Acceleration theory for 5–40 keV ions at interplanetary shocks

Power-law spectra f(E)∝E^?2.7 of < 40 keV suprathermal ions within ～10⁷ km of propagating interplanetary shocks are explained by diffusive scattering near a plane shock. The theory fits the 25 November 1977 event with a mean free path perpendicular to the shock with is 0.01 AU in front of the shock and less than .0003 AU behind it, for 1 keV ions. The theory predicts a steepening spectrum at higher energies, of the form $\text{f(v)∝v}{}^{\mathrm{?4}}\text{exp(??λdv/ur)}\text{where}\text{u = (ΔV)}{}^2\text{/2V}{}_{\mathrm{W}}$ depends on the plasma velocity jump ΔV and the plasma speed V_W and mean free path λ in front of the shock     

The pioneer venus orbiter ultraviolet spectrometer experiment: Analysis of hydrogen lyman alpha data

Pioneer Venus Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (PVOUVS) HI 1216Å data from six (6) orbits are analyzed. Analysis of subsolar region periapsis data show that for an exobase temperature of 305K, the exobase density is $\text{5 ± 2(4)}{}^{\mathrm{@}}\text{cm}{}^{\mathrm{?3}}$ and the column abundance of atomic hydrogen between 110 and 200 km is 2.4 ± 0.8(13) cm^?2. The upward flux through the exobase is determined to be 7.5 ± 2.5(7)/cm²s. Apoapsis data were analyzed for both evening and morning geometries. We conclude: (1) the observed limb profiles show a diurnal variation consistent with Brinton et al.; (2) the model temperature field provides a good fit to the morning data, but the morning temperature field must be used to match the evening data; and (3) the theoretical Ly α limb intensity profiles are sensitive to small changes in the shape and magnitude of the variation of exobase hydrogen with solar zenith angle. The solar Ly α flux at line center required to fit the magnitude of the data is 8(11) photons/cm²s Å at Venus.     

Preliminary results of the Giotto radio science experiment

Doppler and ranging measurements using the radio signal of the GIOTTO spacecraft were taken before, during, and after the encounter with Comet Halley on $\text{13}\text{14}$ March 1986. The spacecraft velocity was found to decrease by a total of 23.3 cm s^?1 due to impacting gas and (primarily) dust in the cometary atmosphere. A preliminary dust production rate $\text{Q}{}_{\mathrm{d}}\text{? 10 × 10}{}^3\text{kg s}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$ is found to be consistent with this deceleration. Power spectra of the carrier phase fluctuations reveal an increase in level and a flattening of the spectrum just prior to encounter, presumably associated with the enhanced dust impact rate. Finally, simulated Doppler time profiles are computed using the radial dependence of plasma density observed by the GIOTTO $\text{in situ}$ investigations. It is shown that the cometary electron content profile would have been clearly seen if a dual-frequency downlink radio configuration had been available at encounter.     

V.L.A. observations of flare build-up in coronal loops

Very Large Array (V.L.A.) measurements at 20 cm wavelength map emission from coronal loops with second-of-arc angular resolution at time intervals as short as 3.3 seconds. The total intensity of the 20 cm emission describes the evolution and structure of the hot plasma that is detected by satellite X-ray observations of coronal loops. The circular polarization of the 20 cm emission describes the evolution, strength and structure of the coronal magnetic field. Preburst heating and magnetic changes that precede burst emission on time scales of between 1 and 30 minutes are discussed. Simultaneous 20 cm and soft X-ray observations indicate an electron temperature $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\textcolor{red}{}\text{2.5 × 10}{}^7\text{K}$ and electron density $\text{N}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\textcolor{red}{}\text{10}{}^{10}\text{cm}{}^{\mathrm{?3}}$ during preburst heating in a coronal loop that was also associated with twisting of the entire loop in space. We also discuss the successive triggering of bursts from adjacent coronal loops; highly polarized emission from the legs of loops with large intensity changes over a 32 MHz change in observing frequency; and apparent motions of hot plasma within coronal loops at velocities V > 2,000 kilometerspersecond.     

Laboratory simulation of the injection of energetic electron beams into the ionosphere—Ignition of the beam plasma discharge

Experiments, which somewhat simulate the injection of monoenergetic (several keV) electron beams into the ionosphere, have been performed in the very large (17 m × 26 m) vacuum chamber at Johnson Space Center. Typical operating ranges were: Beam current, I (0–130 mA), beam energy, E (0.5–3 kV), magnetic field, (0.3–2 G), path length, L (10–20 m), and injection pitch angle, α(0–80°). Measurements were carried out in both steady state and pulsed modes. In steady state and for constant V, B, p, L, α, the beam plasma discharge (BPD) is abruptly ignited when the beam current is increased above a critical value; at currents below critical, the beam configuration appears grossly consistent with single particle behavior. If it is assumed that each of the experiment parameters can be varied independently, the critical current required for ignition obeys the empirical relationship at p < 2 × 10^?5 torr:

$\text{I}\textcolor{red}{}\text{E}{}^{\mathrm{3/2}}\text{B}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>0.7</mtext><mtext>pL</mtext>}}$

The BPD is characterized by 1) a large increase in the plasma production rate manifested in corresponding increases in the 3914 Å light intensity and plasma density, 2) intense wave emissions in a broad band centered at the plasma frequency and a second band extending from a few kHz up to the electron cyclotron frequency, 3) scattering of the beam in velocity space and 4) radial expansion and pitch angle scattering of the primary beam leading to the disappearance of single particle trajectory features.Measurements of the BPD critical current have been carried out with an ion thruster (Kaufman engine) to provide a background plasma, and these indicate that the presence of an ambient plasma of typical ionospheric densities has little effect on the critical current relation.Measurements of wave amplitudes over a large frequency range show that the amplitude of waves near the plasma and electron cyclotron frequencies are too small to cause or sustain BPD, and that the important instabilities are at much lower frequency (～ 3 kHz in these measurements).     

The chemical conditions on the parent body of the murchison meteorite: Some conclusions based on amino, hydroxy and dicarboxylic acids

Amino and hydroxy acids have been identified in the Murchison meteorite. Their presence is consistent with a synthetic pathway involving aldehydes, hydrogen cyanide and ammonia in an aqueous environment (Strecker-cyanohydrin synthesis). From the various equilibrium and rate constants involved in this synthesis, four independent estimates of the ammonium ion concentrations on the parent body at the time of compound synthesis are obtained; all values are about 2 × 10^?3 M. Succinic acid and β-alanine have also been detected in the Murchison meteorite. Their presence is consistent with a synthesis from acrylonitrile, hydrogen cyanide and ammonia. Using the equilibrium and rate constants for this synthetic pathway, and the succinic acid/β-alanine ratio measured in the Murchison meteorite, an estimate of the hydrogen cyanide concentration of 10^?3 to 10^?2 M is obtained. Since hydrogen cyanide hydrolyzes relatively rapidly in an aqueous environment ($\text{t}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{< 10}{}^4\text{yrs}$) this high concentration implies a period of synthesis of organic compounds as short as 10⁴ years on the Murchison meteorite parent body.     

Girl — the German infrared laboratory for spacelab

GIRL is a liquid helium cooled 50 cm telescope equipped with four focal plane instruments dedicated to astronomical and aeronomical observations. These instruments, a detector array, a photopolarimeter, an Ebert-Fastie-spectrometer and a Michelson-interferometer make up an “infrared observatory” having high sensitivity and high spectral and spatial resolution. Si:Ga-, Si:Sb-, Si:As-, Si:P-, Ge:Be-, Ge:Cu- and Ge:Ga-detectors with NEP-values as low as $\text{3 10}{}^{\mathrm{?17}}\text{W Hz}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>?1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ have been tested and will be used to cover the wavelength range 3…120 μm. A full size “thermal model” of the GIRL cryostat containing 300 1 of superfluid helium at 1.6 K has been tested at the industrial prime contractor MBB; results of these tests will be presented in a following paper by F. Dahl et al. Several new techniques for cold telescopes are used in GIRL, for instance a glass ceramics primary mirror, a low power chopping secondary and an active helium phase separator. The scientific objectives include studies of star formation regions and active galaxies as well as measurements of spurious gases in the earth atmosphere. GIRL will be pointed by the Instrument Pointing System (IPS) and is scheduled to fly on Spacelab in 1986/87.     

Solar flare proton release from coronal magnetic traps and strong Alfvén turbulence in the corona

Drift instabilities arising when accelerated protons are trapped by coronal magnetic fields of active regions are investigated theoretically. If β, the ratio of total (plasma + energetic particles) pressure and magnetic field pressure is larger than some value, $\text{β?0.1}\text{to}\text{0.3}$, the magnetic trap is destructed and protons are released into interplanetary space. If $\text{β < β}{}^1$, the trapped protons excite gradient instability due to magnetic drift resonance. This “universal” instability results in rapid development of strong Alfvén wave turbulence with small wavelengths transverse to the magnetic field. Particle diffusion due to the waves has a rather complicated character and appears to be weak as compared to quasilinear diffusion. The role of Alfvén waves may consist in additional heating of the corona in the regions of closed magnetic field lines.     

Sensitivity on nonequilibrium chemical systems to gravitational field

We note that far-from-equilibrium chemical systems can respond very sensitively to gravity. The response could be in selection of possible structures or in the formation of propagating bands. In these cases the sensitivity is characterized by the factor $\text{(E}{}_{\mathrm{g}}\text{/kT)}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>n</mtext>}}$, where n=2 or 3, E_g the interaction energy, k the Boltzmann constant and T, the temperature. Also, taking the thermodynamic fluctuations into account, we obtain the theoretical limit for the minimum field strength measurable by such systems.     

Vegetation cover mapping from NOAA/AVHRR

The visible and near infrared channels, Ch₁ and CH₂ respectively, on the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) provide daily information for monitoring changes in vegetation and crops. Data from these channels are used to create a normalized vegetation index (NVI) that is sensitive to changes in green leaf biomass and is represented mathematically by:

$\text{NVI =}\text{CH}{}_2\text{? CH}{}_1\text{CH}{}_2\text{+ CH}{}_1$

Operational products generated at NOAA include full-scale 1-km resolution images of the NVI covering areas viewed in a single swath of the polar-orbiting NOAA satellite. Global scale NVI images are also produced by compositing over a seven-day period, saving the maximum NVI created daily for each local array (resolution of 15 km at the equator to 30 km at the poles). Such seven-day mapping reduces the effect of cloud contamination. The global vegetation indices are used by foreign and U.S. government agencies for operational and experimental purposes such as assessment of crop conditions, monitoring potential desert locust breeding grounds, forest fire danger models, and monitoring range lands for forage availability. Examples include changes in the NVI in the Lake Chad vicinity, 1981–1982 and 1984; western United States NVI; and seasonal variations of the NVI in the Sahel using the global operational data base, 1982–1983.     

Ion and electron superdiffusive transport in the interplanetary space

We study the propagation of energetic particles, accelerated by interplanetary shock waves, upstream of the shock. By using the appropriate propagator, we show that in the case of superdiffusive transport, the time profile of particles accelerated at a traveling planar shock is a power-law with slope 0<γ<1$0<\gamma <1$, at variance with the exponential profile obtained for normal diffusion. By analyzing data sets of interplanetary shocks in the solar wind observed by the Ulysses and the Voyager 2 spacecraft, we find that the time profiles of energetic electrons correspond to power-laws, with slopes γ?0.30–0.98$\gamma ?0.30''–''0.98$, implying a mean square displacement 〈Δx²〉∝t^α$〈\mathrm{\Delta }{x}^2〉\propto t^{\alpha }$, with α=2-γ>1$\alpha =2-\gamma >1$, i.e., superdiffusion. In addition, the propagation of ions is also superdiffusive, with α=1.07–1.13$\alpha =1.07''–''1.13$.