Why should the latitude of the observer be considered when modeling gradual proton events? An insight using the concept of cobpoint

The shape of flux profiles of gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) events depends on several not well-understood factors, such as the strength of the associated shock, the relative position of the observer in space with respect to the traveling shock, the existence of a background seed particle population, the interplanetary conditions for particle transport, as well as the particle energy. Here, we focus on two of these factors: the influence of the shock strength and the relative position of the observer. We performed a 3D simulation of the propagation of a coronal/interplanetary CME-driven shock in the framework of ideal MHD modeling. We analyze the passage of this shock by nine spacecraft located at ∼0.4 AU (Mercury’s orbit) and at different longitudes and latitudes. We study the evolution of the plasma conditions in the shock front region magnetically connected to each spacecraft, that is the region of the shock front scanned by the “cobpoint” (Heras et al., 1995), as the shock propagates away from the Sun. Particularly, we discuss the influence of the latitude of the observer on the injection rate of shock-accelerated particles and, hence, on the resulting proton flux profiles to be detected by each spacecraft.     

Modelling of Solar Wind, CME Initiation and CME Propagation

Simulations of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) evolving in the interplanetary (IP) space from the Sun up to 1 AU are performed in the framework of ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) by the means of a finite-volume, explicit solver. The aim is to quantify the effect of the background solar wind and of the CME initiation parameters, such as the initial magnetic polarity, on the evolution and on the geo-effectiveness of CMEs. First, three different solar wind models are reconstructed using the same numerical grid and the same numerical scheme. Then, different CME initiation models are considered: Magnetic foot point shearing and magnetic flux emergence. For the fast CME evolution studies, a very simple CME model is considered: A high-density and high-pressure magnetized plasma blob is superposed on a background steady state solar wind model with an initial velocity and launch direction. The simulations show that the initial magnetic polarity substantially affects the IP evolution of the CMEs influencing the propagation velocity, the shape, the trajectory (and thus, the geo-effectiveness).     

Hall MHD reconnection with an initial guide field By0

An uniform out-of-plane magnetic field component B_y0 is added to the equilibrium Harris sheet with plasma β = 0.5 and L_c = 0.5d_i (where L_c is the half-width of the equilibrium current layer and d_i is the ion inertial length). Driven by the continuous boundary inflows, the magnetic reconnections with the guide field B_y0/B₀ ranging from 0 to 4.0 are investigated using a 2.5D Hall magnetohydro-dynamic (MHD) code developed from a multi-step implicit scheme. The features of the reconnection field are substantially altered in the presence of the guide field. The openness of the magnetic separatrix angle is slightly reduced and the anti-symmetric quadrupolar structure of B_y field and the symmetric distribution of plasma pressure P are replaced by an asymmetric B_y four-wing structure and an asymmetric P plot as a non-zero B_y0 is added. The decoupling of electrons and ions also occurs near the X line in the case with a finite B_y0, but the effect of initial B_y0 on the electron flow is greater than that on the ion flow. The reconnection rates at the X-line drops from 0.151 to 0.06, namely, ∂A/∂t is reduced by a factor of 2.5 as B_y0/B₀ increases from 0 to 4.0. The reduction of reconnection rate might be related to the reducing openness of reconnection layer with the increasing B_y0.     

Estimation of the bias of the Minimum Variance technique in the determination of magnetic clouds global quantities and orientation

Magnetic clouds (MCs) are highly magnetized plasma structures that have a low proton temperature and a magnetic field vector that rotates when seen by a heliospheric observer. More than 25 years of observations of magnetic and plasma properties of MCs at 1 AU have provided significant knowledge of their magnetic structure. However, because in situ observations only give information along the trajectory of the spacecraft, their real 3D magnetic configuration remains still partially unknown. We generate a set of synthetic clouds, exploring the space of parameters that represents the possible orientations and minimum distances of the satellite trajectory to the cloud axis, p. The synthetic clouds have a local cylindrical symmetry and a linear force-free magnetic configuration. From the analysis of synthetic clouds, we quantify the errors introduced in the determination of the orientation/size (and, consequently, of the global magnetohydrodynamic quantities) by the Minimum Variance method when p is not zero.     

1998年5月2日日冕亮度观测图的数值研究

采用数值手段模拟了1998年5月2日日冕亮度观测图，计算模式改进为球坐标下系下特殊的二维理想磁流体（MHD）模型，即把（r,φ）坐标建立在SOHO观测日冕亮度的子午面上，消除了子午面极区的几何奇异性，根据SOHD日冕观测布置磁极子得到初始磁场位形，内边界条件采用自治的投影特征边界条件，计算迭代出稳态的多 磁场结构，得得到了与观测基本一致的亮度图，计算结果表明在太阳表面附近磁场位形对太阳凤等离子参数分布起控制作用。     

脉冲等离子体推力器推进剂烧蚀传热计算

运用磁流体动力学的方法,建立脉冲等离子体推力器工作过程模型,展开三维仿真研究,对推进剂的烧蚀传热过程进行分析。通过该模型计算得到的推进剂烧蚀质量和元冲量能够反映出实验结果的大体趋势,同时针对不同电容以及两种不同推力室构型的情况进行了评估。结果显示,推进剂的温度变化波形反映着放电波形的变化波形,影响着推力室等离子体的流动,良好的推进剂表面温度分布更有助于推进剂的喷射过程。     

流向磁场作用下二维磁流体槽道湍流直接模拟

对低磁雷诺数近似下流向磁场作用的二维磁流体槽道湍流进行了直接数值模拟(DNS,Direct Numerical Simulation),给出了 Re=10 000时不同磁相互作用数下二维磁流体槽道湍流的近壁速度分布、湍流脉动速度均方根、雷诺应力等统计量的变化,并与中性流体二维槽道湍流进行了比较.结果表明:流向磁场作用会导致对数区上移;雷诺应力最大值随磁相互作用数呈线性变化;随着磁相互作用数的增大,下壁面平均涡量的时间演化由拟周期性向周期性转变,且脉动周期逐渐增大并当流动层流化后下壁面平均涡量成为常值.      

Effect of current sheets on the power spectrum of the solar wind magnetic field using a cell model

A puzzling observation of solar wind MHD turbulence is the often seen Kolmogorov scaling of k^-5/3$k^{-5/3}$, even though the solar wind MHD turbulence is dominated by Alfvénic fluctuations. Recently Li et al. (2011) proposed that the presence of current sheets may be the cause of the Kolmogorov scaling. Here, using a cell model of the solar wind we examine the effect of current sheets on the power spectrum of the solar wind magnetic field. We model the solar wind as multiple cells separated by current sheets. We prescribe the spectra of turbulent magnetic field in individual cells as IK-like and examine the spectra along trajectories that cross multiple boundaries. We find that these spectra become softer and are consistent with the Kolmogorov-scaling. Our finding supports our recent proposal of Li et al. (2011).     

磁流体管流准一维模型的数值验证与性能分析

为了快速分析磁流体管流,采用涡轮喷气发动机模型对磁流体管流进行类比分析,引入变截面管流理论和修改过的多变效率表达式,推导了磁流体发电器和加速器的准一维模型,采用二维数值方法验证了准一维模型的可行性,利用该准一维模型对磁流体管流进行了性能分析,结果表明,多变效率的引入使准一维模型更加完整,当负载系数不变时,磁流体装置中的平均马赫数越低,其等熵效率越高。