Modeling the Modification of the Nighttime High-Latitude F-Region by Powerful HF Radiowaves

A mathematical model of the high-latitude F-region, taking the ionospheric plasma convection into account, is used for modeling a response of the auroral F-region to irradiation by powerful high-frequency (HF) radiowaves. The model enables us to calculate the time variations in the profiles of the electron concentration, the velocity of positive ions, and the ion and electron temperatures in the part of a magnetic-flux tube moving over an artificial ionospheric heater under the action of a convective electric field. The modeling was carried out for a part of the magnetic flux tube intersecting the F-layer irradiated by the Norwegian heater at Tromsö when it is located near the midnight magnetic meridian. The calculations were made for the equinox conditions under the high solar and low geomagnetic activity. The results of our modeling show that substantial variations in the profiles of the electron temperature, the velocity of positive ions, and the electron concentration can be produced in the nighttime high-latitude F-layer due to HF heating. The perturbation caused by a 20 s rectangular pulse should exist for about 20 min at the level of the F-layer maximum. The disturbed plasma volume can leave the region irradiated by the heater and move away for over 500 km within the above-mentioned time period.     

Plasma flow disturbances in the magnetospheric plasma sheet during substorm activations

We have considered variations in fields and particle fluxes in the near-Earth plasma sheet on the THEMIS-D satellite together with the auroral dynamics in the satellite-conjugate ionospheric part during two substorm activations on December 19, 2014 with K _p = 2. The satellite was at ~8.5R_E and MLT = 21.8 in the outer region of captured energetic particles with isotropic ion fluxes near the convection boundary of electrons with an energy of ~10 keV. During substorm activations, the satellite recorded energetic particle injections and magnetic field oscillations with a period of ~90 s. In the satellite-conjugate ionospheric part, the activations were preceded by wavelike disturbances of auroral brightness along the southern azimuthal arc. In the expansion phase of activations, large-scale vortex structures appeared in the structure of auroras. The sudden enhancements of auroral activity (brightening of arcs, auroral breakup, and appearance of NS forms) coincided with moments of local magnetic field dipolarization and an increase in the amplitude Pi2 of pulsations of the B_z component of the magnetic field on the satellite. Approximately 30–50 s before these moments, the magnetosphere was characterized by an increased rate of plasma flow in the radial direction, which initiated the formation of plasma vortices. The auroral activation delays relative to the times when plasma vortices appear in the magnetosphere decreased with decreasing latitude of the satellite projection. The plasma vortices in the magnetosphere are assumed to be responsible for the observed auroral vortex structures and the manifestation of the hybrid vortex instability (or shear flow ballooning instability) that develops in the equatorial magnetospheric plane in the presence of a shear plasma flow in the region of strong pressure gradients in the Earthward direction.     

Connection between the discrete auroral structures drifting equatorward during the substorm expansion phase and the energetic particle injections at the geostationary orbit

The formation of an auroral bulge with a bright dynamical arc at its polar boundary is one of the main manifestations of the magnetospheric substorm expansion phase at the ionospheric level. At the same time, the region of discrete aurora broadens not only polewards but equatorwards as well. The discrete forms of auroras moving equatorwards form a dynamical equatorial boundary of the auroral bulge shifting together with them. The paper presents a spatial-time comparison of the drifting discrete auroras to the injection of energetic particles at the geostationary orbit. It is shown that bursts in the fluxes of energetic particles at the LANL geostationary satellites located in the same sector of MLT correspond to the majority of drifting discrete auroral structures observed by the all-sky camera. In the cases when the bursts in the fluxes are absent, the minimum latitude reached by the auroral structures at the equatorward drift is higher than the ionospheric projection of the geostationary orbit. A possible relation of the drifting discrete auroras to the plasma stream jets in the plasma sheet is discussed.     

Features of wave excitation of the electrostatic ion cyclotron type in the auroral ionosphere

Broadband electrostatic noise in the auroral ionosphere can be identified as a version of waves of an electrostatic ion cyclotron type, excited by plasma instability resulting from an inhomogeneous distribution of wave energy density. Broadband waves are generated due to both electric field inhomogeneities and plasma density inhomogeneities. The effect of the form of the distribution of electric field and plasma density inhomogeneities on the excitation of instabilities is studied. Also there is shown the role of the characteristic scale of inhomogeneities in the generation of electrostatic ion cyclotron waves due to the development of instability of this kind. The study of these issues, which are important for understanding the processes in the auroral region, is the subject of this paper. The work presents also a comparison of numerical results obtained using both satellite data and model approximations.     

Electrostatic Noise Spectrum at the Electron Cyclotron Frequency and Electromagnetic Emission in the Inhomogeneous Plasma of the Topside Ionosphere

Measurements of the wave emission of the topside ionosphere made onboard the APEX satellite using the electric component of the wave field in the 0.1–10 MHz frequency band are presented. At middle latitudes a wave intensity decrease was observed in the broad-band spectrum of the electrostatic noise at the electron cyclotron frequency. It is shown that a break in the spectrum of electrostatic modes at the electron cyclotron frequency (the absence of the plasma eigen-frequencies) may be a cause of the observed effect. The increase of the intensity at the electron cyclotron frequency in the ionospheric trough and at latitudes above the trough region as compared to middle latitudes may be explained by the capture by plasma irregularities of the electromagnetic emission of the auroral electron fluxes.__________Translated from Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, Vol. 43, No. 3, 2005, pp. 201–208.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Izhovkina, Prutensky, Pulinets, Kiraga, Klos, Rothkael.     

Enhancements of fluxes of precipitating energetic electrons on the boundary of the outer radiation belt of the earth and position of the auroral oval boundaries

An analysis of enhancements in the fluxes of electrons with energies above 300 keV registered onboard of the Coronas-F satellite in the polar regions at the boundary of the outer radiation belt is performed. Cases are revealed when the increases in question were observed consequently during multiple crossings of the outer radiation belt boundary. Localization of the revealed events relative to the auroral oval using the data of almost simultaneous observations of electrons with energies of 0.1–10 keV on the Meteor-3M satellite and OVATION model is studied. It is shown that almost all studied increases in relativistic electrons are localized at latitudes of the auroral oval. Various mechanisms which could cause the observed increases are discussed, as well as a possibility of formation of local traps of energetic particles in the high-latitude magnetosphere.     

Precipitating Protons and Their Role in Ionization of the Polar Ionosphere

Spatial distributions of the electron density in the latitude range 60°–90° N were calculated on the basis of a physical model of the E and lower Fregions of the high-latitude ionosphere using statistical models of auroral proton and electron precipitation. It is shown that precipitating protons can play the key role in the ionization of the Eregion in the dusk and midnight sectors of the auroral oval. However, quantitative estimates of the contribution of protons to the ionization depend on the used statistical models of electron precipitation. Comparison of the electron density profiles calculated for two incoherent scatter radars, EISCAT (Tromsö) and ESR (Svalbard), for simultaneous precipitation of electrons and protons and for electron precipitation only show that the influence of protons is the most significant in the dusk sector over the EISCAT radar and in the midnight sector over the ESR radar. The results presented indicate the need to take protons into account when radar data are used to derive precipitating electron spectra.     

近地轨道大型航天器的环境充电

许多空间实验和电子计算机预测已经揭示，在极光电子环境中大型航天器的充电电位会高达６０００－－７０００Ｖ。对采用大功率太阳阵的航天器而言，其相对于空间等离子体的悬浮电位将因太阳阵工作电压的提高而增加。例如表面材料因遭受离子轰击和电弧放电而老化、剥蚀、由于材料再沉积而使表面污染增加以及航天器电子系统因静电放电而受到严重的干扰和破坏等。因而对载人航天和长寿命空间站而言，解决航天器带电问题不可等闲视之。对     

Structure of the Disturbed Magnetosphere

The quasitrapping region (QTR) at the night side of a disturbed magnetosphere in the majority of models is either absent completely or merges with the plasma sheet of the magnetosphere tail. At the same time these two regions are different both in the topology of the magnetic field and in the character of motion of charged particles. Moreover, it is the region of quasitrapping that is conjugate to the zone of auroral active forms; i.e., it can be called the auroral magnetosphere. Models of the magnetosphere in which the tail structures of the magnetic field are directly adjacent to the boundary of stable trapping (in particular, the isotropic boundary model) are based on erroneous assumptions. Our understanding of the processes of magnetosphere substorms and magnetic storms depends on a correct understanding of the magnetosphere structure.     

Development of auroral electrojets and low-latitude geomagnetic disturbances during strong magnetic storms on November 7–11, 2004

The influence of auroral electojets and solar wind parameters on variations in low-latitude geomagnetic disturbances and D _st during strong magnetic storms on November 7–8, 2004 with D _st ≈ −380 nT and on November 9–10, 2004 with D _st ≈ −300 nT is studied on the basis of global geomagnetic observations. It is found that the impulsive variations of the western electrojet intensity with a duration of Δt ≈ 1–2 h (probably, substorm disturbances) lead to positive low-latitude disturbances of ΔH at Φ′ ≈ 10°–30° and to disturbances of the same durations with an amplitude +ΔH ∼ 30–100 nT at latitudes of the polar cap (Φ′ ≈ 75°–80°). More durable (with Δt ≥ 10 h) convection electrojets whose centers are shifted to latitudes of ∼50°–55° in the process of storm development are the main cause of the increase in negative values of ΔH at low latitudes and D _st . It is shown that meridional dynamics of position of the center of electrojets and the equatorial boundary of the auroral oval is governed by variations (increase or decrease) in the intensity of negative values of the IMF B _z component. It is assumed that in these storms the intensification of the magnetospheric partially ring current closes the circuit to the ionosphere with the help of field-aligned currents at the equatorial boundary of the auroral oval is the main cause of the magnetic field depression at low latitudes.     

木星极光等离子体环境表面充电三维仿真分析

木星为太阳系内少有的强磁场行星,其等离子体环境十分恶劣,可对木星探测器造成严重的表面充电效应。文章采用有限元方法,借助COMSOL仿真软件,对航天器表面充电现象进行三维仿真,结合NASCAP-2k以及SPIS软件对比验证了GEO表面充电效应的模拟结果,证明了该仿真方法的有效性。对航天器在木星极光等离子体环境下的表面充电现象仿真分析结果表明,在木星背景等离子体环境中15RJ处,航天器表面充电电位较低,仅为平均-80 V左右;而在木星极光等离子体中,航天器表面充电电位最高可以达到-36.7 k V,CERS等材料表面充电电位差最大可以达到-16 k V,具有较高的放电风险。     

Studies of substorm on March 12, 1991: 2. Auroral electrons. Acceleration,injection, and dynamics

In the first part of this study of the substorm of March 12, 1991, the space-time structure of substrorm disturbance and dynamics of auroral ions were considered. This second part presents an analysis of measurements of auroral electrons onboard the CRRES satellite. It is demonstrated that enhancements of the electron flux (injections) during large-scale and local dipolarizations of the magnetic field are determined by a combination of field-aligned, induction, and betatron mechanisms of acceleration with an effect of displacement of the drift shells of particles. The relative contributions of these mechanisms in relation to the energy of auroral electrons are determined.     

Bursts of geomagnetic pulsations in the frequency range 0.2-5 Hz excited by large changes of the solar wind pressure

We present the results of studying the magnetospheres’s response to sharp changes of the solar wind flow (pressure) based on observations of variations of the ions flux of the solar wind onboard the Inreball-1 satellite and of geomagnetic pulsations (the data of two mid-latitude observatories and one auroral observatory are used). It is demonstrated that, when changes of flow runs into the magnetosphere, in some cases short (duration ~ < 5 min) bursts of geomagnetic pulsations are excited in the frequency range Δf~ 0.2–5 Hz. The bursts of two types are observed: noise bursts without frequency changes and wide-band ones with changing frequency during the burst. A comparison is made of various properties of these bursts generated by pressure changes at constant velocity of the solar wind and by pressure changes on the fronts of interplanetary shock waves at different directions of the vertical component of the interplanetary magnetic field.     

运载火箭多体动力学建模与仿真技术研究

针对新一代运载火箭结构动力学与控制系统耦合强烈、严重影响火箭的飞行稳定问题,提出一种基于多体动力学虚拟样机建模与仿真的方法,有效解决运载火箭姿态动力学模型地面难以验证的困难.首先阐述了在运载火箭姿态动力学分析中应用多体虚拟样机的基本思路;然后对多体动力学模型与传统火箭姿态动力学模型在建模原理上的差异进行分析,指出引入多...     

Amplitude modulation of VLF emission and absorption of cosmic noise by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pc</Emphasis>5 geomagnetic pulsations in the period of geomagnetic storms on October 30–31, 2003

Modulation of the VLF emission and riometric absorption by Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations is studied in the period of strong geomagnetic disturbances on October 30–31, 2003. Some conclusions about the regime of pitch-angular diffusion into the loss cone are made. The better coincidence of VLF emission modulation with geomagnetic pulsations in other longitude sectors is explained by the global character of excitation of the pulsations and by damping of their amplitudes at the meridian of observation of the VLF emission, which is associated with intensification of auroral electrojets.Translated from Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, Vol. 42, No. 6, 2004, pp. 632–639.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Solovyev, Mullayarov, Baishev, Barkova, Samsonov.     

Plasma Jet Motion Across the Geomagnetic Field in the “North Star” Active Geophysical Experiment

The active geophysical rocket experiment North Star was carried out in the auroral ionosphere on January 22, 1999, at the Poker Flat Research Range (Alaska, USA) using the American research rocket Black Brant XII with explosive plasma generators on board. Separable modules with scientific equipment were located at distances of from 170 to 1595 m from the plasma source. The experiment continued the series of the Russian–American joint experiments started by the Fluxus experiment in 1997. Two injections of aluminum plasma across the magnetic field were conducted in the North Star experiment. They were different, since in the first injection a neutral gas cloud was formed in order to increase the plasma ionization due to the interaction of neutrals of the jet and cloud. The first and second injections were conducted at heights of 360 and 280 km, respectively. The measurements have shown that the charged particle density was two orders of magnitude higher in the experiment with the gas release. The magnetic field in the first injection was completely expelled by the dense plasma of the jet. The displacement of the magnetic field in the second injection was negligible. The plasma jet velocity in both injections decreased gradually due to its interaction with the geomagnetic field. One of the most interesting results of the experiment was the conservation of high plasma density during the propagation of the divergent jet to considerable distances. This fact can be explained by the action of the critical ionization velocity mechanism.     

Manifestations of sudden commencement of a severe magnetic storm of November 20, 2003, in generation of an SC pulse, <Emphasis Type="Italic">P</Emphasis><Subscript>SC</Subscript> pulsations,and spatial modulation of the auroral brightness

The results of investigation of the geomagnetic and auroral response to the commencement of a severe magnetic storm of November 20, 2003, are presented. It is established that the onset of SC led to the brightening of the auroral arc in the dusk sector for 2–3 min with its extent to the east with a velocity of 10–20 km/s and to displacement poleward with a velocity of 1.0 km/s. Furtheron, the fast auroral expansions of short duration (5 min) to the pole up to 2–4°were observed, repeating every 5–10 min during 40 min, which led to the spatial modulation of the brightness of the glow and to generation of P_SC pulsations with similar periods of oscillations. The broadening of aurora poleward had a steplike character, with generation of new arcs poleward of previous ones 5 arcs per 1.5 min. The modulation of brightness of the glow and P_SC were observed against the background of intensification of a two-cell DP2 type current system and were accompanied by multiple turnings of the IMF B_z from south to north and back. It is assumed that the source of P_SC pulsations was a modulation of the intensity of the DP2 ionosphere currents as a result of variations of the magnetosphere convection level.Translated from Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, Vol. 42, No. 6, 2004, pp. 608–615.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Baishev, Borisov, Velichko, Solovyev, Yumoto.     

Dynamics of debye-scale nonstationary plasma structures in the region of auroral field-aligned currents

We consider the formation of small-scale nonstationary plasma structures in the region of relatively strong field-aligned electric currents. The formation of these structures has been shown to be associated with the density instability developed when the current velocity exceeds a critical value. The conditions for the development of this instability can be most favorable in the region of low-density plasma. Numerical calculations have been performed for the initial nonlinear stage of the structure development. The main parameters of the structure, i.e., the times of its formation and destruction, spatial scales, and electric field, have been estimated. The features of the structures are consistent with the existing data from space experiments in the region of auroral field-aligned currents of the Earth.     

Studies of the substorm on March 12, 1991: 1. Structure of substorm activity and auroral ions

The substorm on March 12, 1991 is studied using the data of ground-based network of magnetometers, all-sky cameras and TV recordings of aurora, and measurements of particle fluxes and magnetic field onboard a satellite in the equatorial plane. The structure of substorm activity and the dynamics of auroral ions of the central plasma sheet (CPS) and energetic quasi-trapped ions related to the substorm are considered in the first part. It is shown that several sharp changes in the fluxes and pitch-angle distribution of the ions which form the substorm ion injection precede a dipolarization of the magnetic field and increases of energetic electrons, and coincide with the activation of aurora registered 20° eastward from the satellite. A conclusion is drawn about different mechanisms of the substorm acceleration (injection) of electrons and ions.