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Results for “partially magnetized”

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 NTRS1981

Experimental investigations of turbulence in magnetized, partially ionized plasmas

An experimental investigation of turbulent fluctuations associated with gradient cross-field and Farley-Buneman instabilities is described. The experiments are carried out in magnetized plasma columns with an imposed radial electric field. Microwave scattering and probe measurements provide the plasma diagnostics. Particular attention is given to the varying characteristics of the turbulent spectra for both potential and density as a function of neutral gas pressure.

Mikkelsen, T.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Magnetic reconnection in partially ionized gases

Magnetic field lines in a plasma reconnect at a rate scaled by the Alfven speed. In a partially ionized gas there are two natural Alfven speeds: one determined by the ionized mass density alone, which applies when ion-neutral friction is negligible, and one determined by the total mass density, which applies when ion-neutral friction is strong. When the ionization fraction is low, as in a dense molecular cloud, these two speeds differ by several orders of magnitude. Both time-dependent tearing modes and steady-state magnetic reconnection in partially ionized gas are considered, and the regimes in which the charged and neutral components are strongly, intermediately, and weakly coupled are delineated. Molecular clouds are probably in the intermediate regime, while reconnection in solar prominences probably has strong ion-neutral coupling. Reconnection proceeds more rapidly when coupling is not strong.

Zweibel, Ellen G.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Regulation of the interplanetary magnetic field

In this study we use a recently developed technique for measuring the combined magnitudes of inward and outward (sunward and antisunward) pointing 2D magnetic flux in the ecliptic plane to examine (1) the long term variation of the amount of magnetic field open to interplanetary space and (2) the apparent rate at which coronal mass ejections (CMEs) may be opening new magnetic field from the sun. Since there is a substantial variation (about 50 percent) of these combined fluxes in the ecliptic plane over solar cycle 21, we conclude that there must be some means whereby new field can be opened from the sun and a previously open magnetic field can be closed off. We briefly describe recently discovered coronal disconnection events which could serve to close off a previously open magnetic field. CMEs appear to retain at least partial magnetic connection to the sun and hence open up a new field, while disconnections appear to be likely signatures of the process that returns a closed field to the sun. The combination of these processes could regulate the amount of inward and outward magnetic flux open to interplanetary space.

Mccomas, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The free energies of partially open coronal magnetic fields

A simple model of the low corona is examined in terms of a static polytropic atmosphere in equilibrium with a global magnetic field. The question posed is whether magnetostatic states with partially open magnetic fields may contain magnetic energies in excess of those in fully open magnetic fields. Based on the analysis presented here, it is concluded that the cross-field electric currents in the pre-eruption corona are a viable source of the bulk of the energies in a mass ejection and its associated flare.

Low, B. C.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Yttrium enrichment and improved magnetic properties in partially melted Y-Ba-Cu-O materials

The yttrium-rich compositions in the Y-Ba-Cu-O system were mapped out in a systematic manner to quantify their magnetic properties and to correlate them with the microstructure and phase composition as determined by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. It is found that the microstructure of Y-Ba-Cu-O compositions is a sensitive function of both their composition and processing conditions. Measurements of magnetic susceptibility and maximum (low-field) and remanent magnetization for the system Y:Ba:Cu = x:2:3 show highest values for x = 2. The corresponding structures involve numerous small crystals of Y2BaCuO5 (211) embedded in highly ordered assemblages of continous YBa2Cu3O(7-y) (123) layers.

Alterescu, Sidney↗
NASA NTRS2008

Magnetic Field Observations of Partial Ring Current during Storm Recovery Phase

We present results of an extensive survey of the magnetic field observations in the inner magnetosphere using 30 years of magnetospheric magnetic field data from Polar, Cluster, ISEE, and AMPTE/CCE missions. The purpose of this study is to understand the magnetic field evolution during the recovery phase of geomagnetic storms, and its implication to the ring current recovery and loss mechanisms of ring current particles. It is now commonly believed that a strong partial ring current is formed during the storm main phase due to the enhanced earthward convection of energetic ions from nightside plasma sheet. But the presence of a strong partial ring current throughout the recovery phase remains controversial. The magnetic field generated by the ring current inflates the inner magnetosphere and causes magnetic field depressions in the equatorial magnetosphere. During the storm recovery phase, we find that the distribution of the equatorial magnetic field depression exhibits similar local time dependence as the ring current distribution obtained from the combined dataset in the earlier study. It shows that a strong partial ring current is a permanent feature throughout the recovery phase. In the early recovery phase, the partial ring current peaks near the dusk terminator as indicated by the peak of the magnetic field depression. As the recovery phase progresses, the partial ring current decays most quickly near the dusk and results in a dusk-to-midnight moving of the peak of the partial ring current. Thus the loss mechanisms work most effectively near the dusk. The magnetic field depression increases the gyroradius of ring current protons to a scale greater or comparable to the thickness of the magnetopause, which increases the chance of ion drift loss near the dusk magnetopause at larger L-shell (L greater than 5). But the drift loss mechanism alone cannot explain the loss of ring current ions especially in the smaller L-shell (L less than 5). The precipitation loss due to wave-particle interaction is most likely the dominant loss mechanism in the small L-shell as it works most effectively at the same local time.

Le, G.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Magnetic Field Observations of Partial Ring Current during Storm Recovery Phase

We present results of an extensive survey of the magnetic field observations in the inner magnetosphere using 30 years of magnetospheric magnetic field data from Polar, Cluster, ISEE, and AMPTE/CCE missions. The purpose of this study is to understand the magnetic field evolution during the recovery phase of geomagnetic storms, and its implication to the ring current recovery and loss mechanisms of ring current particles. Our previous work on global ring current distribution [Le et al., 2004] has shown that a significant partial ring current is always present at all Dst levels (regardless of storm phases) even for quiet time ring current. The total current carried by the partial ring current is much stronger than (during stormtime) or at least comparable to (during quiet time) the symmetric ring current. It is now commonly believed that a strong partial ring current is formed during the storm main phase due to the enhanced earthward convection of energetic ions from nightside plasma sheet. But the presence of a strong partial ring current throughout the recovery phase remains controversial. The magnetic field generated by the ring current inflates the inner magnetosphere and causes magnetic field depressions in the equatorial magnetosphere. During the storm recovery phase, we find that the distribution of the equatorial magnetic field depression exhibits similar local time dependence as the ring current distribution obtained from the combined dataset in the earlier study. It shows that a strong partial ring current is a permanent feature throughout the recovery phase. In the early recovery phase, the partial ring current peaks near the dusk terminator as indicated by the peak of the magnetic field depression. As the recovery phase progresses, the partial ring current decays most quickly near the dusk and results in a dusk-to-midnight moving of the peak of the partial ring current. Thus the loss mechanisms work most effectively near the dusk. The magnetic field depression increases the gyroradius of ring current protons to a scale greater or comparable to the thickness of the magnetopause, which increases the chance of ion drift loss near the dusk magnetopause at larger L-shell (L>5). But the drift loss mechanism alone cannot explain the loss of ring current ions especially in the smaller L-shell (L<5). The precipitation loss due to wave-particle interaction is most likely the dominant loss mechanism in the small L-shell as it works most effectively at the same local time.

Le, Guan↗
NASA NTRS1976

Some complexities in the determination of lunar paleointensities

Application of a variant of the Thellier-Thellier method for paleomagnetic field intensity determination to an analog lunar sample revealed a peak at about 250 C on the partial thermoremanent magnetization (PTRM). Evidence suggests that this can be best explained by a partial self-reversal involving troilite becoming reversely magnetized in the presence of already magnetized intergrown iron. In lunar samples, an additional peak was observed. The results suggest that natural remanent magnetization of lunar samples is in part carried by interacting grains, so that paleointensity determinations on the basis of the assumption of noninteracting grains have to be discarded.

Pearce, G. W.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Comparison of two methods of performing the Thellier experiment

Two methods for performing the Thellier experiment on paleointensity determinations are compared. The first method is essentially that of Coe (1967) and the second is a slight modification of it. Prepared samples containing different species of magnetic particles are used, and both methods are always performed on the same sample. The study is designed to accent procedural differences between the two methods. It is shown that only the Coe method yields linear PNRM-PTRM (Partial ThermoRemanent Magnetization) plots for single domain and pseudo-single domain particles, because it maintains the symmetry between high-temperature VRM (Viscous Remanent Magnetization) and spontaneous decay, whereas for the modified Coe method the spontaneous decay is enhanced. For multidomain remanence, even the Coe method yields a nonlinear concave-up PNRM-PTRM plot. Paleointensity determinations employing only the ratio NRM/TRM provide no means of evaluating the reliability of the results.

Levi, S.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Source of Global Scale Variations in the Midday Vertical Content of Ionospheric Metal Ions

An analysis of long baseline NIMBUS 7 SBUV (Solar Backscatter UV Spectrometer) observations of the latitudinal variation of the noontime vertical Mg' content above approx. 70 km have revealed seasonal, solar activity and magnetic activity dependencies in the Mg+ content. The distributions were categorized in terms of magnetic coordinates partially because transport processes lifting metallic ions from the main meteor ionization layer below 100 km up into the F- region and down again are controlled by electrodynamical processes. Alternatively, the Nimbus Mg+ distributions may simply be a result of ion/neutral chemistry changes resulting from atmospheric changes and not dynamics. In such a case magnetic control would not dominate the distributions. Using in situ satellite measurements of metal ions from the Atmosphere Explorer satellites in the region above the main meteor layer and published sounding rocket measurements of the main metallic ion layers, the effects of the dynamics on the vertical content are delineated. The consequences of atmospheric changes on the vertical content are explored by separating the Nimbus measurements in a geodetic frame of reference.

Joiner, J.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Galactic Cosmic Rays in the Outer Heliosphere

We report a next generation model of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) transport in the three dimensional heliosphere. Our model is based on an accurate three-dimensional representation of the heliospheric interface. This representation is obtained by taking into account the interaction between partially ionized, magnetized plasma flows of the solar wind and the local interstellar medium. Our model reveals that after entering the heliosphere GCRs are stored in the heliosheath for several years. The preferred GCR entry locations are near the nose of the heliopause and at high latitudes. Low-energy (hundreds of MeV) galactic ions observed in the heliosheath have spent, on average, a longer time in the solar wind than those observed in the inner heliosphere, which would explain their cooled-off spectra at these energies. We also discuss radial gradients in the heliosheath and the implications for future Voyager observations

Florinski, V.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Cosmic Ray Modulation in the Outer Heliosphere During the Minimum of Solar Cycle 23/24

We report a next generation model of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) transport in the three dimensional heliosphere. Our model is based on an accurate three-dimensional representation of the heliospheric interface. This representation is obtained by taking into account the interaction between partially ionized, magnetized plasma flows of the solar wind and the local interstellar medium. Our model reveals that after entering the heliosphere GCRs are stored in the heliosheath for several years. The preferred GCR entry locations are near the nose of the heliopause and at high latitudes. Low-energy (hundreds of MeV) galactic ions observed in the heliosheath have spent, on average, a longer time in the solar wind than those observed in the inner heliosphere, which would explain their cooled-off spectra at these energies. We also discuss radial gradients in the heliosheath and the implications for future Voyager observations.

Adams, James H., Jr.↗