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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 1,171 records · Page 65
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2011

Towards a bayesian seismotectonic zoning for use in Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA)

The mathematical representation of seismic sources is an important part of probabilistic seismic hazard assessment. It reflects the association of the seismicity with the tectonically-active geological structures evidenced by seismotectonic studies. Given that most active faults are not characterized well enough, seismic sources are generally defined as areal zones, delimited with finite boundary polygons, within which the geological features of active tectonics and the seismicity are deemed homogeneous (e.g., focal depth, seismicity rate, and maximum magnitude). Besides the lack of data (e.g., narrow range of recorded magnitudes), the application of this representation generates different problems: 1) a large sensitivity of resulting hazard maps on the location of zone boundaries, while these boundaries are set by expert decision; 2) the zoning can not represent any variation in faulting mechanism; 3) the seismicity rates are distributed throughout the zones and we lose the location of the determinant information used for their calculation. We propose an exploratory study for an alternative procedure in area source modeling. First, different data (e.g., geomorphology, geology, fault orientations) will be combined by using automated spatial partitioning (investigation of both supervised and unsupervised methods) in order to obtain several information classes, which may be defined as areal source zones. Then, a given hypocenter belonging to a given ''zone'', from now on called seismicity model, will be expressed by a probability computed from the 2D (spatial) probability density function (pdf) for the active tectonic model used as an a priori and updated with specific data from seismicity catalogs (e.g., focal mechanism) or other new data sources (e.g., geomorphology, subsurface exploration). This hypocenter will thus be allowed to contribute to several models, with weights given by the value of the pdf for each model. The annual rate of occurrence, for a given model, will be calculated by the weighted average of the different hypocenter contributions contained in this model. Future applications will couple the seismicity models to Ground Motion Prediction Equations. In consequence, the results will provide the full spectrum of variability in the hazard and will highlight zones badly constrained and deserving to be more studied.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Generation of random geological models using multi-randomization for machine learning

Generating high-fidelity geological models is essential for advancing machine learning (ML) methods in automated seismic interpretation. For instance, seismic images paired with corresponding fault labels are foundational for ML-based fault detection from seismic migration sections. While several open-access datasets of random geological models exist, open-source tools specifically designed to produce large volumes of such models for ML applications remain scarce. To address this gap, we present RGM (Random Geological Model), an open-source software package for efficiently generating 2D and 3D synthetic geological models tailored for ML workflows. RGM supports the creation of diverse model components, including medium property distributions (P-/S-wave velocities and density), seismic reflectivity images (i.e., synthetic migration sections), relative geological time, and discrete fault attributes such as probability, dip, strike, rake, and displacement. It also accommodates the creation of complex geological features such as salt bodies and unconformities. The model generation algorithm employs a multi-randomization strategy, yielding an effectively infinite-dimensional model space that encompasses a wide range of geological scenarios and associated seismic features. Furthermore, RGM incorporates a method to generate synthetic elastic migration images using analytical elastic reflection coefficients combined with frequency-dependent scaling. This functionality enables the creation of training datasets for ML models that leverage elastic seismic images. RGM is implemented in modern object-oriented Fortran, allowing users to flexibly control statistical parameters governing model variability. We demonstrate the capability, performance, and geological realism of the package through comprehensive 2D and 3D examples.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

OPTICAL PHOTOMETRIC AND POLARIMETRIC INVESTIGATION OF NGC 1931

We present optical photometric and polarimetric observations of stars toward NGC 1931 with the aim of deriving cluster parameters such as distance, reddening, age, and luminosity/mass function as well as understanding dust properties and star formation in the region. The distance to the cluster is found to be 2.3 {+-} 0.3 kpc and the reddening E(B - V) in the region is found to be variable. The stellar density contours reveal two clusters in the region. The observations suggest a differing reddening law within the cluster region. Polarization efficiency of the dust grains toward the direction of the cluster is found to be less than that for the general diffuse interstellar medium (ISM). The slope of the mass function (-0.98 {+-} 0.22) in the southern region in the mass range of 0.8 < M/M {sub Sun} < 9.8 is found to be shallower in comparison to that in the northern region (-1.26 {+-} 0.23), which is comparable to the Salpeter value (-1.35). The K-band luminosity function (KLF) of the region is found to be comparable to the average value of the slope ({approx}0.4) for young clusters obtained by Lada and Lada; however, the slope of the KLF is steeper in the northern region as compared to the southern region. The region is probably ionized by two B2 main-sequence-type stars. The mean age of the young stellar objects (YSOs) is found to be 2 {+-} 1 Myr, which suggests that the identified YSOs could be younger than the ionizing sources of the region. The morphology of the region, the distribution and ages of the YSOs, and ionizing sources indicate a triggered star formation in the region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC FIELDS OBSERVED BY VOYAGER 1 BEYOND THE HELIOPAUSE

Voyager 1 (V1) was beyond the heliopause between 2013.00 and 2014.41, where it was making in situ observations of the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF). The average azimuthal angle and elevation angle of the magnetic field B were (λ) = 292.°5 ± 1.°4 and (δ) = 22.°1 ± 1.°2, respectively. The angles λ and δ varied linearly at (1.°4 ± 0.°1) yr{sup –1} and (–1.°1 ± 0.°1) yr{sup –1}, respectively, suggesting that V1 was measuring the draped ISMF around the heliopause. The distributions of hourly averages of λ and δ were Gaussian distributions, with most probable values 292.°5 and 22.°1, and standard deviations (SDs) 1.°3 and 1.°1, respectively. The small SD indicates little or no turbulence transverse to B . An abrupt decrease in B from 0.50 nT on 2013/129.9 to 0.46 nT on 2013/130.6 was observed, possibly associated with a weak reverse shock or magnetoacoustic pressure wave following a burst of electron plasma oscillations. Between 2013/130.6 and 2013/365.3, (B) = 0.464 ± 0.009 nT, (λ) = 292.°6 ± 0.°8, and (δ) = 22.°1 ± 1.°1. The corresponding distribution of hourly averages of B was Gaussian with the most probable value 0.464 nT and σ = 0.009 nT. Since the uncertainty σ corresponds to the instrument and digitization noise, these observations provided an upper limit to the turbulence in the ISMF. The distributions of the hourly increments of B were Gaussian distributions with σ = 0.05 nT, 0.°4, and 0.°4, respectively, indicating that the V1 did not detect evidence of ''intermittent bursts'' of interstellar turbulence.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Physics-based, Bayesian sequential detection method and system for radioactive contraband

A distributed sequential method and system for detecting and identifying radioactive contraband from highly uncertain (noisy) low-count, radionuclide measurements, i.e. an event mode sequence (EMS), using a statistical approach based on Bayesian inference and physics-model-based signal processing based on the representation of a radionuclide as a monoenergetic decomposition of monoenergetic sources. For a given photon event of the EMS, the appropriate monoenergy processing channel is determined using a confidence interval condition-based discriminator for the energy amplitude and interarrival time and parameter estimates are used to update a measured probability density function estimate for a target radionuclide. A sequential likelihood ratio test is then used to determine one of two threshold conditions signifying that the EMS is either identified as the target radionuclide or not, and if not, then repeating the process for the next sequential photon event of the EMS until one of the two threshold conditions is satisfied.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

CPR methodology with new steady-state criterion and more accurate statistical treatment of channel bow

An overview is given of existing CPR design criteria and the methods used in BWR reload analysis to evaluate the impact of channel bow on CPR margins. Potential weaknesses in today's methodologies are discussed. Westinghouse in collaboration with KKL and Axpo - operator and owner of the Leibstadt NPP - has developed an optimized CPR methodology based on a new criterion to protect against dryout during normal operation and with a more rigorous treatment of channel bow. The new steady-state criterion is expressed in terms of an upper limit of 0.01 for the dryout failure probability per year. This is considered a meaningful and appropriate criterion that can be directly related to the probabilistic criteria set-up for the analyses of Anticipated Operation Occurrences (AOOs) and accidents. In the Monte Carlo approach a statistical modeling of channel bow and an accurate evaluation of CPR response functions allow the associated CPR penalties to be included directly in the plant SLMCPR and OLMCPR in a best-estimate manner. In this way, the treatment of channel bow is equivalent to all other uncertainties affecting CPR. Emphasis is put on quantifying the statistical distribution of channel bow throughout the core using measurement data. The optimized CPR methodology has been implemented in the Westinghouse Monte Carlo code, McSLAP. The methodology improves the quality of dryout safety assessments by supplying more valuable information and better control of conservatisms in establishing operational limits for CPR. The methodology is demonstrated with application examples from the introduction at KKL. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Preliminary results in using Deep Learning to emulate BLOB, a nuclear interaction model

Purpose: A reliable model to simulate nuclear interactions is fundamental for Ion-therapy. We already showed how BLOB (“Boltzmann-Langevin One Body”), a model developed to simulate heavy ion interactions up to few hundreds of MeV/u, could simulate also 12 C reactions in the same energy domain. However, its computation time is too long for any medical application. For this reason we present the possibility of emulating it with a Deep Learning algorithm. Methods: The BLOB final state is a Probability Density Function (PDF) of finding a nucleon in a position of the phase space. We discretised this PDF and trained a Variational Auto-Encoder (VAE) to reproduce such a discrete PDF. As a proof of concept, we developed and trained a VAE to emulate BLOB in simulating the interactions of 12 C with 12 C at 62 MeV/u. To have more control on the generation, we forced the VAE latent space to be organised with respect to the impact parameter (b) training a classifier of b jointly with the VAE. Results: In this work, the distributions obtained from the VAE are similar to the input ones and the computation time needed to use the VAE as a generator is negligible. Conclusions: We show that it is possible to use a Deep Learning approach to emulate a model developed to simulate nuclear reactions in the energy range of interest for Ion-therapy. We foresee the implementation of the generation part in C++ and to interface it with the most used Monte Carlo toolkit: Geant4.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Tumor response parameters for head and neck cancer derived from tumor-volume variation during radiation therapy

Purpose: The main goal of this paper is to reconstruct a distribution of cell survival fractions from tumor-volume variation for a heterogeneous group of head and neck cancer patients and compare this distribution to the data from predictive assays. Methods: To characterize the tumor-volume variation during radiation therapy treatment, the authors use a two-level tumor-volume model of cell population that separates the entire tumor cell population into two subpopulations of viable cells and lethally damaged cells. This parameterized radiobiological model is integrated with a least squares objective function and a simulated annealing optimization algorithm to describe time-dependent tumor-volume variation rates in individual patients. Several constraints have been used in the optimization problem because tumor-volume variation during radiotherapy is described by a sum of exponentials; therefore, the problem of accurately fitting a model to measured data is ill-posed. The model was applied to measured tumor-volume variation curves from a clinical study on tumor-volume variation during radiotherapy for 14 head and neck cancer patients in which an integrated CT/linear particle accelerator (LINAC) system was used for tumor-volume measurements. Results: The two-level cell population tumor-volume modeling is capable of describing tumor-volume variation throughout the entire treatment for 11 of the 14 patients. For three patients, the tumor-volume variation was described only during the initial part of treatment, a fact that may be related to the neglected hypoxia in the two-level approximation. The predicted probability density distribution for the survival fractions agrees with the data obtained using in vitro studies with predictive assays. The mean value 0.35 of survival fraction obtained in this study is larger than the value 0.32 from in vitro studies, which could be expected because of greater repair in vivo. The mean half-life obtained in this study for the head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is equal to 3.8 mean potential doubling times, which agrees with 4.0 mean potential doubling times obtained previously for lung SCC. Conclusions: The distribution of cell survival fractions obtained in this study support the hypothesis that the tumor-volume variation during radiotherapy treatment for head and neck cancer can be described by the two-level cell population tumor-volume model. This model can be used for in vivo evaluation of patient-specific radiobiological parameters that are needed for tumor-control probability evaluation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Neutrino mass priors for cosmology from random matrices

Cosmological measurements of structure are placing increasingly strong constraints on the sum of the neutrino masses, Σm ν , through Bayesian inference. Because these constraints depend on the choice for the prior probability π(Σm ν ), we argue that this prior should be motivated by fundamental physical principles rather than the ad hoc choices that are common in the literature. The first step in this direction is to specify the prior directly at the level of the neutrino mass matrix M ν , since this is the parameter appearing in the Lagrangian of the particle physics theory. Thus by specifying a probability distribution over M ν , and by including the known squared mass splittings, we predict a theoretical probability distribution over Σm ν that we interpret as a Bayesian prior probability π(Σm ν ). Assuming a basis-invariant probability distribution on M ν , also known as the anarchy hypothesis, we find that π(Σm ν ) peaks close to the smallest Σm ν allowed by the measured mass splittings, roughly 0.06 eV (0.1 eV) for normal (inverted) ordering, due to the phenomenon of eigenvalue repulsion in random matrices. We consider three models for neutrino mass generation: Dirac, Majorana, and Majorana via the seesaw mechanism; differences in the predicted priors π(Σm ν ) allow for the possibility of having indications about the physical origin of neutrino masses once sufficient experimental sensitivity is achieved. In conclusion, we present fitting functions for π(Σm ν ), which provide a simple means for applying these priors to cosmological constraints on the neutrino masses or marginalizing over their impact on other cosmological parameters.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2010

A POPULATION OF VERY HOT SUPER-EARTHS IN MULTIPLE-PLANET SYSTEMS SHOULD BE UNCOVERED BY KEPLER

We simulate a Kepler-like observation of a theoretical exoplanet population and show that the observed orbital period distribution of the Kepler giant planet candidates is best matched by an average stellar specific dissipation function Q'{sub *} in the interval 10{sup 6} {approx_lt} Q'{sub *} {approx_lt} 10{sup 7}. In that situation, the few super-Earths that are driven to orbital periods of P < 1 day by dynamical interactions in multiple-planet systems will survive tidal disruption for a significant fraction of the main-sequence lifetimes of their stellar hosts. Consequently, though these very hot super-Earths are not characteristic of the overall super-Earth population, their substantial transit probability implies that they should be significant contributors to the full super-Earth population uncovered by Kepler. As a result, the CoRoT-7 system may be the first representative of a population of very hot super-Earths that we suggest should be found in multiple-planet systems preferentially orbiting the least-dissipative stellar hosts in the Kepler sample.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Using ultrasonic attenuation in cortical bone to infer distributions on pore size

Here, in this work we infer the underlying distribution on pore radius in human cortical bone samples using ultrasonic attenuation data. We first discuss how to formulate polydisperse attenuation models using a probabilistic approach and the Waterman Truell model for scattering attenuation. We then compare the Independent Scattering Approximation and the higher-order Waterman Truell models’ forward predictions for total attenuation in polydisperse samples. Following this, we formulate an inverse problem under the Prohorov Metric Framework coupled with variational regularization to stabilize this inverse problem. We then use experimental attenuation data taken from human cadaver samples and solve inverse problems resulting in nonparametric estimates of the probability density function on pore radius. We compare these estimates to the “true” microstructure of the bone samples determined via microCT imaging. We find that our methodology allows us to reliably estimate the underlying microstructure of the bone from attenuation data.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Deciphering the Cofilin Oligomers via Intermolecular Disulfide Bond Formation: A Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Approach to Understanding Cofilin’s Regulation on Actin Filaments

Cofilin, a key actin-binding protein, orchestrates the dynamics of the actomyosin network through its actin-severing activity and by promoting the recycling of actin monomers. Recent experimental work suggests that cofilin also forms functionally distinct oligomers through thiol post-translational modification (PTM) that encourages actin nucleation and assembly. Despite these advances, the structural conformations of cofilin oligomers that modulate actin activity remain elusive because there are combinatorial ways to oxidize thiols in cysteines to form disulfide bonds rapidly. This study employs molecular dynamics simulations to investigate human cofilin 1 as a case study for exploring cofilin dimers via disulfide bond formation. Using the free energy profiling, our simulations unveil a range of probable cofilin dimer structures not represented in current Protein Data Bank entries. These candidate dimers are characterized by their distinct population distributions and relative free energies. Of particular note is a dimer featuring an interface between cysteines 139 and 147 residues, which demonstrates stable free energy characteristics and intriguingly symmetrical geometry. In contrast, the experimentally proposed dimer structure exhibits a less stable free energy profile. Here, we also evaluate frustration quantification based on the energy landscape theory in the protein-protein interactions at the dimer interfaces. Notably, the 39-39 dimer configuration emerges as a promising candidate for forming cofilin tetramers, as substantiated by frustration analysis. Additionally, docking simulations with actin filaments further evaluate the stability of these cofilin dimer-actin complexes. Our findings thus offer a computational framework for understanding the role of thiol post-translational modification cofilin proteins in regulating oligomerization, and the subsequent cofilin-mediated actin dynamics in the actomyosin network.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Angle-dependent strong-field ionization of halomethanes

We study, experimentally and theoretically, the ionization probability of singly halogenated methane molecules, CH 3 Cl and CH 3 Br, in intense linearly polarized 800 nm laser pulses as a function of the angle between the molecular axis and the laser polarization. Experimentally, the molecules are exposed to two laser pulses with a relative time delay. The first, weaker pulse induces a nuclear rotational wave packet within the molecules, which are then ionized by the second, stronger pulse. The angle-dependent ionization yields are extracted from fits of the measured delay-dependent ionization signal to a superposition of moments of the rotational wave packet’s angular distribution. Angle-dependent strong-field ionization (SFI) yields are also calculated using time-dependent density functional theory. Good agreement between measurements and theory is obtained. Interestingly, we find a marked difference between the angle-dependence of the ionization yields for these two halomethane species despite the similar structure of their highest occupied molecular orbitals. Calculations reveal that these differences are a result of multichannel (CH 3 Cl) vs single-channel (CH 3 Br) ionization and of increased hole localization on Br vs Cl. By adding calculations for CH 3 F, we can discern clear trends in the ionization dynamics with increasing halogen mass. These results are illustrative, as chemical functionalization and molecular alignment are likely to be important parameters for initiating and controlling charge migration dynamics via SFI.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Fraction of broad absorption line quasars in different radio morphologies

ABSTRACT In this study, we investigated the orientation model of Broad Absorption Line (BAL) quasars using a sample of sources that are common in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release (DR)-16 quasar catalogue and Very Large Array (VLA)-Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty Centimeters (FIRST) survey. Using the radio cut-out images from the FIRST survey, we first designed a deep-learning model using convolutional neural networks (CNN) to classify the quasar radio morphologies into the core-only, young jet, single lobe, or triples. These radio morphologies are further sub-classified into core-dominated and lobe-dominated sources. The CNN models can classify the sources with a high precision of >98 ${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ for all the morphological sub-classes. The average BAL fraction in the resolved core, core-dominated, and lobe-dominated quasars are consistent with the BAL fraction inferred from radio and infrared surveys. We also present the distribution of BAL quasars as a function of quasar orientation by using the radio core-dominance as an orientation indicator. A similar analysis is performed for HiBALs, LoBALs, and FeLoBALs. All the radio morphological sub-classes and BAL sub-classes show an increase in BAL fraction at high orientation angles of the jets with respect to the line of sight. Our analysis suggests that BAL quasars are more likely to be found in viewing angles close to the equatorial plane of the quasar. However, a pure orientation model is inadequate, and a combination of orientation and evolution is probably the best way to explain the complete BAL phenomena.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Coherence and quasistable states in a strong infrared field

We study the quasistability of UV-pulse-train-excited H atoms in a strong infrared (IR) laser as a function of the phase delay of the UV pulse train relative to the IR laser. The UV pulse train contains two frequency components. When the two components have frequencies separated by two IR photons, the population of surviving electrons is modulated by up to ten percent. When electrons are excited to right above or below the threshold, the survival probabilities have inverted phase delay dependence, which can be explained classically. When the two frequencies are one IR photon apart, the angular symmetry of the quasistable electrons is broken, and the asymmetry is also controlled by the phase delay. Here, the asymmetrical distribution can be observed while the IR is on and smoothly evolves to a nonzero asymmetry that only weakly depends on the duration of the IR field.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Quantum work of an optical lattice

A classic example of a quantum quench concerns the release of an interacting Bose gas from an optical lattice. The local properties of quenches such as this have been extensively studied; however, the global properties of these nonequilibrium quantum systems have received far less attention. Here we study several aspects of global nonequilibrium behavior by calculating the amount of work done by the quench as measured through the work distribution function. Using Bethe ansatz techniques, we determine the Loschmidt amplitude and work distribution function of the Lieb-Liniger gas after it is released from an optical lattice. We find the average work and its universal edge exponents from which we determine the long-time decay of the Loschmidt echo and highlight striking differences caused by the interactions as well as changes in the geometry of the system. We extend our calculation to the attractive regime of the model and show that the system exhibits properties similar to the super-Tonks-Girardeau gas. Lastly, we examine the prominent role played by bound states in the work distribution and show that, with low probability, they allow for work to be extracted from the quench.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quarkonium transport in weakly and strongly coupled plasmas

We report on progress in the nonperturbative understanding of quarkonium dynamics inside a thermal plasma. The time evolution of small-size quarkonium is governed by two-point correlation functions of chromoelectric fields dressed with an adjoint Wilson line, known in this context as generalized gluon distributions (GGDs). The GGDs have been calculated in both weakly and strongly coupled plasmas by using perturbative and holographic methods. Strikingly, the results of our calculations for a strongly coupled plasma indicate that the quarkonium dissociation and recombination rates vanish in the transport descriptions that assume quarkonium undergoes Markovian dynamics. However, this does not imply that the dynamics is trivial. As a starting point to explore the phenomenological consequences of the result at strong coupling, we show a calculation of the Y(1 S ) formation probability in time-dependent perturbation theory. This is a first step towards the development of a transport formalism that includes non-Markovian effects, which, depending on how close the as of yet undetermined nonperturbative QCD result of the GGDs is to the strongly coupled N = 4 SYM result, could very well dominate over the Markovian ones in quark-gluon plasma produced at RHIC and the LHC.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Asymmetric kinetic equilibria: Generalization of the BAS model for rotating magnetic profile and non-zero electric field

Finding kinetic equilibria for non-collisional/collisionless tangential current layers is a key issue as well for their theoretical modeling as for our understanding of the processes that disturb them, such as tearing or Kelvin Helmholtz instabilities. The famous Harris equilibrium [E. Harris, Il Nuovo Cimento Ser. 10 23, 115–121 (1962)] assumes drifting Maxwellian distributions for ions and electrons, with constant temperatures and flow velocities; these assumptions lead to symmetric layers surrounded by vacuum. This strongly particular kind of layer is not suited for the general case: asymmetric boundaries between two media with different plasmas and different magnetic fields. The standard method for constructing more general kinetic equilibria consists in using Jeans theorem, which says that any function depending only on the Hamiltonian constants of motion is a solution to the steady Vlasov equation [P. J. Channell, Phys. Fluids (1958–1988) 19, 1541 (1976); M. Roth et al., Space Sci. Rev. 76, 251–317 (1996); and F. Mottez, Phys. Plasmas 10, 1541–1545 (2003)]. The inverse implication is however not true: when using the motion invariants as variables instead of the velocity components, the general stationary particle distributions keep on depending explicitly of the position, in addition to the implicit dependence introduced by these invariants. The standard approach therefore strongly restricts the class of solutions to the problem and probably does not select the most physically reasonable. The BAS (Belmont-Aunai-Smets) model [G. Belmont et al., Phys. Plasmas 19, 022108 (2012)] used for the first time the concept of particle accessibility to find new solutions: considering the case of a coplanar-antiparallel magnetic field configuration without electric field, asymmetric solutions could be found while the standard method can only lead to symmetric ones. These solutions were validated in a hybrid simulation [N. Aunai et al., Phys. Plasmas (1994-present) 20, 110702 (2013)], and more recently in a fully kinetic simulation as well [J. Dargent and N. Aunai, Phys. Plasmas (submitted)]. Nevertheless, in most asymmetric layers like the terrestrial magnetopause, one would indeed expect a magnetic field rotation from one direction to another without going through zero [J. Berchem and C. T. Russell, J. Geophys. Res. 87, 8139–8148 (1982)], and a non-zero normal electric field. In this paper, we propose the corresponding generalization: in the model presented, the profiles can be freely imposed for the magnetic field rotation (although restricted to a 180 rotation hitherto) and for the normal electric field. As it was done previously, the equilibrium is tested with a hybrid simulation.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗