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Results for “INTERPLANETARY SPACE”

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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Propagation anisotropies of solar flare protons and electrons at low energies in interplanetary space.

Flux anisotropies in interplanetary space were investigated for protons with E greater than 0.66 MeV and electrons with E greater than 400 keV. Data were taken from the University of Chicago charged-particle telescope aboard the deep-space probe Pioneer 7 and from the Goddard Space Flight Center magnetometer aboard the same spacecraft. Flux anisotropies lying to the east of the average interplanetary magnetic field direction were first reported by McCracken et al. (1971), late in a solar particle event, for proton energies greater than 7.5 MeV. This work extends this investigation to much lower proton energies, studies the proton and electron anisotropies during both early and late phases of a particle event, and makes use of detailed magnetic field data. The investigation consists of two parts, a study of many periods taken at random during solar events, for both protons and electrons, and a detailed analysis of one period, early in an event, during which the magnetic field was near the solar direction.

Pyle, K. R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A new technique for in situ measurement of the composition of neutral gas in interplanetary space

Neutral atoms in interplanetary space play an important role in many processes relevant to the formation and evolution of the Solar System. An experimental approach is proposed for in situ atom detection based on the conversion of neutral atoms to negative ions at a specially prepared sensitive surface. Negative ions are subsequently analyzed and detected in an essentially noise-free mode. The use of the technique for in situ study of the composition of neutral interstellar atoms is considered. It is shown that interstellar H, D, and O atoms and possibly H2 molecules can be measured by the proposed technique. The experiment can be performed from a high-apogee Earth-orbiting satellite or from a deep space probe. Possible applications of the technique are discussed.

Gruntman, Michael A.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Ion Flux Environments for Exposed Spacecraft Surfaces in Interplanetary Space

Spacecraft surfaces in interplanetary space are exposed to solar wind ions. The bulk of the ions exhibit energies of a few kilovolts and are important only to surface interactions while a fraction of the solar wind extends to greater energies and may penetrate below the material surface. The importance of including solar wind ions in analysis of space environment effects on spacecraft is becoming more important as new spacecraft designs are considered which include systems such as sunshades, solar sail propulsion systems, and other mission critical features based on very thin materials. This paper provides a status report on development of solar wind ion environments to support engineering analysis of materials exposed to the space environment including techniques for reconstructing ion environments from solar wind plasma moments and energetic flux measurements and comparison of statistical flux environments to integrated mission fluence.

Minow, Joseph I.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Dynamics of magnetic clouds in interplanetary space

Magnetic clouds observed in interplanetary space may be regarded as extraneous bodies immersed in the magnetized medium of the solar wind. The interface between a magnetic cloud and its surrounding medium separates the internal and external magnetic fields. Polarization currents are induced in the peripheral layer to make the ambient magnetic field tangential. The motion of a magnetic cloud through the interplanetary medium may be partitioned into a translational motion of the magnetic cloud as a whole and an expansive motion of the volume relative to the axis of the magnetic cloud. The translational motion is determined by two kinds of forces, i.e., the gravitational force exerted by the Sun, and the hydromagnetic buoyancy force exerted by the surrounding medium. On the other hand, the expansive motion is determined by the pressure gradient sustaining the gross difference between the internal and external pressures and by the self-induced magnetic force that results from the interaction among the internal currents. The force resulting from the internal and external currents is a part of the hydromagnetic buoyancy force, manifested by a thermal stress caused by the inhomogeneity of the ambient magnetic pressure.

Yeh, Tyan↗