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Results for “MAGNETIC FLUX”

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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Structure of a magnetic flux annihilation layer formed by the collision of supersonic, magnetized plasma flows

We present experiments characterizing the detailed structure of a current layer, generated by the collision of two counter-streaming, supersonic and magnetized aluminum plasma flows. The anti parallel magnetic fields advected by the flows are found to be mutually annihilated inside the layer, giving rise to a bifurcated current structure—two narrow current sheets running along the outside surfaces of the layer. Measurements with Thomson scattering show a fast outflow of plasma along the layer and a high ion temperature (T i ~¯ZT e , with average ionization ¯Z=7). Lastly, analysis of the spatially resolved plasma parameters indicates that the advection and subsequent annihilation of the in-flowing magnetic flux determines the structure of the layer, while the ion heating could be due to the development of kinetic, current-driven instabilities.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1989

Siphon flows in isolated magnetic flux tubes. II - Adiabatic flows

This paper extends the study of steady siphon flows in isolated magnetic flux tubes surrounded by field-free gas to the case of adiabatic flows. The basic equations governing steady adiabatic siphon flows in a thin, isolated magnetic flux tube are summarized, and qualitative features of adiabatic flows in elevated, arched flux tubes are discussed. The equations are then cast in nondimensional form and the results of numerical computations of adiabatic siphon flows in arched flux tubes are presented along with comparisons between isothermal and adiabatic flows. The effects of making the interior of the flux tube hotter or colder than the surrounding atmosphere at the upstream footpoint of the arch is considered. In this case, is it found that the adiabatic flows are qualitatively similar to the isothermal flows, with adiabatic cooling producing quantitative differences. Critical flows can produce a bulge point in the rising part of the arch and a concentration of magnetic flux above the bulge point.

Montesinos, Benjamin↗
DOE OSTI2016

A PROPOSED PARADIGM FOR SOLAR CYCLE DYNAMICS MEDIATED VIA TURBULENT PUMPING OF MAGNETIC FLUX IN BABCOCK–LEIGHTON-TYPE SOLAR DYNAMOS

At present, the Babcock–Leighton flux transport solar dynamo models appear to be the most promising models for explaining diverse observational aspects of the sunspot cycle. The success of these flux transport dynamo models is largely dependent upon a single-cell meridional circulation with a deep equatorward component at the base of the Sun’s convection zone. However, recent observations suggest that the meridional flow may in fact be very shallow (confined to the top 10% of the Sun) and more complex than previously thought. Taken together, these observations raise serious concerns on the validity of the flux transport paradigm. By accounting for the turbulent pumping of magnetic flux, as evidenced in magnetohydrodynamic simulations of solar convection, we demonstrate that flux transport dynamo models can generate solar-like magnetic cycles even if the meridional flow is shallow. Solar-like periodic reversals are recovered even when meridional circulation is altogether absent. However, in this case, the solar surface magnetic field dynamics does not extend all the way to the polar regions. Very importantly, our results demonstrate that the Parker–Yoshimura sign rule for dynamo wave propagation can be circumvented in Babcock–Leighton dynamo models by the latitudinal component of turbulent pumping, which can generate equatorward propagating sunspot belts in the absence of a deep, equatorward meridional flow. We also show that variations in turbulent pumping coefficients can modulate the solar cycle amplitude and periodicity. Our results suggest the viability of an alternate magnetic flux transport paradigm—mediated via turbulent pumping—for sustaining solar-stellar dynamo action.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1989

The distribution of solar magnetic fluxes and the nonlinearity of stellar flux-flux relations

Synoptic maps for the 1975-1984 period are used to determine the time-dependent distribution function of magnetic flux densities in the solar atmosphere. The distribution function depends only on the global level of magnetic activity, and it is used to study how relations between magnetic flux densities and radiative flux densities from different temperature regimes in the outer atmosphere (derived from spatially resolved solar observations) transform into relations between surface-averaged flux densities. It is found that the transformation to surface-averaged fluxes preserves the power-law character of relations between radiative and magnetic flux densities for spatially resolved data.

Schrijver, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Force sensor using changes in magnetic flux

A force sensor includes a magnetostrictive material and a magnetic field generator positioned in proximity thereto. A magnetic field is induced in and surrounding the magnetostrictive material such that lines of magnetic flux pass through the magnetostrictive material. A sensor positioned in the vicinity of the magnetostrictive material measures changes in one of flux angle and flux density when the magnetostrictive material experiences an applied force that is aligned with the lines of magnetic flux.

Pickens, Herman L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The equilibrium structure of thin magnetic flux tubes. I

A model atmosphere within a thin magnetic flux tube that is embedded in an arbitrarily stratified medium is presently constructed by solving the radiative transfer equation in the two-stream approximation for gray opacity, under the assumption that the magnetic field is sufficiently strong to warrant the neglect of both thermal conduction and convective diffusion; energy inside the flux tube therefore being transported solely by radiation. The structure of the internal atmosphere is determined on the basis of the hydrostatic and radiative equilibrium conditions of the tube embedded in an external atmosphere. The gas temperature along the axis of the tube is computed, and the geometry of the flux tube is determined on the basis of magnetic flux conservation and total pressure equilibrium.

Ferrari, A.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Kinetic models of magnetic flux ropes observed in the Earth magnetosphere

Magnetic flux ropes (MFR) are universal magnetoplasma structures (similar to cylindrical screw pinches) formed in reconnecting current sheets. In particular, MFR with scales from about the ion inertial length to MHD range are widely observed in the Earth magnetosphere. Typical MFR have force-free configuration with the axial magnetic field peaking on the MFR axis, whereas bifurcated MFR with an off-axis peak of the axial magnetic field are observed as well. In the present paper, we develop kinetic models of force-free and bifurcated MFR and determine consistent ion and electron distribution functions. The magnetic field configuration of the force-free MFR represents well-known Gold-Hoyle MFR (uniformly twisted MFR). We show that bifurcated MFR are characterized by the presence of cold and hot current-carrying electrons. The developed models are capable to describe MFR observed in the Earth magnetotail as well as MFR recently observed by Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission at the Earth magnetopause.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1990

Magnetic flux ropes in 3-dimensional MHD simulations

The interaction of the solar wind and the earth's magnetosphere is presently simulated by a 3D, time-dependent, global MHD method in order to model the magnetopause and magnetotail generation of magnetic flux ropes. It is noted that strongly twisted and localized magnetic flux tubes simular to magnetic flux ropes appear at the subpolar magnetopause when the IMF has a large azimuthal component, as well as a southward component. Plasmoids are generated in the magnetotail after the formation of a near-earth magnetic neutral line; the magnetic field lines have a helical structure that is connected from dawn to dusk.

Ogino, Tatsuki↗
DOE OSTI2016

Enhanced magnetic flux density mapping using coherent steady state equilibrium signal in MREIT

Measuring the z-component of magnetic flux density B = (B{sub x}, B{sub y}, B{sub z}) induced by transversally injected current, magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) aims to visualize electrical property (current density and/or conductivity distribution) in a three-dimensional imaging object. For practical implementations of MREIT technique, it is critical to reduce injection of current pulse within safety requirements. With the goal of minimizing the noise level in measured B{sub z} data, we propose a new method to enhance the measure B{sub z} data using steady-state coherent gradient multi-echo (SSC-GME) MR pulse sequence combining with injection current nonlinear encoding (ICNE) method in MREIT, where the ICNE technique injects current during a readout gradient to maximize the signal intensity of phase signal including B{sub z}. The total phase offset in SSC-GME includes additional magnetic flux density due to the injected current, which is different from the phase signal for the conventional spoiled MR pulse sequence. We decompose the magnetization precession phase from the total phase offset including B{sub z} and optimize B{sub z} data using the steady-state equilibrium signal. Results from a real phantom experiment including different kinds of anomalies demonstrated that the proposed method enhanced B{sub z} comparing to a conventional spoiled pulse sequence.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS1985

The cancellation of magnetic flux. II - In a decaying active region

H-alpha filtergrams and videomagnetograms are used to study an active region during its period of decay on August 3-8, 1984; the decay had been initiated by a fragmentation process in which very small knots of magnetic flux separated from larger concentration of flux. The disappearance of magnetic flux was always observed when the small fragments of flux encountered other small fragments or concentrations of flux of opposite polarity. Such 'cancellations' are shared by both polarities of magnetic field, and it is deduced that the disappearance of flux occurred either at or within 5 arcsec of the apparent dividing line between the opposite polarities. All of the 22 flares observed during the decay of this region were initiated around sites where magnetic flux was cancelling or was deduced to be cancelling during the flares. It is hypothesized that cancellation was one of the necessary conditions for flaring in this active region.

Martin, S. F.↗
DOE OSTI2016

MAGNETIC FLUX SUPPLEMENT TO CORONAL BRIGHT POINTS

Coronal bright points (BPs) are associated with magnetic bipolar features (MBFs) and magnetic cancellation. Here we investigate how BP-associated MBFs form and how the consequent magnetic cancellation occurs. We analyze longitudinal magnetograms from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager to investigate the photospheric magnetic flux evolution of 70 BPs. From images taken in the 193 Å passband of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) we dermine that the BPs’ lifetimes vary from 2.7 to 58.8 hr. The formation of the BP MBFs is found to involve three processes, namely, emergence, convergence, and local coalescence of the magnetic fluxes. The formation of an MBF can involve more than one of these processes. Out of the 70 cases, flux emergence is the main process of an MBF buildup of 52 BPs, mainly convergence is seen in 28, and 14 cases are associated with local coalescence. For MBFs formed by bipolar emergence, the time difference between the flux emergence and the BP appearance in the AIA 193 Å passband varies from 0.1 to 3.2 hr with an average of 1.3 hr. While magnetic cancellation is found in all 70 BPs, it can occur in three different ways: (I) between an MBF and small weak magnetic features (in 33 BPs); (II) within an MBF with the two polarities moving toward each other from a large distance (34 BPs); (III) within an MBF whose two main polarities emerge in the same place simultaneously (3 BPs). While an MBF builds up the skeleton of a BP, we find that the magnetic activities responsible for the BP heating may involve small weak fields.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1989

Slow twists of solar magnetic flux tubes and the polar magnetic field of the sun

The solar wind model of Weber and Davis (1967) is generalized to compute the heliospheric magnetic field resulting from solar rotation or a steady axisymmetric twist including a geometrical expansion which is more rapid than spherical. The calculated increase in the ratio of the toroidal to poloidal field components with heliocentric radial distance r clarifies an expression derived recently by Jokipii and Kota (1989). Magnetic-field components transverse to r do not in general grow to dominate the radial component at large r. The analysis also yields expressions for the Poynting flux associated with the steady twists.

Hollweg, Joseph V.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Magnetic Flux Compression Concept for Aerospace Propulsion and Power

The objective of this research is to investigate system level performance and design issues associated with magnetic flux compression devices for aerospace power generation and propulsion. The proposed concept incorporates the principles of magnetic flux compression for direct conversion of nuclear/chemical detonation energy into electrical power. Specifically a magnetic field is compressed between an expanding detonation driven diamagnetic plasma and a stator structure formed from a high temperature superconductor (HTSC). The expanding plasma cloud is entirely confined by the compressed magnetic field at the expense of internal kinetic energy. Electrical power is inductively extracted, and the detonation products are collimated and expelled through a magnetic nozzle. The long-term development of this highly integrated generator/propulsion system opens up revolutionary NASA Mission scenarios for future interplanetary and interstellar spacecraft. The unique features of this concept with respect to future space travel opportunities are as follows: ability to implement high energy density chemical detonations or ICF microfusion bursts as the impulsive diamagnetic plasma source; high power density system characteristics constrain the size, weight, and cost of the vehicle architecture; provides inductive storage pulse power with a very short pulse rise time; multimegajoule energy bursts/terawatt power bursts; compact pulse power driver for low-impedance dense plasma devices; utilization of low cost HTSC material and casting technology to increase magnetic flux conservation and inductive energy storage; improvement in chemical/nuclear-to-electric energy conversion efficiency and the ability to generate significant levels of thrust with very high specific impulse; potential for developing a small, lightweight, low cost, self-excited integrated propulsion and power system suitable for space stations, planetary bases, and interplanetary and interstellar space travel; potential for attaining specific impulses approaching 10 (exp 6) seconds, which would enable missions to the outer planets within ten years and missions at interstellar distances within fifty years.

Litchford, Ron J.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Magnetic Flux Plays an Important Role during a Black Hole X-Ray Binary Outburst in Radiative Two-temperature General Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations

Abstract Black hole (Bh) X-ray binaries cycle through different spectral states of accretion over the course of months to years. Although persistent changes in the Bh mass accretion rate are generally recognized as the most important component of state transitions, it is becoming increasingly evident that magnetic fields play a similarly important role. In this article, we present the first radiative two-temperature general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations in which an accretion disk transitions from a quiescent state at an accretion rate of M ̇ ∼ 10 − 10 M ̇ Edd to a hard-intermediate state at an accretion rate of M ̇ ∼ 10 − 2 M ̇ Edd . This huge parameter space in mass accretion rate is bridged by artificially rescaling the gas density scale of the simulations. We present two jetted BH models with varying degrees of magnetic flux saturation. We demonstrate that in “standard and normal evolution” models, which are unsaturated with magnetic flux, the hot torus collapses into a thin and cold accretion disk when M ̇ ≳ 5 × 10 − 3 M ̇ Edd . On the other hand, in “magnetically arrested disk” models, which are fully saturated with vertical magnetic flux, the plasma remains mostly hot with substructures that condense into cold clumps of gas when M ̇ ≳ 1 × 10 − 2 M ̇ Edd . This suggests that the spectral signatures observed during state transitions are closely tied to the level of magnetic flux saturation.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
NASA NTRS1986

ISEE-1 and 2 observations of magnetic flux ropes in the magnetotail - FTE's in the plasma sheet?

Magnetic field observations on ISEE-1 and 2 in and near the neutral sheet about 20 Re down the near-earth magnetotail reveal the occurrence of structures resembling magnetic flux ropes. Both electric field and fast plasma data show that these structures convect across the spacecraft at speeds of 200 - 600 km/s, and that they have scale sizes of roughly 3 5 Re. The rope axis orientation is across the tail, approximately in the -Y GSM direction. Their magnetic structure is strikingly similar to magnetic flux ropes observed in the Venus ionosphere, and to flux transfer events observed at the dayside magnetopause. The total field-aligned current within these ropes may approach a million amps. These structures may arise because of patchy reconnection within the plasma sheet, or may be tearing islands formed when the plasma sheet magnetic field has a cross-tail component. Plasma sheet flux ropes are not a common feature at ISEE orbital altitudes; this suggests that near-earth neutral line formation within ISEE apogee (22 Re) may be equally rare.

Elphic, R. C.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Black Hole Flares: Ejection of Accreted Magnetic Flux through 3D Plasmoid-mediated Reconnection

Magnetic reconnection can power bright, rapid flares originating from the inner magnetosphere of accreting black holes. We conduct extremely high-resolution (5376 × 2304 × 2304 cells) general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations, capturing plasmoid-mediated reconnection in a 3D magnetically arrested disk for the first time. We show that an equatorial, plasmoid-unstable current sheet forms in a transient, nonaxisymmetric, low-density magnetosphere within the inner few Schwarzschild radii. Magnetic flux bundles escape from the event horizon through reconnection at the universal plasmoid-mediated rate in this current sheet. The reconnection feeds on the highly magnetized plasma in the jets and heats the plasma that ends up trapped in flux bundles to temperatures proportional to the jet's magnetization. The escaped flux bundles can complete a full orbit as low-density hot spots, consistent with Sgr A* observations by the GRAVITY interferometer. Reconnection near the horizon produces sufficiently energetic plasma to explain flares from accreting black holes, such as the TeV emission observed from M87. The drop in the mass accretion rate during the flare and the resulting low-density magnetosphere make it easier for very-high-energy photons produced by reconnection-accelerated particles to escape. The extreme-resolution results in a converged plasmoid-mediated reconnection rate that directly determines the timescales and properties of the flare.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2008

Estimating Total Heliospheric Magnetic Flux from Single-Point in Situ Measurements

A fraction of the total photospheric magnetic flux opens to the heliosphere to form the interplanetary magnetic field carried by the solar wind. While this open flux is critical to our understanding of the generation and evolution of the solar magnetic field, direct measurements are generally limited to single-point measurements taken in situ by heliospheric spacecraft. An observed latitude invariance in the radial component of the magnetic field suggests that extrapolation from such single-point measurements to total heliospheric magnetic flux is possible. In this study we test this assumption using estimates of total heliospheric flux from well-separated heliospheric spacecraft and conclude that single-point measurements are indeed adequate proxies for the total heliospheric magnetic flux, though care must be taken when comparing flux estimates from data collected at different heliocentric distances.

Owens, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Possible explanations of north-south plasma flow in the outer heliosphere and meridional transport of magnetic flux

Observed meridional plasma flow and its connection with other plasma parameters in the outer heliosphere are discussed. The dynamics of the flow are examined locally and compared with observed plasma parameters and a global flow model which predicts such flows in a steady solar wind. The observational evidence supports stream dynamics and associated pressure gradients as responsible for driving the flow. Such a meridional flow may result in a net transport of magnetic flux from regions near the heliographic equator. The amplitude of the observed meridional component of solar wind flow is consistent with observed magnetic flux deficits in the outer heliosphere. The limited coverage of heliographic latitude by Voyager 2 precludes a direct measurement of the full flow pattern; however, the magnitude of reported magnetic flux deficits and the unambiguous, regular variations in the meridional flow suggest that the stream interactions do produce a net movement of magnetic flux away from the heliographic equator.

Mcnutt, R. L., Jr.↗