Global Hybrid Simulation of Magnetic Reconnection in the Magnetosheath

A three-dimensional (3-D) global hybrid simulation is carried out for the generation and structure of magnetic reconnection in the magnetosheath due to interaction of an interplanetary Tangential Discontinuity (TD) with the bow shock and magnetosphere. Runs are performed for solar wind TDs possessing different initial half-widths. As the TD propagates through the bow shock toward the magnetopause, it is greatly narrowed by a two-step compression processes, a "shock compression' followed by a subsequent ``convective compression'. In cases with a relatively thin solar wind TD, 3-D patchy reconnection is initiated in the transmitted TD, forming magnetosheath flux ropes. Multiple components of ion particles are present in the velocity distribution in the magnetosheath merging, accompanied by ion heating. For cases with a relatively wide initial TD, a dominant single X-line appears in the subsolar magnetosheath after the transmitted TD is narrowed. A shock analysis is performed for the detailed structure of magnetic reconnection in the magnetosheath. Rotational Discontinuity (RD)/Time-Dependent Intermediate Shock (TDIS) are found to dominate the reconnection layer, which and some weak slow shocks are responsible for the ion heating and acceleration.      

Observations of Magnetic Reconnection in the Magnetotail Associated With Substorms

Magnetic reconnection is one of the most important, dynamic phenomena in the magnetotail in terms of magnetic field line configuration change and energy release. It is believed to occur in the distant magnetotail mainly during southward interplanetary magnetic field periods and in the near-Earth magnetotail in association with substorms. In the present paper, we discuss several important issues concerning magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail associated with substorms, such as reconnection signatures, location, timing, spatial scale, and behavior, from the macroscopic, observational point of view.      

基于BP神经网络的磁悬浮飞轮控制

针对磁悬浮飞轮控制对鲁棒性、低功耗及不平衡振动抑制等要求,提出BP神经网络直接控制方法。设计了两层结构BP神经网络控制器,基于磁轴承电磁力方程推导网络权值更新算法,实现了神经网络的在线训练。仿真表明,控制器权值更新算法对环境变化适应能力强,训练成功率高;BP神经网络控制器具有起浮迅速、抗干扰能力强、功耗低等性能,并具备不平衡振动抑制能力。结果表明BP神经网络控制器满足磁悬浮飞轮控制要求,具有可行性和有效性。     

一种超薄反作用飞轮的大面积磁悬浮结构分析

为提高轴向磁通反作用飞轮的轴向刚度和寿命,结合轴向磁通飞轮的结构,提出一种超薄、大面积磁悬浮的反作用飞轮。重点分析该飞轮的大面积磁悬浮结构,从磁环的宽度、磁环的充磁方向、磁环间距、铁芯厚度和磁悬浮刚度五个方面展开研究。通过有限元仿真可以发现：随磁环宽度的增加,定子对转子的斥力是先增大后减小;定子内外环磁化方向相反时比相同时能得到更大的斥力;在内外环磁化方向相反时,内外环磁钢间距越小,定子对转子斥力越大;磁悬浮部分铁芯厚度的减小对定转子间的斥力的影响极其有限,但对降低飞轮重量具有重要意义;磁悬浮的刚度与转子偏离中心的距离近似成正比。     

Magnetic reconnection on the Sun: ESPD Senior Prize Lecture

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process for changing the magnetic topology and converting magnetic energy into other forms on the Sun, such as heat, flow energy and fast particle energy. In two dimensions it is fairly well understood, although some aspects still need to be developed. In three dimensions, it behaves very differently and a substantial body of theory and numerical experiment has now been built up, including reconnection at null points, separators and quasi-separators.Some aspects of solar flares can be understood with 2D reconnection models, but other aspects such as the shapes of flare ribbons, the acceleration of particles and the creation of twist in erupting flux ropes need a 3D understanding. A paradigm shift in our understanding of coronal heating by reconnection has been stimulated by dramatic new observations of photospheric flux cancellation from SUNRISE and from SST together with the realisation that it may well be driving nanoflare heating events and possibly campfires.     

Variations in cosmic ray cutoff rigidities during the great geomagnetic storm of November 2004

A very strong interplanetary and magnetospheric disturbance observed on 7–13 November 2004 can be regarded as one of the strongest events during the entire period of space observations. In this paper we report on the studies of cosmic ray cutoff rigidity variations during 7–13 November 2004 showing how storm conditions can affect the direct cosmic ray access to the inner magnetosphere. Effective cutoff rigidities have been calculated for selected points on the ground by tracing trajectories of cosmic ray particles through the magnetospheric magnetic field of the “storm-oriented” Tsyganenko 2003 model. Cutoff rigidity variations have also been determined by the spectrographic global survey method on the basis of experimental data of the neutron monitor network. Relations between the calculated and experimental cutoff rigidities and the geomagnetic Dst-index and interplanetary parameters have been investigated. Correlation coefficients between the cutoff rigidities obtained by the trajectory tracing method and the spectrographic global survey method have been found to be in the limits 0.76–0.89 for all stations except the low-latitude station Tokyo (0.35). The most pronounced correlation has been revealed between the cutoff rigidities that exhibited a very large variation of ∼1–1.5 GV during the magnetic storm and the Dst index.     

Symmetry and asymmetry of ionospheric weather at magnetic conjugate points for two midlatitude observatories

Variations of the ionospheric weather W-index for two midlatitude observatories, namely, Grahamstown and Hermanus, and their conjugate counterpart locations in Africa are studied for a period from October 2010 to December 2011. The observatories are located in the longitude sector, which has consistent magnetic equator and geographic equator so that geomagnetic latitudes of the line of force are very close to the corresponding geographic latitudes providing opportunity to ignore the impact of the difference of the gravitational field and the geomagnetic field at the conjugate points on the ionosphere structure and dynamics. The ionosondes of Grahamstown and Hermanus provide data of the critical frequency (foF2), and Global Ionospheric Maps (GIM) provide the total electron content (TECgps) along the magnetic field line up to the conjugate point in the opposite hemisphere. The global model of the ionosphere, International Reference Ionosphere, extended to the plasmasphere altitude of 20,200 km (IRI-Plas) is used to deliver the F2 layer peak parameters from TECgps at the magnetic conjugate area. The evidence is obtained that the electron gas heated by day and cooled by night at the summer hemisphere as compared with the opposite features in the conjugate winter hemisphere testifies on a reversal of plasma fluxes along the magnetic field line by the solar terminator. The ionospheric weather W-index is derived from NmF2 (related with foF2) and TECgps data. It is found that symmetry of W-index behavior in the magnetic conjugate hemispheres is dominant for the equinoxes when plasma movement along the magnetic line of force is imposed on symmetrical background electron density and electron content. Asymmetry of the ionospheric storm effects is observed for solstices when the plasma diffuse down more slowly into the colder winter hemisphere than into the warmer summer hemisphere inducing either plasma increase (positive phase) or decrease (negative phase of W-index) in the ionospheric and plasmaspheric plasma density.     

Possible physical properties of the flow in the vicinity of the heliopause

An interface between the fully ionized hydrogen plasma of the solar wind (SW) and the partially ionized hydrogen gas flow of the local interstellar medium (LISM) is formed as a region where there is a strong interaction between these two flows. The interface is bounded by the solar wind termination shock (TS) and the LISM bow shock (BS) and is separated on two regions by the heliopause (HP) separating the solar wind and charged component of the LISM (plasma component below). The BS is formed due to the deceleration of the supersonic LISM flow relative to the solar system. Regions of the interface between the TS and HP and between the HP and BS were in literature named as the inner and outer heliosheaths, respectively. An investigation of the structure and physical properties of the heliosheath is at present especially interested due to the fact that Voyager-1 and Voyager-2 have crossed the TS in December 2004 (Burlaga, L.F., Ness, N.F., Acuna, M.Y., et al. Crossing the termination shock into the the heliosheath. Magnetic fields. Science 309, 2027–2029, 2005; Fisk, L.A. Journey into the unknown beyond. Science 309, 2016–2017, 2005; Decker, R.B., Krimigis, S.M., Roelof, E.C., et al. Voyager 1 in the foreshock, termination shock and heliosheath. Science 309, 2020–2024, 2005; Stone, E.C., Cummings, A.C., McDonald, F.B., et al. Voyager 1 explores the termination shock region and the heliosheath beyond. Science 309, 2017–2020, 2005) and in September 2007 (Jokipii, J.R. A shock for Voyager 2. Nature 454, 38–39, 2008; Gurnett, D.A., Kurth, W.S. Intense plasma waves at and near the solar wind termination shock. Nature 454, 78–80, 2008. doi: 10.1038/nature07023; Wang, L., Lin, R.P., Larson, D.E., Luhmann, J.G. Domination of heliosheath pressure by shock-accelerated pickup ions from observations of neutral atoms. Nature 454, 81–83, 2008. doi: 10.1038/nature07068.14; Burlaga, L.F., Ness, N.F., Acuna, M.H., et al. Magnetic fields at the solar wind termination shock. Nature 454, 75–77, 2008. doi: 10.1038/nature07029; Richardson, J.D., Kasper, J.C., Wang, C., et al. Cool heliosheath plasma and deceleration of the upstream solar wind at the termination shock. Nature 454, 63–66, 2008. doi: 10.1038/nature07024; Stone, E.C., Cummings, A.C., McDonald, F.B., et al. An asymmetric solar wind termination shock. Nature 454, 71–74, 2008. doi: 10.1038/nature07022; Decker, R.B., Krimigis, S.M., Roelof, E.C., et al. Mediation of the solar wind termination shock by non-thermal ions. Nature 454, 67–70, 2008. doi: 10.1038/nature 07030), respectively, and entered to the inner heliosheath.     

真空环境下行波型超声波电机的特性

真空环境下由于缺少空气介质,靠摩擦驱动的超声波电机的特性会与常态 下发生较大的变化。采用行波型超声波电机常用的三种摩擦材料（环氧树脂、聚四氟乙 烯烧结和生聚四氟乙烯填充为基的摩擦材料）对比分析了常态和真空环境下的超声波电机的 机械特性。发现除环氧胶外,其他摩擦材料制成的电机真空下的堵转力矩都有所增大,而空 载转速全部降低。为了分析变化产生的原因,实验比较了真空环境下三种摩擦材料在常规、 驻波和行波状态下的动摩擦系数,实验表明除环氧胶外其它摩擦材料的摩擦系数比常态下都 略有增大,且相应电机的堵转力矩也都增大。其次实验研究了行波型超声波电机的瞬态特性 ,当真空度增加到10 -2 Pa后,电机的起动时间和起动电压都有明显的增加,即电 机起动和运行的阻力逐步增大,导致电机空载转速的降低。最后测试了声悬浮力大小,其数 值不超过预紧力的1％,不是真空环境下特性变化的主因。导致电机真空环境下堵转力 矩和空载转速发生变化的主要原因在于摩擦材料动态摩擦系数和起动与运行阻力的变化。     

Numerical Simulation for the 16 August 1999 EUV Brightenings

The 16 August 1999 EUV brightenings are numerically simulated by a third-order upwind compact scheme, basing on the TRACE observation. The present simulation can give a possible explanation to its formation and evolution. The numerical results show that the initial reconnection jets at around X-point are responsible for the occurrence of EUV brightening. The strong and superposed ejections caused by the first and second coalescence of magnetic islands are possibly related to the lifted material which initially appeared as absorption features and Later EUV-emitting structures respectively. The bi-directional reconnection jets may correspond to the lifted material that either continued to move upward along the apparently open field lines or fell down to the surface.