Theoretical proton velocity distributions in the flow around the magnetosphere.
Proton velocity distribution in solar wind flow around magnetosphere
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Proton velocity distribution in solar wind flow around magnetosphere
Low energy proton flux increases in outer radiation belt during quiet magnetic activity and correlation with magnetic bay appearances
Temporal and spatial low energy solar proton intensity variations indicating interplanetary medium changes effects on magnetospheric configuration
Balloon sounding data for atmospheric secondary and reentrant albedo proton intensity values, discussing empirical atmospheric secondary proton spectrum
Electron and proton flux densities and spectra from OSO-H and I data
The limiting conditions consistent with p-process synthesis in supernova envelopes are inferred from calculations of the appropriate rates of proton capture and neutron photodisintegration. Temperatures in excess of 2 x 10 to the 9th power K are required, for proton mass densities of the order of 100 g cm to the minus 3rd power, if significant production of p-process nuclei is to take place on a hydrodynamic time scale. It is concluded that these processes must be appropriate to very different stellar or supernova environments.
The Explorer 45 satellite performed extensive field and particle measurements in the heart of the magnetosphere during the double magnetic storm period of August 4-5, 1972. Both ground level magnetic records and the magnetic field deformations measured along the orbit by the satellite indicated the existence of only a moderate ring current. This was confirmed by the measurements of the total proton energy density less than those observed during the December 1971 and June 1972 magnetic storms. The plasmapause in the noon quadrant was eroded continuously from the onset of the first storm at the beginning of August 4 to an altitude below L = 2.07 at about 18 hours on August 5. During the orbit containing the second sudden commencement a large amount of low frequency electric and magnetic field noise was encountered throughout the entire orbit. A noteworthy observation during this orbit was the contraction of the magnetopause to distances inside the satellite at L = 5.2.
Solar wind plasma and magnetic field measurements from Pioneers 9 and 10 during August 2-17, 1972, reveal complex and large-amplitude variations on a one-hour time scale and numerous discontinuities. During this time period an approximate radial alignment of the two spacecraft as seen from the Sun occurred with heliocentric distances of 0.8 AU for Pioneer 9 and 2.2 AU for Pioneer 10, both at 45 deg east of the Earth's solar longitude. The peak hourly average solar wind proton bulk velocity measured at Pioneer 9 was 990 km sec (exp -1) during hour 0 UT of August 5. The peak hourly average proton number density was 62 cm (exp -3) during hour 11 UT of August 3. The peak solar wind speeds are generally much reduced at Pioneer 10 compared with those observes at Pioneer 9. The peak 30 minute average magnetic field magnitude was 85 gamma during 1245 - 1315 UT of August 3. The Pioneer 9 data indicate passage of four fast forward interplanetary shocks, and one slow forward interplanetary shock.
Pioneer 10 observations from the Ames Research Center Plasma Analyzer experiment between 1 and 3 AU in 1972 have been used to estimate the power spectra of the streaming speed of solar wind protons. A power-law spectrum is obtained in the 10,000 to 0.001 Hz frequency range which is similar to that obtained for the solar wind proton number density and streaming speed at 1 AU in 1965 December and 1966 January. The power spectra indicate that significant turbulence on the scale of about 1,000,000 km or more is present throughout this range of heliocentric distances, implying the importance of the role of large-scale turbulence between 1 and 3 AU. The power spectra also present qualitatively information concerning the cosmic-ray diffusion tensor at these extended distances.
The Explorer 45 (S3-A) satellite performed extensive field and particle measurements in the heart of the magnetosphere during the double magnetic storm period of August 4-6, 1972. Both the ground level magnetic records and the magnetic field deformations measured along the orbit by the satellite indicated the existence of only a moderate ring current. This was confirmed by the measurements of the total proton energy density by the on-board particle detectors, which showed a maximum energy density less than the densities observed during the December 1971 and June 1972 magnetic storms. The plasmapause in the noon quadrant was eroded continuously from the onset of the first storm at the beginning of August 4 to an altitude below L = 2.07 at about 1800 hours on August 5. Throughout the entire orbit during which the second sudden commencement occurred, a large amount of low-frequency electric and magnetic field noise was encountered. The most remarkable observation during this orbit was the contraction of the magnetopause to distances inside the satellite location at L = 5.2.
Direct observations of the solar wind between 1965 and 1972 indicate the existence of significant large scale (L is greater than 10 to the 6th km) turbulence in the solar system at heliocentric distances from 1 to 3 AU. These results are based on power spectra of the solar wind proton data obtained by plasma spectrometers on Pioneer 6 and Pioneer 10. The power spectra indicate that there is a power-law frequency dependence between 10 to the -4 Hz and 10 to the -3 Hz of the power spectra of the solar wind proton number density and streaming speed between 1 and 3 AU. The slopes and the amplitudes of the power spectra provide qualitative information concerning the cosmic ray diffusion tensor between 1965 and 1972 and at heliocentric distances between 1 AU and 3 AU.
Data from nine spacecraft are combined to study the properties of solar wind protons and the interplanetary magnetic field under unusual conditions that proton speed, density, and temperature variations are small over periods comparable to the solar wind expansion time. From the 14 quiet intervals studied it is determined that (1) the square root of T versus velocity relation is less steep than was calculated from long-term-averaged or 3-hour quiet data; (2) the density varies approximately as the inverse square of the velocity; however, the data scatter is large, and an alternative interpretation is that mass flux is constant for velocities over about 400 km/s, in agreement with earlier studies; (3) the magnitude of the interplanetary magnetic field is independent of solar wind speed and density; and (4) the average field direction varies with the solar wind speed as predicted by Parker's spiral model. The intercalibration of solar wind measurements by different spacecraft is discussed in an appendix.
Suprathermal Ion Detector Experiments (SIDE) have suggested the presence of a significant secondary peak in the ion distribution function during geomagnetic active periods when the moon is within the lobe plasma. It is observed that: (1) an increase in the primary peak bulk velocity is reflected in an increase in secondary peak bulk velocity, (2) both spectra are narrow in the instrument-look direction (assumed parallel to the flow) and peak temperatures are usually less than about 10 eV, (3) periods for double peak observations comprise about 10% of the total lobe plasma observation time, (4) assuming that peaks are caused by protons, and without correcting for lunar surface potential, primary peak bulk velocity is between about 70 and 160 km/s, and secondary peak bulk velocity is between about 360 and 840 km/s, and (5) assuming equal flow velocities outside the influence of the lunar surface potential are equal for the ions of the two peaks, and making corrections for this potential, secondary peak ions are consistent with N(+) or O(+), and the ratio of O(+) to proton number densities is usually less than about 2 x 10 to the -3rd.
A gas dynamic model for solar wind flow around Venus has been compared with Pioneer Venus orbiter plasma analyzer measurements from times when the solar wind flow seemed steadiest. The comparisons were made near the terminator. When the observed and model bow shock locations are matched, the model agrees fairly well with the observed parameters: the components of the flow velocity and magnetic field, and the proton number density and isotropic temperature. However, the Mach numbers required to fit the observed bow shock locations are less than 2/3 those estimated from the measured parameters of the free-stream flow, because the bow shock locations (near the terminator) are farther from Venus than expected. Sometimes the measured flow speeds appear to be retarded near the ionopause.
In many previous studies, it has been assumed that the streamlines of the solar wind are in a purely radial direction beyond a few solar radii. Therefore, the nonradial modulations by the magnetic force and gas pressure is neglected at large heliocentric distances. The work reported in this paper includes a two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) study of the latitudinal structure of solar wind flows. The dynamical effects of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) are investigated by MHD solutions and by comparing them with both one-dimensional and two-dimensional hydrodynamic (HD) solutions. The corotational effect of the sun and the influence of transient events in the solar atmosphere are neglected. With such a simplification, the latitudinal structure of the steady solar wind is controlled by the dynamic balance of the magnetic force and the gas pressure. Several different patterns of the evolution of the solar wind latitudinal structure are exhibited in the calculation. The results indicate the existence of a proton number density maximum at the magnetic neutral line, whether or not there is a density maximum or minimum at the inner boundary. The drift motion of magnetic field lines toward the magnetic neutral line enhances the magnetic field strength around the neutral sheet, which may provide a possible explanation of the discrepancy between the measured IMF at 1 AU and that extrapolated from the photospheric magnetic field by the current source-surface modeling.
We present a simple technique describing how limits on the helium abundance, alpha, defined as the ratio of helium to proton number density, can be inferred from measurements of the electron density and temperature below 1.5 solar radius. As an illustration, we apply this technique to two different data sets: emission-line intensities in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and white-light observations, both measured in polar coronal holes. For the EUV data, the temperature gradient is derived from line intensity ratios, and the density gradient is replaced by the gradient of the line intensity. The lower limit on alpha derived from these data is 0.2-0.3 at 1 solar radius and drops very sharply to interplanetary values of a few percent below 1.06 solar radius. The white-light observations yield density gradients in the inner corona beyond 1.25 solar radius but do not have corresponding temperature gradients. In this case we consider an isothermal atmosphere, and derive an upper limit of 0.2 for alpha. These examples are used to illustrate how this technique could be applicable to the more extensive data to be obtained with the upcoming SOHO mission. Although only ranges on alpha can be derived, the application of the technique to data currently available merely points to the fact that alpha can be significantly large in the inner corona.
Of the 6 instruments and one technology demonstration aboard the LRO, only CRaTER does not measure some kind of interaction of particles with the lunar regolith. LEND detects neutron fluence that contains information about the number density of protons in the upper regolith. To infer the presence of protons, the PI must assume a model that characterizes the surface as a collection of atoms. Thus, LEND does not sense the regolith as a structure. LROC, LOLA, and LAMP sense reflected photons whose wavelength is much shorter than the median particle size in the regolith. The photons interact with electrons, either in atomic shells or in chemical bonds. These interactions occur within a nanometer or so of the surface of a particle. Thus, the particles are macroscopic objects and models of the reflection process invoke ray-tracing optics. DIVINER senses photons that have been emitted by surface particles through thermal phonon processes. The wavelengths detected by the instrument are of the same order as the median particle size, and the photons contain information on particle dimensions as well as the molecular bonds in the constituent compounds. The Mini-RF synthetic aperture radar generates and detects photons of a few centimeters wavelength that interact with the regolith as a dielectric, the dielectric properties of the particulate component being described through effective medium theory. However, the interaction with rocks (macroscopic objects of interest to geologists) can be characterized using Fresnel or Mie models of electromagnetic properties.
Steady-state altitude profiles of H(+) density, drift velocity, and temperature and O(+) density and temperature were deduced for a wide range of H(+) outflow velocities from subsonic to supersonic flow for plasma densities typical of both undisturbed and trough regions of the ionsophere. Allowance was made for the effects of inertia, parallel stress, and the velocity dependence of the H(+) collision frequencies. It was found that at supersonic outflow velocities there is a decrease in H(+) temperature with increasing outflow velocity. The H(+) temperatures are substantially increased above the O(+) temperatures when H(+) is flowing, with T(H+)/T(O+) reaching a maximum ratio of about 3:1.