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At least 163 records · Page 9

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Observations of Ion-Scale Cyclotron Waves and Their Relationship with Non-thermal Ion Distributions in the Solar Wind

Introduction - Electromagnetic cyclotron waves (ECWs) near the proton cyclotron frequency (f_pc) and higher than Alfvén wave frequency - Ion cyclotron waves (ICWs): left-hand (LH) polarized in plasma frame - Magnetosonicwaves: right-hand (RH) polarized in plasma frame - They are important because the absorption of fluctuating magnetic field energy starting at f_pc has been demonstrated extensively - Before PSP era, intermittent observations of such ECWs in quiet solar wind have been reported in Behannon (1976), Tsurutani et al. (1994), Jian et al. (2009, 2010, 2014), Boardsen et al. (2015), Wicks et al. (2016), etc

L K Jian↗

DOE OSTI2025

Low-mode nonuniformity in direct-drive ICF implosions due to laser smoothing techniques employed on OMEGA

For successful laser-direct-drive inertial confinement fusion implosions, the laser irradiation must be highly uniform over the target surface. On OMEGA, multiple laser beams are used to illuminate targets quasi-uniformly. High-mode-number nonuniformities due to laser speckle on each individual beam are reduced by splitting each beam into two orthogonal polarizations (i.e., polarization smoothing, or PS) and a range of wavelengths (i.e., smoothing by spectral dispersion) that are dispersed at the target plane. However, cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) is sensitive to both the polarizations and wavelengths of the interacting beams, so the interplay between CBET and the laser-smoothing schemes results in unique intensity variation across each beam profile, which is a systematic source of low-mode drive nonuniformity on OMEGA. Here, we model these effects and find that the predicted ℓ = 1 mode in the laser-absorption distribution is consistent with the systematic core-flow direction that has been determined from the OMEGA implosion database. We also observe good agreement with the measured core-flow directions for two specific sets of implosions (one with PS, the other without PS) when we also account for the measured beam mispointing and the beam power imbalance.

Crossed beam scattering↗

NASA NTRS2016

Electromagnetic Cyclotron Waves in the Solar Wind: Wind Observation and Wave Dispersion Analysis

Wind observed long-lasting electromagnetic cyclotron waves near the proton cyclotron frequency on 11 March 2005, in the descending part of a fast wind stream. Bi-Maxwellian velocity distributions are fitted for core protons, beam protons, and alpha-particles. Using the fitted plasma parameters we conduct kinetic linear dispersion analysis and find ion cyclotron and/or firehose instabilities grow in six of 10 wave intervals. After Doppler shift, some of the waves have frequency and polarization consistent with observation, thus may be correspondence to the cyclotron waves observed.

cyclotron↗

NASA NTRS1989

Microwave remote sensing and radar polarization signatures of natural fields

Theoretical models developed for simulation of microwave remote sensing of the Earth surface from airborne/spaceborne sensors are described. Theoretical model calculations were performed and the results were compared with data of field measurements. Data studied included polarimetric images at the frequencies of P band, L band, and C band, acquired with airborne polarimeters over a agricultural field test site. Radar polarization signatures from bare soil surfaces and from tree covered fields were obtained from the data. The models developed in this report include: (1) Small perturbation model of wave scatterings from randomly rough surfaces, (2) Physical optics model, (3) Geometrical optics model, and (4) Electromagnetic wave scattering from dielectric cylinders of finite lengths, which replace the trees and branches in the modeling of tree covered field. Additionally, a three-layer emissivity model for passive sensing of a vegetation covered soil surface is also developed. The effects of surface roughness, soil moisture contents, and tree parameters on the polarization signatures were investigated.

Mo, Tsan↗

NASA NTRS1986

The influence of scattering particles morphology on the characteristics of lidar signals

The characteristics of light scattering by a separate spherical particle are used as a priori information when interpreting the data on laser sounding of atmospheric aerosols. Analogously, it is necessary to have a priori information on the characteristics of light scattering by a single crystals in order to restitute the microstructure of crystal formation in the atmosphere. In contrast to the aerosol particles the crystals are of different shapes. On the one hand, this complicates the solution of electrodynamic problems on light scattering by such crystals. On the other hand, if obtaining such a solution is possible, one can determine the morphology of scattering particles accoring to the sounding data and this enables additonal information to be obtained on such meteorological parameters as temperature, pressure, and humidity. Using the geometric-wave approach the problem of scattering of plane electromagnetic wave on convex polyhedrons of arbitrary form was solved. As a result, the expressions were obtained for electric field components of perpendicular and parallel polarizations scattered in any given direction.

Zuev, V. E.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Parametric instabilities of large amplitude Alfven waves with obliquely propagating sidebands

This paper presents a brief report on properties of the parametric decay and modulational, filamentation, and magnetoacoustic instabilities of a large amplitude, circularly polarized Alfven wave. We allow the daughter and sideband waves to propagate at an arbitrary angle to the background magnetic field so that the electrostatic and electromagnetic characteristics of these waves are coupled. We investigate the dependance of these instabilities on dispersion, plasma/beta, pump wave amplitude, and propagation angle. Analytical and numerical results are compared with numerical simulations to investigate the full nonlinear evolution of these instabilities.

Vinas, A. F.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Direct visualization of electromagnetic wave dynamics by laser-free ultrafast electron microscopy

Integrating femtosecond lasers with electron microscopies has enabled direct imaging of transient structures and morphologies of materials in real time and space. Here, we report the development of a laser-free ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM) offering the same capability but without requiring femtosecond lasers and intricate instrumental modifications. We create picosecond electron pulses for probing dynamic events by chopping a continuous beam with a radio frequency (RF)–driven pulser with the pulse repetition rate tunable from 100 MHz to 12 GHz. As a first application, we studied gigahertz electromagnetic wave propagation dynamics in an interdigitated comb structure. We reveal, on nanometer space and picosecond time scales, the transient oscillating electromagnetic field around the tines of the combs with time-resolved polarization, amplitude, and local field enhancement. This study demonstrates the feasibility of laser-free UEM in real-space visualization of dynamics for many research fields, especially the electrodynamics in devices associated with information processing technology.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

NASA NTRS1988

Comet-solar wind interaction through ion-proton beam instability

The acceleration of cometary ions in the distant cometary tail by an electromagnetic beam instability, which is caused by the relative drift velocity between the cometary ions and solar protons is studied. The linear phase of the instability is analyzed by numerical evaluation of the Vlasov dispersion relation. A particle simulation is used to study the nonlinear phase of the instability. Right-hand polarized cyclotron waves are made unstable by the presence of ion beams. The cometary tail ions are accelerated mainly during the reduced-growth phase of the instability. The cyclotron waves cause momentum transfer from solar wind protons to cometary tail ions. The acceleration of cometary ions through the electromagnetic beam instability is found to be 500-5000 cm/s-squared.

Price, Channon P.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Steady-state solutions for relativistically strong electromagnetic waves in plasmas.

New steady-state solutions are derived which describe electromagnetic waves strong enough to make plasma ions and electrons relativistic. A two-fluid model is used throughout. The following solutions are studied: (1) linearly polarized waves with phase velocity much greater than c; (2) arbitrarily polarized waves with phase velocity near c, in a cold uniform plasma; (3) circularly polarized waves in a uniform plasma characterized by a scalar pressure tensor. All of these waves are capable of propagating in normally overdense plasmas, due to nonlinearities introduced by relativistic effects. The propagation of relativistically strong waves in a density gradient is examined, for the example of a circularly polarized wave strong enough to make electrons but not ions relativistic. It is shown that such a wave propagates at constant energy flux despite the nonlinearity of the system.

Max, C. E.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Astrophysics

The instrumentation, accomplishments and future activities in space astrophysics observations are explored. The Solrad, Orbiting Solar Observatory, Solar Maximum Mission, Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer, Uhuru, HEAO-2, IRAS and ESA SAS spacecraft missions and data are summarized. Observations which identified the black hole in Cygnus-1 are described and known gravity-controlled phenomena in the universe are reviewed. Observations at different electromagnetic wavelengths and by particle detectors are outlined, and proposed gravity wave and neutrino detectors are discussed. The implications of the angular, spectral and temporal resolution, polarization, spectral range and observational limits of the instrumentation and data are considered. Current topics of interest in studies of the cosmic background radiation, distance scales, quasars and pulsars, star formation, and coronal heating are outlined. Finally, the design features and observational goals of the NASA Great Observatories space platforms are described.

Gilman, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Self-modulational formation of pulsar microstructures

A nonlinear plasma theory for self modulation of pulsar radio pulses is discussed. A nonlinear Schroedinger equation is derived for strong electromagnetic waves propagating in an electron positron plasma. The nonlinearities arising from wave intensity induced particle mass variation may excite the modulational instability of circularly and linearly polarized pulsar radiation. The resulting wave envelopes can take the form of periodic wave trains or solitons. These nonlinear stationary waveforms may account for the formation of pulsar microstructures.

Chian, A. C.-L.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Submillimeter wave heterodyne receiver

In an embodiment, a submillimeter wave heterodyne receiver includes a finline ortho-mode transducer comprising thin tapered metallic fins deposited on a thin dielectric substrate to separate a vertically polarized electromagnetic mode from a horizontally polarized electromagnetic mode. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Chattopadhyay, Goutam↗

NASA NTRS1992

Small-scale electrodynamics of the cusp with northward interplanetary magnetic field

Possible low-altitude field signatures of merging occurring at high latitudes during a period of strong northward directed interplanetary magnetic field are reported. Large electric and magnetic field spikes detected at the poleward edge of the magnetosheathlike particle precipitation are interpreted as field signatures of the low-altitude footprint of such merging line locations. A train of phase-shifted, almost linearly polarized electric and magnetic field fluctuations was detected just equatorward of the large electromagnetic spike. It is argued that these may be due to either ion cyclotron waves excited by penetrating magnetosheath ions or transient oscillations in the frame of convecting plasma, brought about by the sudden change in the flow at the magnetospheric end of the field line.

Basinska, Ewa M.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Plasma wave observations with the Dynamics Explorer 1 spacecraft

This paper reviews the results from the plasma wave instrument on the Dynamics Explorer 1 (DE-1) spacecraft. The DE-1 spacecraft was launched on August 3, 1981, into an elliptical polar orbit with initial perigee and apogee radial distances of 1.09 and 4.65 earth radii. In the roughly six years since the launch of the spacecraft, DE-1 has provided basic new information on a wide variety of magnetospheric plasma wave phenomena. These include auroral kilometric radiation, auroral hiss, Z mode radiation, narrow-band electromagnetic emissions associated with equatorial upper hybrid waves, whistler mode emissions, wave-particle interactions stimulated by ground VLF transmitters, equatorial ion-cyclotron emissions, ion Bernstein-mode emissions, and electric field turbulence along the auroral field lines. A brief review of the basic plasma wave modes that can exist in the equatorial and polar regions of the magnetosphere is first given. After the basic terminology is established, each of the above areas of plasma wave research is discussed in detail, first by reviewing the state of knowledge at the time of the DE-1 launch, and then by describing the contribution made by DE-1 in the six years since the spacecraft was launched.

Gurnett, D. A.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Design of High Efficient Mid-Wavelength Infrared Polarizer on ORMOCHALC Polymer

While an organically modified chalcogenide (ORMOCHALC) can be used to fabricate a polymeric mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) polarizer with competitive extinction ratio compared to the commercial wire-grid polarizers, which are composed of fragile inorganic materials, there is still a knowledge gap regarding the systematic design process to obtain high transmission efficiency and extinction ratio. As such, a computational parameter study for design optimization is conducted with the geometric parameters of the bilayer grating ORMOCHALC polarizer. The computational study shows that the Fabry–Pérot cavity is the primary mechanism that determines the transmission behaviors and the extinction ratio. A bilayer grating design, guided by the parameter study, is realized through the thermal nanoimprint and metal deposition processes. The extinction ratios measured with the Fourier-transform infrared are 245, 304, and 351 at the wavelength of 3, 4, and 5 μm, respectively. Compared to the state-of-the-art of the polymeric MWIR linear polarizers, the extinction ratio is improved by 1.4 times, and the transmission efficiency is increased by 2.5 times. Theoretical analysis with the multiple-layer model based on the transfer matrix method predicts a matched transmission behavior with the experiment and a full-wave electromagnetic simulation.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS2011

Receive Mode Analysis and Design of Microstrip Reflectarrays

Traditionally microstrip or printed reflectarrays are designed using the transmit mode technique. In this method, the size of each printed element is chosen so as to provide the required value of the reflection phase such that a collimated beam results along a given direction. The reflection phase of each printed element is approximated using an infinite array model. The infinite array model is an excellent engineering approximation for a large microstrip array since the size or orientation of elements exhibits a slow spatial variation. In this model, the reflection phase from a given printed element is approximated by that of an infinite array of elements of the same size and orientation when illuminated by a local plane wave. Thus the reflection phase is a function of the size (or orientation) of the element, the elevation and azimuth angles of incidence of a local plane wave, and polarization. Typically, one computes the reflection phase of the infinite array as a function of several parameters such as size/orientation, elevation and azimuth angles of incidence, and in some cases for vertical and horizontal polarization. The design requires the selection of the size/orientation of the printed element to realize the required phase by interpolating or curve fitting all the computed data. This is a substantially complicated problem, especially in applications requiring a computationally intensive commercial code to determine the reflection phase. In dual polarization applications requiring rectangular patches, one needs to determine the reflection phase as a function of five parameters (dimensions of the rectangular patch, elevation and azimuth angles of incidence, and polarization). This is an extremely complex problem. The new method employs the reciprocity principle and reaction concept, two well-known concepts in electromagnetics to derive the receive mode analysis and design techniques. In the "receive mode design" technique, the reflection phase is computed for a plane wave incident on the reflectarray from the direction of the beam peak. In antenna applications with a single collimated beam, this method is extremely simple since all printed elements see the same angles of incidence. Thus the number of parameters is reduced by two when compared to the transmit mode design. The reflection phase computation as a function of five parameters in the rectangular patch array discussed previously is reduced to a computational problem with three parameters in the receive mode. Furthermore, if the beam peak is in the broadside direction, the receive mode design is polarization independent and the reflection phase computation is a function of two parameters only. For a square patch array, it is a function of the size, one parameter only, thus making it extremely simple.

Rengarajan, Sembiam↗

DOE OSTI2023

Energetic Electron Precipitation Driven by Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves from ELFIN’s Low Altitude Perspective

We review comprehensive observations of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave-driven energetic electron precipitation using data collected by the energetic electron detector on the Electron Losses and Fields InvestigatioN (ELFIN) mission, two polar-orbiting low-altitude spinning CubeSats, measuring 50-5000 keV electrons with good pitch-angle and energy resolution. EMIC wave-driven precipitation exhibits a distinct signature in energy-spectrograms of the precipitating-to-trapped flux ratio: peaks at >0.5 MeV which are abrupt (bursty) (lasting ~17 s, or ΔL ~ 0.56) with significant substructure (occasionally down to sub-second timescale). We attribute the bursty nature of the precipitation to the spatial extent and structuredness of the wave field at the equator. Multiple ELFIN passes over the same MLT sector allow us to study the spatial and temporal evolution of the EMIC wave - electron interaction region. Case studies employing conjugate ground-based or equatorial observations of the EMIC waves reveal that the energy of moderate and strong precipitation at ELFIN approximately agrees with theoretical expectations for cyclotron resonant interactions in a cold plasma. Using multiple years of ELFIN data uniformly distributed in local time, we assemble a statistical database of ~50 events of strong EMIC wave-driven precipitation. Most reside at L ~ 5 – 7 at dusk, while a smaller subset exists at L ~ 8 – 12 at post-midnight. The energies of the peak-precipitation ratio and of the half-peak precipitation ratio (our proxy for the minimum resonance energy) exhibit an L-shell dependence in good agreement with theoretical estimates based on prior statistical observations of EMIC wave power spectra. The precipitation ratio’s spectral shape for the most intense events has an exponential falloff away from the peak (i.e., on either side of ~ 1.45 MeV). It too agrees well with quasi-linear diffusion theory based on prior statistics of wave spectra. It should be noted though that this diffusive treatment likely includes effects from nonlinear resonant interactions (especially at high energies) and nonresonant effects from sharp wave packet edges (at low energies). Sub-MeV electron precipitation observed concurrently with strong EMIC wave-driven >1 MeV precipitation has a spectral shape that is consistent with efficient pitch-angle scattering down to ~ 200-300 keV by much less intense higher frequency EMIC waves at dusk (where such waves are most frequent). At ~100 keV, whistler-mode chorus may be implicated in concurrent precipitation. These results confirm the critical role of EMIC waves in driving relativistic electron losses. Nonlinear effects may abound and require further investigation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Dual-polarization Dirac cones in a simple 2D square lattice photonic crystal

We report on dual-polarization Dirac cones in a simple square lattice two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal (PC) based on transmission at accidental degeneracies centered at the k = 0 symmetry ( Γ <#comment/> ) point. Finite difference time domain simulations are used to identify the material and geometric parameters for Dirac-like dispersion. A configuration that produces a Dirac-like point for both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations at the same frequency is presented. The PC dispersion shows the expected threefold degenerate linear branch crossings at the Dirac-like point. Full-field electromagnetic wave simulations exhibit some common behaviors of devices based on Dirac-like dispersion, such as cloaking and waveguiding. The configuration works for a considerable range of the parameter space, and thus is experimentally realizable with a wide range of materials.

Rodríguez, J. A. (ORCID:0000000178926207)↗