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149 records · Page 9

Voyager 1 and 2 Preliminary Observations Within Interplanetary Space of Upstream Suprathermal < 6 KeV Electrons Evidently Connected to Jupiter’s Bow Shock

We present for the first time the Voyager 1 and 2 plasma instrument observations within the interplanetary space of upstream suprathermal E < 6 keV electrons during times when close < 100 RJ from Jupiter’s bow shock. These measurements are a biproduct of our recovery of the Voyager Jupiter flyby measurements of the plasma electrons made by the Plasma Science Experiment (PLS) (Bridge et al., 1977). The initial ion and electron plasma observations were first reported by Bridge et al. (1979a, b). The periods were chosen to follow those reported by Zwickl et al. (1981) using energetic particle data with E ≥ 30 keV from the Low Energy Charged Particle (LECP) instrument (Krimigis et al., 1977). For this study we also use Voyager magnetic field data (Ness et al., 1979a, b) which is critical for this study. Basically, whenever the interplanetary magnetic field is nearly radially aligned relative to the spacecraft sun line, connection to the Jovian bow shock is believed to occur and one would expect those times when the keV suprathermal electron would be observed, but we also see them when the field is not radial but close to Jupiter’s bow shock. Whenever the magnetic field is radial the plasma instrument’s D cup or side sensor, which makes the electron observations (10 eV ≤ E ≤ 6 keV), is viewing ∼ 90 degree pitch angle electrons but evidently its wide field-of-view (FOV) allows one to see the keV electrons assumed to be field aligned. So, we will be looking into FOV alignment issues relative to the local magnetic field vector and any evidence for pitch angle scattering by plasma waves (see Scarf et al., 1981) that might broaden their width in pitch angle and allow their detection.

E C Sittler, Jr↗

Radiolytic Cryovolcanism Revisited

Location of Enceladus within the inner magnetosphere of Saturn makes it likely that energetic electron irradiation, ion-neutral chemistry of the emergent cryovolcanic plume gas, and resultant radiolytic modification of surface ice composition could impact long-term evolution of molecular composition in the global ice crust. Thermally-driven convection of ice in the south polar terrain would bring radiolytic oxidant products into contact with subsurface reservoirs of primordial organics on million-year time scales. The chemical reactions leading to CO2 gas production as a primary gas-piston driver of cryovolcanic activity would be exponentially elevated in the warm-ice margins of a heated fluid. The fluid temperature is typically assumed to be below 273 K but could be much higher in a gas-pressurized deep subsurface environment. The Perrier Ocean model has demonstrated how a CO2-loaded fluid could account for the observed jets, while the heat content of the fluid arising from the moon's deeper interior could support high levels of chemical reactivity in the thermal margins. Since mass loss and tidal dissipation arguments do not support continuous activity over billions of years, the activity is likely very episodic so that even low-level energy sources including irradiation-driven radiolysis of surface ices could substantially contribute to the chemical dynamics of the activity apparently now in high phase. A multi-phase thermochemical model, and supporting laboratory measurements of temperature-dependent reaction rates, are needed to investigate these potentially complex processes.

Cooper, John F.↗

Redistribution in astrophysically important hydrogen lines

Under typical solar chromospheric conditions for hydrogen radiators, strong collisions due to both electrons and ions are well separated in time, so that a binary collision theory for collisional redistribution is applicable. However, a simple impact approximation may not be used, but rather a unified type theory is required in which frequency dependent line shape parameters are used to describe both impact and quasi-static regions of the spectrum. In addition, correlated terms which describe absorption and emission during a collision are important, and, in fact, without correlated terms describing both transfer of excitation and emission during the same collision unphysical predictions (such as negative intensities) would be obtained. In this paper theory is specifically developed for the coupled Lyman-alpha, Lyman-beta, Hydrogen-alpha system, and equations of statistical equilibrium and absorption and emission coefficients are given. All correlated events are examined and emission during a collision is found to be important in the line wings. Stimulated emission and absorption is also included within a broadband approximation. The major approximation is to ignore lower state interaction. It is found that for Lyman-beta Raman-coupling with Hydrogen-alpha occurs and the overall scattering of radiation in the line wings is mostly coherent. In contrast, for Hydrogen-alpha, incoherent redistribution due to lower state radiative decay (which occurs even in the absence of collisions) is found to dominate the coherent scattering. Finally, in the Lyman series the dominant incoherent contribution is associated with cascade transitions and inelastic collisions between different principal quantum states.

Cooper, J.↗

Heliophysics from and of the Moon - the Solar Occultation Explorer (SOX)

The fundamental processes of the inner corona of the Sun at 1.1 to 3 solar radii can occasionally be investigated in detail by ground-based solar eclipse observations at quasi-yearly intervals. The combination of portable ground-based telescopes and the distant occulting edge provided by the lunar limb allows imaging of coronal structure and ion excitation emission lines at the highest available spatial and spectral resolution. These observations are limited to the visible eastern and western coronal regions and cannot view the intervening region over the central disk in the hemisphere towards Earth. A comparable configuration for continuous coronal observations from a spacecraft, e.g. with an external occulter disk on a 100-meter boom, is conceivable and could generate 3-D data models of the corona via tomographic reconstruction from time series measurements but may not now be technically or economically feasible. The faster and cheaper approach would be to make high cadence eclipse observations from one or more small satellites in lunar orbit. The Solar Occultation Explorer (SOX) is suggested as an explorer-class NASA mission that would conduct eclipse observations at daily to hourly cadence depending on the orbit. This smallsat would carry two principal instrument suites: (1 ) spectroscopic imaging telescope with sub-nm resolution for selected coronal emission lines diagnostic of coronal plasma charge state, denSity, and temperature, and (2) in-situ field & particle instrument suite for measurements of the solar wind and local lunar environments. The most comparable flight heritage instrument, the LASCO C1 spectrometer on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission, did achieve high visible-band spectral resolution with a Fabry-Perot interferometer but was limited in brightness sensitivity by usage of an internal occulter system and has not been operational since June 1998 The SOX mission concept is undergoing initial study by the Lunar Solar Origins Exploration (LunaSOX) project of the NASA Lunar Advanced Science and Exploration Research (LASER) program. This mission would offer high complementarity with the planned Solar Probe Plus spacecraft, designed to investigate.

Cooper, John F.↗

Energetic Ion and Electron Irradiation of the Icy Galilean Satellites

Galileo Orbiter measurements of energetic ions (20 keV to 100 MeV) and electrons (20-700 keV) in Jupiter's magnetosphere are used, in conjunction with the JPL electron model (less than 40 MeV), to compute irradiation effects in the surface layers of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Significant elemental modifications are produced on unshielded surfaces to approximately centimeter depths in times of less than or equal to 10(exp 6) years, whereas micrometer depths on Europa are fully processed in approximately 10 years. Most observations of surface composition are limited to optical depths of approximately 1 mm, which are indirect contact with the space environment. Incident flux modeling includes Stormer deflection by the Ganymede dipole magnetic field, likely variable over that satellite's irradiation history. Delivered energy flux of approximately 8 x 10(exp 10) keV/square cm-s at Europa is comparable to total internal heat flux in the same units from tidal and radiogenic sources, while exceeding that for solar UV energies (greater than 6 eV) relevant to ice chemistry. Particle energy fluxes to Ganymede's equator and Callisto are similar at approximately 2-3 x 10(exp 8) keV/square cm-s with 5 x 10(exp 9) at Ganymede's polar cap, the latter being comparable to radiogenic energy input. Rates of change in optical reflectance and molecular composition on Europa, and on Ganymede's polar cap, are strongly driven by energy from irradiation, even in relatively young regions. Irradiation of nonice materials can produce SO2 and CO2, detected on Callisto and Europa, and simple to complex hydrocarbons. Iogenic neutral atoms and meteoroids deliver negligible energy approximately 10(exp 4-5) keV/square cm-s but impacts of the latter are important for burial or removal of irradiation products. Downward transport of radiation produced oxidants and hydrocarbons could deliver significant chemical energy into the satellite interiors for astrobiological evolution in putative sub-surface oceans.

Cooper, John F.↗