JIKIKEN electron beam measurements of the plasmapause

An electron beam (200-eV, 0.25 – 1-mA) emitted fromJapanese magnetosphere exploring satellite JIKIKEN (EXOS-B) has excited a number of plasma waves. Among them, f_UHF (upper hybrid frequency) and f_p (plasma wave) are most strongly excited and from them, the plasma density and the magnetic field strength can be known. Moreover, when an electron beam is emitted, the spacecraft is charged up positively. When the ambient plasma density is low, the spacecraft is charged up to the beam energy and most of electrons emitted return to the spacecraft. This is another plasma parameter indication in the magnetosphere. These two characteristics that is, the wave excitation and the spacecraft charge-up by the electron beam emission in space are used as very powerful tools for the diagnostics of plasma in the magnetosphere.     

Negative body potential as result of modulated electron beam emission into ambient plasma

Two different processes play an important role during emission of pulsed electron beam from a satellite: the positive charging of the spacecraft by emitted electron current and the body neutralization by ambient plasma electrons (mainly in pauses between electron pulses).

The injection of modulated electron beam (pulses of 2μs duration, E=8keV, I=0.1A and 25μs repetition) was carried on in the APEX Project. A simple computer model of this process for APEX scenario was performed.

The results show that after primary positive charging (during gun operation) a significant negative charging (in pauses between pulses) caused by neutralization process by ambient plasma with fp>2MHz takes place.     

一种低能量远焦距电子枪技术

针对可移动非接触式月球表面电位探测器的电位无扰动测量单元对低能远焦电子束的需求，设计了低能远焦电子枪。以平板二极管电子枪为电子源，匹配两个静电聚焦透镜，将电子源引出的发散电子束聚焦为需要的形状，并加速至所需能量。优化电子枪的几何参数以及施加在电极上的电位，电子枪引出的电子束能量在5～500 eV内，并且具有良好的电子光路特性。电子束能量为5 eV时，初始半径r为5 mm，束腰至电子枪出口的距离p约为133 mm。随着能量增加，r逐渐减小至500 eV时的3 mm左右，p逐渐减小至105 mm。电子束经月球表面电场反射被电子收集平极接收，仿真数据和理论分析结果均表明，电子枪的工作距离为400～600 mm，平板接收的电子占发射电子比例在96%以上。电子枪结构质量仅408 g，满足探测器对电子枪的质量需求。     

真空中连续发射电子束形成的电子鞘层的空间结构

用双流理论模型研究真空中电子束的发射实验。向真空中发射电子束过程中,发射体本身被充正电,束缚束电子向外传播,大量的束电子在发射体表面附近形成电子鞘层;只有极少量的束电子可以逃离发射体而向外传播出去。在电子鞘层内,发射出的束电子和返回发射体表面的束电子形成速度和密度在空间为分布不均匀的双流。本文用双流理论模型解析计算出了电子鞘层的空间尺度、电子鞘层内的电场分布以及电子密度分布。      

Remote spacecraft observations of waves excited by the pulse electron beam injected into ionosphere

In the Apex project the modulated electron beam (pulses of 2 micro sec duration, E=8 keV, I=0.1 A and 25 micro sec repetition) was emitted from a main satellite. The RF emissions were observed in parallel on the mother satellite as well as on Magion-3 subsatellite. The paper discusses the case when the subsatellite was separated about 200 km from the main object and the electron gun was operated. Together with strong electrostatic emission at the upper hybrid plasma frequency on the main spacecraft, selected spikes in RF frequency range on Magion-3, were simultaneously detected, which can be related to pulse electron beam emission.     

Rocket potential measurements during electron beam injection into the ionosphere

The results of measurements made by the retarding potential analyzer of electron fluxes recorded during electron beam injection ～0.5A current pulses and energy 15 or 27 keV during the ARAKS experiment are analyzed. The relatively low rocket potential (～150 V) observed is explained by the formation of a highly conducting region near the rocket. Such a region can be formed via intense plasma waves generated by the beam. This mechanism also explains the heating of the electrons near the rocket. Measurements of electron fluxes with energies of 1 to 3 keV and estimate based on the beam plasma discharge theory agree very well.     

航天器介质放电脉冲频谱特征实验研究

空间电子辐射环境下,航天器介质的充放电效应是威胁航天器安全的重要因素.介质放电现象除与材料参数及构型相关外,还与空间电子环境密切相关.本文通过电子枪和Sr90放射源在地面实验装置上模拟空间电子辐照环境,测试了环氧树脂、聚四氟乙烯、聚酰亚胺等常见空间材料在不同温度、不同电子能量和电子束流强度影响下的放电脉冲,并对放电电流脉冲和电场脉冲进行频谱分析.实验分析结果表明,介质材料的放电电流脉冲频谱具有明显的单峰结构,该峰值与材料厚度和入射电子能量相关,但受材料温度和辐照束流强度影响不大.      

控制航天器充电水平的计算机模拟研究

运用等效电路模式理论推导出随时间变化充电问题的微分方程组及其相应的计算机模拟程序，并针对强亚暴的情况分析了航天器充电水平，模拟并讨论了采用电子枪向外发射电子束作为控制航天器充电水平手段的作用效果。     

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.     

Monte Carlo simulations of CASSINI/LEMMS

In an effort to characterize the response of the low energy magnetospheric measurements system (LEMMS) on the CASSINI spacecraft to energetic ions and electrons we have taken advantage of the excellent pre-launch beam calibrations in comparison to an extensive series of electron and ion Monte Carlo simulations. We selected the geometry and tracking toolkit to provide the framework for the instrument modeling and simulation environment. The results from these simulations match very well with the data collected during the instrument calibration. This gives us confidence that this simulation toolkit handles both electron and ion interactions in a reasonable fashion and that we can successfully apply this tool to regions of the spectrum where calibration data is not available.     

Particle-in-cell simulation of the plasma environment of a spacecraft in the solar wind

The main interactions between the plasma and the spacecraft are the wake effects, the emission of a dense photoelectron cloud and the electric charging of the surface of the spacecraft. An electrostatic particle-in-cell computer simulation model is presented, that allows the simultaneous calculation of these related effects. For different plasma properties, two-dimensional simulations yielded the steady state self-consistent potential distributions around the probe. These potentials, especially the potential barriers produced by the photoelectron cloud, have great influence on the measurements of the low energy solar wind electrons. The essential features can be verified by a comparison with selected electron distributions measured onboard the HELIOS spacecraft.     

Proton versus electron heating in solar flares

Proton and electron heating of a flaring atmosphere is compared in a kinetic approach for the particles ejected from a non-neutral reconnecting current sheet (RCS) located above the top of reconnected flaring loops in a two-ribbon flare. Two kinds of high-energy particles are considered: particles accelerated by a super-Dreicer electric field and those ejected from the reconnection region as neutral outflows, or separatrix jets. The beam electrons are assumed to deposit their energy in Coulomb collisions and Ohmic heating of the ambient plasma particles by the electric field induced by the precipitating beams. The protons are assumed to deposit their energy in generation of kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs), which, in turn, dissipate due to Cherenkov resonant scattering on the ambient plasma electrons. The beam electrons are found to provide a fast (within a few tenth of a second) heating of the atmosphere that is well spread in depth from the corona to the lower chromosphere. The protons are shown to precipitate to the lower atmosphere much slower (up to few seconds for beam and up to 10–20 s for slow jets). Slow jet protons provide heating of the two compact regions: the first located at the top of a flaring loop just below the RCS, and the second one appearing at the transition region (TR) and upper chromosphere; fast beam protons deposit their energy in the TR and chromosphere only.     

New aspects of whistler waves driven by an electron beam studied by a 3-D electromagnetic code

We have restudied electron beam driven whistler waves with a 3-D electromagnetic particle code. In the initialisation of the beam-plasma system, “quiet start” conditions were approached by including the poloidal magnetic field due to the current carried by beam electrons streaming along a background magnetic field. The simulation results show electromagnetic whistler wave emissions and electrostatic beam modes like those observed in the Spacelab 2 electron beam experiment. It has been suggested in the past that the spatial bunching of beam electrons associated with the beam mode may directly generate whistler waves. However, the simulation results indicate several inconsistencies with this picture: (1) the parallel (to the background magnetic field) wavelength of the whistler wave is longer than that of the beam instability, (2) the parallel phase velocity of the whistler wave is smaller than that of the beam mode, and (3) whistler waves continue to be generated even after the beam mode space charge modulation looses its coherence. The complex structure of the whistler waves in the vicinity of the beam suggest that the transverse motion (gyration) of the beam and background electrons is involved in the generation of the whistler waves.     

Energetic particle environment in near-Earth orbit.

The hazard of exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation is one of the primary concerns of extended manned space missions and a continuous threat for the numerous spacecraft in operation today. In the near-Earth environment the main sources of radiation are solar energetic particles (SEP), galactic cosmic rays (GCR), and geomagnetically trapped particles, predominantly protons and electrons. The intensity of the SEP and GCR source depends primarily on the phase of the solar cycle. Due to the shielding effect of the Earth's magnetic field, the observed intensity of SEP and GCR particles in a near-Earth orbit will also depend on the orbital parameters altitude and inclination. The magnetospheric source strength depends also on these orbital parameters because they determine the frequency and location of radiation belt passes. In this paper an overview of the various sources of radiation in the near-Earth orbit will be given and first results obtained with the Solar, Anomalous, and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer (SAMPEX) will be discussed. SAMPEX was launched on 3 July 1992 into a near polar (inclination 82 degrees) low altitude (510 x 675 km) orbit. The SAMPEX payload contains four separate instruments of high sensitivity covering the energy range 0.5 to several hundred MeV/nucleon for ions and 0.4 to 30 MeV for electrons. This low altitude polar orbit with zenith-oriented instrumentation provides a new opportunity for a systematic study of the near-Earth energetic particle environment.     

Spatial coherence and electromagnetic wave generation during electron beam experiments in space

A two-dimensional electromagnetic simulation model is used to investigate the production of whistler waves in connection with electron beam experiments in space. The spectrum is observed to peak near 0.7 ω_e, and the conversion efficiency of beam energy to whistler waves is about 5 × 10⁻⁵. The whistlers can be trapped in a density trough extending out from the spacecraft and experience ducted propagation.     

The effect of the longitudinal propagating waves on the electron acceleration in the reconnecting current sheet

Based upon the most efficient electron acceleration near the midplane of 3D non-neutral driven reconnecting current sheet (RCS) and the electrostatic wave excitation by the drift Maxwellian distribution of electrons in Vlasov simulation, we assume that the electrostatic waves mainly propagate opposite to the reconnecting electric field and investigated how these waves affect the electron acceleration. The main results are: (1) when the electron’s velocity equals to the phase speed of the waves, they will be trapped and have the different accelerating characteristics from the untrapped electrons through solving the momentum equations of electrons analytically; (2) the test particle simulations further prove that the number of the energetic electrons decreases with the increasing intensity of unstable waves, and the distribution of the energetic electrons takes on the double power-law.     

航天器介质材料深层充放电实验与数值模拟

空间辐射环境中高能电子诱发的介质材料深层充放电效应是威胁航天器安全的重要因素之一. 本文采用不同束流强度的电子枪电子, 研究了不同厚度的聚酰亚胺薄膜的深层充电过程; 利用Sr90放射源电子模拟GEO轨道高能电子环境, 研究了在其辐照下聚甲醛树脂和聚四氟乙烯材料的表面电位变化; 实验观测了深层放电产生的电流脉冲和电场脉冲. 提出了深层充电模型, 较好地模拟了实验测量结果, 并且分析了深层充电平衡电位和平衡时间随电子束流强度和介质电阻率的变化规律. 实验和数值模拟结果初步揭示了深层充放电效应的特征及规律, 表明深层充电现象随着电子束流强度和介质电阻率的增加而趋于明显, 介质电阻率是影响深层充电平衡电位和平衡时间的主要因素.      

Cluster observations showing the indication of the formation of a modified-two-stream instability in the geomagnetic tail

This study presents several observations of the Cluster spacecraft on September 24, 2003 around 15:10 UT, which show necessary prerequisites and consequences for the formation of the so-called modified-two-stream instability (MTSI). Theoretical studies suggest that the plasma is MTSI unstable if (1) a relative drift of electrons and ions is present, which exceeds the Alfvèn speed, and (2) this relative drift or current is in the cross-field direction. As consequences of the formation of a MTSI one expects to observe (1) a field-aligned electron beam, (2) heating of the plasma, and (3) an enhancement in the B-wave spectrum at frequencies in the range of the lower-hybrid-frequency (LHF). In this study we use prime parameter data of the CIS and PEACE instruments onboard the Cluster spacecraft to verify the drift velocities of ions and electrons, FGM data to calculate the expected LHF and Alfvèn velocity, and the direction of the current. The B-wave spectrum is recorded by the STAFF instrument of Cluster. Finally, a field aligned beam of electrons is observed by 3D measurements of the IES instrument of the RAPID unit. Observations are verified using a theoretical model showing the build-up of a MTSI under the given circumstances.     

Night side lunar surface potential in the Earth’s magnetosphere

In the Earth’s magnetotail, Japanese Moon orbiter Kaguya repeatedly encountered the plasmoid or plasma sheet. The encounters were characterized by the low energy ion signatures including lobe cold ions, cold ion acceleration in the plasma sheet-lobe boundaries, and hot plasma sheet ions or fast flowing ions associated with plasmoids. Different from the previous observations made in the magnetotail by the GEOTAIL spacecraft, the ions were affected by the existence of the Moon. On the dayside of the Moon, tailward flowing cold ions and their acceleration were observed. However, on the night side, tailward flowing cold ions could not be observed since the Moon blocked them. In stead, ion acceleration by the spacecraft potential and the electron beam accelerated by the potential difference between lunar surface and spacecraft were simultaneously observed. These electron and ion data enabled us to determine the night side lunar surface potential and spacecraft potential only from the observed data for the first time.     

从空间飞行器入射进电离层的调制电子束产生的高频波辐射

在主动束-等离子体试验中,调制电子束从空间飞行器入射进电离层等离子体将会产生电磁波辐射,在不同试验条件下电磁波辐射机理也不一样,由电子束纵向约束性产生电磁波辐射是其中之一.对半无界稀薄调制电子束从空间飞行器入射进电离层等离子体时所产生的波现象进行了理论分析和数值计算.结果表明,当调制电子束沿磁力线入射时,会在电离层等离子体中产生高频电磁波辐射,该辐射主要集中在垂直于入射电子束运动方向的平面内.