The consequences of micropulsations on geomagnetically trapped particles

Non-adiabatic radiation belt dynamics is largely controlled by interactions between geomagnetically trapped particles and various modes of plasma turbulence. Long period electric field fluctuations act as a major source mechanism for the inner zone through the process of inward radial diffusion of particles injected into the convection dominated outer zone. Higher frequency turbulence provides a major loss mechanism by pitch-angle scattering into the atmospheric loss cone. The wave particle interactions may take the form of self induced instabilities or parasitic scattering. Examples of each will be given in this review.     

Turbulence, Magnetic Reconnection in Turbulent Fluids and Energetic Particle Acceleration

Turbulence is ubiquitous in astrophysics. It radically changes many astrophysical phenomena, in particular, the propagation and acceleration of cosmic rays. We present the modern understanding of compressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, in particular its decomposition into Alfvén, slow and fast modes, discuss the density structure of turbulent subsonic and supersonic media, as well as other relevant regimes of astrophysical turbulence. All this information is essential for understanding the energetic particle acceleration that we discuss further in the review. For instance, we show how fast and slow modes accelerate energetic particles through the second order Fermi acceleration, while density fluctuations generate magnetic fields in pre-shock regions enabling the first order Fermi acceleration of high energy cosmic rays. Very importantly, however, the first order Fermi cosmic ray acceleration is also possible in sites of magnetic reconnection. In the presence of turbulence this reconnection gets fast and we present numerical evidence supporting the predictions of the Lazarian and Vishniac (Astrophys. J. 517:700–718, 1999) model of fast reconnection. The efficiency of this process suggests that magnetic reconnection can release substantial amounts of energy in short periods of time. As the particle tracing numerical simulations show that the particles can be efficiently accelerated during the reconnection, we argue that the process of magnetic reconnection may be much more important for particle acceleration than it is currently accepted. In particular, we discuss the acceleration arising from reconnection as a possible origin of the anomalous cosmic rays measured by Voyagers as well as the origin cosmic ray excess in the direction of Heliotail.     

Cross Field Diffusion of Cosmic Rays in a Two-Dimensional Magnetic Field Turbulence

Cross field diffusion of energetic particles (cosmic rays) in a two-dimensional static magnetic field turbulence is studied performing test particle simulations. Qualitatively different diffusion processes are observed depending on the ratio of Larmor radius (ρ) to the correlation length (λ) of the magnetic field fluctuations. The diffusion is found to be composed of several regimes with distinct statistical properties, which can be characterized using Levy statistics. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Stochastic Acceleration of Energetic Particles in the Heliosphere

In this paper we assess possible roles of stochastic acceleration by random electric field and plasma motion in the production and transport of energetic particles in the heliosphere. Stochastic acceleration can occur in the presence of multiple small-scale magnetohydrodynamic waves propagating in different directions. Usually, this type of stochastic acceleration is closely related to particle pitch angle scattering or parallel diffusion. Given the values of the parallel diffusion coefficient inferred from the observations of cosmic ray modulation or other energetic particle phenomena in the heliosphere, stochastic acceleration by small-scale waves is much slower than acceleration by shock waves and it is also much slower than adiabatic cooling by the expansion of the solar wind; thus it is considered as inefficient for producing heliospheric energetic particles or for the modulation of cosmic rays. Another type of stochastic acceleration occurs when particles go through random compressions or expansions due to large-scale plasma motion. This acceleration mechanism could be very fast when the correlation time of the fluctuations in plasma compression is short compared to the diffusion time. Particle acceleration by an ensemble of small shock waves or intermittent long wavelength compressible turbulence belongs to this category. It tends to establish an asymptotic p ^?3 universal distribution function quickly if there is no or little large-scale adiabatic cooling. Such a particle distribution will contain an infinite amount of pressure. Back reaction from the pressure is expected to modify the amplitude of plasma waves to an equilibrium state. At that point, the pressure of accelerated particles must remain finite and the accelerated particles could approach a p ^?5 distribution function.     

Pickup Ion Acceleration at the Termination Shock and in the Heliosheath

We discuss pickup ion acceleration and transport near the solar wind termination shock from the perspective of their spectral, spatial, and pitch-angle distributions. Our study is performed in the framework of a recently developed anisotropic transport model based on a Legendre polynomial expansion technique. Voyager 1 LECP angular distributions of 1 MeV protons, represented in the form of an expansion in spherical harmonics in the frame aligned with the measured interplanetary magnetic field, are used as benchmarks for our theory. We find the observed distributions consistent with our model predictions for particle acceleration and reflection at a highly oblique shock wave. It is shown that first-order (field aligned) anisotropy is a measure of shock obliquity while the second-order (transverse) anisotropy reflects the energy dependence of the particle scattering mean free path. We also discuss the role of enhanced scattering and momentum diffusion on the spectral properties of energetic charged particles.     

不同密度材料颗粒对两相湍流调制的实验

 在颗粒雷诺数较小范围内,针对不同密度材料颗粒对气相湍流的调制规律进行了实验研究。采用相多普勒颗粒分析仪(PDPA)测量了气粒两相圆湍射流中气相速度和湍流度的分布,比较了相同形状、相同粒径和体积分数近似相同时玻璃微珠和聚苯乙烯颗粒分别存在时的两相射流流动的气相速度和湍流度。实验发现:不同密度材料的颗粒对气相平均速度的调制作用差别不明显,但对气相湍流度的调制作用显著不同。在近场区域,密度大的玻璃微珠对气相湍流度的增强作用高于密度小的聚苯乙烯颗粒;在远场区域,气相湍流度被削弱,并且密度大的玻璃微珠的削弱作用强于密度小的聚苯乙烯颗粒。该研究为进一步提出合理的两相湍射流的控制方法提供了理论依据和指导。     

Acceleration of particles by shocks in a cosmic plasma

The theory and observational evidence pertaining to particle acceleration by shock waves in astrophysical objects and in space are systematized. Recent works showing observational and theoretical aspects of the problem dealing with shocks in turbulent media are emphasized. The acceleration of particles by shocks in turbulent media is observed in interplanetary space. This acceleration mechanism is of particular interest from the point of view of the origin of cosmic rays, providing the degree form of the spectrum. The index of the spectrum is close to the observable one for galactic cosmic rays. It depends slightly on specific conditions in the acceleration region. Electron and nucleus acceleration in supernova remnants and in radiogalaxies is discussed, and theory and observational data are compared. The theory of particle acceleration by supersonic turbulence is outlined.     

Electrodynamic coupling of the magnetosphere and ionosphere

The auroral zone ionosphere is coupled to the outer magnetosphere by means of field-aligned currents. Parallel electric fields associated with these currents are now widely accepted to be responsible for the acceleration of auroral particles. This paper will review the theoretical concepts and models describing this coupling. The dynamics of auroral zone particles will be described, beginning with the adiabatic motions of particles in the converging geomagnetic field in the presence of parallel potential drops and then considering the modifications to these adiabatic trajectories due to wave-particle interactions. The formation of parallel electric fields can be viewed both from microscopic and macroscopic viewpoints. The presence of a current carrying plasma can give rise to plasma instabilities which in a weakly turbulent situation can affect the particle motions, giving rise to an effective resistivity in the plasma. Recent satellite observations, however, indicate that the parallel electric field is organized into discrete potential jumps, known as double layers. From a macroscopic viewpoint, the response of the particles to a parallel potential drop leads to an approximately linear relationship between the current density and the potential drop.The currents flowing in the auroral circuit must close in the ionosphere. To a first approximation, the ionospheric conductivity can be considered to be constant, and in this case combining the ionospheric Ohm's Law with the linear current-voltage relation for parallel currents leads to an outer scale length, above which electric fields can map down to the ionosphere and below which parallel electric fields become important. The effects of particle precipitation make the picture more complex, leading to enhanced ionization in upward current regions and to the possibility of feedback interactions with the magnetosphere.Determining adiabatic particle orbits in steady-state electric and magnetic fields can be used to determine the self-consistent particle and field distributions on auroral field lines. However, it is difficult to pursue this approach when the fields are varying with time. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models deal with these time-dependent situations by treating the particles as a fluid. This class of model, however, cannot treat kinetic effects in detail. Such effects can in some cases be modeled by effective transport coefficients inserted into the MHD equations. Intrinsically time-dependent processes such as the development of magnetic micropulsations and the response of the magnetosphere to ionospheric fluctuations can be readily treated in this framework.The response of the lower altitude auroral zone depends in part on how the system is driven. Currents are generated in the outer parts of the magnetosphere as a result of the plasma convection. The dynamics of this region is in turn affected by the coupling to the ionosphere. Since dissipation rates are very low in the outer magnetosphere, the convection may become turbulent, implying that nonlinear effects such as spectral transfer of energy to different scales become important. MHD turbulence theory, modified by the ionospheric coupling, can describe the dynamics of the boundary-layer region. Turbulent MHD fluids can give rise to the generation of field-aligned currents through the so-called -effect, which is utilized in the theory of the generation of the Earth's magnetic field. It is suggested that similar processes acting in the boundary-layer plasma may be ultimately responsible for the generation of auroral currents.     

The radial diffusion of trapped particles induced by fluctuating magnetospheric fields

Small fluctuations in magnetospheric electric and magnetic fields lead to random changes in the radial positions of trapped particles. The characteristics of this radial diffusion are described theoretically in terms of the statistical properties of the field fluctuations, in particular the power spectra of the various spatial components. A large body of trapped particle data demonstrates that diffusion with the predicted properties actually takes place. These data include the average radial and energy distributions and the time variations in particle fluxes. This radial diffusion has a major influence on the structure of the radiation belts; and since the net flow of particles is inward at most positions of the magnetosphere, the process acts as a strong source of trapped particles. Further experiments are needed to establish the importance of this mechanism relative to magnetic storm effects and to collective instabilities.     

The Cusp as a Source of Magnetospheric Energetic Particles, Currents, and Electric Fields: A New Paradigm

Energetic particle instrumentation on the Polar satellite has discovered that significant fluxes of energetic particles are continuously present in the region of the dayside magnetosphere where they cannot be stably trapped. This region is associated with either open magnetic field lines or a magnetic topology associated with pseudo-trapping. Two distinct features [Time-Energy Dispersion (TED) signatures and Cusp Energetic Particle (CEP) events] are observed in these energetic particle fluxes that strongly suggest a local acceleration of mostly shocked solar wind particles. As the solar wind particles ram themselves into the cusp geometry, they form diamagnetic cavities with strong turbulence that are capable of accelerating particles to energies of 100s and 1000s of kiloelectronvolts. This process forms a layer of energetic particles on the magnetopause as well as permits such particles to enter via drift the equatorial nightside magnetosphere to distances as close as six Earth radii under the influence of gradient and curvature effects in the local magnetic field. The fluxes of these particles have all of the properties associated with the ring current and can supply the magnitude of the cross tail current required. ISEE-1 energetic particle data and their pitch angle distributions [PAD] are examined at the magnetic equatorial plane on the night side to investigate and possibly validate the insights gains from the Polar data and energetic particle trajectory tracing in a realistic magnetic field. The existence and properties of butterfly-type PADs strongly supports the concept of a dayside high latitude source of energetic particle fluxes. Because the CEP process is impulsive and time variable the charge separation produced by the drifting electrons (eastward) and ions (westward) on the magnetospheric nightside may be responsible for the cross tail electric field that has been ascribed to the reconnection/convection process.     

Rocket Exhaust Scattering Effects on Incident Microwave Propagation Characteristics

This paper considers the effect of the rocket exhaust turbulence and scattering within the surrounding medium upon the propagation characteristics of incident electromagnetic waves. The exhaust is represented by a cylindrical plasma beam, diffusing through the surrounding medium. The equations of propagation of EM waves are derived for both TE and TM modes. By using a quasi-linear perturbation technique the exhaust is further separated into an inner homogeneous cylindrical plasma beam, and an outer conical inhomogeneous turbulent region. The isotropic change in the temperature of the outer region and its effects on the fluctuations in the density of electrons, collision frequency, and plasma index of refraction are analyzed in detail. It is found that the exhaust turbulence and scattering effects produce linear fluctuations in the E and H fields computed from the exhaust inner region effect. The equations of this paper can be used in the prediction of the radar cross sections and the attenuation of microwaves by rocket exhaust plumes.     

Magnetic Turbulence in the Geospace Environment

Magnetic turbulence is found in most space plasmas, including the Earth’s magnetosphere, and the interaction region between the magnetosphere and the solar wind. Recent spacecraft observations of magnetic turbulence in the ion foreshock, in the magnetosheath, in the polar cusp regions, in the magnetotail, and in the high latitude ionosphere are reviewed. It is found that: 1. A large share of magnetic turbulence in the geospace environment is generated locally, as due for instance to the reflected ion beams in the ion foreshock, to temperature anisotropy in the magnetosheath and the polar cusp regions, to velocity shear in the magnetosheath and magnetotail, and to magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause and in the magnetotail. 2. Spectral indices close to the Kolmogorov value can be recovered for low frequency turbulence when long enough intervals at relatively constant flow speed are analyzed in the magnetotail, or when fluctuations in the magnetosheath are considered far downstream from the bow shock. 3. For high frequency turbulence, a spectral index α?2.3 or larger is observed in most geospace regions, in agreement with what is observed in the solar wind. 4. More studies are needed to gain an understanding of turbulence dissipation in the geospace environment, also keeping in mind that the strong temperature anisotropies which are observed show that wave particle interactions can be a source of wave emission rather than of turbulence dissipation. 5. Several spacecraft observations show the existence of vortices in the magnetosheath, on the magnetopause, in the magnetotail, and in the ionosphere, so that they may have a primary role in the turbulent injection and evolution. The influence of such a turbulence on the plasma transport, dynamics, and energization will be described, also using the results of numerical simulations.     

Development and Effects of Turbulence in Connection with CIRs

We present an overview of the properties of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence within corotating interaction regions (CIRs) and its effects on energetic particles. We stress the importance of both the population of fluctuations in the inner heliosphere and the changing local environment in determining their properties at larger heliospheric distances. We present observations from two typical CIRs, one at 0.3 AU before compression regions have formed and the other well developed at 5.1 AU, and discuss the properties of fluctuations within them and show that it is possible to distinguish different regions of the CIR on the basis of the turbulence itself. The strength of the turbulence varies strongly within and close to the CIRs, explaining changes in the mean free path of energetic particles of several orders of magnitude with implications for the modulation of cosmic rays and for diffusive acceleration of particles. The mechanisms by which turbulent fluctuations within interaction regions scatter energetic particles are briefly discussed on a theoretical basis. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

大速差射流燃烧室内三维湍流气固两相流的实验研究

本文用二维激光多普勒测速仪和探针取样法对大速差射流燃烧室中冷态三维湍流气固两相流动进行了实验研究,测量了气相速度,颗粒速度、颗粒质量流分布及两相各自的湍流特性,探讨了高速射流作用下两相流场的主要物理特征及其对火焰的稳定和强化燃烧的作用。     

Multi-Scale Plasma Turbulence in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium

I discuss how radioastronomical observations can provide information on the turbulence that governs the propagation of cosmic rays in the Galaxy. Interstellar radio wave propagation effects, collectively referred to as interstellar scintillations, yield information on the spatial power spectra of fluctuations in plasma density and magnetic field. Results of relevance to cosmic-ray physics are the existence of interstellar turbulence over a wide range of spatial scales (which can thus interact with a wide range of cosmic ray energies), the detection of magnetic field fluctuations in association with this turbulence, and a change in the nature of the turbulence on spatial scales of about 3.5 parsecs. A number of mysteries remain, such as the apparent suppression of Fast Magnetosonic wave generation by the interstellar turbulence.     

Effects of Particle Beams in the Solar Atmosphere

This work addresses the observational and physical effects of particle beams in the solar atmosphere. Mainly electron beams are considered, but also some effects of proton and neutral beams are mentioned. Briefly describing acceleration mechanisms of superthermal particles, the main attention is devoted to effects influencing the particle beam propagation. The collisional energy losses and pitch-angle scattering, return current effects, mirroring in the converging magnetic field, and the scattering in the Alfvén and whistler wave turbulence in specific situations are considered. The role of quasi-linear relaxation is discussed. Examples of observations showing effects of particle beams in the solar atmosphere are presented throughout the paper. Separate chapters are devoted to processes connected with particle beam bombardment of dense layers of the solar atmosphere: hard X-ray and -ray flare emissions, evaporation process, asymmetry of optical chromospheric lines, and impact linear H line polarization. The beam induced energy release processes are also included. The presented effects of particle beams are summarized in the conclusions and future prospects are suggested.     

Computer modeling of test particle acceleration at oblique shocks

We review the basic techniques and results of numerical codes used to model the acceleration of charged particles at oblique, fast-mode, collisionless shocks. The emphasis is upon models in which accelerated particles (ions) are treated as test particles, and particle dynamics is calculated by numerically integrating along exact phase-space orbits. We first review the case where ions are sufficiently energetic so that the shock can be approximated by a planar discontinuity, and where the electromagnetic fields on both sides of the shock are defined at the outset of each computer run. When the fields are uniform and static, particles are accelerated by the scatter-free drift acceleration process at a single shock encounter. We review the characteristics of scatter-free drift acceleration by considering how an incident particle distribution is modified by interacting with a shock. Next we discuss drift acceleration when magnetic fluctuations are introduced on both sides of the shock, and compare these results with those obtained under scatter-free conditions. We describe the modeling of multiple shock encounters, discuss specific applications, and compare the model predictions with theory. Finally, we review some recent numerical simulations that illustrate the importance of shock structure to both the ion injection process and to the acceleration of ions to high energies at quasi-perpendicular shocks.     

Low frequency turbulence and energy dissipation in the Solar Wind

The possibility to perform in-situ measurements of velocity, magnetic field, density and temperature fluctuations in the Solar Wind has greatly improved our knoweledge of MHD turbulence not only from the point of view of space physics but also from the more general point of view of plasma physics.These fluctuations on the one hand extend over a wide range of frequencies (about 5 decades), a fact which seems to be the signature of turbulent non-linear energy cascade, on the other hand display, mainly in the trailing edge of high speed streams, a number of striking features: (i) a high degree of correlation between magnetic and velocity field fluctuations, (ii) a very low level of fluctuations in mass density and magnetic field intensity, (iii) a considerable anisotropy revealed by minimum variance analysis of the magnetic field correlation tensor. More recently it has been stressed that MHD turbulence in the Solar Wind displays a clear intermittent character.The picture which emerges from the most recent analytical theories and numerical simulations is presented. In particular the observations which give us informations about the dissipation mechanism, which remains yet largely unknown, are discussed.     

Notes on Magnetohydrodynamics of Magnetic Reconnection in Turbulent Media

Astrophysical fluids have very large Reynolds numbers and therefore turbulence is their natural state. Magnetic reconnection is an important process in many astrophysical plasmas, which allows restructuring of magnetic fields and conversion of stored magnetic energy into heat and kinetic energy. Turbulence is known to dramatically change different transport processes and therefore it is not unexpected that turbulence can alter the dynamics of magnetic field lines within the reconnection process. We shall review the interaction between turbulence and reconnection at different scales, showing how a state of turbulent reconnection is natural in astrophysical plasmas, with implications for a range of phenomena across astrophysics. We consider the process of magnetic reconnection that is fast in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) limit and discuss how turbulence—both externally driven and generated in the reconnecting system—can make reconnection independent on the microphysical properties of plasmas. We will also show how relaxation theory can be used to calculate the energy dissipated in turbulent reconnecting fields. As well as heating the plasma, the energy dissipated by turbulent reconnection may cause acceleration of non-thermal particles, which is briefly discussed here.     

Investigation of turbulence influence on the particle resistance in a two-phase flow

The results of studying the resistance of a regular spherical particle lattice by means of the ANSYS/FLOTRAN software are presented; the lattice is streamlined by a turbulent incompressible flow at different values of the Re number and turbulence parameters. It is shown that the interference of neighboring particles and their resistance coefficients is unsymmetrical. A phenomenon of a significant influence of local turbulence parameters (scale and intensity) on the single particle resistance is described.