Particle transport in a vortex medium

We study numerically particle transport in a two-dimensional coherent vortex field. Reasonable agreement exists between previously derived radial transport coefficients for energetic particles (Verkhoglyadova, O.P., le Roux, J.A. Particle diffusion on vortices in nearly incompressible magnetohydrodynamics. Astrophys. J. 602, 1002–1005, 2004a; Verkhoglyadova, O.P., le Roux, J.A. Cosmic ray transport in a vortex flow. IGPP-UCR Conf. Physics of the Outer Heliosphere (Riverside), AIP Conf. Proc., pp. 243–248, 2004b) and results of numerical simulations. Different physical factors controlling particle momentum change and drifts are analysed. It is shown that the vortex electric field is the main cause of trapped particle motion. Drift due to magnetic field inhomogeneity predominantly disturbs free particle gyroorbit along background magnetic field in the vicinity of a vortex. Our simulations show the development of a subdiffusion regime.     

Radiation from relativistic shocks in turbulent magnetic fields

Using our new 3-D relativistic particle-in-cell (PIC) code parallelized with MPI, we investigated long-term particle acceleration associated with a relativistic electron–positron jet propagating in an unmagnetized ambient electron–positron plasma. The simulations were performed using a much longer simulation system than our previous simulations in order to investigate the full nonlinear stage of the Weibel instability and its particle acceleration mechanism. Cold jet electrons are thermalized and ambient electrons are accelerated in the resulting shocks. Acceleration of ambient electrons leads to a maximum ambient electron density three times larger than the original value as predicted by hydrodynamic shock compression. In the jet (reverse) shock behind the bow (forward) shock the strongest electromagnetic fields are generated. These fields may lead to time dependent afterglow emission. In order to calculate radiation from first principles that goes beyond the standard synchrotron model used in astrophysical objects we have used PIC simulations. Initially we calculated radiation from electrons propagating in a uniform parallel magnetic field to verify the technique. We then used the technique to calculate emission from electrons in a small simulation system. From these simulations we obtained spectra which are consistent with those generated from electrons propagating in turbulent magnetic fields with red noise. This turbulent magnetic field is similar to the magnetic field generated at an early nonlinear stage of the Weibel instability. A fully developed shock within a larger simulation system may generate a jitter/synchrotron spectrum.     

The termination shock in a striped pulsar wind

I present observational and theoretical evidence that most of the pulsar spin-down energy is transferred away as a striped pulsar wind and that this energy is released by annihilation of the alternating magnetic field at the pulsar wind termination shock. One-dimensional particle-in-cells (PIC) simulations show that the alternating fields do annihilate at the termination shock in a striped wind. The particle acceleration should be studied in multidimensional simulations. As a first step, I simulated driven annihilation of alternating fields undergoing compression by an external force. It is shown that that in the course of this process, a particle distribution function is formed, which resembles that observed in plerions.     

Collisionless reconnection in the magnetotail

Recent developments regarding collisionless reconnection in current sheets with a finite normal magnetic field component (B_z) are reviewed. In 2-D x, z configurations the ion tearing mode is stabilized by the electron compressibility. When the y dependence is included, cross-field current instabilities can be excited. Of these, the drift kink mode appears to be particularly important. 3-D electromagnetic particle simulations indicate that this mode can act as the precursor to the growth of tearing modes and subsequent reconnection.     

Anomalous particle transport in the heliosphere

The transport of energetic particles in the presence of magnetic turbulence can exhibit a variety of regimes different from the standard quasilinear diffusion. Here we discuss a number of solar and space problems where nonquasilinear diffusion is found, and then we illustrate anomalous transport regimes, for which the mean square deviation grows nonlinearly with time. In particular, we concentrate on superdiffusive regimes, and show what is the theoretical framework which is to be used to describe superdiffusion. We discuss the results of numerical simulations which show that superdiffusive and subdiffusive regimes are possible, and describe data analyses which allow to single out the superdiffusive transport from the observation of energetic particle profiles upstream of interplanetary shocks. The implications of superdiffusion on the efficiency of wave particle interactions are also discussed.     

中子星吸积柱中荷电粒子密度的分布及电场的形成

本文从刘维定理出发,通过相空间求平均,建立了中子星吸积柱中粒子流连续方程和动量迁移方程。并在静力学平衡下求出其解;建立了吸积柱中的荷电粒子分布;引出了某些有趣的新结果。      

Modeling the effects of pitch-angle scattering processes on the transport of solar energetic particles along the interplanetary magnetic field

We present a Monte-Carlo technique to study the time-dependent transport of energetic particles in the interplanetary medium. We use the guiding center approximation between discrete finite pitch-angle scatterings to quantify the competing effects of focusing and pitch-angle scattering on energetic particles propagating along a Parker spiral magnetic field. We consider that the pitch-angle scattering process is produced by small-scale magnetic field irregularities frozen in the expanding solar wind. We also include the effects of both solar wind convection and adiabatic deceleration. We use a joint probability distribution P(h, μ′) = p(h; μ′)q(μ′; μ) to describe both the distance traveled by the particle between two scattering processes and the change in the particle pitch-angle after a scattering process. Here, p(h; μ′) is the conditional probability that the particle travels a distance h along the field line before the next scattering if it had a pitch-angle cosine μ′ after the previous scattering, and q(μ′; μ) is the conditional probability for the pitch-angle cosine μ′ if the pitch-angle cosine was μ before the scattering. We consider several functional forms to describe the processes of pitch-angle scattering, such as an isotropic scattering without any memory of the initial particle’s pitch-angle or processes in which the scattering result depends upon the initial particle’s pitch-angle. The results of our simulations are pitch-angle distributions and time-intensity profiles that can be directly compared to spacecraft observations. Comparison of our simulations with near-relativistic (45–290 keV) electron events observed by the Electron, Proton and Alpha Monitor on board the Advanced Composition Explorer allows us to estimate both the time dependence of the injection of near-relativistic electrons into the interplanetary medium and the conditions for electron propagation along the interplanetary magnetic field.     

Simulation study of motion of charged particles trapped in Earth’s magnetosphere

This article aims to understand the motion of the charged particles trapped in the Earth’s inner magnetosphere. The emphasis is on identifying the numerical scheme, which is appropriate to characterize the trajectories of the charged particles of different energies that enter the Earth’s magnetosphere and get trap along the magnetic field lines. These particles perform three different periodic motions, namely: gyration, bounce, and azimuthal drift. However, often, the gyration of the particle is ignored, and only the guiding center of the particle is traced to reduce the computational time. It is because the simulation of all three motions (gyro, bounce, and drift) together needed a robust numerical scheme, which has less numerical dissipation. We have developed a three-dimensional test particle simulation model in which the relativistic equation of motion is solved numerically using the fourth and sixth-order Runge-Kutta methods. The stability of the simulation model is verified by checking the conservation of total kinetic energy and adiabatic invariants linked with each type of motion. We found that the sixth-order Runge-Kutta method is suitable to trace the complete trajectories of both proton and electron of a wide energy range, 5 keV to 250 MeV for L = 2 – 6. We have estimated the bounce and drift periods from the simulations, and they are found to be in good agreement with the theory. The study implies that a simulation model with sixth-order Runge-Kutta method can be applied to the time-vary, non-analytical form of magnetic configuration in future studies to understand the dynamics of charged particles trapped in Earth’s magnetosphere.     

Stochastic particle acceleration by the forced interaction of relativistic current sheets

We address the problem of interacting relativistic current sheets in self-consistent kinetic plasma simulations within the framework of the Particle-In-Cell model. The interaction is enforced in head-on collisions of up to 10 current sheets at relativistic bulk speeds. The simulations are motivated by the general problem of Poynting flux dissipation in ‘striped wind’ configurations presumably governing the relativistic outflows pervasive in pulsar winds and gamma-ray bursts. We identify the generation of non-thermal particles and formation of a stable power-law shape in the particle energy distributions f(γ) dγ ∝ γ^−s dγ. In 1D, a spectral index s ∼ 2 is observed and attributed to a stochastic Fermi-type acceleration mechanism. In 2D, the generic index of s ∼ 3–4 is retained as in previous simulations of individual current sheets. Whereas in 2D the high energy cut-off is constrained by the limited dissipation of magnetic energy, in 1D the process converts the bulk motion of current sheets towards directed particle momentum of an exclusive class of non-thermal particles.     

Numerical investigation of the influence of large turbulence scales on the parallel and perpendicular transport of cosmic rays

In recent analytical investigations it has been demonstrated that the turbulence behavior at large scales has a very strong influence on the perpendicular diffusion coefficient of charged particles. In the present paper we use computer simulations to investigate numerically cross field transport and particle propagation along the mean magnetic field for different turbulence models at large scales. Our results are compared with quasilinear theory and nonlinear diffusion theories. We show that for different forms of the turbulence spectrum at large scales, the perpendicular mean free paths obtained numerically are in agreement with recent predictions made by analytical theory. It is also shown that the parallel diffusion coefficient contains always a strong nonlinear contribution which is, however, independent of the assumed spectrum at large scales.     

Combining MHD and kinetic modelling of solar flares

Solar flares are explosive events in the solar corona, representing fast conversion of magnetic energy into thermal and kinetic energy, and hence radiation, due to magnetic reconnection. Modelling is essential for understanding and predicting these events. However, self-consistent modelling is extremely difficult due to the vast spatial and temporal scale separation between processes involving thermal plasma (normally considered using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) approach) and non-thermal plasma (requiring a kinetic approach). In this mini-review we consider different approaches aimed at bridging the gap between fluid and kinetic modelling of solar flares. Two types of approaches are discussed: combined MHD/test-particle (MHDTP) models, which can be used for modelling the flaring corona with relatively small numbers of energetic particles, and hybrid fluid-kinetic methods, which can be used for modelling stronger events with higher numbers of energetic particles. Two specific examples are discussed in more detail: MHDTP models of magnetic reconnection and particle acceleration in kink-unstable twisted coronal loops, and a novel reduced-kinetic model of particle transport in converging magnetic fields.     

带电粒子在近地球区运动的计算方法

基于磁层粒子动力学理论,根据单粒子方法和偶极磁场模型,在近地球区(L＜10),详细讨论了带电粒子的运动特征以及适合不同能量的带电粒子的计算方法,定量分析了磁层中的电场和磁场对各种能量的带电粒子漂移运动的影响.结果表明,对于能量低于105 eV的电子和102 eV的质子,宜采用引导中心近似方法;对于能量介于105～108 eV之间的电子和102～108 eV之间的质子,可在部分区域内采用引导中心近似方法,若运动区在10 Re内,则只能采用变步长的轨道法;而对于引导中心方法,粒子能量高于105 eV时可以忽略电场漂移的影响,粒子能量低于103 eV时不必考虑磁场漂移的影响,从而简化了引导中心方程组,提高了数值计算效率.      

镜模波识别方法研究及其在火星磁鞘中的应用

镜模波是温度各向异性等离子体中的一种波动结构,根据磁场和离子分布及波动特性可以进行识别.本文对比了只使用磁场数据与同时使用磁场及离子数据两种识别方法,分析了两类方法的特点.只使用磁场数据的方法基于磁场强度变化大、方向沿背景磁场的特征,通常使用磁场强度的波动幅度ΔB/|B|以及磁场变化方向与背景磁场的夹角θ_min,θ_max作为参数;同时使用磁场及粒子数据的方法利用的是磁场纵波特性、总压平衡和波动在等离子体坐标系下静止的特征.使用两种方法对MAVEN卫星在火星磁鞘内的数据进行识别,结果表明在某些情况下,只使用磁场数据会导致对镜模波的误判.通过研究改变上述参数阈值时识别结果的变化,发现当θ_min> 40°,θ_max < 40°,ΔB/|B|> 80%时,只用磁场数据可取得较好的识别效果.      

2.5维自适应磁场重联MHD模式

磁雷诺数(R_m)是影响磁场重联的重要因素. 真实的物理环境中R_m往往很高, 例如, 在行星际空间和太阳日冕中R_m通常大于104量级. 高R_m条件下的磁重联表现出很多异常特性, 然而高R_m条件下的磁场重联数值模拟需要很高的时空分辨率, 否则很难分辨出重联过程中形成的薄电流片. 本文基于自适应软件包PARAMESH将并行自适应网格技术引入磁场重联数值模拟, 建立了一个2.5维自适应磁场重联MHD模式, 研究高磁雷诺数条件下重联的动态演化过程, 进而将不同磁雷诺数的参数进行对比研究. 结果表明, 该模式可以自动捕捉到磁场重联产生的奇性电流片, 高磁雷诺数条件下产生的慢激波结构可提供一种快速磁能释放机制.      

利用地磁场给飞轮卸载的新方法

通过对圆轨道地磁场强度的变化规律分析 ,将卫星磁力矩器产生的磁矩按傅立叶级数展开 ,根据卫星所需卸载角动量大小 ,按照最优控制理论求出三轴磁矩取值 ,得出飞轮卸载控制律。最后文章给出飞轮卸载稳定性分析和仿真结果 ,表明这种飞轮卸载方法简单而且省能量。     

Reconnection in multiple current sheet configurations in the solar corona

We investigate magnetic reconnection in a multiple current sheet configuration by means of three-dimensional resistive MHD simulations. This configuration might be of interest in the solar corona context, e.g. for coronal helmet streamers. We present results of our simulations of the linear and nonlinear development of the tearing mode instability. In particular, we highlight the changes in magnetic topology and the resulting plasma dynamics. Our results indicate that reconnection in complex coronal neighboring magnetic flux systems efficiently converts magnetic field energy into thermal energy and leads to small-scale tongue outflows rather than large-scale coronal mass ejections.     

Modeling the radiation belts: what are the important physical processes to be taken into account in models?

During active periods, physical processes acting on particle dynamics are well known to have several origins and can play a role at different times, different locations, and with different time scales. As their effects can be opposite, it is necessary to identify them and their relative importance:

• the particle sources (plasmasheet or direct solar wind entry)

• the particle losses (precipitation or drift loss)

• the particle transport and acceleration (convection access, magnetic or electric pulse or variation and recirculation).

The various phenomena are explained and results are presented. In particular, we demonstrate that classical diffusion models like the Salammbo code can account for all these phenomena.     

二维静电孤立波的粒子模拟研究

利用二维粒子模拟程序研究了双流不稳定性激发静电波并演化为静电孤立波的物理过程.计算结果表明,在线性增长阶段,主要激发的是沿磁场传播的静电波;在非线性演化阶段,相邻的静电波会互相合并,直至形成静电孤立波,并可激发静电哨声波.还研究了磁场强度和离子温度对此过程的影响.当磁场强度比较小时,无法形成静电孤立波,只有磁场强度达到一定程度后静电孤立波才能形成;同时,离子温度会影响静电孤立波的稳定性,当离子温度比较小时,静电孤立波的稳定性减弱,在演化一段时间后会逐渐瓦解.      

载人深空探测磁场主动辐射防护技术研究

基于单粒子轨道理论和蒙特卡洛方法建立了一种磁场主动屏蔽防护分析方法,针对理想磁场构型分析了屏蔽磁场强度、厚度和结构对屏蔽效果的影响。研究结果表明：屏蔽效率随磁刚度BL增大且当磁刚度BL一定时,增加磁场强度B比增加磁场厚度L更有效;对于有限长屏蔽磁场构型,端盖区需加强防护;桶状区与端盖区采用直线型屏蔽磁场的构型防护效果最好,能够对典型银河宇宙线能谱屏蔽90%的高能粒子。     

On the transport of cosmic rays in the distant heliosheath

This paper discusses the transport of energetic charged particles through a sectored magnetic field in distant regions of the inner heliosheath. As the plasma flow slows down on approach to the stagnation point on the heliopause, the distance between the folds of the current sheet decreases to the point where it becomes comparable to the cyclotron radius of a cosmic ray particle. Under these conditions a particle can effectively drift across the stack of magnetic sectors with a speed comparable with the particle’s velocity. For a random distribution of current sheet separation distances, a diffusive transport across the stack of sectors occurs instead. The proposed mechanism could have contributed to unusually high intensities of galactic cosmic rays measured by Voyager 1 in the heliosheath during 2009–2010.