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A 100 W, 0.1A electron gun was used in DC and pulsed modes in a series of vehicle charging and wave stimulation observations on a space shuttle. The results show that strong wave-electron scattering is present in most gun operations. It was possible to stimulate intense plasma waves in the ELF, VLF and HF frequency bands.
Severe storms and lightning were measured with a NASA U2 and ground based facilities, both fixed base and mobile. Aspects of this program are reported. The following results are presented: (1) ground truth measurements of lightning for comparison with those obtained by the U2. These measurements include flash type identification, electric field changes, optical waveforms, and ground strike location; (2) simultaneous extremely low frequency (ELF) waveforms for cloud to ground (CG) flashes; (3) the CG strike location system (LLP) using a combination of mobile laboratory and television video data are assessed; (4) continued development of analog-to-digital conversion techniques for processing lightning data from the U2, mobile laboratory, and NSSL sensors; (5) completion of an all azimuth TV system for CG ground truth; (6) a preliminary analysis of both IC and CG lightning in a mesocyclone; and (7) the finding of a bimodal peak in altitude lightning activity in some storms in the Great Plains and on the east coast. In the forms on the Great Plains, there was a distinct class of flash what forms the upper mode of the distribution. These flashes are smaller horizontal extent, but occur more frequently than flashes in the lower mode of the distribution.
Electric field plasma wave observations were made with a sounding rocket payload in and near a quiet auroral arc. This payload was launched on March 9, 1978 from Poker Flat, Alaska. The payload trajectory was close to the magnetic meridian and passed over a 40 kR auroral arc. The present investigation is concerned with ac electric field observations in the ELF and lower VLF covering a frequency range from 2.5 Hz to 8 kHz. Attention is given to aspects of instrumentation, the general situation, a data analysis, and the obtained results. Waves were observed at low altitude in a region of downward parallel current and diffuse aurora. These waves had properties consistent with those expected for hydrogen and oxygen electrostatic ion cyclotron (EIC) waves.
During the third Space Shuttle Columbia flight (STS 3) in March 1982, investigations were conducted to assess the electrical, electromagnetic, and plasma environment of the orbiter and to diagnose wave emissions and related plasma effects due to the injection of an electron beam into the surrounding ionosphere. Attention is given to wave emissions and related plasma processes which were stimulated by the first electron beam emissions from the Space Shuttle. The on-orbit measurements are compared to measurements made in a space simulation chamber. Instrumentation and operations are considered along with the plasma effects of beam emissions, wave emissions from dc beams, wave emissions from VLF-modulated beams, and wave emissions from ELF-modulated beams.
Investigations of auroral radiation; terrestrial nonthermal continuum radiation; magnetospheric electrostatic emissions; ELF-VLF wave observations in the ionosphere and magnetosphere; wave-particle interactions; plasma wave propagation; plasma parameters; and ground-based observations of the magnetosphere during the International Magnetospheric Study are summarized.
ELF waves which were observed during beam-plasma discharge in the large vacuum chamber at Johnson Space Center are studied. Phase delays as a function of radius (obtained from cross-correlation measurements of density fluctuations) along with measurements of frequency and plasma potential, density, and temperature have been compared to a zero-order slab model of nonlocal azimuthal drift wave propagation. The inferred wave phase velocity in the plasma frame after Doppler correction is found to be near one half the electron diamagnetic drift velocity. Although the measurements presented do not uniquely define a propagation mode, a model of azimuthal drift wave propagation is found to be consistent with observations.
The ram current to ion traps and the insensitivity of ion conductivity to compressibility provide the basis of robust techniques for middle atmosphere measurements. Gerdien condensers are more difficult to implement but provide more information. Mesospheric electrical conductivity shows many orders of magnitude variability, with depressions below gas phase model values indicating dominance by aerosol particles. The mobility of these ions has been directly measured and indicates particles of thousands of AMU. Large mesospheric fields have come into question, and diagnostic measurements show that many such measurements may be artifacts. However, some measurements of V/m fields with symmetrical and redundant sensors appear to be real. These fields complicate the 'mapping' picture of electrical coupling and may also modulate the transport of aerosol particles. They are probably related to neutral atmospheric dynamics and/or the aerosol particles. Lightning couples much more energy to the middle atmosphere and above than previously suspected, primarily in the ELF-UHF range. There are many important unanswered questions in this relatively unexplored frontier area which may be answered with low cost balloon and sounding rocket experiments.
The quality of the communications links between satellites was tested. The interaction between the VLF and ELF waves, generated by the conducting tether, and the SHF and YHF electromagnetic waves, generated by the 20/30 GHz transmitters were investigated. The ionspheric electron density irregularities was measured by means of phase-coherent RF transmission between the two vehicles. The motion of the tethered satellite was observed through the Doppler link established between the shuttle and the satellite. The technology and deployment of spaceborne antennas of large diameter was tested.
During FY-85, Researchers conducted a field program and analyzed data. The field program incorporated coordinated measurements made with a NASA U2. Results include the following: (1) ground truth measurements of lightning for comparison with those obtained by the U2; (2) analysis of dual-Doppler radar and dual-VHF lightning mapping data from a supercell storm; (3) analysis of synoptic conditions during three simultaneous storm systems on 13 May 1983 when unusually large numbers of positive cloud-to-ground (+CG) flashes occurred; (4) analysis of extremely low frequency (ELF) wave forms; and (5) an assessment of a cloud -ground strike location system using a combination of mobile laboratory and fixed-base TV video data.
A brief historical summary of the Minnesota ECHO series and other relevant electron beam experiments is given. The primary purpose of the ECHO experiments is the use of conjugate echoes as probes of the magnetosphere, but beam-plasma and wave studies were also made. The measurement of quasi-dc electric fields and ion streaming during the ECHO 6 experiment has given a pattern for the plasma flow in the hot plasma region extending to 60m radius about the ECHO 6 electron beam. The sheath and potential well caused by ion orbits is discussed with the aid of a model which fits the observations. ELF wave production in the plasma sheath around the beam is briefly discussed. The new ECHO 7 mission to be launched from the Poker Flat range in November 1987 is described.
Landau resonance and cyclotron resonance of coherent whistler mode waves and energetic electrons are explored for magnetoplasmas with appreciable gradients in the plasma density and magnetic field strength. It is shown that in the topside ionosphere of the earth near the ion transition height the gradients in plasma density and magnetic field strength along a magnetic field line may match in a way which enhances both Landau and cyclotron interactions between waves and electrons at the loss cone pitch angle. The pitch angle scattering induced by a signal from a ground-based VLF transmitter in the ionosphere above the transmitter has been estimated and compared to the pitch angle scattering induced by naturally occurring ELF hiss through cyclotron resonance. It is found that the expected scattering due to plasmapheric hiss is an order of magnitude larger than that due to Landau resonance in the topside ionosphere. Pitch angle scattering due to cyclotron resonance in the topside ionosphere, however, may be larger by a factor of 2. It is suggested that the 'fast Trimpi' effect may be caused by a cyclotron resonance interaction in the topside ionosphere.
Measurements of orthogonal, horizontal components of the magnetic field in the ELF range obtained during September 1985 show that the Schumann resonance eigenfrequencies determined separately for the north-south and east-west magnetic components differ by as much as 0.5 Hz, suggesting that the underlying magnetic signal is not linearly polarized at such times. The high degree of magnetic ellipticity found suggests that the side multiplets of the Schumann resonances corresponding to azimuthally inhomogeneous normal modes are strongly excited in the highly asymmetric earth-ionosphere cavity. The dominant sense of polarization over the measurement passband is found to be right-handed during local daylight hours, and to be left-handed during local nighttime hours.
Enhancements in thermal ion densities, an oxygen dominated ring current at energies below 17 keV, and invariant latitude-limited bands of intense ELF hiss have been discovered on Stable Auroral Red (SAR) arc field lines at magnetospheric heights. These new signatures were revealed by an examination of 31 coordinated data sets taken simultaneously at magnetospheric and ionospheric heights by the De-1 and -2 satellites during SAR arc traversals within the period September 1981 through April 1982. Data sets from DE-2, for the first time, provide information on the location of a SAR arc (determined by the F region electron temperature enhancement) during the nearly simultaneous passage of these field lines by DE-1 in the magnetosphere. These new high altitude signatures are examined in the context of possible magnetospheric SAR arc energy source mechanisms.
A review is given of auroral plasma wave phenomena, starting with the earliest ground-based observations and ending with the most recent satellite observations. Two types of waves are considered, electromagnetic and electrostatic. Electromagnetic waves include auroral kilometric radiation, auroral hiss, ELF noise bands, and low-frequency electric and magnetic noise. Electrostatic waves include upper hybrid resonance emissions, electron cyclotron waves, lower hybrid waves, ion cyclotron waves and broadband electrostatic noise. In each case, a brief overview is given describing the observations, the origin of the instability, and the role of the waves in the physics of the auroral acceleration region.
The middle atmosphere (MA) has long been known as an absorber of radio waves, and as a region of nonlinear interactions among waves. The region of highest transverse conductivity near the top of the MA provides a common return for global thunderstorm, auroral Birkeland, and ionospheric dynamo currents, with possibilities for coupling among them. Their associated fields and other transverse fields map to lower altitudes depending on scale size. Evidence now exists for motion-driven aerosol generators, and for charge trapped at the base of magnetic field lines, both capable of producing large MA electric fields. Ionospheric Maxwell currents (curl H) parallel to the magnetic field appear to map to lower altitudes, with rapidly time-varying components appearing as displacement currents in the stratosphere. Lightning couples a (primarily ELF and ULF) current transient to the ionosphere and magnetosphere whose wave shape is largely dependent on the MA conductivity profile. Electrical energy is of direct significance mainly in the upper MA, but electrodynamic transport of minor constituents such as smoke particles or CN may be important at other altitudes.
During the Spacelab-2 mission of July 1985, electron beams (1 keV, 50-150 mA) pulsed at ELF and VLF frequencies were emitted from the Space Shuttle Orbiter. The wave fields generated by the beam were monitored by a Plasma Diagnostics Package which was released as a free-flying subsatellite during a six hour period. Measurements of the Orbiter potential and the return current during beam emissions were obtained from a Charge and Current Probe mounted in the payload bay.
Elliptical polarization and mode splitting have been detected in the magnetic component of discrete, well defined Schumann resonance excitations. These ELF excitations, which are large electromagnetic transients of approximately 1 s duration, are called Q-bursts and typically occur every few minutes. They are believed to be the signature of the impulsive excitation of the earth-ionosphere cavity by ultra-large lightning currents. In this paper the magnetic polarization and spectral characteristics of four large Q-bursts are examined in detail using a new analysis technique. Two events display right-hand polarization and two display left-hand polarization. The theoretical polarization properties of the central and side multiplets of the Schumann resonances are used to define a local orthogonal coordinate system in the measurement frame in which these components may be separated. Maximum entropy spectrums computed separately for what are identified to be the central and side multiplets in this coordinate system show distinctly different eigenfrequencies for the lowest mode near 7.5 Hz. For the limited number of cases examined the magnitude of the line splitting detected using this technique is roughly 1.4-1.8 Hz, larger by nearly a factor of two than theoretical or observed values of the splitting previously reported. The frequencies of the side multiplets may lie either above or below the frequency of the central multiplet.
The electric fields and the floating potentials of a Plasma Diagnostics Payload (PDP) located near a powerful electron beam injected from a large sounding rocket into the auroral zone ionosphere have been studied. As the PDP drifted away from the beam laterally, it surveyed a region of hot plasma extending nearly to 60 m radius. Large polarization electric fields transverse to B were imbedded in this hot plasma, which displayed large ELF wave variations and also an average pattern which has led to a model of the plasma flow about the negative line potential of the beam resembling a hydrodynamic vortex in a uniform flow field. Most of the present results are derived from the ECHO 6 sounding rocket mission.