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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 775 records · Page 43
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Fractal approach to the description of the auroral region

The plasma of the auroral region, where energetic particles precipitate from the magnetosphere into the ionosphere, is highly inhomogeneous and nonstationary. In this case, traditional methods of classical plasma physics turn out to be inapplicable. In order to correctly describe the dynamic regimes, transition processes, fluctuations, and self-similar scalings in this region, nonlinear dynamics methods based of the concepts of fractal geometry and percolation theory can be used. In this work, the fractal geometry and percolation theory are used to describe the spatial structure of the ionospheric conductivity. The topological properties, fractal dimensions, and connective indices characterizing the structure of the Pedersen and Hall conductivities on the nightside auroral zone are investigated theoretically. The restrictions imposed on the fractal estimates by the condition of ionospheric current percolation are analyzed. It is shown that the fluctuation scalings of the electric fields and auroral glow observed in the auroral zone fit well the restrictions imposed by the critical condition on the percolation of the Pedersen current. Thus, it is demonstrated that the fractal approach is a promising and convenient method for studying the properties of the ionosphere.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Laser-driven, ion-scale magnetospheres in laboratory plasmas. II. Particle-in-cell simulations

Ion-scale magnetospheres have been observed around comets, weakly magnetized asteroids, and localized regions on the Moon and provide a unique environment to study kinetic-scale plasma physics, in particular in the collision-less regime. In this work, we present the results of particle-in-cell simulations that replicate recent experiments on the large plasma device at the University of California, Los Angeles. Using high-repetition rate lasers, ion-scale magnetospheres were created to drive a plasma flow into a dipolar magnetic field embedded in a uniform background magnetic field. The simulations are employed to evolve idealized 2D configurations of the experiments, study highly resolved, volumetric datasets, and determine the magnetospheric structure, magnetopause location, and kinetic-scale structures of the plasma current distribution. We show the formation of a magnetic cavity and a magnetic compression in the magnetospheric region, and two main current structures in the dayside of the magnetic obstacle: the diamagnetic current, supported by the driver plasma flow, and the current associated with the magnetopause, supported by both the background and driver plasmas with some time-dependence. From multiple parameter scans, we show a reflection of the magnetic compression, bounded by the length of the driver plasma, and a higher separation of the main current structures for lower dipolar magnetic moments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Simulation Models for Exploring Magnetic Reconnection

Simulations have played a critical role in the advancement of our knowledge of magnetic reconnection. However, due to the inherently multiscale nature of reconnection, it is impossible to simulate all physics at all scales. For this reason, a wide range of simulation methods have been crafted to study particular aspects and consequences of magnetic reconnection. This article reviews many of these methods, laying out critical assumptions, numerical techniques, and giving examples of scientific results. Plasma models described include magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), Hall MHD, Hybrid, kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC), kinetic Vlasov, Fluid models with embedded PIC, Fluid models with direct feedback from energetic populations, and the Rice Convection Model (RCM).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1991

The physics of the Harang discontinuity

It is found that the Harang discontinuity results from a dawn/dusk asymmetry in total energetic plasma content across the nightside of the magnetosphere. This effect, referred to as the dawnside depletion effect, is discussed in detail. The basic physical assumptions usually regarded as appropriate for the description of the closed field line plasma sheet are outlined and a quantitative, bounce-averaged description of the particle drifts is presented. A simplified, illustrative model is given of the magnetospheric geometry and convection electric field in order to demonstrate the dawnside depletion effect and examine its ionospheric and magnetospheric implications. For a quantitative examination of the implications of the dawnside depletion effect and the resulting ionospheric electric field structure, the Rice convection model Z(RCM) is used. A brief description is provided of the RCM, the specific run setups, and the RCM results. A general discussion of the basic physical connection between cross-tail gradients in plasma contents and the Harang discontinuity is presented.

Erickson, G. M.↗
DOE OSTI2016

3D PIC SIMULATIONS OF COLLISIONLESS SHOCKS AT LUNAR MAGNETIC ANOMALIES AND THEIR ROLE IN FORMING LUNAR SWIRLS

Investigation of the lunar crustal magnetic anomalies offers a comprehensive long-term data set of observations of small-scale magnetic fields and their interaction with the solar wind. In this paper a review of the observations of lunar mini-magnetospheres is compared quantifiably with theoretical kinetic-scale plasma physics and 3D particle-in-cell simulations. The aim of this paper is to provide a complete picture of all the aspects of the phenomena and to show how the observations from all the different and international missions interrelate. The analysis shows that the simulations are consistent with the formation of miniature (smaller than the ion Larmor orbit) collisionless shocks and miniature magnetospheric cavities, which has not been demonstrated previously. The simulations reproduce the finesse and form of the differential proton patterns that are believed to be responsible for the creation of both the “lunar swirls” and “dark lanes.” Using a mature plasma physics code like OSIRIS allows us, for the first time, to make a side-by-side comparison between model and space observations. This is shown for all of the key plasma parameters observed to date by spacecraft, including the spectral imaging data of the lunar swirls. The analysis of miniature magnetic structures offers insight into multi-scale mechanisms and kinetic-scale aspects of planetary magnetospheres.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1976

Jupiter's magnetic field and magnetosphere

The Jovian magnetosphere is described on the basis of observations made by vector helium magnetometers aboard Pioneers 10 and 11. The results obtained from the two encounters are combined without emphasizing details peculiar to either of them. It is shown that near the planet, Jupiter's field is that of an eccentric tilted dipole with some admixture of higher-order terms; in this respect, it is similar to the earth's field, although it is 10 times as strong and has the opposite polarity. The magnetic field measurements reveal the existence of 3 distinct regions within the magnetosphere: outer magnetosphere, inner magnetosphere, and middle magnetosphere. The properties of these three regions are discussed, with observations being explained in terms of plausible physical causes. The observations are compared with several large-scale models of the entire magnetosphere. These observations do not favor models based on the continual outflow or convection of plasma from the Jovian magnetosphere in the vicinity of the equator.

Smith, E. J.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Bursty magnetic reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause triggered by high-speed jets

The impact of high-speed jets—dynamic pressure enhancements in the magnetosheath—on the Earth's magnetopause has been observed to trigger local magnetic reconnection. We perform a three-dimensional hybrid simulation to study the magnetosheath and magnetopause under turbulent conditions using a quasi-radial southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). In contrast to quasi-steady reconnection with a strong southward IMF, we show that after the impact of a jet on the magnetopause, the magnetopause moves inward, the current sheet is compressed and intensified and signatures of local magnetic reconnection are observed, showing similarities to spacecraft measurements.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Effects of the evolving early Moon and Earth magnetospheres

Recently it has been identified that our Moon had an extensive magnetosphere for several hundred million years soon after it was formed when the Moon was within 20 Earth Radii (R E ) from the Earth. Some aspects of the interaction between the early Earth-Moon magnetospheres are investigated by mapping the interconnected field lines between the Earth and the Moon and investigating how the early lunar magnetosphere affects the magnetospheric dynamics within the coupled magnetospheres over time. So long as the magnetosphere of the Moon remains strong as it moves away from the Earth in the antialigned dipole configuration, the extent of the Earth’s open field lines decreases. As a result, at times it significantly changes the structure of the field-aligned current system, pushing the polar cusp significantly northward, and forcing magnetotail reconnection sites into the deeper tail region. In addition, the combined magnetospheres of the Earth and the Moon greatly extend the number of closed field lines enabling a much larger plasmasphere to exist and connecting the lunar polar cap with closed field lines to the Earth. That configuration supports the transfer of plasma between the Earth and the Moon potentially creating a time capsule of the evolution of volatiles with depth. This paper only touches on the evolution of the early Earth and Moon magnetospheres, which has been a largely neglected space physics problem and has great potential for complex follow-on studies using more advanced tools and due to the expected new lunar data coming in the next decade through the Artemis Program.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
NASA NTRS1977

Interplanetary medium data book

Unresolved questions on the physics of solar wind and its effects on magnetospheric processes and cosmic ray propagation were addressed with hourly averaged interplanetary plasma and magnetic field data. This composite data set is described with its content and extent, sources, limits of validity, and the mutual consistency studies and normalizations to which the input data were subjected. Hourly averaged parameters were presented in the form of digital listings and 27-day plots. The listings are contained in a separately bound appendix.

King, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Continuing harvest: The broadening field of space science

The contributions of space techniques to various fields of science including geodesy, atmospheric and ionospheric studies, meteorology, the magnetosphere, planetology, X-ray astronomy, and solar physics, are described.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1981

The International Solar Polar Mission - United States and Europe plan for a new look at the sun

A three-dimensional polar orbit exploration of the sun and solar-related phenomena in the heliosphere through the International Solar Polar Mission (ISPM) is discussed. The characteristics of the out-of-the-ecliptic mission are mentioned and a detailed list of the scientific objectives is given: properties of the solar corona, the solar wind, the structure of the sun-wind interface, the heliospheric magnetic field, solar and non-solar cosmic rays, solar radio bursts and plasma waves, and the interstellar/interplanetary neutral gas and dust. Measurements of the Jovian magnetosphere during the Jupiter flyby phase and interplanetary physics investigations during the initial earth-Jupiter phase are pointed out as secondary objectives. The Nasa spacecraft with a sun-pointing despun platform on which the White Light Coronagraph/X-Ray and Extreme Ultraviolet Telescope (CXX), and the Mass Separating Ion Instrument are mounted, is detailed. The operational configuration of EASA, a spin stabilized spacecraft, is given and characteristics of special features such as the large paraboloidal high gain antenna, the radio-isotope thermoelectric generator, the radial boom and the central equipment compartment are described and shown in a diagram. The mission design and launch parameters block diagrams are given.

Purdy, W. I., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Topology of Saturn's main magnetic field

The reported analysis of Saturn's main magnetic field takes into account the data obtained by Voyager 1 during its close flyby of Saturn in November 1980. A magnetic field model for the analysis of Saturn's main field in which the distributed ring currents are explicitly modelled is constructed. The considered internal field parameters constitute a first approximation to Saturn's main field. Several model current systems that might be expected on physical grounds to be active in Saturn's magnetosphere are considered. It is pointed out that certain aspects of Saturn's main magnetic field relevant to the planet's interior have been discussed by Stevenson (1980). In particular, the unexpectedly small dipole moment seems to be consistent with the gravitational settling of helium, which leads to a much smaller electrically conducting and convecting region than would be expected of a homogeneous distribution of hydrogen and helium.

Acuna, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The sun and the sun-earth connection

A discussion is presented of the elements comprising the field of solar-system space physics: the sun; the interplanetary medium; and the magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper atmosphere of the earth and, to a leser extent, the planets. The principal entities in the interaction chain beginning at the center of the sun and extending through the interplanetary medium to earth's magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper atmosphere are described with particular emphasis on solar variability and its manifestation in dynamical changes of the earth's environment. Solar variations range in time scales from less than 1 sec to over a century and can affect specific regions at earth within 8 min (solar X-ray bursts) and up to several decades (climatic variations).

Krimigis, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Opportunities for Space Station wave experiments

The solar terrestrial observatory (STO) concept is discussed as well as Space Station accommodations for STO. Instruments for the initial STO which can be used to excite and detect waves include the electrodynamic tether, waves in space plasmas, space experiments with particle accelerators, vehicle charge and potential experiments, recoverable plasma diagnostics package, magnetospheric multiprobes, and theoretical and experimental beam plasma physics. An example is given of a typical campaign mode of operation which is appropriate for active experiments.

Shawhan, Stanley D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Linear and non-linear studies of Alfven waves in space. Stationary and dynamic processes in magnetospheric plasmas

The Final Technical Report on linear and non-linear studies of Alfven waves in space is presented. Areas of research included relaxation of magnetotail plasmas with field-aligned currents; the equilibrium dayside magnetosphere; macroscale particle simulation of kinetic Alfven wave physics; ballooning stability of plasmas with sheared equilibrium flows; theory of the drift-mirror instability; collisionless tearing instability in magnetotail plasmas; and nonadiabatic behavior of the magnetic moment of a charged particle in a dipole magnetic field and the development of stochastic webs.

Bhattacharjee, A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center's Contributions to Space Plasma Physics

Since the mid-l970's, the Space Plasma Physics Group at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has contributed critical instrumentation to numerous satellite and sounding rocket missions exploring the plasmas of near-Earth space. This talk will review major discoveries in Earth's ionosphere, plasmasphere, and magnetosphere directly attributable to the researchers of the Space Plasma Physics Group and the significance of these discoveries to the field of plasma physics.

Adrian, M. L.↗