Shear Flow Instabilities in Low-Beta Space Plasmas

We study instabilities driven by a sheared plasma flow in the low-frequency domain. Two unstable branches are found: the ion-sound mode and the kinetic Alfvén mode. Both instabilities are aperiodic. The ion-sound instability does not depend on the plasma β (gas/magnetic pressure ratio) and has a maximum growth rate of about 0.1 of the velocity gradient dV ₀/dx. On the other hand, the kinetic Alfvén instability is stronger for larger β and dominates the ion-sound instability for β > 0.05. Possible applications for space plasmas are shortly discussed.     

Complexity,Forced and/or Self-Organized Criticality,and Topological Phase Transitions in Space Plasmas

The first definitive observation that provided convincing evidence indicating certain turbulent space plasma processes are in states of ‘complexity’ was the discovery of the apparent power-law probability distribution of solar flare intensities. Recent statistical studies of complexity in space plasmas came from the AE index, UVI auroral imagery, and in-situ measurements related to the dynamics of the plasma sheet in the Earth's magnetotail and the auroral zone. In this review, we describe a theory of dynamical ‘complexity’ for space plasma systems far from equilibrium. We demonstrate that the sporadic and localized interactions of magnetic coherent structures are the origin of ‘complexity’ in space plasmas. Such interactions generate the anomalous diffusion, transport, acceleration, and evolution of the macroscopic states of the overall dynamical systems. Several illustrative examples are considered. These include: the dynamical multi- and cross-scale interactions of the macro-and kinetic coherent structures in a sheared magnetic field geometry, the preferential acceleration of the bursty bulk flows in the plasma sheet, and the onset of ‘fluctuation induced nonlinear instabilities’ that can lead to magnetic reconfigurations. The technique of dynamical renormalization group is introduced and applied to the study of two-dimensional intermittent MHD fluctuations and an analogous modified forest-fire model exhibiting forced and/or self-organized criticality [FSOC] and other types of topological phase transitions. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Cosmology and GUTs: The matter of the universe

To illustrate the interaction of Grand Unified Theories (GUTs), supersymmetry (SUSY), and cosmology, a worked example is carried out. This example is the dark matter problem, or “What is the dominant matter of the Universe?” It is shown that if GUTs are assumed then the primordial perturbations are probably adiabatic, if inflation is assumed then Ω = 1 and GUTs first name is probably SUSY. If Ω = 1, big bang nucleosynthesis tells us that the bulk of the matter is non-baryonic. SUSY-GUTs gives us some possible candidate inos to which massive neutrinos, axion or planetary mass black holes can be added. These candidates can be classified hot (or warm) or cold types of dark matter. It is shown that hot gives Ω = 1 and naturally gives large scale structure but does not give small scale structure or galaxy formation times, whereas cold gives small scale structure and formation times but cannot easily yield Ω = 1. It is concluded that either a hybrid of both hot and cold or non-random phases for the perturbations may be needed.     

Effect of q-nonextensive hot electrons on bifurcations of nonlinear and supernonlinear ion-acoustic periodic waves

Nonlinear and supernonlinear ion-acoustic periodic waves are investigated in a three-component unmagnetized plasma which consists of mobile fluid cold ions, Maxwellian cold electrons and q-nonextensive hot electrons employing phase plane analysis. Using the traveling wave transformation, the plasma system is reduced to a planar autonomous dynamical system. Utilizing phase plane analysis of planar dynamical systems, all possible phase portraits including nonlinear homoclinic orbit, nonlinear periodic orbit, supernonlinear homoclinic orbit and supernonlinear periodic orbit are presented depending on physical parameters $q,\alpha ,\sigma$ and V. Using numerical simulations, nonlinear and supernonlinear ion-acoustic periodic waves are shown for different conditions. It is found that the nonextensive parameter q plays a crucial role in the bifurcations of nonlinear and supernonlinear ion-acoustic periodic waves. Our study may be applicable to understand the nonlinear and supernonlinear periodic features in auroral plasma.     

面向深空探测的电磁帆推进技术研究进展

电磁帆是一类利用太阳风驱动的无工质或少工质新型推进技术,在需要推力器长时间工作的深空探测任务中具有非常广阔的应用前景。首先介绍了电磁帆的基本概念和主要分类,其次分别介绍了电帆、纯磁帆和磁等离子体帆三类推进方式的系统组成和工作原理,重点介绍了各自的研究现状,并梳理出了相关关键技术,同时介绍了等离子体磁罩技术。最后对电磁帆推进技术研究进展进行了总结,为国内开展此方面研究提供了研究方向和发展思路。     

Identification of seismic activity sources on the subsatellite track by ionospheric plasma disturbances detected with the Sich-2 onboard probes

Using a cylindrical Langmuir probe and the authors’ proprietary two-channel pressure transducer, ionospheric plasma parameter distributions along the orbit of the Sich-2 satellite (Ukraine, 2011–2012) were measured. This paper is concerned with identifying the space–time location of ionospheric plasma disturbance sources, including the epicenters of actual earthquakes (before or during the satellite flyover) and incipient earthquakes on the subsatellite track, from the measured distributions of the electron density and temperature and the neutral particle temperature along the satellite orbit. To do this, the measured ionospheric plasma parameter distributions are connected to the coordinates on the subsatellite track.It is shown that local disturbances in the electron density and temperature and neutral particle temperature distributions in the satellite orbit in the ionosphere may serve as indicators of seismic activity on the subsatellite track. The epicenters of incipient earthquakes may be set off from other plasma parameter disturbance sources associated with seismic activity using information provided by special monitoring and survey centers that monitor the current seismic situation.     

Plasma transport process in the equatorial/low-latitude ionosphere

The behaviour of the equatorial/low-latitude ionosphere and the transport processes during magnetic disturbed and quiet periods of a high solar activity year, 2014, in the American sector are investigated. Parameters used include vertical drift (Vz), transport term (W), NmF2, hmF2 and scale-height (H). The F2 plasma variations followed the diurnal local solar pattern, being higher at daytime. The sunset maximum and sunrise minimum peaks of hmF2 were directly opposite to the scale height (H) pattern. The plasma distribution was basically controlled by combined actions of the electrodynamic convection/thermospheric composition, which is geomagnetic activity dependent. The annual, semi-annual and winter-anomalies of the F2 parameters were higher at the dip equator in comparison with the low-latitude. The Vz pre-reversal peak magnitude coincided with hmF2 peak and the effects are more pronounced during geomagnetic disturbed conditions. The transport term pattern was similar to that of the scale height and it is suggested as a proxy parameter for quantifying low-latitude plasma irregularities and distribution of thermospheric composition.     

Case study of inclined sporadic E layers in the Earth’s ionosphere observed by CHAMP/GPS radio occultations: Coupling between the tilted plasma layers and internal waves

We have used the radio occultation (RO) satellite data CHAMP/GPS (Challenging Minisatellite Payload/Global Positioning System) for studying the ionosphere of the Earth. A method for deriving the parameters of ionospheric structures is based upon an analysis of the RO signal variations in the phase path and intensity. This method allows one to estimate the spatial displacement of a plasma layer with respect to the ray perigee, and to determine the layer inclination and height correction values. In this paper, we focus on the case study of inclined sporadic E (E_s) layers in the high-latitude ionosphere based on available CHAMP RO data. Assuming that the internal gravity waves (IGWs) with the phase-fronts parallel to the ionization layer surfaces are responsible for the tilt angles of sporadic plasma layers, we have developed a new technique for determining the parameters of IGWs linked with the inclined E_s structures. A small-scale internal wave may be modulating initially horizontal E_s layer in height and causing a direction of the plasma density gradient to be rotated and aligned with that of the wave propagation vector k. The results of determination of the intrinsic wave frequency and period, vertical and horizontal wavelengths, intrinsic vertical and horizontal phase speeds, and other characteristics of IGWs under study are presented and discussed.     

考虑两种失效竞争的多状态冷贮备系统可靠性模型

针对装备系统中多状态工作部件存在退化失效与突发失效竞争的情况，以冷贮备系统为研究对象，假设系统内3个维修台可分别提供预防性维修与两种不同类型的修复性维修，采用随机检测策略，系统性能水平在一定范围内退化时进行预防性维修，部件完全退化失效时进行退化失效修复性维修，而突发失效时进行突发失效修复性维修；利用PH （Phase-type）分布描述模型中各类随机时间变量，外部冲击的到达则采用PH更新过程描述，建立了考虑退化失效与突发失效的多状态冷贮备系统可靠性模型。最后通过算例验证了模型的适用性，演示了预防性维修阈值以及三类维修速率对系统可靠性的影响。     

交变应力下冷胀孔边残余应力衰减规律的有损检测试验研究

对高胀孔量下的ＬＹ１２ＣＺ板件孔边残余应力在交变应力作用下衰减规律的有损多试件普通莫尔密栅云纹检测方法进行了尝试,给出了一定载荷范围内残余应力的衰减规律,揭示了高胀孔量下残余应力的再分布现象。研究表明,本文所使用的多试件有损检测方法,不但经济可行,而且有足够精度,应用前景十分广阔。