Active stimulation of the ionospheric plasma

Laboratory experiments in which high power, pulsed electromagnetic waves interact with an inhomogeneous plasma indicate that the generated nonlinear plasma phenomena depend on peak incident power and not on pulse length. The electromagnetic waves can penetrate beyond the cutoff and produce large, enhanced electrostatic fields at the critical layer within 100 electron plasma periods. The enhanced electric field pressure can be comparable to the thermal pressure and can accelerate ions and electrons to velocities much greater than their thermal speed. Large density cavities (with δn/n ? 10%) can be created in a time shorter than the usual ion response time because of the accelerated ion dynamics. These laboratory results have been extended to create a new and generalized concept to actively stimulate space plasmas with high power pulses of short duration. A field experiment will be used for the stimulation of auroral ionospheric plasma. The ground-based system is modular, each module consisting of a 2 MW pulsed HF transmitter designed at UCLA and a crossed-dipole antenna element. Incoherent scatter radar and optical diagnostic methods are discussed.     

Orbital barium CRRES injection — Effective source of ionospheric wavelike disturbances

Spectral analysis of artificial wavelike disturbances (WD) in ionospheric parameters is presented. The sources of WD are barium clouds injections in CRRES perigee experiments. Plasma concentration pulsations are found in the ionospheric F2 layer maximum over Havana (Cuba) at distances 1500–2500 km from the barium injection. It was found that for the spectral component with 10 min period, the delay (relative to injection moment) corresponded to WD propagation velocity in 323–390 m/s band and depended on the specific injection conditions. It was shown that in every experiment the WD effective propagation velocity in the terminator region correlated with the sunlit part of the trajectory from the injection point to Havana. When comparing this WD type with WD's of other origins (from earthquakes, high-altitude explosions and solar terminator), it was shown that purposeful injection in the ionosphere of even a small barium quantity with orbital velocity in terminator region might be the effective means for generation or amplification of natural WD.     

High frequency electromagnetic radiation in CRRES geostationary injections

It is shown that experiments with geostationary injections of dense barium plasma clouds after CRRES program presented a unique opportunity for investigation of Earth's space environment radiation generation mechanism at frequencies 100 to1000 times higher than the usual plasma frequency signal. We present electromagnetic noise or radiostorm data obtained in Havana in broad frequency bands 45–90 MHz, 235MHz and 280 MHz after Ba injection. It is proposed that signals appearing with 7 to 10 min delay after injection possibly caused a substorm initiated by the injection, during which the radiation is generated by local energetic particles flowing through the irregular barium cloud. Another possibility is connected with irradiation of the barium cloud by the Jicamarca radar. Modulation of radioburst at barium gyrofrequency is typical for both cases.     

The generation of DC and AC electric fields, and electron fluxes in a rocket experiment with barium injection in the auroral ionosphere

The results of an active rocket experiment with barium injection in the auroral ionosphere designed to check possible scenario of the initial phase of substorm are presented and discussed.     

Modeling of artificial plasma “bubble” in ionosphere

Results of a combination of radio-crossing and in situ measurements of plasma density in an artificial plasma “bubble” in the ionosphere are presented. Shaped — charge barium injection was made at short distance (≤50 m) to plasma diagnostics on the rocket. After injection the rocket passed through expanding plasma shell. Plasma density depletion inside was more than one order and plasma enhancements on the boundary about 3–5 times that of background. When the rocket passed the shell and went away by 2.1 km an abrupt drop of telemetry signal level (≤ 65 dB) was registered though plasma density was not more than 3×10³sm⁻³. An estimation of high frequency signal refraction on the plasma shell is in good accordance with refraction data of geostationary satellite signals on equatorial bubbles.     

The collective gyration of a heavy ion cloud in a magnetized plasma

In both the ionospheric barium injection experiments CRIT I and CRIT II, a long-duration oscillation was seen with a frequency close to the gyro frequency of barium and a time duration of about one second. A model for the phenomenon which was proposed for the CRIT 1 experiment is here compared to the results from CRIT II which made a much more complete set of measurements. The model follows the motion of a low-β ion cloud through a larger ambient plasma. The internal field of the model is close to antiparallel to the injection direction v_i but slightly tilted towards the self-polarization direction E_P = −v_ixB. As the ions move across the magnetic field, the space charge is continuously neutralized by magnetic-field aligned electron currents from the ambient ionosphere, drawn by the divergence in the perpendicular electric field. These currents give a perturbation of the magnetic field related to the electric field perturbation by ΔE/ΔB ≈ V_a. The model predictions agree quite well with the observed vector directions, field strengths, and decay times of the electric and magnetic fields in CRIT II. The possibility to extend the model to the active region, where the ions are produced in this type of self-ionizing injection experiments, is discussed.     

Superthermal electron’s effects on lump solitons structures in magnetized auroral plasma

Based on the considerations of the acknowledgements of the numerous space observations by satellites in the auroral plasma, astrophysics plasmas, spacecraft observations, various plasma models have been framed and revealed different interesting features, like electrostatic structures, solitary waves, double layers, supersolitons, etc. Soliton theory is a very efficient and competent way to describe nonlinear features. Using Viking satellite data in the auroral plasma, we have derived lump soliton solutions of the Kadomstev-Petviashvili (KP) equation by employing Hirota bilinear method. Due to its wide range of applications, the study of lump soliton is very attractive and important too. It has been shown that the lump solitons structures as well as in the one-dimensional form of lump soliton are varied with associated parameters in the auroral magnetized plasma. During the analysis of the features of the lump solitons, it is found that the system parameters play a pivotal role on the lump solitons structures.     

Auroral signatures of transient processes in the outer magnetosphere

We present an analysis of sporadic and recurrent injections of magnetospheric ions in the midnight auroral oval during substorms and of the associated ionospheric ion outflows. The source of plasma sheet precipitating ions is determined using a simple method, based on the measured relation between the ion inverse velocity and time (l = v × t). This method is applied here to two typical passes of the Interball-Auroral (IA) satellite at distances of 3 R_E above the auroral regions. Substorm related ion injections are shown to be mainly due to time of flight effects. In contrast with particle trajectory computations (Sauvaud et al., 1999), the inverse velocity method does not require magnetic and electric field models and can thus be used systematically for the detection of time of flight dispersed ion structures (TDIS). This allowed us to build a large database of TDIS events and to perform a statistical analysis of their spatial distribution. For the cases presented here the source region of the injected ions is found at radial distances from 18 to 30 R_E near the equatorial magnetosphere. At Interball altitudes ( 3 R_E), ion injections detected at the poleward boundary of the nighside auroral oval are associated with shear Alfvén waves superimposed over large-scale quasi-static current structures. We show that the most poleward TDIS are collocated with a large outflow of ionospheric H⁺ and O⁺ displaying pitch-angle distributions peaked in the pitch-angle range 90°–120°. These ions are thus accelerated perpendicularly to the magnetic field not only in the main auroral acceleration region but also up to at least 3 R_E. The expanding auroral bulge thus constitutes a significant source of H⁺ and O⁺ ions for the mid-tail magnetosphere.     

Circulation of energetic ions of terrestrial origin in the magnetosphere

Energetic ion composition measurements have now been performed from earth orbiting satellites for more than a decade. As early as 1972 we knew that energetic (keV) ions of terrestrial origin represented a non-negligible component of the storm time ring current. We have now assembled a significant body of knowledge concerning energetic ion composition throughout much of the earth's magnetosphere. We know that terrestrial ions are a common component of the hot equatorial magnetospheric plasma in the ring current and the plasma sheet out to ? 23 R_E. During periods of enhanced geomagnetic activity this component may become dominant. There is also clear evidence that the terrestrial component (specifically O⁺) is strongly dependent on solar cycle. Terrestrial ion source, transport, and acceleration regions have been identified in the polar auroral region, over the polar caps, in the magnetospheric boundary layers, and within the magnetotail lobes and plasma sheet boundary layer. Combining our present knowledge of these various magnetospheric ion populations, it is concluded that the primary terrestrial ion circulation pattern associated with enhanced geomagnetic activity involves direct injection from the auroral ion acceleration region into the plasma sheet boundary layer and central plasma sheet. The observed terrestrial component of the magnetospheric boundary layer and magnetotail lobes are inadequate to provide the required influx. They may, however, contribute significantly to the maintenence of the plasma sheet terrestrial ion population, particularly during periods of reduced geomagnetic activity. It is further concluded, on the basis of the relative energy distributions of H⁺ and O⁺ in the plasma sheet, that O⁺ probably contributes significantly to the ring current population at energies inaccessible to present ion composition instrumentation (? 30 keV).     

Theoretical properties of offset bipolar electric field solitary structures in space plasmas

The bipolar electric field solitary (EFS) structures have been frequently observed in the near Earth plasma regions, such as auroral zone, magnetopause, cusp regions, and magneto-tail. Sometimes these structures are observed as offset bipolar structures. In this paper, the properties of the offset bipolar EFS structures parallel to the magnetic field are studied with an ion fluid model in a cylindrical symmetry by considering electrostatic condition. The model results show that the offset bipolar EFS structures can develop from both ion-acoustic waves and ion cyclotron waves, and propagate along the magnetic field line in the space plasmas if plasma satisfies some conditions. The offset bipolar EFS structures can have both polarities. It will be first negative pulse and then positive pulse if the initial electric field E₀ < 0 or reverse in order if E₀ > 0. The amplitude of the offset bipolar EFS structures first decreases and then increases with the wave propagation velocity. Some results from our model are consistent with the observations.     

Polar CEPPAD/IPS energetic neutral atom (ENA) images of a substorm injection

The CEPPAD Imaging Proton Spectrometer on the POLAR spacecraft has proven to perform very well as an Energetic Neutral (ENA) atom imager, despite the fact that it was designed primarily for measuring energetic ions in-situ. ENAs emitted from the ring current can be detected during storm- as well as quiet-time conditions and can be monitored continuously for many hours at a time when Polar is situated in the polar cap. In addition, we are able to routinely detect ‘bursts’ of ENA emissions in response to substorm-associated ion injections. In this paper, we present ENA images of a single such event together with global auroral imager data from the POLAR VIS instrument. LANL geosynchronous energetic particle data, and ground magnetic Pi2 data in order to establish that such bursts are indeed caused by substorm injections.     

大功率高频无线电波对赤道E区双流不稳定性的影响--PIC静电粒子模拟研究

地面入射的大功率高频无线电波(泵波)和电离层等离子体之间的参数相互作用，能够引起静电波的激发，在一定条件下，产生不稳定性．本文用PIC静电粒子模拟方法，研究泵波与赤道电离层E区等离子体的相互作用．研究结果表明，泵波能够控制双流不稳定性的发生，在不同条件下，泵波对双流不稳定性起着稳定与不稳作用，模拟结果定性地与理论研究结果相符合，这为我们对不规则体产生的地面人工控制提供了依据．     

Plasma effects of active ion beam injections in the ionosphere at rocket altitudes

Data from ARCS rocket ion beam injection experiments will be primarily discussed in this paper. There are three results from this series of active experiments that are of particular interest in space plasma physics. These are the transverse acceleration of ambient ions in the large beam volume, the scattering of beam ions near the release payload, and the possible acceleration of electrons very close to the plasma generator which produce intense high frequency waves. The ability of 100 ma ion beam injections into the upper E and F regions of the ionosphere to produce these phenomena appear to be related solely to the process by which the plasma release payload and the ion beam are neutralized. Since the electrons in the plasma release do not convect with the plasma ions, the neutralization of both the payload and beam must be accomplished by large field-aligned currents (milliamperes/square meter) which are very unstable to wave growth of various modes. Future work will concentrate on the wave production and wave-particle interactions that produce the plasma/energetic particle effects discussed in this paper and which have direct application to natural phenomena in the upper ionosphere and magnetosphere.     

Theoretical aspects of heavy ion injections in the magnetosphere: A review

The theoretically expected effects of active heavy ion injections in the magnetosphere are reviewed according to their chemical state (plasma or neutral) and their kinetic state (explosion or beam injection) of release. The early-phase effects of such injections (such as ionospheric heating, wave-particle interactions, radiation belt and ring current modifications and anomalous ionization) are briefly discussed. The need for understanding the magnetospheric modification aspects of heavy ion injections becomes more acute in the next decades when the transportation and construction of large-scale space structures would inject increasing volumes of heavy ions in the magnetosphere by both chemical and ion engines. Ion engine exhaust, in the form of a dense relatively cool plasma beam of high drift speed, represents a new regime of heavy ion magnetospheric modification, the effects of which have not been thoroughly investigated either theoretically or observationally. We envisage that the ion engine can be modified into a useful tool for scientific studies of magnetospheric dynamics since it is a source of a variety of ionic species independent of the need for photoionization.     

CRIT II electric, magnetic, and density observations in an ionizing neutral jet

Measurements inside a high velocity neutral barium beam show a factor of six increase in plasma density in a moving ionizing front. This region was co-located with intense electric fields (δE ≈ 300 mV/m²) perpendicular to the local geomagnetic field and field aligned currents all fluctuating at frequencies well under the lower hybrid frequency for barium but above the oxygen cycloton frequency. It was determined that these structures were moving with the barium stream near the neutral barium velocity. Large quasi-dc electric and magnetic field fluctuations were also detected. The heart of the ionizing front, a cross beam current of nearly 10 mA/m², was estimated from the magnetic field variation. This is three orders of magnitude higher than typical auroral zone currents associated with auroral arcs. This current sheet was co-located with fluxes of soft electrons which saturated the particle detector. An Alfvén wave with a finite electric field component parallel to the geomagnetic field was observed to propagate along B_o where it was detected by an instrumented sub-payload.     

Polar caps and auroral zones under idealized axisymmetric magnetic fields

The geomagnetic field, modified by the solar wind, determines the shape, area and location of polar caps and auroral zones, among other magnetosphere and upper atmosphere characteristics. Since the field varies greatly with time it is of interest to analyze polar caps and auroral zones variations linked to magnetic field variations of intensity and pattern. Polar caps and auroral zones locations and areas for various single harmonic axial field configurations are obtained analytically assuming a simple magnetopause model. As the axial degree n increases, the polar caps and auroral zones total number, given by n + 1 and 2n respectively, also increase. However, their total areas decrease from a larger value in the case of an axial dipole to a minimum for an axial octupole (n = 3), and then increase for increasing degrees. The increasing rate is much higher in the auroral zones case to the point that it exceeds the dipolar value at n = 5 while in the polar caps case this occurs at n = 8. The absolute latitudes of the auroral zones and polar caps that reside around the geographical poles increase with axial degree. Our results represent an end-member case of the evolution of auroral zones and polar caps during polarity reversals if the transition involves axial dipole energy cascade to higher axial degrees. Evidence for such an energy transfer is found in the historical record of the geomagnetic secular variation.     

Calculating the simultaneous effect of ion dynamics and oscillating electric fields on Stark profiles

We calculate hydrogen line shapes resulting from the simultaneous Stark effect of the plasma microfield and an oscillating electric field. Like laboratory plasmas, many kinds of space plasmas are affected by oscillating electric fields with a magnitude similar to that of the microfield. Here we focus on conditions where we expect that the effect of ion dynamics and oscillating electric are both significant. The combined effect of their dynamics on the quantum emitter is retained by a computer simulation coupled to a numerical integration of the Schrödinger equation. Our calculations are applied for conditions and transitions where significant changes in the line shape allow for a diagnostic of the plasma and oscillating field.     

Laboratory experiments on spacecraft charging and its neutralization

Simulation experiments on spacecraft charging in space plasma and its neutralization are performed in relation to the electron beam experiment (SEPAC) on Space Shuttle Spacelab 1. A spacecraft simulator or a spherical probe is immersed in a magnetized plasma and a positive high voltage with respect to the plasma is externally applied to it. The current-voltage characteristics follow quite well with the theoretical model of Parker and Murphy [1] in the low voltage, low pressure region. When the voltage rises to more than the ionization potential of the surrounding neutral gas, it departs from the model and the effect of plasma production by the electron current becomes very important. The same kind of ionization effect as this has also been observed in our rocket experiments with an electron beam. The enhancement of the ionization effect by an additional neutral gas injection causes a considerable suppression of the potential rise of a spacecraft emitting an electron beam. This is demonstrated with the SEPAC accelerators in a large space chamber experiment.     

极光场线上上行氧离子(O+)束驱动的静电离子迥旋波和离子声波不稳定性

本文研究了由背景热电子、背景冷质子(H+)和强各向异性氧离子(O+)束组成的模型等离子体中静电O+迴旋波和离子声波不稳定性.结果表明,低频(|ω|<σ_p,σ_p表示质子迴旋频率)静电O+迴旋波和离子声波可以由极光场线上上行O+束来激发.上行O+束可能是极光场线上低频静电不稳定性一个重要的自由能源.      

电离层等离子体主动释放试验研究

等离子体主动释放试验是空间物理研究的一种主动、有效手段. 2013年4月中国科学院空间科学与应用研究中心在海南进行了中国第一次空间等离子体主动释放试验. 探空火箭在190 km高度释放了近1 kg碱金属钡, 形成一团由钡原子和钡离子组成的云团. 利用地面光学观测手段, 记录了钡云从释放初期到末期的演化全过程, 获取了钡云亮度、粒子密度、成分及扩散范围随时间的变化规律. 通过对钡云漂移的研究, 得到低纬度地区释放点处电离层的中性风场特性, 其分析结果对于研究低纬度地区电离层动力学特性具有一定指导意义.