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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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2014

First Use of Synoptic Vector Magnetograms for Global Nonlinear, Force-Free Coronal Magnetic Field Models

Context. The magnetic field permeating the solar atmosphere is generally thought to provide the energy for much of the activity seen in the solar corona, such as flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), etc. To overcome the unavailability of coronal magnetic field measurements, photospheric magnetic field vector data can be used to reconstruct the coronal field. Currently, there are several modelling techniques being used to calculate three-dimensional field lines into the solar atmosphere. Aims. For the first time, synoptic maps of a photospheric-vector magnetic field synthesized from the vector spectromagnetograph (VSM) on Synoptic Optical Long-term Investigations of the Sun (SOLIS) are used to model the coronal magnetic field and estimate free magnetic energy in the global scale. The free energy (i.e., the energy in excess of the potential field energy) is one of the main indicators used in space weather forecasts to predict the eruptivity of active regions. Methods. We solve the nonlinear force-free field equations using an optimization principle in spherical geometry. The resulting threedimensional magnetic fields are used to estimate the magnetic free energy content E(sub free) = E(sub nlfff) − E(sub pot), which is the difference of the magnetic energies between the nonpotential field and the potential field in the global solar corona. For comparison, we overlay the extrapolated magnetic field lines with the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations by the atmospheric imaging assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Results. For a single Carrington rotation 2121, we find that the global nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) magnetic energy density is 10.3% higher than the potential one. Most of this free energy is located in active regions.

Sun: corona↗
NASA NTRS1987

Development of optical modulators for measurements of solar magnetic fields

The measurement of polarized light allows solar astronomers to infer the magnetic field on the Sun. The accuracy of these measurements is dependent on the stable retardation characteristics of the polarization modulators used to minimize the atmospheric effects seen in ground-based observations. This report describes the work by the Space Science Laboratory at Marshall Space Flight Center to improve two types of polarization modulators. As a result, the timing characteristics for both electrooptic crystals (KD*Ps) and liquid crystal devices (LCDs) have been studied and will be used to enhance the capabilities of the MSFC Vector Magnetograph.

West, E. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Changes in measured vector magnetic fields when transformed into heliographic coordinates

The changes that occur in measured magnetic fields when they are transformed into a heliographic coordinate system are investigated. To carry out this investigation, measurements of the vector magnetic field of an active region that was observed at 1/3 the solar radius from disk center are taken, and the observed field is transformed into heliographic coordinates. Differences in the calculated potential field that occur when the heliographic normal component of the field is used as the boundary condition rather than the observed line-of-sight component are also examined. The results of this analysis show: (1) that the observed fields of sunspots more closely resemble the generally accepted picture of the distribution of umbral fields if they are displayed in heliographic coordinates; (2) that the differences in the potential calculations are less than 200 G in field strength and 20 deg in field azimuth outside sunspots; and (3) that differences in the two potential calculations in the sunspot areas are no more than 400 G in field strength but range from 60 to 80 deg in field azimuth in localized umbral areas.

Hagyard, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

DC-magnetic field vector measurement

A magnetometer experiment was designed to determine the local magnetic field by measuring the total of the Earth's magnetic field and that of an unknown spacecraft. The measured field vector components are available to all onboard experiments via the Spacelab command and data management system. The experiment consists of two parts, an electronic box and the magnetic field sensor. The sensor includes three independent measuring flux-gate magnetometers, each measuring one component. The physical background is the nonlinearity of the B-H curve of a ferrite material. Two coils wound around a ferrite rod are necessary. One of them, a tank coil, pumps the ferrite rod at approximately 20 kilohertz. As a consequence of the nonlinearity, many harmonics can be produced. The second coil (i.e., the detection coil) resonates to the first harmonic. If an unknown dc or low-frequency magnetic field exists, the amplitude of the first harmonic is a measure for the unknown magnetic field. The voltages detected by the sensors are to be digitized and transferred to the command and data management system.

Schmidt, R.↗
NASA NTRS2014

The Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP)

To Understand energy release process in the Sun including solar flares, it is essentially important to measure the magnetic field of the atmosphere of the Sun. Magnetic field measurement of the upper layers (upper chromosphere and above) was technically difficult and not well investigated yet. Upper chromosphere and transition region magnetic field measurement by Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha SpectroPolarimeter (CLASP) sounding rocket to be launched in 2015. The proposal is already selected and developments of the flight components are going.

Ishikawa, Shin-nosuke↗
NASA NTRS1990

Measurement of solar magnetic fields from radio observations

Measurements of magnetic fields in the sun's atmosphere using radio observations are discussed. Radio measurements of magnetic fields in the chromosphere and the corona are indirect. In the chromosphere, these are based upon the measurement of polarization of active regions at millimeter wavelengths. In the transition region and the corona, the properties of gyroresonance radiation of active regions at centimeter wavelengths are used. Total intensity and polarization maps and modeling are used to determine which harmonic (second or third) is predominant in the active region emission. A direct method of measuring coronal magnetic fields using cyclotron line emission is discussed, and the relevant data as presently available are presented.

Kundu, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Fully-polarimetric millimeter-wave spectrometers for measurement of Earth's magnetic field

Earth’s ionosphere responds dynamically over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales to changes in the magnetosphere and solar wind from above, and to neutral atmospheric dynamics from below. Determining the dynamics and coupling of Earth's magnetosphere, ionosphere, and atmosphere by vector magnetic field measurements at all altitudes is essential, as the field plays a major role in controlling the distribution of ionospheric plasma. It is difficult to measure the magnetic B-field, either locally or globally, at the altitudes of the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere (UMLT) where the transfer of energy and momentum between the plasma and neutral components of the system occur. The 118-GHz imaging magnetometer will measure all four Stokes parameters as a function of frequency about the Zeeman-split center of the 118-GHz molecular oxygen line. We are developing an array of fully-polarimetric millimeterwave radiometer/spectrometers operating near 118 GHz. These low cost, low power, low mass polarimetric 118 GHz millimeter-wave array receivers do not require cooling to meet the sensitivity requirements. With digital spectrometers we will be able to integrate the complete end-to-end system. This work will enable a second generation small satellite mission with an off-nadir viewing instrument comprised of 120 such receivers (arranged so that each spot on the Earth is observed simultaneously by four receivers each) that will globally map the magnetic field in the mesosphere at 42-76 km altitude at a horizontal resolution ~100 km with 1-sigma error of 40-120 nT, in typical mesospheric temperature conditions.

Mannucci, Anthony↗
NASA NTRS1999

Magnetometer Data Tests Models for the Origin of the Martian Crustal Dichotomy; Dichotomy Models Constrain Timing of Martian Magnetic Field

Measurements recently supplied by the MGS Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer (MAG/ER) on MGS can be applied to test theories of the origin of the martian crustal dichotomy. Strong (+/- 1500 nT) magnetic anomalies are observed in the Martian crust. The observations can be summarized as follows: 1) strong crustal magnetic sources are generally confined to the southern highlands, although weaker (approx. 40 nT) anomalies were observed during close periapsis; 2) strong magnetic anomalies are absent in the vicinity of Hellas and Argyre; 3) the anomalies in the region 0 deg to 90 deg S, 120 deg to 240 deg west have a linear geometry, strike generally east west for 1000s km, and show several reversals. This latter point has led to the suggestion that some form of lateral plate tectonics may have been operative in the southern highlands of Mars. These observations have led previous workers to hypothesize that the magnetic anomalies were present prior to and were destroyed by the formation of Hellas and Argyre. As such large impacts are confined to the era of heavy bombardment, this places the time of formation of large magnetic anomalies prior to approx. 3.9 Ga. One obvious extension of this is that the northern lowlands lack significant anomalies because they were erased by impacts and/or the northern lowlands represent crust completely reheated above the Curie temperature. Preliminary observations of the distributions of the large crustal magnetic anomalies show that many of them extend continuously over the highland lowland boundary. This occurs particularly north of the boundary between 30 deg W and 270 deg W, corresponding to northern Arabia, but also occurs in southern Elysium (approx. 10 deg S, 200 deg) and the SW portion of Tharsis (approx. 15 deg S, 140 deg). This suggests that, in these areas, Noachian crust containing the greater than 3.9 Ga magnetic signature, lies beneath the northern highlands. This geometry can be used to test models for the formation of the martian crustal dichotomy. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Gilmore, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The latitudinal distributions of auroral zone electric fields and ground magnetic perturbations and their response to variations in the interplanetary magnetic field

Measurements of the latitudinal distributions of electric fields obtained with the Chatanika, Alaska, incoherent radar have been employed in determining the influence of the north-south component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) on the electric field pattern. Poleward (or equatorward) shifts produced by the northward (or southward) transitions of the IMF north-south component are given particular attention. The behavior of the electric field patterns and magnetic perturbations in the midnight sector during substorms near the Harang discontinuity is analyzed.

Horwitz, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1975

The fine-scale lunar magnetic field

Measurements conducted with the aid of the Apollo 15 subsatellite reported by Coleman et al. (1972) showed that the lunar field was detectable at an altitude of 100 km. Since that time there has been much activity in mapping the lunar magnetic field from orbit. A review is presented of the mapping procedure used in producing lunar field maps and an investigation is conducted of the altitude dependence of the lunar magnetic field which significantly affects these maps. Attention is also given to the history of lunar magnetic field maps, the fine-scale maps, low-altitude Apollo 16 maps, the altitude dependence, and the source of the magnetization of the lunar crust. It is found that the strong altitude dependence evident in the records is different for the three components.

Russell, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Performance of a quasi-steady, multi megawatt, coaxial plasma thruster

The Los Alamos National Laboratory Coaxial Thruster Experiment (CTX) has been upgraded to enable the quasisteady operation of magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) type thrusters at power levels from 2 to 40 MW for 10 ms. Diagnostics include an eight position, three axis magnetic field probe to measure magnetic field fluctuations during the pulse; a triple Langmuir probe to measure ion density, electron temperature, and plasma potential; and a time-of-flight neutral particle spectrometer to measure specific impulse. Here we report on the experimental observations and associated analysis and interpretation of long-pulse, quasisteady, coaxial thruster performance in the CTX device.

Scheuer, Jay T.↗