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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Models for quasi-periodic electric fields and associated electron precipitation in the auroral zone

Quasi-periodic electric fields observed in the nighttime auroral oval and in the polar cleft had periods of between 0.5 and 3 s and amplitudes from 2 to 30 mV/m and exhibited left-hand and right-hand elliptical polarization. The events in the auroral oval were associated with substorms and visual auroral activity, and the spectral and polarization properties of the observed fields suggest that they represented the electric components of Pc 1 or Pi 1 micropulsations. One possibility is that the micropulsations result from Birkeland current chopping by an unstable double layer located at an altitude of approximately one earth radius. In this interpretation, the double layer is assumed to accelerate the observed electrons, the electron flux variations being due either to the inherent variations of the double layer or to its interaction with the micropulsations.

Petelski, E. F.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Collisionless effects on the spectrum of secondary auroral electrons at low altitudes

A common feature of all rocket measurements of the differential flux of primary and secondary electrons under auroral activity is that between 30 and 85 eV, where the measurements overlap in energy, the electron flux data can be fitted by a certain power law. In the present paper, it is shown that the existence of plasma waves even in a region where they are nonresonant with the ambient particles can significantly modify the observed flux power law.

Papadopoulos, K.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Rocket experiments

Payloads designed to study the ionization and the ionizing sources (energetic particles) during periods of auroral activity are described. These include a probe experiment to measure the variation in electron concentration, to measure electron temperature, and to measure the vehicle potential; a propagation experiment to obtain the electron concentration and the electron collision frequency; and an energetic particle experiment to measure particle energy spectra.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1982

The ultraviolet spectrum of an aurora 530-1520 A

Ultraviolet spectra between 530 and 1520 A of an active auroral arc were obtained at 6.5-A instrumental resolution. Several new emission features are identified, including several bands of the N2 Birge-Hopfield (1, v-double-prime) progression and numerous N I multiplets, the latter being preponderant at low altitudes. The improved instrumental resolution over previous experiments in the wavelength region below 1200 A allows for a partial resolution of the complex structure between 900 and 1100 A reported in earlier work. The ratio of O I 1356 to N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield is smaller than in the dayglow at a similar altitude, and this is interpreted as evidence for a depletion of atomic oxygen in the auroral ionosphere relative to mid-latitude composition.

Feldman, P. D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Mapping of auroral X-rays from rocket overflights

Remote sensing of energetic auroral X-rays from above the emission region can provide both local and global information regarding X ray and energetic electron deposition within the middle atmosphere. However, contamination of X ray detectors by local corpuscular radiation can severely affect the scope and accuracy of the detector measurements. It is, therefore, necessary to employ techniques designed to observe X rays while rejecting the far more intense corpuscular radiation component. A suitable approach for the mapping of auroral X rays involves the employment of rockets for flights above the emission region. A description is presented of the results obtained from two rocket flights launched from Poker Flat Research Range, Alaska, during aurorally active periods in March 1978. The data were measured with the aid of scanning detectors protected from particles by broom magnet techniques.

Goldberg, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Low-altitude field-aligned electrons

Earlier measurements of field-aligned electrons are reexamined in the light of the more recent and comprehensive data available from both rocket and satellite observations. It is found that: (1) field aligned electrons are associated with evening, midnight, and cusp auroras; (2) rocket data associate the field aligned electrons with active auroral forms and on the edges of moving discrete arcs, predominantly the leading edge; and (3) the spatial/temporal scale of the field-aligned events seen by satellites is a few seconds or tens of kilometers, while the rocket time scale extends from seconds to hundreds of seconds. Recent acceleration mechanisms involving turbulence are discussed.

Arnoldy, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

An upper limit to X-ray emission from Saturn

X-rays are produced in auroral discharges, and their measurement can serve to characterize the interaction processes responsible for the aurora itself. The existence of auroral activity on Saturn was suggested by the observation of a magnetosphere by Pioneer 11 and confirmed by UV measurements during the Voyager encounters. The detection of X-rays from Jupiter with the Einstein Observatory (HEAO 2) satellite provided the impetus for a subsequent observation of Saturn. No emission was detected. This article presents the upper limit established by the observation and derives an expected emission level assuming X-ray production to be the result of bremsstrahlung from keV electrons precipitating into Saturn's atmosphere. The difference is a factor of 100.

Gilman, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Two micron quadrupole line emission of H2 from the Jovian auroral zone

Energetic electron bombardment of the H2 atmosphere in the Jovian auroral zone was studied using a theoretical model for the vibrational-ratational excitation processes. A non-relativistic electron energy deposition program originally developed by Peterson et al. was used. Assuming an incident energy electron spectrum from IUE observations, the calculated intensities of the two micron quadrupole lines from the Jovian auroral zone are shown to be comparable to the intensities of infrared objects in the Orion nebula. Jupiter is fairly dark in the 2 to 2.5 micron spectral range because of strong absorption of cH4 and NH3 vibrational-rotational bands. Consequently, assuming no significant decrease in Jovian auroral activity since the Voyager encounter with Jupiter in 1979, the two micron quadrupole emission of H2 may be observable by ground-based telescope through the two micron atmospheric window.

Kim, S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The magnetosphere of Uranus

The magnetosphere and magnetic field of Uranus are analyzed using Voyager 2 data. It is observed that the magnetic axis of Uranus is tilted 60 deg from its rotation axis; the magnetic dipole center is displaced almost 7700 km from the center of the planet; the magnetic field intensity varies over its surface between 24,000-69,000 gammas; and the rotation rate of the planet is 17.24 hours. The dynamo generation of the planetary magnetic field is examined. Consideration is given to the auroral activity, magnetic tails, moons, and radiation belts of charged particles of Uranus. The significance of the large tilt and offset magnetic axis for the interior of Uranus is discussed.

Ness, Norman F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Period and phase of the 88-year solar cycle and the Maunder minimum - Evidence for a chaotic sun

The problem of whether the solar dynamo is quasi-periodic or chaotic is addressed by examining 1500 years of sunspot, geomagnetic, and auroral activity cycles. Sub-harmonics were found of the fundamental solar cycle period during the years preceding the Maunder minimum and loss of phase of the subharmonic on emergence from it. These phenomena are indicative of chaos. They indicate that the solar dynamo is chaotic and is operating in a region close to the transition between period doubling and chaos. Since Maunder-type minima reoccur irregularly for millennia, it appears that the sun remains close to this transition to and from chaos. This is postulated to be a universal characteristic of solar type stars caused by feedback in the dynamo number.

Feynman, J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Field-independent source localization of Neptune's radio bursts

During the Voyager 2 encounter with Neptune, a narrowbanded bursty radio component was observed between 500 and 1326 kHz by the Planetary Radio Astronomy instrument. Based on the emission occurrence pattern, the radio source has been localized without the explicit use of the Neptunian offset-tilted dipole magnetic field model, which is accurate only at distances greater than 4 R(N) (Neptune radii) from the planet. Only assumptions based upon the general nature of radio wave propagation in planetary magnetospheres were used. A number of different candidate radial positions were sampled. For example, at 1.5 R(N), the derived source location was positioned only about 10 deg from the south magnetic pole. The radiation from this source was beamed into a cone of 77.5 + or - 6.3 deg half-angle that was tilted about 10 deg from the radial direction to the north-northeast. At other sampled radial positions, similar source locations were obtained. Due to its proximity to the south magnetic pole, the kilometric emission radio source is believed to be associated with an active auroral region, similar in nature to those found at earth and Saturn.

Farrell, W. M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

On the precipitation of relativistic electrons from the outer belt

A model in which a partially filled drift loss cone plays a prominent role is presently used to investigate relativistic electron data obtained by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft in the outer belt region. The good agreement obtained between model predictions and observations indicates that electron drift in the drift loss cone, which is known to dominate electron precipitation phenomena at lower latitudes, is also important at outer beta latitudes. In conjunction with the degree of partial filling of the drift loss cone, this effect indicates that slow pitch angle diffusion dominates the morphology of outer belt electrons. It is concluded that half of the electron precipitation from the outer belt is due to wave-particle interactions, and the other half by auroral activity and electron drift in the drift loss cone.

Sheldon, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The 2-micron polar haze of Jupiter

Model spectra have been constructed for the CH4 lines of the polar regions of Jupiter in such as way as to encompass the hydrogen pressure-induced opacity and haze layers revealed by high-resolution spectroscopy. Comparisons between observation and model spectra indicate that, for optically thin haze models, the polar haze is primarily located between the 70 and 5 mbar pressure levels; for opaque haze models, the top of the haze layers lies in the vicinity of the 15-mbar level. It is concluded that the polar haze is widely distributed over both polar regions and exhibits no strong correlation with auroral activities.

Kim, Sang J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

An algorithm to quantify the performance of the JOVE program

A proposal to the Hubble Space Institute from Hunter Waite, Southwest Research Institute, James Green, GSFC, and the author will be written to examine potential correlations between the Jovian auroral activity as recently discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope UV imaging experiment and Jupiter's decametric radio waves as recorded by two ground-base radio observatories; one at the University of Florida and the other in Japan.

Lebo, George↗
NASA NTRS1994

Preferential heating of light ions during an ionospheric AR(+) injection experiment

The ARCS 4 sounding rocket was launched northward into high altitude from Poker Flat Research Range on February 23, 1990. The vehicle crossed geomagnetic field lines containing discrete auroral activity. An instrumented subpayload released 100 ev and 200 ev Ar(+) ion beams sequentially, in a direction largely perpendicular to both the local geomagnetic field and the subpayload spin axis. The instrumented main payload was separated along field lines from the beam emitting subpayload by a distance which increased at a steady rate of approx. 2.4 m/s. Three-dimensional mass spectrometric ion observations of ambient H(+) and O(+) ions, obtained onboard the main payload, are presented. Main payload electric field observations in the frequency range 0-16 kHz, are also presented. These observations are presented to demonstrate the operation of transverse ion acceleration, that was differential with respect to ion mass, primarily during 100-ev beam operations. The preferential transverse acceleration of ambient H(+) ions, as compared with ambient O(+) ions during the second, third, fourth, and fifth 100-ev beam operations, is attributed to a resonance at the injected the beam drift velocity among the thermal H(+) ions and plasma waves generated by the injected beam and propagating at the beam drift speed. This work provides experimental support of processes predicted by previously published theory and simulations.

Pollock, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Preferential heating of light ions during an ionospheric Ar(+) injection experiment

The Argon Release for Controlled Studies (ARCS) 4 sounding rocket was launched northward into high altitude from Poker Flat Research Range on February 23, 1990. The vehicle crossed geomagnetic field lines containing discrete auroral activity. An instrumented subpayload released 100-eV and 200-eV Ar(+) ion beams sequentially, in a direction largely perpendicular to both the local geomagnetic field and the subpayload spin axis. The instrumented main payload was separated along field lines from the beam emitting subpayload by a distance which increased at a steady rate of approximately 2.4 m/s. Three dimensional mass spectrometric ion observations of ambient H(+) and O(+) ions, obtained on board the main payload, are presented. Main payload electric field observations in the frequency range 0-16 kHz, are also presented. These observations are presented to demonstrate the operation of transverse ion acceleration, which was differential with respect to ion mass, primarily during 100-eV beam operations. The preferential transverse acceleration of ambient H(+) ions, as compared with ambient O(+) ions, during the second, third, fourth, and fifth 100-eV beam operations, is attributed to a resonance among the injected Ar(+) ions, beam-generated lower hybrid waves, and H(+) ions in the tail of the ambient thermal distribution. This work provides experimental support of processes predicted by previously published theory and simulations.

Pollock, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Spatial and Temporal Energy Characterization of Precipitating Electrons for the January 10th, 1997 Magnetic Cloud Event

The January 10-11, 1997 magnetic cloud event provided a rare opportunity to study auroral energy deposition under varying but intense IMF conditions. The Wind spacecraft located about 100 RE upstream monitored the IMF and plasma parameters during the passing of the cloud. The Polar Ultraviolet Imager (UVI) observed the aurora[ precipitation during the first encounter of the cloud with Earth's magnetosphere and during several subsequent substorm events. The UVI has the unique capability of measuring the energy flux and characteristic energy of the precipitating electrons through the use of narrow band filters that distinguish short and long wavelength molecular nitrogen emissions. The spatial and temporal characteristics of the precipitating electron energy will be discussed beginning with the inception of the event at the Earth early January 1 Oth and continuing through the subsidence of auroral activity on January 11th.

Spann, J. F., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Predictions of Substorms and Intensifications Following Northward Turnings of the IMF

Substorms are often observed to occur at the end of intervals of Southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), i.e. following the northward turning. Despite the significant correlation between northward turning and substorms, no direct causal relationship between northward turnings and substorms has been demonstrated. Assuming such a causal relationship, we predict that substorms will occur within a particular interval following the observation of a northward turning in the IMF. We observe 16 northward turnings following steady, southward IMF in data taken by the WIND spacecraft magnetic field instrument (MFI). To ensure that the northward turning was observed at the magnetosphere, we require that the northward turning also be observed by instruments on either one of Geotail or IMP-8 while the separation of the second spacecraft from WIND was more that 10 R(sub E). These two-spacecraft observations also allow us to predict more accurately the arrival time of the northward turning at the Earth. Of the predictions substorms, 10 predictions were clearly successful to within +/- 12 min. Five predictions failed, but the failures reveal clear shortcomings in the criteria for a northward turning that we correct. The failures were caused by an increase in the absolute value of B(sub YGSM) simultaneous with the northward turning in 3 cases, and a weak southward IMF preceding the northward turning in 2 cases. The final northward turning arrived in the recovery phase of an ongoing substorm, and resulted in unusual auroral activity. The implication of the predictability of substorms following sharp northward turnings is that the postulated causal relationship between northward turnings and substorm onset exists. The effect of increases in the absolute value of B(sub YGSM) to negate the triggering ability of northward turnings suggests that the triggering mechanism involves sharp reductions in the magnetospheric convection electric field.

Blanchard, G. T.↗