Coherent nonlinear effects on electromagnetic wave-particle interactions

In many particle simulations and space experiments, the knowledge of nonlinear characteristics of both waves and particles in plasmas is very helpful in the data analysis phase. Such knowledge is needed even more in the designing phase of appropriate diagnostics and probings in both simulations and space experiments. In this tutorial lecture, I will attempt to provide a basic introduction to the fundamental features of coherent nonlinear wave-particle and wave-wave interactions in magnetized plasmas. The present lecture covers only some of the important and basic characteristics in the coherent nonlinear interactions. The main subjects are: (1) trapping dynamics in the electrostatic wave, (2) nonlinear phase trapping and phase bunching in electromagnetic wave both in homogeneous and inhomogeneous plasmas, and (3) coherent three wave interactions.     

Augmented Empirical Models of Plasmaspheric Density and Electric Field Using IMAGE and CLUSTER Data

Empirical models for the plasma densities in the inner magnetosphere, including plasmasphere and polar magnetosphere, have been in the past derived from in situ measurements. Such empirical models, however, are still in their initial phase compared to magnetospheric magnetic field models. Recent studies using data from CRRES, Polar, and Image have significantly improved empirical models for inner-magnetospheric plasma and mass densities. Comprehensive electric field models in the magnetosphere have been developed using radar and in situ observations at low altitude orbits. To use these models at high altitudes one needs to rely strongly on the assumption of equipotential magnetic field lines. Direct measurements of the electric field by the Cluster mission have been used to derive an equatorial electric field model in which reliance on the equipotential assumption is less. In this paper we review the recent progress in developing empirical models of plasma densities and electric fields in the inner magnetosphere with emphasis on the achievements from the Image and Cluster missions. Recent results from other satellites are also discussed when they are relevant.     

Changes in mood status and neurotic levels during a 20-day bed rest

This study evaluated changes of mood status and depressive and neurotic levels in nine young male subjects during a 20-day 6 degrees head-down tilting bed rest and examined whether exercise training modified these changes. Participants were asked to complete psychometrical inventories on before, during, and after the bed rest experiment. Depressive and neurotic levels were enhanced during bed rest period according to the Japanese version of Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale and the Japanese version of the General Health Questionnaire. Mood state "vigor" was impaired and "confusion" was increased during bed rest and recumbent control periods compared to pre-bed rest and ambulatory control periods according to the Japanese version of Profiles of Mood State, whereas the mood "tension-anxiety", "depression-dejection", "anger-hostility" and "fatigue" were relatively stable during experiment. Isometric exercise training did not modify these results. Microgravity, along with confinement to bed and isolation from familiar environments, induced impairment of mental status.     

Dust Properties in the Local Interstellar Medium

Ulysses measurements yield reliable in-situdetection of large dust particles which stem from the interstellar medium (ISM) and which are not observed in interstellar extinction data. Both current models of large grains in the ISM: core-mantle grains as well as composite grains, are in agreement with dust properties implied by the Ulysses results. However, the size of particles detected by Ulysses still exceeds the size of the large grains that are predicted for the ISM. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

High-energy cosmic-ray electrons in the Galaxy

The intensity of cosmic-ray electrons is only ∼1% of the protons at 10 GeV, and decreases very rapidly with energy to be ∼0.1% of protons at 1 TeV. Nevertheless, electrons in cosmic-rays have unique features, complementary to all other cosmic-ray nucleonic components, because they enable us to find the origins of cosmic-rays and the properties of their propagation mechanisms in the Galaxy. High-energy electrons lose energy by synchrotron and inverse Compton processes during the propagation in the Galaxy. Since the energy loss rate by these processes is proportional to the square of energy, TeV electrons accelerated in the sources at distances larger than ∼1 kpc, or ages greater than a few 10⁵ yr, cannot reach the solar system. This suggests that some nearby sources leave unique signatures in the form of identifiable structures in the energy spectrum of TeV electrons, and show increases of the flux towards the sources. In this paper, I review the past observations of high-energy cosmic-ray electrons and discuss their astrophysical significance.     

Cosmic-ray electron spectrum above 100 GeV from PPB-BETS experiment in Antarctica

Cosmic-ray electrons have been observed in the energy region from 10 GeV to 1 TeV with the PPB-BETS by a long duration balloon flight using a Polar Patrol Balloon (PPB) in Antarctica. The observation was carried out for 13 days at an average altitude of 35 km in January 2004. The PPB-BETS detector is an imaging calorimeter composed of scintillating-fiber belts and plastic scintillators inserted between lead plates. In the study of cosmic-ray electrons, there have been some suggestions that high-energy electrons above 100 GeV are a powerful probe to identify nearby cosmic-ray sources and search for particle dark matter. In this paper, we present the energy spectrum of cosmic-ray electrons in the energy range from 100 GeV to 1 TeV at the top of atmosphere, and compare our spectrum with the results from other experiments.     

Search for primordial antiparticles with BESS

The Balloon-borne Experiment with a Superconducting Spectrometer (BESS) has been carried out to search for primordial antiparticles in cosmic rays. In ten flights from 1993 to 2004, it measured the cosmic-ray antiproton spectrum in the energy range 0.1–4.2 GeV at various solar activity conditions. It also searched for antideuterons and antihelium nuclei, and it made precise measurement of cosmic-ray particle spectra. The BESS program has been extended to long duration balloon (LDB) flights in Antarctica (BESS-Polar) with the goal of achieving unprecedented sensitivity in the search for primordial antiparticles. This report describes recent results from BESS and progress of the BESS-Polar program.     

Search for antihelium: Progress with BESS

In this paper, we report searches for antihelium in cosmic rays using two recently flown magnetic rigidity spectrometers. BESS-TeV had extended rigidity with an MDR of 1.4 TV and had a flight duration of one day. BESS-Polar was optimized for collecting power. It was flown for 8.5 days and had an MDR of 240 GV. The former flight allows us to explore a previously unexplored rigidity band and the latter flight yields a factor of three improvement in the overall BESS limit. No antihelium candidate was found in the rigidity ranges of 1–500 GV, and 0.6–20 GV, among 7 × 10⁴ events taken with BESS-TeV, and 8 × 10⁶ events taken with BESS-Polar, respectively.     

Continuous path control of space manipulators mounted on OMV

Theoretical analysis on the formulation of kinematics for the manipulator mounted on a satellite is presented. Firstly, to solve the inverse kinematics, the authors define a new generalized Jacobian matrix, and utilizing this generalized matrix, the problem can be treated analytically. Secondly, the authors verify the method proposed here in the simulation study. Thirdly, they also discuss on the several points which are indispensable for further investigations.     

Cosmic ray H/H ratio measured from BESS in 2000 during solar maximum

The Balloon-borne Experiment with a Superconducting Spectrometer (BESS) was flown from Lynn Lake, Manitoba, Canada in August, 2000, during the maximum solar modulation period, with an average residual atmospheric overburden of 4.3 g/cm². Precise spectral measurements of cosmic ray hydrogen isotopes from 0.178 GeV/n to 1.334 GeV/n were made during the 28.7 h of flight. This paper presents the measured energy spectra and their ratio, ²H/¹H. The results are also compared with previous measurements and theoretical predictions.