The characteristics of sharp (small-scale) boundaries of solar wind plasma and magnetic field structures

We investigate properties of large (>20%) and sharp (<10 min) solar wind ion flux changes using INTERBALL-1 and WIND plasma and magnetic field measurements from 1996 to 1999. These ion flux changes are the boundaries of small-scale and middle-scale solar wind structures. We describe the behavior of the solar wind velocity, temperature and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) during these sudden flux changes. Many of the largest ion flux changes occur during periods when the solar wind velocity is nearly constant, so these are mainly plasma density changes. The IMF magnitude and direction changes at these events can be either large or small. For about 55% of the ion flux changes, the sum of the thermal and magnetic pressure are in balance across the boundary. In many of the other cases, the thermal pressure change is significantly more than the magnetic pressure change. We also attempted to classify the types of discontinuities observed.     

Spatial distribution of the magnetosheath ion flux

The magnetosheath plays a crucial role in solar wind-magnetosphere interaction because it is the magnetosheath magnetic field and plasma that interact with the magnetopause and magnetosphere, not the unshocked solar wind. We are presenting ion flux measurement statistics at both the dawn and dusk flanks of the magnetosheath and their comparison with a gasdynamic magnetosheath model. The study is based on three years of INTERBALL-1 measurements supported by simultaneous WIND solar wind and magnetic field observations. Statistical processing has shown (1) the limitations of the gasdynamic model, (2) the conditions favorable for the creation of a plasma depletion layer adjacent to the flank magnetopause, (3) strong dawn-dusk asymmetry of the ion fluxes, and (4) an evidence for the presence of a slow mode front adjacent to the magnetopause.     

Plasma flow variations and energetic protons upstream of the earth’s bow shock: A statistical study

Foreshock is a special region located upstream of the Earth’s bow shock characterized by the presence of various plasma waves and fluctuations caused by the interaction of the solar wind plasma with particles reflected from the bow shock or escaping from the magnetosphere. On the other hand, foreshock fluctuations may modify the bow shock structure and, being carried through the magnetosheath, influence the magnetopause. During the years 1995–2000, the INTERBALL-1 satellite made over 10,000 hours of plasma and energetic particles measurements in the solar wind upstream of the Earth’s bow shock. We have sorted intervals according to the level of solar wind ion flux fluctuations and/or according to the flux of back-streaming energetic protons. An analysis of connection between a level of ion flux fluctuations and fluxes of high-energy protons and their relation to the IMF orientation is presented.     

Model-independent large-scale magnetohydrodynamic quantities in magnetic clouds

Magnetic clouds are the interplanetary manifestation of coronal mass ejections, which are transient expulsions of major quantities of magnetized plasma, from the Sun toward the heliosphere. The magnetic flux and helicity are two key physical magnitudes to track solar structures from the photosphere-corona to the interplanetary medium. To determine the content of flux and helicity in magnetic clouds, we have to know their 3D structure. However, since spacecrafts register data along a unique direction, several aspects of their global configuration cannot be observed. We present a method to estimate the magnetic flux and the magnetic helicity per unit length in magnetic clouds, directly from in situ magnetic observations, assuming only a cylindrical symmetry for the magnetic field configuration in the observed cross-section of the cloud. We select a set of 20 magnetic clouds observed by the spacecraft Wind and estimate their magnetic flux and their helicity per unit length. We compare the results obtained from our direct method with those obtained under the assumption of a helical linear force-free field. This direct method improves previous estimations of helicity in clouds.     

MMS星座对磁层顶磁通量绳内离子惯性尺度结构的观测

利用MMS观测数据,对磁层顶通量绳内离子惯性尺度（d_i）的结构进行分析研究.结果发现,许多不同尺度（约1d_i至数十d_i）的通量绳内都存在具有d_i尺度的电流 j _m,其方向在磁层顶局地坐标系的-M方向,即与磁层顶查普曼-费拉罗电流同向,由电子在+M方向的运动（ v _em）携带.这些电流结构具有以下特征:磁鞘与磁层成分混合,磁场为开放形态;离子去磁化,电子与磁场冻结;N方向（即垂直于磁层顶电流片方向）的电场 E _n显著增大,幅度达到约20mV·m-1,并伴有明显的尖峰状起伏,该增强和尖峰状起伏的电场对应于霍尔电场.分析表明,电流、电子与离子运动的偏离以及霍尔电场之间遵从广义欧姆定律,三者密切关联.进一步对磁层顶磁重联的探测数据进行分析发现,在很多重联区内也存在与通量绳内相似的结构,其尺度约为d_i量级,其中霍尔电场 E _N、电流 j _M和电子速度 v _eM均与通量绳内对应物理量的方向相同且幅度相近.基于上述观测事实,采用经典FTE通量绳模型,对通量绳内电流、电子运动和霍尔电场的起源进行了初步探讨,认为其来源于磁层顶无碰撞磁重联区内的相应结构,并且后者在离子尺度通量绳的形成过程中起到重要作用.      

同轴微阴极电弧推力器的粒子网格法数值模拟

采用粒子网格方法对同轴微阴极电弧推力器μCAT工作过程进行了模拟研究, 并应用自相似方法对模型进行简化,获得了推力器羽流区的电子数密度分布、离子数密度分布、电势分布及离子轴向平均速度,通过改变磁感应强度和位形分析磁场对推力器内等离子体运动特性及推力器性能的影响。计算结果表明,电子被外加磁场捕获约束在磁力线附近,低速离子与高速电子形成的双极扩散电场加速离子喷出;在相同流量情况下,磁感应强度002T时,离子返流严重,磁感应强度005~030T时,磁感应强度变化对速度影响较小;磁场位形对离子运动和推力器性能有较大影响,磁力线与轴线夹角较小时离子速度下降明显,夹角较大时离子返流严重。     

ISEE-1 and -2 observations of magnetotail flux ropes: FTEs in the plasma sheet?

ISEE-1 and 2 observations from about 20 Re down the near-Earth magnetotail indicate the presence of magnetic flux ropes in the neutral sheet. Magnetic and electric field and fast plasma data show that these structures convect across the spacecraft at speeds of 200–600-km/s, and have scale sizes of roughly 3–5-Re. The rope axis orientation is approximately cross-tail. Their magnetic structure is similar to Venus ionospheric flux ropes, and to flux transfer events at the dayside magnetopause. These structures may arise from patchy reconnection or tearing mode reconnection within the plasma sheet.     

哨声模合声波与地球同步轨道高能电子通量增强事件事例研究

局部加速机制是磁暴期间地球外辐射带高能电子通量增强事件发生的重要原 因. 此加速机制需要两个基本条件, 一是存在种子电子, 二是存在能与种子 电子产生共振的加速波动, 包括哨声模合声波. 通过对2004-2006年 Pi1地磁脉动持续时间与种子电子通量的相关性分析, 更明确提出Pi1地磁脉 动的持续时间可以作为种子电子通量的指示剂. 通过对三个磁暴事例地球同 步轨道的种子电子通量、高能电子通量及哨声模合声波变化情况的分析, 发 现在高能电子通量较强的事例中, 均观测到较高的种子电子通量和较强的 哨声模合声波, 这在一定程度上验证了哨声模合声波对种子电子的回旋加速 机制, 且合声波强度与高能电子通量有正的相关性.      

Evidence for ion energy dispersion in the polar cusp related to a northward-directed IMF

Data from the particle experiment aboard the AUREOL-3 polar satellite show that about 30% of the summer cusp crossings are characterised by a clear latitudinal energy dispersion of the solar wind ions. This energy-latitude correlation is observed at very high latitudes, 80° – 85°, near the polar boundary of the cusp, as an increase of the ion average energy with latitude. These structures have a typical latitude extent of 1° – 2° at ionospheric heights and correspond to a northward-directed IMF. These observations are consistent with a sunward convection of the foot of the magnetic flux tubes recently merged with a northward directed interplanetary magnetic field.     

Solar wind governing the response of Venusian atmosphere and ionosphere

The ionosphere of Venus is primarily formed by photoionization of a gaseous blanket around Venus. The impact ionization by energetic solar charged particles also plays an important role in the variability of Venusian ionospheric ion, electron density and their temperature profiles. The microscopic variations in the solar wind velocity, particle flux and orientations of frozen-in interplanetary magnetic field determine the solar wind interaction with the Venusian ionosphere. The ion and electron density profiles obtained by Pioneer Venus Orbiter and Pioneer Venus Entry Probes have been analysed in the light of simultaneous solar wind velocity and particle flux. Marked changes in height profiles of ion, electron densities and their temperatures have been found to correlate with the simultaneous changes in the solar wind velocity and particle flux. It is shown that the solar wind plays a more important role in controlling the physical properties and behavior of daytime as well as nighttime ionosphere of Venus, whereas the solar xuv sustains the primary ionization process.     

环电流区能量离子分布特性研究

为了考察环电流区离子的分布情况,采用环电流粒子理论模式,对环电流中10-100 keV的离子进行了模拟研究.这个模式能够根据近地注入区外边界处离子的分布函数得出磁暴主相期间环电流中的主要成分H+,O+,He+3种离子的通量分布.计算结果分析表明,在其他条件相同的情况下,不同种类离子的通量分布的形态结构十分相似.电场强度对环电流离子通量的空间分布具有决定性的作用;晨昏电场强度越强,离子的通量越高;晨昏电场越强,环电流离子的内边界越接近地球.10keV的离子在电场相当弱的时候还是存在着连续的通量分布,但他们的形态和结构随着电场的变化有明显的变化.电场很弱时,离子分布主要集中于内外两个环带,离子通量在晨侧的更多一些,离子通量的最大值基本上是在比较靠近地球的环带上;随着电场的增强,离子分布的内外两个环带逐步合并,离子的分布逐渐靠近地球,通量分布的最大值也移动到了昏侧.环电流离子投掷角分布具有各向异性,投掷角在90°左右的时候,离子通量能达到最大值.      

Plasma flow across the cusp-magnetosheath boundary under northward IMF

In this paper, we have used two closely spaced (INTERBALL-1 and MAGION-4) satellites orbiting in the region adjacent to the magnetopause with motivation to determine the structure of the cusp-magnetosheath boundary under steady solar wind conditions and under the northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Two-point observations reveal that a steady reconnection takes place tailward of the cusp and the position of the reconnection site moves in accordance with the actual IMF direction. Reconnection produces a latitudinally dispersed cusp precipitation with highest energies in the cusp poleward edge. The reconnection site is widely spread in local time and thus changes of the IMF By component only slightly modulate observed patterns. The change of the plasma flow direction suggests the presence of the vortex-like structure in the exterior cusp.     

A theoretical model for the magnetic helicity of solar active regions

Active regions on the solar surface are known to possess magnetic helicity, which is predominantly negative in the northern hemisphere and positive in the southern hemisphere. Choudhuri et al. [Choudhuri, A.R. On the connection between mean field dynamo theory and flux tubes. Solar Phys. 215, 31–55, 2003] proposed that the magnetic helicity arises due to the wrapping up of the poloidal field of the convection zone around rising flux tubes which form active regions. Choudhuri [Choudhuri, A.R., Chatterjee, P., Nandy, D. Helicity of solar active regions from a dynamo model. ApJ 615, L57–L60, 2004] used this idea to calculate magnetic helicity from their solar dynamo model. Apart from getting broad agreements with observational data, they also predict that the hemispheric helicity rule may be violated at the beginning of a solar cycle. Chatterjee et al. [Chatterjee, P., Choudhuri, A.R., Petrovay, K. Development of twist in an emerging magnetic flux tube by poloidal field accretion. A&A 449, 781–789, 2006] study the penetration of the wrapped poloidal field into the rising flux tube due to turbulent diffusion using a simple 1-d model. They find that the extent of penetration of the wrapped field will depend on how weak the magnetic field inside the rising flux tube becomes before its emergence. They conclude that more detailed observational data will throw light on the physical conditions of flux tubes just before their emergence to the photosphere.     

On the nature of coronal loops above the quiet sun network

The structure and dynamics of a box in a stellar corona can be modeled employing a 3D MHD model for different levels of magnetic activity. Depending on the magnetic flux through the surface the nature of the resulting coronal structures can be quite different. We investigate a model of an active region for two sunspots surrounded by magnetic field patches comparable in magnetic flux to the sunspots. The model results in emission from the model corona being concentrated in loop structures. In Gudiksen and Nordlund (2005) the loops seen in EUV and X-ray emission outline the magnetic field, following the general paradigm. However, in our model, where the magnetic field is far from a force-free state, the loops seen in X-ray emission do not follow the magnetic field lines. This result is of interest especially for loops as found in areas where the magnetic field emerging from active regions interacts with the surrounding network.     

New measurements of photospheric magnetic fields in late-type stars and emerging trends

We report on recent results of our program to measure photospheric magnetic field strengths and filling factors from the analysis of unpolarized high spectral resolution and S/N line profiles. We have analyzed spectra obtained with the KPNO 4-m FTS, the MMT, and the McMath Reticon Spectrograph. With the latter instrument we now have an extensive data set through our synoptic and survey observing programs. Photospheric magnetic field parameters are obtained by comparison of observed and theoretical line profiles using an LTE code that includes line saturation and the full Zeeman pattern. We determine the nonmagnetic line broadening parameters for a star by fitting profiles of low Landé g lines formed under conditions similar to the high g lines which are used to infer magnetic fields. The effects of line blending are cancelled to first order by fitting profiles of the same high g lines in comparison inactive stars of the same spectral type. We have measured field parameters (outside of starspots) in dwarf stars of spectral type GO to dM3.5e (Ad Leo). We find a trend of increasing field strength with later spectral type, consistent with equal gas and magnetic pressure in the photosphere, and a trend of increasing filling factor with activity. Our data are inconsistent with the hypothesis of a constant number of magnetic flux tubes on active stars.     

Variations of the magnetosheath ion flux and geomagnetic activity

The magnetosheath plays a dominant role in the Sun–Earth connection because the magnetosheath field and plasma actually interact with the magnetosphere. The interactions change the magnetospheric magnetic field from its nominal value through a long chain of different processes. The change is usually described by geomagnetic indices and thus it can be expected that these indices would reflect changes in the magnetosheath. The present paper analyzes the relation between geomagnetic activity characterized by changes of the K_p, D_ST and AE indices and ion flux measured in the night-side magnetosheath. The results suggest a weak dependence of the D_ST index on the ion flux in the inner magnetosheath that is connected with a magnetopause displacement. On the other hand, fluctuations of the ion flux in the analyzed frequency range do not correlate with any of the indices.     

辐射带高能电子通量波动与地磁暴警报

地球磁场捕获带电粒子形成辐射带,地磁场的扰动将导致带电粒子通量的变化.根据磁暴期间外辐射带高能电子通量起伏和波动的特点及规律,利用GOES卫星实时发布的5min分辨率高能电子微分通量数据,构建了高能电子通量波动指数,并分析了该指数与地磁活动的关系.结果表明,所提出的高能电子通量波动指数与地磁事件有很好的相关性,能起到地磁暴发生的指示剂作用,相对于目前空间环境业务化预报过程中广泛使用的3hKp指数,高能电子通量波动指数能更早地警报地磁暴的发生,是潜在有效的地磁暴警报辅助手段,能为空间环境预报中的地磁暴实时警报提供重要参考.      

A POSSIBLE MECHANISM FOR CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS

This paper examines a possible mechanism for the initiation of coronal mass ejections by means of the eruption of magnetic flux beneath a closed magnetic structure analogous to a coronal helmet structure. Anumerical computation shows that such an eruption deforms the helmet structure into an expanding bright "loop", followed by a dark cavity due to the expansion of the erupted magnetic field. The morphology and the internal structure of the loop are mainly determined by the background magnetic field whereas its ejective speed is largely controlled by the rate of flux ejection. The present model identifies the loop-like mass ejections with the above plasma structures moving with the frozen-in magnetic field and it may well explain some general properties of such ejections.      

磁尾等离子体团型结构的数值模拟

考虑横越磁尾不同区域的数密度与离子温度的分布特点,取宁静磁尾温度、密度呈同样形态的非均匀分布,作为模拟计算的初态,对初始By为不同分布的3个算例作模拟计算．数值结果展示了3类磁结构的演化特征．考察磁尾中性片一个给定点的磁场变化,做出3个算例典型事件的磁场矢端图．它们从另一个侧面展示了磁尾通量绳型等离子体团、具有复杂闭合磁力线位形类似于“闭合环”的等离子体团,以及二维“磁岛”型等离子体团的特点．观测表明,多数磁尾等离子体团为具有强核心场的通量绳结构．通过跟踪一个通量绳型等离子体团的发展,作出等离子体团各方向速度与磁场强度随x演化的曲线．其中,vx与磁场强度|B|在近尾至中尾的计算值与Geotail卫星资料统计分析结果大致相符．此外,与Jin等取初始温度为均匀分布的计算结果相比,本文给出的通量绳型等离子体团,其内温度较高、密度较低,与资料分析结果的偏离也随之减小．     

准平行无碰撞激波上游能量粒子的观测研究

通过Cluster卫星在2005年3月16日观测到的一个准平行激波观测事例,研究了准平行激波上游低频等离子体波动与能量离子之间的关系.卫星观测结果表明,在准平行激波上游,离子微分能通量受到了非线性波动的调制.在磁场强度较小区域,离子微分能通量较高.产生这种现象的可能原因是准平行激波上游的非线性波动可以捕获离子,被捕获的离子在波动中来回弹跳并被电场加速,从而导致磁场强度较小区域离子微分能通量较高.这一观测结果与已有的混合模拟结果相吻合.