TC-1和Geotail对亚暴过程中近地等离子体片磁扰动的联合观测

以2004年9月28日02:53:20 UT的亚暴为例, 通过TC-1在磁尾约12.5 R_e 和Geotail卫星在近地磁尾等离子体片约8～9 R_e的联合观测, 研究亚暴触发过程中近地磁尾等离子体片中等离子体波动特征. 结果表明, 亚暴触发区是近地磁尾中心等离子体片中较小的一个区域, 在亚暴触发区中低混杂不稳定性在近地磁尾等离子体片中存在, 准垂直传播的低混杂波发生在亚暴触发过程中, 而亚暴触发过程中近地磁尾等离子体片外边界区内的磁场偶极化信号和扰动都非常微弱. 在亚暴触发和亚暴膨胀相过程中出现了多次具有不同特征的磁场偶极化现象.     

中心等离子体片的地向对流型高速流

在GSM坐标系下, 利用TC-1卫星和Cluster/C1卫星上4s分辨率的磁场和热离子探测数据, 对中心等离子体片内的地向对流型高速流进行了统计研究(-19 Re < x< -9 Re, |y| < 10 Re, |z|< 5 Re). 统计结果表明, 地向对流型高速流会在15 Re以内出现``刹车', 在11.5 Re附近时出现``缺失'. 进一步对其速度特征进行统计分析. 结果显示, 在中心等离子体片内的高速流, 其运动方向主要为地向, 晨昏和南北方向的运动明显较弱; 在对流型高速流的地向输运过程中, 其峰值速度没有明显的下降; 在近地13 Re以内, 等离子体片内的地向对流型高速流具有较强的垂直磁力线运动速度. 这意味着对流型高速流在近地15 Re以内的“刹车”不是由高速流晨昏或南北方向的偏转造成的. 高速流在11.5 Re附近时出现的``缺失'可能与在15 Re以内出现``刹车'密切相关. TC-1卫星和Cluster卫星的观测为了解中磁尾重联高速流地向输运过程及亚暴膨胀相触发提供了重要的观测依据.     

各向异性等离子体多重电流片的演化

应用二维三分量磁流体动力学方程组模拟,数值研究了压力各向异性等离子体周期多重电流片的演化.发现在β<<1时,微弱的各向异性仅仅使电流片中磁场重联的速度加快.而当β≈1(即热压与磁压相当时),微弱的垂直各向异性(P_┴>P_//)不仅大大加速了磁场重联的速度,还使重联位置发生显著变化.初始反对称的磁场重联位形逐步转化为对称的磁场位形,进而再演化为与初始反相的反对称磁场位形.场向各向异性(P_┴<P_//)和强的垂直各向异性都导致不稳定性增长率成倍增加.但在场向各向异性下磁场位形基本不变,只在电流片中心出现不规则扰动.同样参数下各向异性等离子体多重电流片中磁场重联形成的磁岛比各向同性多层电流片要小.     

空间等离子体压力各向异性对磁场重联的影响

基于二维时变可压缩磁流体动力学模拟,数值研究了等离子体压力各向异性对磁场重联的影响,发现一个小的压力各向异性(P_⊥=1.02P_//)即可大大加速磁场重联的发展,这可能是由于磁镜不稳定性与撕裂模不稳定性共同起作用.在P_⊥P_//的情况下,撕裂模受到抑制,电流片中不能形成大型磁岛.     

冷而密的等离子体片及其对磁尾等离子体片分布特性的影响

地球磁尾等离子体片在太阳风-磁层耦合过程中起着重要的作用,其中冷而密的等离子体片是地磁活动平静期太阳风等离子体进入磁层的重要区域.以往的研究通常没有利用局地探测数据针对冷而密的等离子体片发生率在地心太阳磁层坐标系（GSM）中xy平面分布的统计分析.本文利用GEOTAIL卫星1996-2016年的局地测量数据,给出了等离子体片密度、温度及冷而密的等离子体片发生率的二维分布.与温度具有晨昏对称分布不同,等离子体片数密度呈现明显的晨昏不对称性,并且冷而密的等离子体片发生率在晨侧较高.     

自然对流对相变材料熔化过程的影响分析

为分析自然对流对相变材料熔化过程的影响,建立了二维瞬态、固/液相统一的控制方程,采用SIMPLE算法对底部加热、顶部冷却的方腔内相变材料熔化过程进行了数值仿真,研究了方腔内温度场和速度场随时间变化规律,结果表明:自然对流使液相区等效导热系数增大;随着固液界面向上移动,液相区自然对流逐渐增强,流动状态不断变化.     

行星际磁场对磁尾场向电流发生率的影响

利用Cluster卫星的磁场和等离子体探测数据, 研究了行星际磁场(IMF)时钟角(clock angle) Φ和锥角(cone angle) θ对磁尾等离子体片边界层(PSBL)区场向电流发生率的影响. 当时钟角Φ >0时, 磁尾场向电流 的发生率较高, 这表明磁尾场向电流的发生与昏向太阳风条件更为密切; 当 90°<|Φ|<180°时, 场向电流的发生率较高, 这表明 场向电流的发生与南向IMF更为密切. 当锥角θ <30°时(即IMF与 日地连线夹角较小时)场向电流的发生率较低. 而当θ> 30°时, 场向电流在90°<|Φ|<180°的情况下发生率明显增大, 这说明南向IMF情况下, 场向电流发生率明显增大. 但是当|Φ|<90°时 (北向IMF情况下), 尽管θ很大, 场向电流的发生率并未明显增大. 当θ>70°时, 且在140°< < i>Φ<160°的行星 际磁场条件下, 磁尾等离子体片边界层区场向电流的发生率最大.     

阴阳极进气量对附加场磁等离子体推力器性能的影响

针对附加场磁等离子体推力器阴阳极供气量对推力器性能的影响进行了研究。采用试验方法测量了稳态AF MPDT的束流参数以及放电电压、放电电流、附加磁感应强度等工况参数,测量计算了推力、效率等性能参数。通过改变阴阳极供气比例,分析研究了初始气体分布对推力器性能及物理机制的影响。研究结果显示,阴极供气比重增大时,推力器推力及效率相应增大,但增大到一定比例,推力器出现工作不稳定导致性能下降,说明阴阳极存在最佳的供气比例,表明供气比例对推力器性能具有重要影响。     

磁层氧离子向磁鞘泄漏的机制和效应

１９９７年 １月 １０日磁暴期间, Ｇｅｏｔａｉｌ卫星在向阳侧的磁鞘中观测到了磁层氧离子突增事件．这些氧离子的出现和磁鞘中存在很强的南向行星际磁场有关．事件期间向阳面发生了准静态的磁重联,氧离子流存在由北向南的速度分量．通量突增过程具有逆向和正向能量色散现象,磁层内部只有氧离子有可能被梯度漂移输送到重联区,所以只有氧离子在磁鞘中持续地被观测到．估计氧离子的逃逸速率为 ０．６１× １０２３／ｓ,大约为环电流氧离子输入率的 ３３％．大量的环电流氧离子由磁层跑到了磁鞘,导致环电流指数 ＡＳＹ－Ｈ呈现明显的非对称性．     

Scientific progress of combined exploration DSP and Cluster: 2008—2010

The combined observations of Double Star and Cluster missions allow for, for the first time, six-point measurements of the main plasma parameters in the key scientific regions of the near-Earth environment. In the past two years, a great number of works were made based on the data from DSP and Cluster missions, advancing remarkably the research of magnetospheric physics in China. This paper briefly reviews these important scientific results based on 51 selected publications.     

Magnetospheric turbulence and properties of magnetospheric dynamics

High level of turbulence is one of the main peculiarities inherent to magnetospheric dynamics. Mechanisms for generation of magnetospheric turbulence are analyzed. The instabilities in the plasma pressure distribution are examined as source of large and medium scale modes in the turbulence spectra. Large-scale modes (which scales are comparable with scale of the magnetosphere) lead to convective transport of the magnetospheric particles. Excitation of such modes is analyzed being based on the suggestion of the existence of week instability in the distribution of plasma pressure.     

Magnetospheric physics in China: 2008—2010

In the past two years, most of the works on magnetospheric physics were made by using the data of Double Star Program and Cluster missions. However some works were still conducted by computer simulation or using the data from other space missions and ground geomagnetic observations. This paper briefly review these previous works based on papers selected from the 28 publications from April 2008 to April 2010. The subjects covered various sub-branches of magnetospheric physics, including geomagnetic storm, magnetospheric substorm and etc.     

Sawtooth substorms generated under conditions of the steadily high solar wind energy input into the magnetosphere: Relationship between PC, AL and ASYM indices

Periodicity in occurrence of magnetic disturbances in polar cap and auroral zone under conditions of steady and powerful solar wind influence on the magnetosphere is analyzed on the example of 9 storm events with distinctly expressed sawtooth substorms (N = 48). Relationships between the polar cap magnetic activity (PC-index), magnetic disturbances in the auroral zone (AL-index) and value of the ring current asymmetry (ASYM index) were examined within the intervals of the PC growth phase and the PC decline phase inherent to each substorm. It is shown that the substorm sudden onsets are always preceded by the PC growth and that the substorm development does not affect the PC growth rate. On achieving the disturbance maximum, the PC and AL indices are simultaneously fall down to the level preceding the substorm, so that the higher the substorm intensity, the larger is the AL and PC drop in the decline phase. The ASYM index increases and decreases in conformity with the PC and AL behavior, the correlation between ASYM and PC being better than between ASYM and AL. Level of the solar wind energy input into the magnetosphere determines periodicity and intensity of disturbances: the higher the coupling function E_KL, the higher is substorm intensity and shorter is substorm length. Taking into account the permanently high level of auroral activity and inconsistency of aurora behavior and magnetic onsets during sawtooth substorms, the conclusion is made that auroral ionosphere conductivity is typically high and ensures an extremely high intensity of field-aligned currents in R1 FAC system. The periodicity of sawtooth substorms is determined by recurrent depletions and restorations of R1 currents, which are responsible for coordinated variations of magnetic activity in the polar cap and auroral zone.     

Topology of the high latitude magnetosphere during large magnetic storms and the main mechanisms of relativistic electron acceleration

One of the main endeavors of the “Space Weather” program is the prediction of the appearance of very large fluxes of relativistic electrons with energies larger than 1 MeV, because they represent a serious potential hazard for satellite missions. Large fluxes of relativistic electrons are formed in the outer radiation belt during the recovery phase of some storms. The formation of large fluxes is connected to a balance between the acceleration and loss processes. A two-step acceleration process is ordinarily analyzed. A “Seed” population with energies ∼hundreds of keV appeared during expansion phase of magnetospheric substorm. A “Seed” population is additionally accelerated obtaining relativistic energies by some other process. Several acceleration mechanisms have been proposed for the explanation of the electron acceleration, including radial diffusion and internal acceleration by wave-particle interactions. Nevertheless, none of them takes into account great changes of magnetospheric topology during a magnetic storm. Such changes are mainly connected with asymmetric and symmetric ring current development. We analyze the changes of magnetospheric topology during magnetic storms. We show that a change of the magnetospheric magnetic field can be the important factor determining the acceleration of relativistic electrons.