipolelike configuration, (2) a sudden shift of trapped high-energy particles toward the tail again following contours of constant B, and at the same time (3) a surge of tail plasma toward the earth as the induced electric field now increases the total convection field.

Sauvaud, J.-A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Dust in Jupiter's magnetosphere - An Io source

The possibility of removing particles from Io by interactions with the Jovian magnetosphere has been investigated. It is found that dust grains of about 0.1 micron radius will rapidly become charged if exposed to the ambient Jovian plasma. For particles this size in Io's volcanic plumes, the Lorentz force can overcome Io's gravity and these particles can escape. Escaping dust will be controlled by the topology of the magnetosphere and it is suggested that Io-derived dust may be an important source of erosive impacts on large Jovian ring particles and destructive collisions with small particles. The ring particles themselves will interact with the Jovian plasma and it is suggested that Coulomb scattering of plasma particles by charged dust grains may produce a plasma gap or void in the vicinity of the rings.

Johnson, T. V.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The application of artificial electron beams to magnetospheric research

Scientific and technical progress made in the utilization of electron beams injected from large sounding rockets for the investigation of magnetospheric structure and dynamics and plasma physics is reviewed. Consideration is given to the problem of vehicle neutralization during the generation of electron beams in the ionosphere and the stability and electromagnetic wave emissions of electron beams propagating in space. Optical effects observed during the two Hess artificial aurora experiments, the Minnesota Echo IV and V experiments, the Zarnitsa-1 artificial aurora experiment and the Precede-Excede experiments are discussed, together with atmospheric scattering effects observed during Echo I, II and III, and results of the three experimental programs which have detected and analyzed beams after passage through the distant magnetosphere (the second Hess experiment, ARAKS and the Electron Echo experiments) are presented. Finally, plans for future research are outlined, and a chronology and complete bibliography of the programs conducted to date are included.

Winckler, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Magnetospheric reconnection, substorms, and energetic particle acceleration

The steady state reconnection model of the terrestrial magnetosphere predicts a maximum potential drop of about 100 kV across the tail. During substorms particles are accelerated to energies above 1 MeV. At substorm onset, large inductive emfs may be generated by explosive tearing mode reconnection which is driven nonlinearly unstable by the solar wind and convection stresses on the tail plasma sheet. In the inner magnetosphere, energetic particles are also produced by stochastic wave turbulent acceleration and by convection driven inward radial diffusion.

Coroniti, F. V.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Energetics of the magnetosphere

The approximate magnitudes of several power inputs and energies associated with the Earth's magnetosphere will be derived. They include: Solar wind power impinging on the dayside magnetopause approximately 1.4 10 to the 13th power watt; power input to cross tail current approximately 3 10 to the 11th power watt; energy of moderate magnetic storm approximately 2 10 to the 15th power joule; power related to the flow of j approximately 1 to 3 10 to the 11th power watt; average power deposited by the aurora approximately 2 10 to the 10th power watt. Stored magnetic energy: released in a substorm approximately 1.5 10 to the 14th power joule. Compared to the above, the rate at which energy is released locally in magnetospheric regions where magnetic merging occurs is probably small. Merging is essential, however, for the existence of open field lines, which provide the most likely explanation for some major energy inputs listed here. Merging is also required if part of the open flux of the tail lobes is converted into closed flux, as seems to happen during substorms. Again, most of the energy release becomes evident only beyond the merging region, though some particles may gain appreciable energy in that region itself, if the plasma sheet is completely squeezed out and the high latitude lobes interact directly.

Stern, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Energetic oxygen and sulfur ions in the Jovian magnetosphere

Observations of 1 to 20 MeV/nuc oxygen, sodium, and sulfur ions in the Jovian magnetosphere are reported. Measurements made by the cosmic ray subsystem on Voyager 1 and 2 were used to calculate abundances and energy spectra in the region from 5 to 20 Jovian radii. The phase space density of the oxygen ions calculated from the spectra has a positive radial gradient between 6 and 17 Jovian radii, indicating an inward diffusive flow. The diffusion coefficient upper limit at 9 Jovian radii is approximately 10 to the -5 power/s. This limit, combined with the analysis of Voyager plasma observations by Siscoe et al.1981, implies an upper limit to the mass loading rate near Io of approximately 10 to the 28th power ions/s. The energetic oxygen lifetime is within an order of magnitude of the strong pitch-angle diffusion lifetime in this region, with the largest total number of particles lost between 7.5 and 12.5 Jovian radii. It is shown that the losses are not due to geometric absorption by Io, absorption by dust grains, or energy loss in the plasma of the inner magnetosphere, and it is therefore postulated that the primary loss mechanism is pitch-angle scattering into the loss cone.

Gehrels, N.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Plasmas in Saturn's magnetosphere

Passage of Pioneer 11 through Saturn's magnetosphere revealed a third magnetosphere with a high plasma abundance. The dominant ion species appears to be oxygen. The plasma is located in a large torus about Saturn, including the orbits of Dione and Tethys. The plasma are rigidly corotating with the planet to distances of at least 10 Saturn radii. Bulk flows appear to move in the corotation direction, but at speeds lower than those expected from rigid corotation. The ions appear to be the ionization products of water frost on the surface of the ring material.

Frank, L. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Corotation of Saturn's magnetosphere - Evidence from energetic proton anisotropies

The theory and technique of Northrop and Thomsen (1980) are applied to the observations of energy spectra and directional anisotropies of 0.61- to 3.41 MeV protons in Saturn's magnetosphere. The observations were made by the Goddard Space Flight Center/University of New Hampshire and University of Iowa instruments aboard Pioneer 11 during the Pioneer encounter with Saturn in August-September 1979. Fourier fits to 15-min intervals of data are combined with spectral indices to yield information about the E x B convection velocity and temporal changes in the particle population. There is a fundamental inability to distinguish unambiguously between the two, but if one can be assumed, the other then follows from these calculations. It is found that although these data do not by themselves allow an unambiguous determination of the extent of corotation in Saturn's outer magnetosphere, they are consistent with exact corotation at the nominal rotation period in the presence of significant but not unreasonable temporal variations in the energetic proton population.

Thomsen, M. F.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Superthermal electrons and Bernstein waves in Jupiter's inner magnetosphere

A theoretical model for generation of banded electrostatic emissions by low density, superthermal electrons is developed for application to Jupiter's magnetosphere. The model employs a power law form for the energy dependence and a loss cone pitch angle distribution of the superthermals to drive convective instability of Bernstein modes. A direct correspondence between spectral features of the 3/2 band and resonant superthermal electrons is found. The concept of a critical flux of resonant electrons able to provide 10 e-foldings of electric field amplification yields an explicit relation in terms of the background thermal electron pressure. This result is used to construct a theoretical/empirical model of thermal electron density and temperature from 6-20 Jupiter radii in the Jovian magnetosphere which suggests that the electron temperature is less than the ion temperature which is approximately equal to 10 times the electron temperature in this region. Finally, wave ray paths are computed for propagation in the magnetic equator and in the magnetic meridional plane of a dipole magnetic field. These ray paths suggest that intense wave activity is tightly confined to a small latitudinal extent, less than + or - approximately 4 deg, about the magnetic equator.

Barbosa, D. D.↗