Structure of the Jovian Magnetodisk Current Sheet: Initial Galileo Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, C. T.; Huddleston, D. E.; Khurana, K. K.; Kivelson, M. G.

2001-01-01

The ten-degree tilt of the Jovian magnetic dipole causes the magnetic equator to move back and forth across Jupiter's rotational equator and tile Galileo orbit that lies therein. Beyond about 24 Jovian radii, the equatorial current sheet thins and tile magnetic structure changes from quasi-dipolar into magnetodisk-like with two regions of nearly radial but antiparallel magnetic field separated by a strong current layer. The magnetic field at the center of the current sheet is very weak in this region. Herein we examine tile current sheet at radial distances from 24 55 Jovian radii. We find that the magnetic structure very much resembles tile structure seen at planetary magnetopause and tail current sheet crossings. Tile magnetic field variation is mainly linear with little rotation of the field direction, At times there is almost no small-scale structure present and the normal component of the magnetic field is almost constant through the current sheet. At other times there are strong small-scale structures present in both the southward and northward directions. This small-scale structure appears to grow with radial distance and may provide the seeds for tile explosive reconnection observed at even greater radial distances oil tile nightside. Beyond about 40 Jovian radii, the thin current sheet also appears to be almost constantly in oscillatory motion with periods of about 10 min. The amplitude of these oscillations also appears to grow with radial distance. The source of these fluctuations may be dynamical events in tile more distant magnetodisk.

Phenomenological Model of Current Sheet Canting in Pulsed Electromagnetic Accelerators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markusic, Thomas; Choueiri, E. Y.

2003-01-01

The phenomenon of current sheet canting in pulsed electromagnetic accelerators is the departure of the plasma sheet (that carries the current) from a plane that is perpendicular to the electrodes to one that is skewed, or tipped. Review of pulsed electromagnetic accelerator literature reveals that current sheet canting is a ubiquitous phenomenon - occurring in all of the standard accelerator geometries. Developing an understanding of current sheet canting is important because it can detract from the propellant sweeping capabilities of current sheets and, hence, negatively impact the overall efficiency of pulsed electromagnetic accelerators. In the present study, it is postulated that depletion of plasma near the anode, which results from axial density gradient induced diamagnetic drift, occurs during the early stages of the discharge, creating a density gradient normal to the anode, with a characteristic length on the order of the ion skin depth. Rapid penetration of the magnetic field through this region ensues, due to the Hall effect, leading to a canted current front ahead of the initial current conduction channel. In this model, once the current sheet reaches appreciable speeds, entrainment of stationary propellant replenishes plasma in the anode region, inhibiting further Hall-convective transport of the magnetic field; however, the previously established tilted current sheet remains at a fairly constant canting angle for the remainder of the discharge cycle, exerting a transverse J x B force which drives plasma toward the cathode and accumulates it there. This proposed sequence of events has been incorporated into a phenomenological model. The model predicts that canting can be reduced by using low atomic mass propellants with high propellant loading number density; the model results are shown to give qualitative agreement with experimentally measured canting angle mass dependence trends.

Magnetospheric Reconnection in Modified Current-Sheet Equilibria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newman, D. L.; Goldman, M. V.; Lapenta, G.; Markidis, S.

2012-10-01

Particle simulations of magnetic reconnection in Earth's magnetosphere are frequently initialized with a current-carrying Harris equilibrium superposed on a current-free uniform background plasma. The Harris equilibrium satisfies local charge neutrality, but requires that the sheet current be dominated by the hotter species -- often the ions in Earth's magnetosphere. This constraint is not necessarily consistent with observations. A modified kinetic equilibrium that relaxes this constraint on the currents was proposed by Yamada et al. [Phys. Plasmas., 7, 1781 (2000)] with no background population. These modified equilibria were characterized by an asymptotic converging or diverging electrostatic field normal to the current sheet. By reintroducing the background plasma, we have developed new families of equilibria where the asymptotic fields are suppressed by Debye shielding. Because the electrostatic potential profiles of these new equilibria contain wells and/or barriers capable of spatially isolating different populations of electrons and/or ions, these solutions can be further generalized to include classes of asymmetric kinetic equilibria. Examples of both symmetric and asymmetric equilibria will be presented. The dynamical evolution of these equilibria, when perturbed, will be further explored by means of implicit 2D PIC reconnection simulations, including comparisons with simulations employing standard Harris-equilibrium initializations.

Nonlinear Dynamics of Non-uniform Current-Vortex Sheets in Magnetohydrodynamic Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuoka, C.; Nishihara, K.; Sano, T.

2017-04-01

A theoretical model is proposed to describe fully nonlinear dynamics of interfaces in two-dimensional MHD flows based on an idea of non-uniform current-vortex sheet. Application of vortex sheet model to MHD flows has a crucial difficulty because of non-conservative nature of magnetic tension. However, it is shown that when a magnetic field is initially parallel to an interface, the concept of vortex sheet can be extended to MHD flows (current-vortex sheet). Two-dimensional MHD flows are then described only by a one-dimensional Lagrange parameter on the sheet. It is also shown that bulk magnetic field and velocity can be calculated from their values on the sheet. The model is tested by MHD Richtmyer-Meshkov instability with sinusoidal vortex sheet strength. Two-dimensional ideal MHD simulations show that the nonlinear dynamics of a shocked interface with density stratification agrees fairly well with that for its corresponding potential flow. Numerical solutions of the model reproduce properly the results of the ideal MHD simulations, such as the roll-up of spike, exponential growth of magnetic field, and its saturation and oscillation. Nonlinear evolution of the interface is found to be determined by the Alfvén and Atwood numbers. Some of their dependence on the sheet dynamics and magnetic field amplification are discussed. It is shown by the model that the magnetic field amplification occurs locally associated with the nonlinear dynamics of the current-vortex sheet. We expect that our model can be applicable to a wide variety of MHD shear flows.

The Driving Magnetic Field and Reconnection in CME/Flare Eruptions and Coronal Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Ronald L.

2010-01-01

Signatures of reconnection in major CME (coronal mass ejection)/flare eruptions and in coronal X-ray jets are illustrated and interpreted. The signatures are magnetic field lines and their feet that brighten in flare emission. CME/flare eruptions are magnetic explosions in which: 1. The field that erupts is initially a closed arcade. 2. At eruption onset, most of the free magnetic energy to be released is not stored in field bracketing a current sheet, but in sheared field in the core of the arcade. 3. The sheared core field erupts by a process that from its start or soon after involves fast "tether-cutting" reconnection at an initially small current sheet low in the sheared core field. If the arcade has oppositely-directed field over it, the eruption process from its start or soon after also involves fast "breakout" reconnection at an initially small current sheet between the arcade and the overarching field. These aspects are shown by the small area of the bright field lines and foot-point flare ribbons in the onset of the eruption. 4. At either small current sheet, the fast reconnection progressively unleashes the erupting core field to erupt with progressively greater force. In turn, the erupting core field drives the current sheet to become progressively larger and to undergo progressively greater fast reconnection in the explosive phase of the eruption, and the flare arcade and ribbons grow to become comparable to the pre-eruption arcade in lateral extent. In coronal X-ray jets: 1. The magnetic energy released in the jet is built up by the emergence of a magnetic arcade into surrounding unipolar "open" field. 2. A simple jet is produced when a burst of reconnection occurs at the current sheet between the arcade and the open field. This produces a bright reconnection jet and a bright reconnection arcade that are both much smaller in diameter that the driving arcade. 3. A more complex jet is produced when the arcade has a sheared core field and undergoes an ejective eruption in the manner of a miniature CME/flare eruption. The jet is then a combination of a miniature CME and the products of more widely distributed reconnection of the erupting arcade with the open field than in simple jets.

Multiple secondary islands formation in nonlinear evolution of double tearing mode simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, W.; Ma, J.; Yu, Z.

2017-03-01

A new numerical code solving the conservative perturbed resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model is developed. Numerical tests of the ideal Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and the resistive double tearing mode (DTM) show its capability in solving linear and nonlinear MHD instabilities. The nonlinear DTM evolution in 2D geometry is numerically investigated with low guiding field B z 0 , short half-distance y 0 between the equilibrium current sheets, and small resistivity η. The interaction of islands on the two initial current sheets may generate an unstable flow driven current sheet with a high length-to-thickness aspect ratio (α), and multiple secondary islands can form. In general, the length-to-thickness aspect ratio α and the number of secondary islands increase with decreasing guide field B z 0 , decreasing half-distance y 0 , and increasing Lundquist number of the flow driven current sheet S L although the dependence may be non-monotonic. The reconnection rate dependence on S L , B z 0 , and y 0 is also investigated.

Numerical study of the current sheet and PSBL in a magnetotail model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doxas, I.; Horton, W.; Sandusky, K.; Tajima, T.; Steinolfson, R.

1989-01-01

The current sheet and plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) in a magnetotail model are discussed. A test particle code is used to study the response of ensembles of particles to a two-dimensional, time-dependent model of the geomagnetic tail, and test the proposition (Coroniti, 1985a, b; Buchner and Zelenyi, 1986; Chen and Palmadesso, 1986; Martin, 1986) that the stochasticity of the particle orbits in these fields is an important part of the physical mechanism for magnetospheric substorms. The realistic results obtained for the fluid moments of the particle distribution with this simple model, and their insensitivity to initial conditions, is consistent with this hypothesis.

Kinetic Simulations of Current-Sheet Formation and Reconnection at a Magnetic X Line

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, C.; Antiochos, S. K.; Hesse, M.; Karpen, J. T.; DeVore, C. R.; Kuznetsova, M. M.; Zenitani, S.

2011-01-01

The integration of kinetic effects into macroscopic numerical models is currently of great interest to the plasma physics community, particularly in the context of magnetic reconnection. We are examining the formation and reconnection of current sheets in a simple, two-dimensional X-line configuration using high resolution particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. The initial potential magnetic field is perturbed by thermal pressure introduced into the particle distribution far from the X line. The relaxation of this added stress leads to the development of a current sheet, which reconnects for imposed stress of sufficient strength. We compare the evolution and final state of our PIC simulations with magnetohydrodynamic simulations assuming both uniform and localized resistivities, and with force-free magnetic-field equilibria in which the amount of reconnect ion across the X line can be constrained to be zero (ideal evolution) or optimal (minimum final magnetic energy). We will discuss implications of our results for reconnection onset and cessation at kinetic scales in dynamically formed current sheets, such as those occurring in the terrestrial magnetotail and solar corona.

Marginal Stability of Sweet–Parker Type Current Sheets at Low Lundquist Numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Chen; Velli, Marco; Tenerani, Anna

2018-06-01

Magnetohydrodynamic simulations have shown that a nonunique critical Lundquist number S c exists, hovering around S c ∼ 104, above which threshold Sweet–Parker type stationary reconnecting configurations become unstable to a fast tearing mode dominated by plasmoid generation. It is known that the flow along the sheet plays a stabilizing role, though a satisfactory explanation of the nonuniversality and variable critical Lundquist numbers observed is still lacking. Here we discuss this question using 2D linear MHD simulations and linear stability analyses of Sweet–Parker type current sheets in the presence of background stationary inflows and outflows at low Lundquist numbers (S ≤ 104). Simulations show that the inhomogeneous outflow stabilizes the current sheet by stretching the growing magnetic islands and at the same time evacuating the magnetic islands out of the current sheet. This limits the time during which fluctuations that begin at any given wavelength can remain unstable, rendering the instability nonexponential. We find that the linear theory based on the expanding-wavelength assumption works well for S larger than ∼1000. However, we also find that the inflow and location of the initial perturbation also affect the stability threshold.

Large-Scale Survey of the Structure of the Dayside Magnetopause by MMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paschmann, G.; Haaland, S. E.; Phan, T. D.; Sonnerup, B. U. Ö.; Burch, J. L.; Torbert, R. B.; Gershman, D. J.; Dorelli, J. C.; Giles, B. L.; Pollock, C.; Saito, Y.; Lavraud, B.; Russell, C. T.; Strangeway, R. J.; Baumjohann, W.; Fuselier, S. A.

2018-03-01

This paper describes the generation and initial utilization of a database containing 80 vector and scalar quantities, for a total of 8,670 magnetopause and magnetosheath current sheet crossings by MMS1, using plasma and magnetic field data from the Fast Plasma Investigation, Fluxgate Magnetometer, and Hot Plasma Composition Analyzer instruments, augmented by solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field data from CDAWeb. Based on a determination of the current sheet width, measured and calculated vector and scalar quantities are stored for the two sides of the current sheet and for selected times within the current sheet. The only manual operations were the classification of the current sheets according to the type of boundary, the character of the magnetic field transition, and the quality of the current sheet fit. To characterize the database, histograms of selected key quantities are presented. We then give the statistics for the duration, motion, and thicknesses of the magnetopause current sheet, using single-spacecraft techniques for the determination of the normal velocities, obtaining median results of 12.9 s, 38.5 km/s, and 705.4 km, respectively. When scaled to the ion inertial length, the median thickness became 12.6; there were no thicknesses less than one. Next, we apply the Walén relation to find crossings that are rotational discontinuities and thus may indicate ongoing magnetic reconnection. For crossings where the velocities in the outflow region exceed the velocity on the magnetosheath side by at least 250 km/s, 47% meet our rotational discontinuity criteria. If we require the outflow to exceed 250 km/s along the L direction, then the percentage rises to 68%.

Mutual Inductance Problem for a System Consisting of a Current Sheet and a Thin Metal Plate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fulton, J. P.; Wincheski, B.; Nath, S.; Namkung, M.

1993-01-01

Rapid inspection of aircraft structures for flaws is of vital importance to the commercial and defense aircraft industry. In particular, inspecting thin aluminum structures for flaws is the focus of a large scale R&D effort in the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) community. Traditional eddy current methods used today are effective, but require long inspection times. New electromagnetic techniques which monitor the normal component of the magnetic field above a sample due to a sheet of current as the excitation, seem to be promising. This paper is an attempt to understand and analyze the magnetic field distribution due to a current sheet above an aluminum test sample. A simple theoretical model, coupled with a two dimensional finite element model (FEM) and experimental data will be presented in the next few sections. A current sheet above a conducting sample generates eddy currents in the material, while a sensor above the current sheet or in between the two plates monitors the normal component of the magnetic field. A rivet or a surface flaw near a rivet in an aircraft aluminum skin will disturb the magnetic field, which is imaged by the sensor. Initial results showed a strong dependence of the flaw induced normal magnetic field strength on the thickness and conductivity of the current-sheet that could not be accounted for by skin depth attenuation alone. It was believed that the eddy current imaging method explained the dependence of the thickness and conductivity of the flaw induced normal magnetic field. Further investigation, suggested the complexity associated with the mutual inductance of the system needed to be studied. The next section gives an analytical model to better understand the phenomenon.

Acceleration Modes and Transitions in Pulsed Plasma Accelerators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polzin, Kurt A.; Greve, Christine M.

2018-01-01

Pulsed plasma accelerators typically operate by storing energy in a capacitor bank and then discharging this energy through a gas, ionizing and accelerating it through the Lorentz body force. Two plasma accelerator types employing this general scheme have typically been studied: the gas-fed pulsed plasma thruster and the quasi-steady magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) accelerator. The gas-fed pulsed plasma accelerator is generally represented as a completely transient device discharging in approximately 1-10 microseconds. When the capacitor bank is discharged through the gas, a current sheet forms at the breech of the thruster and propagates forward under a j (current density) by B (magnetic field) body force, entraining propellant it encounters. This process is sometimes referred to as detonation-mode acceleration because the current sheet representation approximates that of a strong shock propagating through the gas. Acceleration of the initial current sheet ceases when either the current sheet reaches the end of the device and is ejected or when the current in the circuit reverses, striking a new current sheet at the breech and depriving the initial sheet of additional acceleration. In the quasi-steady MPD accelerator, the pulse is lengthened to approximately 1 millisecond or longer and maintained at an approximately constant level during discharge. The time over which the transient phenomena experienced during startup typically occur is short relative to the overall discharge time, which is now long enough for the plasma to assume a relatively steady-state configuration. The ionized gas flows through a stationary current channel in a manner that is sometimes referred to as the deflagration-mode of operation. The plasma experiences electromagnetic acceleration as it flows through the current channel towards the exit of the device. A device that had a short pulse length but appeared to operate in a plasma acceleration regime different from the gas-fed pulsed plasma accelerators was developed by Cheng, et al. The Coaxial High ENerGy (CHENG) thruster operated on the 10-microseconds timescales of pulsed plasma thrusters, but claimed high thrust density, high efficiency and low electrode erosion rates, which are more consistent with the deflagration mode of acceleration. Separate work on gas-fed pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs) by Ziemer, et al. identified two separate regimes of performance. The regime at higher mass bits (termed Mode I in that work) possessed relatively constant thrust efficiency (ratio of jet kinetic energy to input electrical energy) as a function of mass bit. In the second regime at very low mass bits (termed Mode II), the efficiency increased with decreasing mass bit. Work by Poehlmann et al. and by Sitaraman and Raja sought to understand the performance of the CHENG thruster and the Mode I / Mode II performance in PPTs by modeling the acceleration using the Hugoniot Relation, with the detonation and deflagration modes representing two distinct sets of solutions to the relevant conservation laws. These works studied the proposal that, depending upon the values of the various controllable parameters, the accelerator would operate in either the detonation or deflagration mode. In the present work, we propose a variation on the explanation for the differences in performance between the various pulsed plasma accelerators. Instead of treating the accelerator as if it were only operating in one mode or the other during a pulse, we model the initial stage of the discharge in all cases as an accelerating current sheet (detonation mode). If the current sheet reaches the exit of the accelerator before the discharge is completed, the acceleration mode transitions to the deflagration mode type found in the quasi-steady MPD thrusters. This modeling method is used to demonstrate that standard gas-fed pulsed plasma accelerators, the CHENG thruster, and the quasi-steady MPD accelerator are variations of the same device, with the overall acceleration of the plasma depending upon the behavior of the plasma discharge during initial transient phase and the relative lengths of the detonation and deflagration modes of operation.

Bursting reconnection of the two co-rotating current loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulanov, Sergei; Sokolov, Igor; Sakai, Jun-Ichi

2000-10-01

Two parallel plasma filaments carrying electric current (current loops) are considered. The Ampere force induces the filaments' coalescence, which is accompanied by the reconnection of the poloidal magnetic field. Initially the loops rotate along the axii of symmetry. Each of the two loops would be in equilibrium in the absence of the other one. The dynamics of the reconnection is numerically simulated using high-resolution numerical scheme for low-resistive magneto-hydrodynamics. The results of numerical simulation are presented in the form of computer movies. The results show that the rotation strongly modifies the reconnection process, resulting in quasi-periodic (bursting) appearance and disappearance of a current sheet. Fast sliding motion of the plasma along the current sheet is a significant element of the complicated structure of reconnection (current-vortex sheet). The magnetic surfaces in the overal flow are strongly rippled by slow magnetosonic perturbations, so that the specific spiral structures form. This should result in the particle transport enhancement.

Energetic Particles of keV–MeV Energies Observed near Reconnecting Current Sheets at 1 au

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khabarova, Olga V.; Zank, Gary P.

2017-07-01

We provide evidence for particle acceleration up to ∼5 MeV at reconnecting current sheets in the solar wind based on both case studies and a statistical analysis of the energetic ion and electron flux data from the five Advanced Composition Explorer Electron, Proton, and Alpha Monitor (EPAM) detectors. The case study of a typical reconnection exhaust event reveals (i) a small-scale peak of the energetic ion flux observed in the vicinity of the reconnection exhaust and (ii) a long-timescale atypical energetic particle event (AEPE) encompassing the reconnection exhaust. AEPEs associated with reconnecting strong current sheets last for many hours, evenmore » days, as confirmed by statistical studies. The case study shows that time-intensity profiles of the ion flux may vary significantly from one EPAM detector to another partially because of the local topology of magnetic fields, but mainly because of the impact of upstream magnetospheric events; therefore, the occurrence of particle acceleration can be hidden. The finding of significant particle energization within a time interval of ±30 hr around reconnection exhausts is supported by a superposed epoch analysis of 126 reconnection exhaust events. We suggest that energetic particles initially accelerated via prolonged magnetic reconnection are trapped and reaccelerated in small- or medium-scale magnetic islands surrounding the reconnecting current sheet, as predicted by the transport theory of Zank et al. Other mechanisms of initial particle acceleration can contribute also.« less

Observations of ionospheric electron beams in the plasma sheet.

PubMed

Zheng, H; Fu, S Y; Zong, Q G; Pu, Z Y; Wang, Y F; Parks, G K

2012-11-16

Electrons streaming along the magnetic field direction are frequently observed in the plasma sheet of Earth's geomagnetic tail. The impact of these field-aligned electrons on the dynamics of the geomagnetic tail is however not well understood. Here we report the first detection of field-aligned electrons with fluxes increasing at ~1 keV forming a "cool" beam just prior to the dissipation of energy in the current sheet. These field-aligned beams at ~15 R(E) in the plasma sheet are nearly identical to those commonly observed at auroral altitudes, suggesting the beams are auroral electrons accelerated upward by electric fields parallel (E([parallel])) to the geomagnetic field. The density of the beams relative to the ambient electron density is δn(b)/n(e)~5-13% and the current carried by the beams is ~10(-8)-10(-7) A m(-2). These beams in high β plasmas with large density and temperature gradients appear to satisfy the Bohm criteria to initiate current driven instabilities.

Electron Cooling and Isotropization during Magnetotail Current Sheet Thinning: Implications for Parallel Electric Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, San; Artemyev, A. V.; Angelopoulos, V.

2017-11-01

Magnetotail current sheet thinning is a distinctive feature of substorm growth phase, during which magnetic energy is stored in the magnetospheric lobes. Investigation of charged particle dynamics in such thinning current sheets is believed to be important for understanding the substorm energy storage and the current sheet destabilization responsible for substorm expansion phase onset. We use Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) B and C observations in 2008 and 2009 at 18 - 25 RE to show that during magnetotail current sheet thinning, the electron temperature decreases (cooling), and the parallel temperature decreases faster than the perpendicular temperature, leading to a decrease of the initially strong electron temperature anisotropy (isotropization). This isotropization cannot be explained by pure adiabatic cooling or by pitch angle scattering. We use test particle simulations to explore the mechanism responsible for the cooling and isotropization. We find that during the thinning, a fast decrease of a parallel electric field (directed toward the Earth) can speed up the electron parallel cooling, causing it to exceed the rate of perpendicular cooling, and thus lead to isotropization, consistent with observation. If the parallel electric field is too small or does not change fast enough, the electron parallel cooling is slower than the perpendicular cooling, so the parallel electron anisotropy grows, contrary to observation. The same isotropization can also be accomplished by an increasing parallel electric field directed toward the equatorial plane. Our study reveals the existence of a large-scale parallel electric field, which plays an important role in magnetotail particle dynamics during the current sheet thinning process.

The 3-D description of vertical current sheets with application to solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fontenla, Juan M.; Davis, J. M.

1991-01-01

Following a brief review of the processes which have been suggested for explaining the occurrence of solar flares we suggest a new scenario which builds on the achievements of the previous suggestion that the current sheets, which develop naturally in 3-D cases with gravity from impacting independent magnetic structures (i.e., approaching current systems), do not consist of horizontal currents but are instead predominantly vertical current systems. This suggestion is based on the fact that as the subphotospheric sources of the magnetic field displace the upper photosphere and lower chromosphere regions, where plasma beta is near unity, will experience predominantly horizontal mass motions which will lead to a distorted 3-D configurations of the magnetic field having stored free energy. In our scenario, a vertically flowing current sheet separates the plasma regions associated with either of the subphotospheric sources. This reflects the balanced tension of the two stressed fields which twist around each other. This leads naturally to a metastable or unstable situation as the twisted field emerges into a low beta region where vertical motions are not inhibited by gravity. In our flare scenario the impulsive energy release occurs, initially, not by reconnection but mainly by the rapid change of the magnetic field which has become unstable. During the impulsive phase the field lines contort in such way as to realign the electric current sheet into a minimum energy horizontal flow. This contortion produces very large electric fields which will accelerate particles. As the current evolves to a horizontal configuration the magnetic field expands vertically, which can be accompanied by eruptions of material. The instability of a horizontal current is well known and causes the magnetic field to undergo a rapid outward expansion. In our scenario, fast reconnection is not necessary to trigger the flare, however, slow reconnection would occur continuously in the current layer at the locations of potential flaring. During the initial rearrangement of the field strong plasma turbulence develops. Following the impulsive phase, the final current sheet will experience faster reconnection which we believe responsible for the gradual phase of the flare. The reconnection will dissipate part of the current and will produce sustained and extended heating in the flare region and in the postflare loops.

EVIDENCE FOR NEWLY INITIATED RECONNECTION IN THE SOLAR WIND AT 1 AU

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Xiaojun; Ma, Yonghui; Wong, Hon-Cheng

2015-08-10

We report the first evidence for a large-scale reconnection exhaust newly initiated in the solar wind using observations from three spacecraft: ACE, Wind, and ARTEMIS P2. We identified a well-structured X-line exhaust using measurements from ARTEMIS P2 in the downstream solar wind. However, in the upstream solar wind, ACE detected the same current sheet that corresponds to the exhaust identified by ARTEMIS P2 data without showing any reconnection signals. We cannot find any reconnection signals from Wind located between ACE and ARTEMIS P2. Within the exhaust, a magnetic island is identified, which is not consistent with the quasi-steady feature asmore » previously reported and provides further evidence that the reconnection is newly initiated. Our observations show that the entering of energetic particles, probably from Earth's bow shock, makes the crucial difference between the non-reconnecting current sheet and the exhaust. Since no obvious driving factors are responsible for the reconnection initiation, we infer that these energetic particles probably play an important role in the reconnection initiation. Theoretical analysis also shows support for this potential mechanism.« less

Formation and Reconnection of Three-Dimensional Current Sheets in the Solar Corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edmondson, J. K.; Antiochos, S. K.; DeVore, C. R.; Zurbuchen, T. H.

2010-01-01

Current-sheet formation and magnetic reconnection are believed to be the basic physical processes responsible for much of the activity observed in astrophysical plasmas, such as the Sun s corona. We investigate these processes for a magnetic configuration consisting of a uniform background field and an embedded line dipole, a topology that is expected to be ubiquitous in the corona. This magnetic system is driven by a uniform horizontal flow applied at the line-tied photosphere. Although both the initial field and the driver are translationally symmetric, the resulting evolution is calculated using a fully three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (3D MHD) simulation with adaptive mesh refinement that resolves the current sheet and reconnection dynamics in detail. The advantage of our approach is that it allows us to apply directly the vast body of knowledge gained from the many studies of 2D reconnection to the fully 3D case. We find that a current sheet forms in close analogy to the classic Syrovatskii 2D mechanism, but the resulting evolution is different than expected. The current sheet is globally stable, showing no evidence for a disruption or a secondary instability even for aspect ratios as high as 80:1. The global evolution generally follows the standard Sweet- Parker 2D reconnection model except for an accelerated reconnection rate at a very thin current sheet, due to the tearing instability and the formation of magnetic islands. An interesting conclusion is that despite the formation of fully 3D structures at small scales, the system remains close to 2D at global scales. We discuss the implications of our results for observations of the solar corona. Subject Headings: Sun: corona Sun: magnetic fields Sun: reconnection

A combined surface/volume scattering retracking algorithm for ice sheet satellite altimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Curt H.

1992-01-01

An algorithm that is based upon a combined surface-volume scattering model is developed. It can be used to retrack individual altimeter waveforms over ice sheets. An iterative least-squares procedure is used to fit the combined model to the return waveforms. The retracking algorithm comprises two distinct sections. The first generates initial model parameter estimates from a filtered altimeter waveform. The second uses the initial estimates, the theoretical model, and the waveform data to generate corrected parameter estimates. This retracking algorithm can be used to assess the accuracy of elevations produced from current retracking algorithms when subsurface volume scattering is present. This is extremely important so that repeated altimeter elevation measurements can be used to accurately detect changes in the mass balance of the ice sheets. By analyzing the distribution of the model parameters over large portions of the ice sheet, regional and seasonal variations in the near-surface properties of the snowpack can be quantified.

MULTIPLE CURRENT SHEET SYSTEMS IN THE OUTER HELIOSPHERE: ENERGY RELEASE AND TURBULENCE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burgess, D.; Gingell, P. W.; Matteini, L.

2016-05-01

In the outer heliosphere, beyond the solar wind termination shock, it is expected that the warped heliospheric current sheet forms a region of closely packed, multiple, thin current sheets. Such a system may be subject to the ion-kinetic tearing instability, and hence may generate magnetic islands and hot populations of ions associated with magnetic reconnection. Reconnection processes in this environment have important implications for local particle transport, and for particle acceleration at reconnection sites and in turbulence. We study this complex environment by means of three-dimensional hybrid simulations over long timescales, in order to capture the evolution from linear growthmore » of the tearing instability to a fully developed turbulent state at late times. The final state develops from the highly ordered initial state via both forward and inverse cascades. Component and spectral anisotropy in the magnetic fluctuations is present when a guide field is included. The inclusion of a population of newborn interstellar pickup protons does not strongly affect these results. Finally, we conclude that reconnection between multiple current sheets can act as an important source of turbulence in the outer heliosphere, with implications for energetic particle acceleration and propagation.« less

Hybrid simulations of magnetic reconnection with kinetic ions and fluid electron pressure anisotropy

DOE PAGES

Le, A.; Daughton, W.; Karimabadi, H.; ...

2016-03-16

We present the first hybrid simulations with kinetic ions and recently developed equations of state for the electron fluid appropriate for reconnection with a guide field. The equations of state account for the main anisotropy of the electron pressure tensor.Magnetic reconnection is studied in two systems, an initially force-free current sheet and a Harris sheet. The hybrid model with the equations of state is compared to two other models, hybrid simulations with isothermal electrons and fully kinetic simulations. Including the anisotropicequations of state in the hybrid model provides a better match to the fully kinetic model. In agreement with fullymore » kinetic results, the main feature captured is the formation of an electron current sheet that extends several ion inertial lengths. This electron current sheet modifies the Hall magnetic field structure near the X-line, and it is not observed in the standard hybrid model with isotropic electrons. The saturated reconnection rate in this regime nevertheless remains similar in all three models. Here, implications for global modeling are discussed.« less

The Onset of Magnetic Reconnection in Tail-Like Equilibria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hesse, Michael; Birn, Joachim; Kuznetsova, Masha

1999-01-01

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental mode of dynamics in the magnetotail, and is recognized as the basic mechanisms converting stored magnetic energy into kinetic energy of plasma particles. The effects of the reconnection process are well documented by spacecraft observations of plasmoids in the distant magnetotail, or bursty bulk flows, and magnetic field dipolarizations in the near Earth region. Theoretical and numerical analyses have, in recent years, shed new light on the way reconnection operates, and, in particular, which microscopic mechanism supports the dissipative electric field in the associated diffusion region. Despite this progress, however. the question of how magnetic reconnection initiates in a tail-like magnetic field with finite flux threading the current i.sheet remains unanswered. Instead, theoretical studies supported by numerical simulations support the point-of-view that such plasma and current sheets are stable with respect to collisionless tearing mode. In this paper, we will further investigate this conclusion, with emphasis on the question whether it remains valid in plasma sheets with embedded thin current sheets. For this purpose, we perform particle-in-cell simulations of the driven formation of thin current sheets, and their subsequent evolution either to equilibrium or to instability of a tearing-type mode. In the latter case we will pay particular attention to the nature of the electric field contribution which unmagnetizes the electrons.

Formation of current singularity in a topologically constrained plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhou, Yao; Huang, Yi-Min; Qin, Hong

2016-02-01

Recently a variational integrator for ideal magnetohydrodynamics in Lagrangian labeling has been developed. Its built-in frozen-in equation makes it optimal for studying current sheet formation. We use this scheme to study the Hahm-Kulsrud-Taylor problem, which considers the response of a 2D plasma magnetized by a sheared field under sinusoidal boundary forcing. We obtain an equilibrium solution that preserves the magnetic topology of the initial field exactly, with a fluid mapping that is non-differentiable. Unlike previous studies that examine the current density output, we identify a singular current sheet from the fluid mapping. These results are benchmarked with a constrained Grad-Shafranovmore » solver. The same signature of current singularity can be found in other cases with more complex magnetic topologies.« less

Collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet after local destabilization of the Amundsen Basin

PubMed Central

Feldmann, Johannes; Levermann, Anders

2015-01-01

The future evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet represents the largest uncertainty in sea-level projections of this and upcoming centuries. Recently, satellite observations and high-resolution simulations have suggested the initiation of an ice-sheet instability in the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctica, caused by the last decades’ enhanced basal ice-shelf melting. Whether this localized destabilization will yield a full discharge of marine ice from West Antarctica, associated with a global sea-level rise of more than 3 m, or whether the ice loss is limited by ice dynamics and topographic features, is unclear. Here we show that in the Parallel Ice Sheet Model, a local destabilization causes a complete disintegration of the marine ice in West Antarctica. In our simulations, at 5-km horizontal resolution, the region disequilibrates after 60 y of currently observed melt rates. Thereafter, the marine ice-sheet instability fully unfolds and is not halted by topographic features. In fact, the ice loss in Amundsen Sea sector shifts the catchment's ice divide toward the Filchner–Ronne and Ross ice shelves, which initiates grounding-line retreat there. Our simulations suggest that if a destabilization of Amundsen Sea sector has indeed been initiated, Antarctica will irrevocably contribute at least 3 m to global sea-level rise during the coming centuries to millennia. PMID:26578762

Plasma Measurements in an Integrated-System FARAD Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polzin, K. A.; Rose, M. F.; Miller, R.; Best, S.

2007-01-01

Pulsed inductive plasma accelerators are spacecraft propulsion devices in which energy is stored in a capacitor and then discharged through an inductive coil. The device is electrodeless, inducing a current sheet in a plasma located near the face of the coil. The propellant is accelerated and expelled at a high exhaust velocity (order of 10 km/s) through the interaction of the plasma current and the induced magnetic field. The Faraday Accelerator with RF-Assisted Discharge (FARAD) thruster[1,2] is a type of pulsed inductive plasma accelerator in which the plasma is preionized by a mechanism separate from that used to form the current sheet and accelerate the gas. Employing a separate preionization mechanism allows for the formation of an inductive current sheet at much lower discharge energies and voltages than those used in previous pulsed inductive accelerators like the Pulsed Inductive Thruster (PIT). A benchtop FARAD thruster was designed following guidelines and similarity performance parameters presented in Refs. [3,4]. This design is described in detail in Ref. [5]. In this paper, we present the temporally and spatially resolved measurements of the preionized plasma and inductively-accelerated current sheet in the FARAD thruster operating with a Vector Inversion Generator (VIG) to preionize the gas and a Bernardes and Merryman circuit topology to provide inductive acceleration. The acceleration stage operates on the order of 100 J/pulse. Fast-framing photography will be used to produce a time-resolved, global view of the evolving current sheet. Local diagnostics used include a fast ionization gauge capable of mapping the gas distribution prior to plasma initiation; direct measurement of the induced magnetic field using B-dot probes, induced azimuthal current measurement using a mini-Rogowski coil, and direct probing of the number density and electron temperature using triple probes.

Streaming sausage, kink and tearing instabilities in a current sheet with applications to the earth's magnetotail

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, L. C.; Wang, S.; Wei, C. Q.; Tsurutani, B. T.

1988-01-01

This paper investigates the growth rates and eigenmode structures of the streaming sausage, kink, and tearing instabilities in a current sheet with a super-Alfvenic flow. The growth rates and eigenmode structures are first considered in the ideal incompressible limit by using a four-layer model, as well as a more realistic case in which all plasma parameters and the magnetic field vary continuously along the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field and plasma flow. An initial-value method is applied to obtain the growth rate and eigenmode profiles of the fastest growing mode, which is either the sausage mode or kink mode. It is shown that, in the earth's magnetotail, where super-Alfvenic plasma flows are observed in the plasma sheet and the ratio between the plasma and magnetic pressures far away from the current layer is about 0.1-0.3 in the lobes, the streaming sausage and streaming tearing instabilities, but not kink modes, are likely to occur.

Current-Sheet Formation and Reconnection at a Magnetic X Line in Particle-in-Cell Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, C.; Antiochos, S. K.; Hesse, M.; Karpen, J. T.; Kuznetsova, M. M.; Zenitani, S.

2011-01-01

The integration of kinetic effects into macroscopic numerical models is currently of great interest to the heliophysics community, particularly in the context of magnetic reconnection. Reconnection governs the large-scale energy release and topological rearrangement of magnetic fields in a wide variety of laboratory, heliophysical, and astrophysical systems. We are examining the formation and reconnection of current sheets in a simple, two-dimensional X-line configuration using high-resolution particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. The initial minimum-energy, potential magnetic field is perturbed by excess thermal pressure introduced into the particle distribution function far from the X line. Subsequently, the relaxation of this added stress leads self-consistently to the development of a current sheet that reconnects for imposed stress of sufficient strength. We compare the time-dependent evolution and final state of our PIC simulations with macroscopic magnetohydrodynamic simulations assuming both uniform and localized electrical resistivities (C. R. DeVore et al., this meeting), as well as with force-free magnetic-field equilibria in which the amount of reconnection across the X line can be constrained to be zero (ideal evolution) or optimal (minimum final magnetic energy). We will discuss implications of our results for understanding magnetic-reconnection onset and cessation at kinetic scales in dynamically formed current sheets, such as those occurring in the solar corona and terrestrial magnetotail.

A cross-field current instability for substorm expansions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lui, A.T.Y.; Chang, C.L.; Mankofsky, A.

1991-07-01

The authors investigate a cross-field current instability (CFCI) as a candidate for current disruption during substorm expansions. The numerical solution of the linear dispersion equation indicates that (1) the proposed instability can occur at the inner edge or the midsection of the neutral sheet just prior to the substorm expansion onset although the former environment is found more favorable at the same drift speed scaled to the ion thermal speed, (2) the computed growth time is comparable to the substorm onset time, and (3) the excited waves have a mixed polarization with frequencies near the ion gyrofrequency at the innermore » edge and near the lower hybrid frequency in the midtail region. On the basis of this analysis, they propose a substorm development scenario in which plasma sheet thinning during the substorm growth phase leads to an enhancement in the relative drift between ions and electrons. This results in the neutral sheet being susceptible to the CHCI and initiates the diversion of the cross-tail current through the ionosphere. Whether or not a substorm current wedge is ultimately formed is regulated by the ionospheric condition. A large number of substorm features can be readily understood with the proposed scheme. These include (1) precursory activities (pseudobreakups) prior to substorm onset, (2) substorm initiation region to be spatially localized, (3) three different solar wind conditions for substorm occurence, (4) skew towards evening local times for substorm onset locations, (5) different acceleration characteristics between ions and electrons, (6) tailward spreading of current disruption region after substorm onset, and (7) local time expansion of substorm current wedge with possible discrete westward jump for the evening expansion.« less

Acoustoelectric photoresponse of graphene nanoribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poole, T.; Nash, G. R.

2018-04-01

The acoustoelectric current in graphene nanoribbons, with widths ranging between 350 nm and 600 nm, has been investigated as a function of illumination. For all nanoribbon widths, the acoustoelectric current was observed to decrease on illumination, in contrast to the increase in acoustoelectric current measured in unpatterned graphene sheet devices. This is thought to be due to the higher initial conductivities of the nanoribbons compared to unpatterned devices.

Latest status of the clinical and industrial applications of cell sheet engineering and regenerative medicine.

PubMed

Egami, Mime; Haraguchi, Yuji; Shimizu, Tatsuya; Yamato, Masayuki; Okano, Teruo

2014-01-01

Cell sheet engineering, which allows tissue engineering to be realized without the use of biodegradable scaffolds as an original approach, using a temperature-responsive intelligent surface, has been applied in regenerative medicine for various tissues, and a number of clinical studies have been already performed for life-threatening diseases. By using the results and findings obtained from the initial clinical studies, additional investigative clinical studies in several tissues with cell sheet engineering are currently in preparation stage. For treating many patients effectively by cell sheet engineering, an automated system integrating cell culture, cell-sheet fabrication, and layering is essential, and the system should include an advanced three-dimensional suspension cell culture system and an in vitro bioreactor system to scale up the production of cultured cells and fabricate thicker vascularized tissues. In this paper, cell sheet engineering, its clinical application, and further the authors' challenge to develop innovative cell culture systems under newly legislated regulatory platform in Japan are summarized and discussed.

Magnetic Configurations of the Tilted Current Sheets and Dynamics of Their Flapping in Magnetotail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, C.; Rong, Z. J.; Li, X.; Dunlop, M.; Liu, Z. X.; Malova, H. V.; Lucek, E.; Carr, C.

2009-04-01

Based on multiple spacecraft measurements, the geometrical structures of tilted current sheet and tail flapping waves have been analyzed and some features of the tilted current sheets have been made clear for the first time. The geometrical features of the tilted current sheet revealed in this investigation are as follows: (1) The magnetic field lines (MFLs) are generally plane curves and the osculating planes in which the MFLs lie are about vertical to the magnetic equatorial plane, while the tilted current sheet may lean severely to the dawn or dusk side. (2) The tilted current sheet may become very thin, its half thickness is generally much less than the minimum radius of the curvature of the MFLs. (3) In the neutral sheet, the field-aligned current density becomes very large and has a maximum value at the center of the current sheet. (4) In some cases, the current density is a bifurcated one, and the two humps of the current density often superpose two peaks in the gradient of magnetic strength, indicating that the magnetic gradient drift current is possibly responsible for the formation of the two humps of the current density in some tilted current sheets. Tilted current sheets often appear along with tail thick current sheet flapping waves. It is found that, in the tail flapping current sheets, the minimum curvature radius of the MFLs in the current sheet is rather large with values around 1RE, while the neutral sheet may be very thin, with its half thickness being several tenths ofRE. During the flapping waves, the current sheet is tilted substantially, and the maximum tilt angle is generally larger than 45

Nonlinear energy transfer and current sheet development in localized Alfvén wavepacket collisions in the strong turbulence limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verniero, J. L.; Howes, G. G.; Klein, K. G.

2018-02-01

In space and astrophysical plasmas, turbulence is responsible for transferring energy from large scales driven by violent events or instabilities, to smaller scales where turbulent energy is ultimately converted into plasma heat by dissipative mechanisms. The nonlinear interaction between counterpropagating Alfvén waves, denoted Alfvén wave collisions, drives this turbulent energy cascade, as recognized by early work with incompressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations. Recent work employing analytical calculations and nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of Alfvén wave collisions in an idealized periodic initial state have demonstrated the key properties that strong Alfvén wave collisions mediate effectively the transfer of energy to smaller perpendicular scales and self-consistently generate current sheets. For the more realistic case of the collision between two initially separated Alfvén wavepackets, we use a nonlinear gyrokinetic simulation to show here that these key properties persist: strong Alfvén wavepacket collisions indeed facilitate the perpendicular cascade of energy and give rise to current sheets. Furthermore, the evolution shows that nonlinear interactions occur only while the wavepackets overlap, followed by a clean separation of the wavepackets with straight uniform magnetic fields and the cessation of nonlinear evolution in between collisions, even in the gyrokinetic simulation presented here which resolves dispersive and kinetic effects beyond the reach of the MHD theory.

Magnetic configurations of the tilted current sheets in magnetotail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, C.; Rong, Z. J.; Li, X.; Dunlop, M.; Liu, Z. X.; Malova, H. V.; Lucek, E.; Carr, C.

2008-11-01

In this research, the geometrical structures of tilted current sheet and tail flapping waves have been analysed based on multiple spacecraft measurements and some features of the tilted current sheets have been made clear for the first time. The geometrical features of the tilted current sheet revealed in this investigation are as follows: (1) The magnetic field lines (MFLs) in the tilted current sheet are generally plane curves and the osculating planes in which the MFLs lie are about vertical to the equatorial plane, while the normal of the tilted current sheet leans severely to the dawn or dusk side. (2) The tilted current sheet may become very thin, the half thickness of its neutral sheet is generally much less than the minimum radius of the curvature of the MFLs. (3) In the neutral sheet, the field-aligned current density becomes very large and has a maximum value at the center of the current sheet. (4) In some cases, the current density is a bifurcated one, and the two humps of the current density often superpose two peaks in the gradient of magnetic strength, indicating that the magnetic gradient drift current is possibly responsible for the formation of the two humps of the current density in some tilted current sheets. Tilted current sheets often appear along with tail current sheet flapping waves. It is found that, in the tail flapping current sheets, the minimum curvature radius of the MFLs in the current sheet is rather large with values around 1 RE, while the neutral sheet may be very thin, with its half thickness being several tenths of RE. During the flapping waves, the current sheet is tilted substantially, and the maximum tilt angle is generally larger than 45°. The phase velocities of these flapping waves are several tens km/s, while their periods and wavelengths are several tens of minutes, and several earth radii, respectively. These tail flapping events generally last several hours and occur during quiet periods or periods of weak magnetospheric activity.

Recent Simulation Results on Ring Current Dynamics Using the Comprehensive Ring Current Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zheng, Yihua; Zaharia, Sorin G.; Lui, Anthony T. Y.; Fok, Mei-Ching

2010-01-01

Plasma sheet conditions and electromagnetic field configurations are both crucial in determining ring current evolution and connection to the ionosphere. In this presentation, we investigate how different conditions of plasma sheet distribution affect ring current properties. Results include comparative studies in 1) varying the radial distance of the plasma sheet boundary; 2) varying local time distribution of the source population; 3) varying the source spectra. Our results show that a source located farther away leads to a stronger ring current than a source that is closer to the Earth. Local time distribution of the source plays an important role in determining both the radial and azimuthal (local time) location of the ring current peak pressure. We found that post-midnight source locations generally lead to a stronger ring current. This finding is in agreement with Lavraud et al.. However, our results do not exhibit any simple dependence of the local time distribution of the peak ring current (within the lower energy range) on the local time distribution of the source, as suggested by Lavraud et al. [2008]. In addition, we will show how different specifications of the magnetic field in the simulation domain affect ring current dynamics in reference to the 20 November 2007 storm, which include initial results on coupling the CRCM with a three-dimensional (3-D) plasma force balance code to achieve self-consistency in the magnetic field.

Asymmetric Magnetic Reconnection in the Solar Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, N. A.; Miralles, M. P.; Ranquist, D. A.; Pope, C. L.; Raymond, J. C.; Lukin, V. S.; McKillop, S.; Shen, C.; Winter, H. D.; Reeves, K. K.; Lin, J.

2013-12-01

Models of solar flares and coronal mass ejections typically predict the development of an elongated current sheet in the wake behind the rising flux rope. In reality, reconnection in these current sheets will be asymmetric along the inflow, outflow, and out-of-plane directions. We perform resistive MHD simulations to investigate the consequences of asymmetry during solar reconnection. We predict several observational signatures of asymmetric reconnection, including flare loops with a skewed candle flame shape, slow drifting of the current sheet into the strong field upstream region, asymmetric footpoint speeds and hard X-ray emission, and rolling motions within the erupting flux rope. There is net plasma flow across the magnetic field null along both the inflow and outflow directions. We compare simulations to SDO/AIA, Hinode/XRT, and STEREO observations of flare loop shapes, current sheet drifting, and rolling motions during prominence eruptions. Simulations of the plasmoid instability with different upstream magnetic fields show that the reconnection rate remains enhanced even during the asymmetric case. The islands preferentially grow into the weak field upstream region. The islands develop net vorticity because the outflow jets impact them obliquely rather than directly. Asymmetric reconnection in the chromosphere occurs when emerging flux interacts with pre-existing overlying flux. We present initial results on asymmetric reconnection in partially ionized chromospheric plasmas. Finally, we discuss how comparisons to observations are necessary to understand the role of three-dimensional effects.

Asymmetric Magnetic Reconnection in the Solar Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, N. A.; Miralles, M. P.; Ranquist, D. A.; Pope, C. L.; Raymond, J. C.; Lukin, V. S.; McKillop, S. C.; Shen, C.; Winter, H. D.; Reeves, K. K.; Lin, J.

2013-12-01

Models of solar flares and coronal mass ejections typically predict the development of an elongated current sheet in the wake behind the rising flux rope. In reality, reconnection in these current sheets will be asymmetric along the inflow, outflow, and out-of-plane directions. We perform resistive MHD simulations to investigate the consequences of asymmetry during solar reconnection. We predict several observational signatures of asymmetric reconnection, including flare loops with a skewed candle flame shape, slow drifting of the current sheet into the strong field upstream region, asymmetric footpoint speeds and hard X-ray emission, and rolling motions within the erupting flux rope. There is net plasma flow across the magnetic field null along both the inflow and outflow directions. We compare simulations to SDO/AIA, Hinode/XRT, and STEREO observations of flare loop shapes, current sheet drifting, and rolling motions during prominence eruptions. Simulations of the plasm! oid instability with different upstream magnetic fields show that the reconnection rate remains enhanced even during the asymmetric case. The islands preferentially grow into the weak field upstream region. The islands develop net vorticity because the outflow jets impact them obliquely rather than directly. Asymmetric reconnection in the chromosphere occurs when emerging flux interacts with pre-existing overlying flux. We present initial results on asymmetric reconnection in partially ionized chromospheric plasmas. Finally, we discuss how comparisons to observations are necessary to understand the role of three-dimensional effects.

Seismic evidence for complex sedimentary control of Greenland Ice Sheet flow

PubMed Central

Kulessa, Bernd; Hubbard, Alun L.; Booth, Adam D.; Bougamont, Marion; Dow, Christine F.; Doyle, Samuel H.; Christoffersen, Poul; Lindbäck, Katrin; Pettersson, Rickard; Fitzpatrick, Andrew A. W.; Jones, Glenn A.

2017-01-01

The land-terminating margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet has slowed down in recent decades, although the causes and implications for future ice flow are unclear. Explained originally by a self-regulating mechanism where basal slip reduces as drainage evolves from low to high efficiency, recent numerical modeling invokes a sedimentary control of ice sheet flow as an alternative hypothesis. Although both hypotheses can explain the recent slowdown, their respective forecasts of a long-term deceleration versus an acceleration of ice flow are contradictory. We present amplitude-versus-angle seismic data as the first observational test of the alternative hypothesis. We document transient modifications of basal sediment strengths by rapid subglacial drainages of supraglacial lakes, the primary current control on summer ice sheet flow according to our numerical model. Our observations agree with simulations of initial postdrainage sediment weakening and ice flow accelerations, and subsequent sediment restrengthening and ice flow decelerations, and thus confirm the alternative hypothesis. Although simulated melt season acceleration of ice flow due to weakening of subglacial sediments does not currently outweigh winter slowdown forced by self-regulation, they could dominate over the longer term. Subglacial sediments beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet must therefore be mapped and characterized, and a sedimentary control of ice flow must be evaluated against competing self-regulation mechanisms. PMID:28835915

Seismic evidence for complex sedimentary control of Greenland Ice Sheet flow.

PubMed

Kulessa, Bernd; Hubbard, Alun L; Booth, Adam D; Bougamont, Marion; Dow, Christine F; Doyle, Samuel H; Christoffersen, Poul; Lindbäck, Katrin; Pettersson, Rickard; Fitzpatrick, Andrew A W; Jones, Glenn A

2017-08-01

The land-terminating margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet has slowed down in recent decades, although the causes and implications for future ice flow are unclear. Explained originally by a self-regulating mechanism where basal slip reduces as drainage evolves from low to high efficiency, recent numerical modeling invokes a sedimentary control of ice sheet flow as an alternative hypothesis. Although both hypotheses can explain the recent slowdown, their respective forecasts of a long-term deceleration versus an acceleration of ice flow are contradictory. We present amplitude-versus-angle seismic data as the first observational test of the alternative hypothesis. We document transient modifications of basal sediment strengths by rapid subglacial drainages of supraglacial lakes, the primary current control on summer ice sheet flow according to our numerical model. Our observations agree with simulations of initial postdrainage sediment weakening and ice flow accelerations, and subsequent sediment restrengthening and ice flow decelerations, and thus confirm the alternative hypothesis. Although simulated melt season acceleration of ice flow due to weakening of subglacial sediments does not currently outweigh winter slowdown forced by self-regulation, they could dominate over the longer term. Subglacial sediments beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet must therefore be mapped and characterized, and a sedimentary control of ice flow must be evaluated against competing self-regulation mechanisms.

Thin current sheets observation by MMS during a near-Earth's magnetotail reconnection event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, R.; Varsani, A.; Nakamura, T.; Genestreti, K.; Plaschke, F.; Baumjohann, W.; Nagai, T.; Burch, J.; Cohen, I. J.; Ergun, R.; Fuselier, S. A.; Giles, B. L.; Le Contel, O.; Lindqvist, P. A.; Magnes, W.; Schwartz, S. J.; Strangeway, R. J.; Torbert, R. B.

2017-12-01

During summer 2017, the four spacecraft of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission traversed the nightside magnetotail current sheet at an apogee of 25 RE. They detected a number of flow reversal events suggestive of the passage of the reconnection current sheet. Due to the mission's unprecedented high-time resolution and spatial separation well below the ion scales, structure of thin current sheets is well resolved both with plasma and field measurements. In this study we examine the detailed structure of thin current sheets during a flow reversal event from tailward flow to Earthward flow, when MMS crossed the center of the current sheet . We investigate the changes in the structure of the thin current sheet relative to the X-point based on multi-point analysis. We determine the motion and strength of the current sheet from curlometer calculations comparing these with currents obtained from the particle data. The observed structures of these current sheets are also compared with simulations.

Substorm Evolution in the Near-Earth Plasma Sheet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, Gary M.

2004-01-01

This grant represented one-year, phase-out funding for the project of the same name (NAG5-9110 to Boston University) to determine precursors and signatures of local substorm onset and how they evolve in the plasma sheet using the Geotail near-Earth database. We report here on two accomplishments: (1) Completion of an examination of plasma velocity signature at times of local onsets in the current disruption (CD) region. (2) Initial investigation into quantification of near-Earth flux-tube contents of injected plasma at times of substorm injections.

Properties of Rolled AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Sheet Fabricated by Continuous Variable Cross-Section Direct Extrusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yang; Li, Feng; Li, Xue Wen; Shi, Wen Yong

2018-03-01

Rolling is currently a widely used method for manufacturing and processing high-performance magnesium alloy sheets and has received widespread attention in recent years. Here, we combined continuous variable cross-section direct extrusion (CVCDE) and rolling processes. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the resulting sheets rolled at different temperatures from CVCDE extrudate were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. The results showed that a fine-grained microstructure was present with an average grain size of 3.62 μm in sheets rolled from CVCDE extrudate at 623 K. Dynamic recrystallization and a large strain were induced by the multi-pass rolling, which resulted in grain refinement. In the 573-673 K range, the yield strength, tensile strength and elongation initially increased and then declined as the CVCDE temperature increased. The above results provide an important scientific basis of processing, manufacturing and the active control on microstructure and property for high-performance magnesium alloy sheet.

Continuous development of current sheets near and away from magnetic nulls

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumar, Sanjay; Bhattacharyya, R.

2016-04-15

The presented computations compare the strength of current sheets which develop near and away from the magnetic nulls. To ensure the spontaneous generation of current sheets, the computations are performed congruently with Parker's magnetostatic theorem. The simulations evince current sheets near two dimensional and three dimensional magnetic nulls as well as away from them. An important finding of this work is in the demonstration of comparative scaling of peak current density with numerical resolution, for these different types of current sheets. The results document current sheets near two dimensional magnetic nulls to have larger strength while exhibiting a stronger scalingmore » than the current sheets close to three dimensional magnetic nulls or away from any magnetic null. The comparative scaling points to a scenario where the magnetic topology near a developing current sheet is important for energetics of the subsequent reconnection.« less

Magnetic Reconnection in Strongly Magnetized Regions of the Low Solar Chromosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Lei; Lukin, Vyacheslav S.; Murphy, Nicholas A.; Lin, Jun

2018-01-01

Magnetic reconnection in strongly magnetized regions around the temperature minimum region of the low solar atmosphere is studied by employing MHD-based simulations of a partially ionized plasma within a reactive 2.5D multi-fluid model. It is shown that in the absence of magnetic nulls in a low β plasma, the ionized and neutral fluid flows are well-coupled throughout the reconnection region. However, non-equilibrium ionization–recombination dynamics play a critical role in determining the structure of the reconnection region, leading to much lower temperature increases and a faster magnetic reconnection rate as compared to simulations that assume plasma to be in ionization–recombination equilibrium. The rate of ionization of the neutral component of the plasma is always faster than recombination within the current sheet region even when the initial plasma β is as high as {β }0=1.46. When the reconnecting magnetic field is in excess of a kilogauss and the plasma β is lower than 0.0145, the initially weakly ionized plasmas can become fully ionized within the reconnection region and the current sheet can be strongly heated to above 2.5× {10}4 K, even as most of the collisionally dissipated magnetic energy is radiated away. The Hall effect increases the reconnection rate slightly, but in the absence of magnetic nulls it does not result in significant asymmetries or change the characteristics of the reconnection current sheet down to meter scales.

A comparison of coronal and interplanetary current sheet inclinations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Behannon, K. W.; Burlaga, L. F.; Hundhausen, A. J.

1983-01-01

The HAO white light K-coronameter observations show that the inclination of the heliospheric current sheet at the base of the corona can be both large (nearly vertical with respect to the solar equator) or small during Cararington rotations 1660 - 1666 and even on a single solar rotation. Voyager 1 and 2 magnetic field observations of crossing of the heliospheric current sheet at distances from the Sun of 1.4 and 2.8 AU. Two cases are considered, one in which the corresponding coronameter data indicate a nearly vertical (north-south) current sheet and another in which a nearly horizontal, near equatorial current sheet is indicated. For the crossings of the vertical current sheet, a variance analysis based on hour averages of the magnetic field data gave a minimum variance direction consistent with a steep inclination. The horizontal current sheet was observed by Voyager as a region of mixed polarity and low speeds lasting several days, consistent with multiple crossings of a horizontal but irregular and fluctuating current sheet at 1.4 AU. However, variance analysis of individual current sheet crossings in this interval using 1.92 see averages did not give minimum variance directions consistent with a horizontal current sheet.

Analysis of Imp-C data from the magnetospheric tail

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Speiser, T. W.

1973-01-01

Satellite magnetic field measurements in the geomagnetic tail current sheet are analyzed to determine the normal field component, and other CS parameters such as thickness, motion, vector current density, etc., and to make correlations with auroral activity as measured by the A sub e index. The satellite data used in the initial part of this study were from Explorer 28 and Explorer 34 satellites.

Towards a complete conceptual model of substorm onsets and expansions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, Gary M.; Burke, William J.; Heinemann, Michael; Samson, John C.; Maynard, Nelson C.

1996-01-01

Observational results from the CRRES satellite near times of substorm onsets support the theoretical premise that substorms initiate near the inner edge of the plasma sheet. The region is connected latitudinally to the equatorward-most pre-breakup arc. During the growth phase, the inner edge of the plasma sheet moves towards the earth. This motion is modulated by various cavity oscillations of the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupled magnetosphere. This modulation can locally reverse the background convection electric field. The reversed convection taps energy stored in the inner-edge region of the plasma sheet. The near earth plasma sheet moves out of equilibrium with the lobes, and a rarefaction is launched tailward. This allows current driven dissipation to grow and a near-earth X-line to form. A model is presented which explains the observations of the CRRES satellite, and can account for the behavior associated with auroral intensification and substorm onset.

Development of tearing instability in a current sheet forming by sheared incompressible flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tolman, Elizabeth A.; Loureiro, Nuno F.; Uzdensky, Dmitri A.

2018-02-01

Sweet-Parker current sheets in high Lundquist number plasmas are unstable to tearing, suggesting they will not form in physical systems. Understanding magnetic reconnection thus requires study of the stability of a current sheet as it forms. Formation can occur due to sheared, sub-Alfvénic incompressible flows which narrow the sheet. Standard tearing theory (Furth et al. Phys. Fluids, vol. 6 (4), 1963, pp. 459-484, Rutherford, Phys. Fluids, vol. 16 (11), 1973, pp. 1903-1908, Coppi et al. Fizika Plazmy, vol. 2, 1976, pp. 961-966) is not immediately applicable to such forming sheets for two reasons: first, because the flow introduces terms not present in the standard calculation; second, because the changing equilibrium introduces time dependence to terms which are constant in the standard calculation, complicating the formulation of an eigenvalue problem. This paper adapts standard tearing mode analysis to confront these challenges. In an initial phase when any perturbations are primarily governed by ideal magnetohydrodynamics, a coordinate transformation reveals that the flow compresses and stretches perturbations. A multiple scale formulation describes how linear tearing mode theory (Furth et al. Phys. Fluids, vol. 6 (4), 1963, pp. 459-484, Coppi et al. Fizika Plazmy, vol. 2, 1976, pp. 961-966) can be applied to an equilibrium changing under flow, showing that the flow affects the separable exponential growth only implicitly, by making the standard scalings time dependent. In the nonlinear Rutherford stage, the coordinate transformation shows that standard theory can be adapted by adding to the stationary rates time dependence and an additional term due to the strengthening equilibrium magnetic field. Overall, this understanding supports the use of flow-free scalings with slight modifications to study tearing in a forming sheet.

Poker flat radar observations of the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling electrodynamics of the earthward penetrating plasma sheet following convection enhancements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyons, L. R.; Zou, S.; Heinselman, C. J.; Nicolls, M. J.; Anderson, P. C.

2009-05-01

The plasma sheet moves earthward (equatorward in the ionosphere) after enhancements in convection, and the electrodynamics of this response is strongly influenced by Region 2 magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. We have used Poker Flat Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) observations associated with two relatively abrupt southward turnings of the IMF to provide an initial evaluation of aspects of this response. The observations show that strong westward sub-auroral polarization streams (SAPS) flow regions moved equatorward as the plasma sheet electron precipitation (the diffuse aurora) penetrated equatorward following the IMF southward turnings. Consistent with our identification of these flows as SAPS, concurrent DMSP particle precipitation measurements show the equatorial boundary of ion precipitation equatorward of the electron precipitation boundary and that westward flows lie within the low-conductivity region between the two boundaries where the plasma sheet ion pressure gradient is expected to drive downward R2 currents. Evidence for these downward currents is seen in the DMSP magnetometer observations. Preliminary examination indicates that the SAPS response seen in the examples presented here may be common. However, detailed analysis will be required for many more events to reliably determine if this is the case. If so, it would imply that SAPS are frequently an important aspect of the inner magnetospheric electric field distribution, and that they are critical for understanding the response of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system to enhancements in convection, including understanding the earthward penetration of the plasma sheet. This earthward penetration is critical to geomagnetic disturbance phenomena such as the substorm growth phase and the formation of the stormtime ring current. Additionally, for one example, a prompt electric field response to the IMF southward turnings is seen within the inner plasma sheet.

Electrostatic ``bounce'' instability in a magnetotail configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fruit, G.; Louarn, P.; Tur, A.

2013-02-01

To understand the possible destabilization of two-dimensional current sheets, a kinetic model is proposed to describe the resonant interaction between electrostatic modes and trapped particles that bounce within the sheet. This work follows the initial investigation by Tur et al. [Phys. Plasmas 17, 102905 (2010)] that is revised and extended. Using a quasi-parabolic equilibrium state, the linearized gyro-kinetic Vlasov equation is solved for electrostatic fluctuations with period of the order of the electron bounce period. Using an appropriated Fourier expansion of the particle motion along the magnetic field, the complete time integration of the non-local perturbed distribution functions is performed. The dispersion relation for electrostatic modes is then obtained through the quasineutrality condition. It is found that strongly unstable electrostatic modes may develop provided that the current sheet is moderately stretched and, more important, that the proportion of passing particle remains small (less than typically 10%). This strong but finely tuned instability may offer opportunities to explain features of magnetospheric substorms.

Getting the current out

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burger, D. R.

1983-11-01

Progress of a photovoltaic (PV) device from a research concept to a competitive power-generation source requires an increasing concern with current collection. The initial metallization focus is usually on contact resistance, since a good ohmic contact is desirable for accurate device characterization measurements. As the device grows in size, sheet resistance losses become important and a metal grid is usually added to reduce the effective sheet resistance. Later, as size and conversion efficiency continue to increase, grid-line resistance and cell shadowing must be considered simultaneously, because grid-line resistance is inversely related to total grid-line area and cell shadowing is directly related. A PV cell grid design must consider the five power-loss phenomena mentioned above: sheet resistance, contact resistance, grid resistance, bus-bar resistance and cell shadowing. Although cost, reliability and usage are important factors in deciding upon the best metallization system, this paper will focus only upon grid-line design and substrate material problems for flat-plate solar arrays.

78 FR 79400 - Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet, and Strip From the People's Republic of China: Initiation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-30

... Film, Sheet, and Strip From the People's Republic of China: Initiation of Antidumping Duty New Shipper... order on polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet, and strip (``PET film'') from the People's Republic of... order on polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet, and strip from the PRC was published on November 10...

Effect of Temperature and Sheet Temper on Isothermal Solidification Kinetics in Clad Aluminum Brazing Sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benoit, Michael J.; Whitney, Mark A.; Wells, Mary A.; Winkler, Sooky

2016-09-01

Isothermal solidification (IS) is a phenomenon observed in clad aluminum brazing sheets, wherein the amount of liquid clad metal is reduced by penetration of the liquid clad into the core. The objective of the current investigation is to quantify the rate of IS through the use of a previously derived parameter, the Interface Rate Constant (IRC). The effect of peak temperature and initial sheet temper on IS kinetics were investigated. The results demonstrated that IS is due to the diffusion of silicon (Si) from the liquid clad layer into the solid core. Reduced amounts of liquid clad at long liquid duration times, a roughened sheet surface, and differences in resolidified clad layer morphology between sheet tempers were observed. Increased IS kinetics were predicted at higher temperatures by an IRC model as well as by experimentally determined IRC values; however, the magnitudes of these values are not in good agreement due to deficiencies in the model when applied to alloys. IS kinetics were found to be higher for sheets in the fully annealed condition when compared with work-hardened sheets, due to the influence of core grain boundaries providing high diffusivity pathways for Si diffusion, resulting in more rapid liquid clad penetration.

Multiscale Currents Observed by MMS in the Flow Braking Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, Rumi; Varsani, Ali; Genestreti, Kevin J.; Le Contel, Olivier; Nakamura, Takuma; Baumjohann, Wolfgang; Nagai, Tsugunobu; Artemyev, Anton; Birn, Joachim; Sergeev, Victor A.; Apatenkov, Sergey; Ergun, Robert E.; Fuselier, Stephen A.; Gershman, Daniel J.; Giles, Barbara J.; Khotyaintsev, Yuri V.; Lindqvist, Per-Arne; Magnes, Werner; Mauk, Barry; Petrukovich, Anatoli; Russell, Christopher T.; Stawarz, Julia; Strangeway, Robert J.; Anderson, Brian; Burch, James L.; Bromund, Ken R.; Cohen, Ian; Fischer, David; Jaynes, Allison; Kepko, Laurence; Le, Guan; Plaschke, Ferdinand; Reeves, Geoff; Singer, Howard J.; Slavin, James A.; Torbert, Roy B.; Turner, Drew L.

2018-02-01

We present characteristics of current layers in the off-equatorial near-Earth plasma sheet boundary observed with high time-resolution measurements from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission during an intense substorm associated with multiple dipolarizations. The four Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft, separated by distances of about 50 km, were located in the southern hemisphere in the dusk portion of a substorm current wedge. They observed fast flow disturbances (up to about 500 km/s), most intense in the dawn-dusk direction. Field-aligned currents were observed initially within the expanding plasma sheet, where the flow and field disturbances showed the distinct pattern expected in the braking region of localized flows. Subsequently, intense thin field-aligned current layers were detected at the inner boundary of equatorward moving flux tubes together with Earthward streaming hot ions. Intense Hall current layers were found adjacent to the field-aligned currents. In particular, we found a Hall current structure in the vicinity of the Earthward streaming ion jet that consisted of mixed ion components, that is, hot unmagnetized ions, cold E × B drifting ions, and magnetized electrons. Our observations show that both the near-Earth plasma jet diversion and the thin Hall current layers formed around the reconnection jet boundary are the sites where diversion of the perpendicular currents take place that contribute to the observed field-aligned current pattern as predicted by simulations of reconnection jets. Hence, multiscale structure of flow braking is preserved in the field-aligned currents in the off-equatorial plasma sheet and is also translated to ionosphere to become a part of the substorm field-aligned current system.

Design and results of the ice sheet model initialisation experiments initMIP-Greenland: an ISMIP6 intercomparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goelzer, Heiko; Nowicki, Sophie; Edwards, Tamsin; Beckley, Matthew; Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Aschwanden, Andy; Calov, Reinhard; Gagliardini, Olivier; Gillet-Chaulet, Fabien; Golledge, Nicholas R.; Gregory, Jonathan; Greve, Ralf; Humbert, Angelika; Huybrechts, Philippe; Kennedy, Joseph H.; Larour, Eric; Lipscomb, William H.; Le clec'h, Sébastien; Lee, Victoria; Morlighem, Mathieu; Pattyn, Frank; Payne, Antony J.; Rodehacke, Christian; Rückamp, Martin; Saito, Fuyuki; Schlegel, Nicole; Seroussi, Helene; Shepherd, Andrew; Sun, Sainan; van de Wal, Roderik; Ziemen, Florian A.

2018-04-01

Earlier large-scale Greenland ice sheet sea-level projections (e.g. those run during the ice2sea and SeaRISE initiatives) have shown that ice sheet initial conditions have a large effect on the projections and give rise to important uncertainties. The goal of this initMIP-Greenland intercomparison exercise is to compare, evaluate, and improve the initialisation techniques used in the ice sheet modelling community and to estimate the associated uncertainties in modelled mass changes. initMIP-Greenland is the first in a series of ice sheet model intercomparison activities within ISMIP6 (the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6), which is the primary activity within the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) focusing on the ice sheets. Two experiments for the large-scale Greenland ice sheet have been designed to allow intercomparison between participating models of (1) the initial present-day state of the ice sheet and (2) the response in two idealised forward experiments. The forward experiments serve to evaluate the initialisation in terms of model drift (forward run without additional forcing) and in response to a large perturbation (prescribed surface mass balance anomaly); they should not be interpreted as sea-level projections. We present and discuss results that highlight the diversity of data sets, boundary conditions, and initialisation techniques used in the community to generate initial states of the Greenland ice sheet. We find good agreement across the ensemble for the dynamic response to surface mass balance changes in areas where the simulated ice sheets overlap but differences arising from the initial size of the ice sheet. The model drift in the control experiment is reduced for models that participated in earlier intercomparison exercises.

Design and results of the ice sheet model initialisation experiments initMIP-Greenland: an ISMIP6 intercomparison

DOE PAGES

Goelzer, Heiko; Nowicki, Sophie; Edwards, Tamsin; ...

2018-04-19

Earlier large-scale Greenland ice sheet sea-level projections (e.g. those run during the ice2sea and SeaRISE initiatives) have shown that ice sheet initial conditions have a large effect on the projections and give rise to important uncertainties. Here, the goal of this initMIP-Greenland intercomparison exercise is to compare, evaluate, and improve the initialisation techniques used in the ice sheet modelling community and to estimate the associated uncertainties in modelled mass changes. initMIP-Greenland is the first in a series of ice sheet model intercomparison activities within ISMIP6 (the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6), which is the primary activity within themore » Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) focusing on the ice sheets. Two experiments for the large-scale Greenland ice sheet have been designed to allow intercomparison between participating models of (1) the initial present-day state of the ice sheet and (2) the response in two idealised forward experiments. The forward experiments serve to evaluate the initialisation in terms of model drift (forward run without additional forcing) and in response to a large perturbation (prescribed surface mass balance anomaly); they should not be interpreted as sea-level projections. We present and discuss results that highlight the diversity of data sets, boundary conditions, and initialisation techniques used in the community to generate initial states of the Greenland ice sheet. We find good agreement across the ensemble for the dynamic response to surface mass balance changes in areas where the simulated ice sheets overlap but differences arising from the initial size of the ice sheet. The model drift in the control experiment is reduced for models that participated in earlier intercomparison exercises.« less

Design and results of the ice sheet model initialisation experiments initMIP-Greenland: an ISMIP6 intercomparison

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goelzer, Heiko; Nowicki, Sophie; Edwards, Tamsin

Earlier large-scale Greenland ice sheet sea-level projections (e.g. those run during the ice2sea and SeaRISE initiatives) have shown that ice sheet initial conditions have a large effect on the projections and give rise to important uncertainties. Here, the goal of this initMIP-Greenland intercomparison exercise is to compare, evaluate, and improve the initialisation techniques used in the ice sheet modelling community and to estimate the associated uncertainties in modelled mass changes. initMIP-Greenland is the first in a series of ice sheet model intercomparison activities within ISMIP6 (the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6), which is the primary activity within themore » Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) focusing on the ice sheets. Two experiments for the large-scale Greenland ice sheet have been designed to allow intercomparison between participating models of (1) the initial present-day state of the ice sheet and (2) the response in two idealised forward experiments. The forward experiments serve to evaluate the initialisation in terms of model drift (forward run without additional forcing) and in response to a large perturbation (prescribed surface mass balance anomaly); they should not be interpreted as sea-level projections. We present and discuss results that highlight the diversity of data sets, boundary conditions, and initialisation techniques used in the community to generate initial states of the Greenland ice sheet. We find good agreement across the ensemble for the dynamic response to surface mass balance changes in areas where the simulated ice sheets overlap but differences arising from the initial size of the ice sheet. The model drift in the control experiment is reduced for models that participated in earlier intercomparison exercises.« less

Ohm's law for a current sheet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyons, L. R.; Speiser, T. W.

1985-01-01

The paper derives an Ohm's law for single-particle motion in a current sheet, where the magnetic field reverses in direction across the sheet. The result is considerably different from the resistive Ohm's law often used in MHD studies of the geomagnetic tail. Single-particle analysis is extended to obtain a self-consistency relation for a current sheet which agrees with previous results. The results are applicable to the concept of reconnection in that the electric field parallel to the current is obtained for a one-dimensional current sheet with constant normal magnetic field. Dissipated energy goes directly into accelerating particles within the current sheet.

Equatorward moving arcs and substorm onset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haerendel, Gerhard

2010-07-01

Key observations of phenomena during the growth phase of a substorm are being reviewed with particular attention to the equatorward motion of the hydrogen and electron arcs. The dynamic role of the electron, the so-called growth phase arc, is analyzed. It is part of a current system of type II that is instrumental in changing the dominantly equatorward convection from the polar cap into a sunward convection along the auroral oval. A quantitative model of the arc and associated current system allows determining the energy required for the flow change. It is suggested that high-β plasma outflow from the central current sheet of the tail creates the current generator. Assessment of the energy supplied in this process proves its sufficiency for driving the arc system. The equatorward motion of the arcs is interpreted as a manifestation of the shrinkage of the near-Earth transition region (NETR) between the dipolar magnetosphere and the highly stretched tail. This shrinkage is caused by returning magnetic flux to the dayside magnetosphere as partial replacement of the flux eroded by frontside reconnection. As the erosion of the NETR is proceeding, more and more magnetic flux is demanded from the central current sheet of the near-Earth tail until highly accelerated plasma outflow causes the current sheet to collapse. Propagation of the collapse along the tail triggers reconnection and initiates the substorm.

Effect of Time Dependent Bending of Current Sheets in Response to Generation of Plasma Jets and Reverse Currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, Anna

Magnetic reconnection is a basis for many impulsive phenomena in space and laboratory plasmas accompanied by effective transformation of magnetic energy. Reconnection processes usually occur in relatively thin current sheets (CSs), which separate magnetic fields of different or opposite directions. We report on recent observations of time dependent bending of CSs, which results from plasma dynamics inside the sheet. The experiments are carried out with the CS-3D laboratory device (Institute of General Physics RAS, Moscow) [1]. The CS magnetic structure with an X line provides excitation of the Hall currents and plasma acceleration from the X line to both side edges [2]. In the presence of the guide field By the Hall currents give rise to bending of the sheet: the peripheral regions located away from the X line are deflected from CS middle plane (z=0) in the opposite directions ±z [3]. We have revealed generation of reverse currents jy near the CS edges, i.e. the currents flowing in the opposite direction to the main current in the sheet [4]. There are strong grounds to believe that reverse currents are generated by the outflow plasma jets [5], accelerated inside the sheet and penetrated into the regions with strong normal magnetic field component Bz [4]. An impressive effect of sudden change in the sign of the CS bend has been disclosed recently, when analyzing distributions of plasma density [6] and current away from the X line, in the presence of the guide field By. The CS configuration suddenly becomes opposite from that observed at the initial stage, and this effect correlates well with generation of reverse currents. Consequently this effect can be related to excitation of the reverse Hall currents owing to generation of reverse currents jy in the CS. Hence it may be concluded that CSs may exhibit time dependent vertical z-displacements, and the sheet geometry depends on excitation of the Hall currents, acceleration of plasma jets and generation of reverse currents. The work was supported in part by the Program (OFN-15) “Plasma Processes in Space and Laboratory” of the Division of Physical Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 1. Frank A.G., Bogdanov S.Yu., Markov V.S. et al. // Phys. Plasmas 2005. 12, 052316(1-11). 2. Frank A.G., Bugrov S.G., Markov V.S. // Phys. Plasmas 2008. 15, 092102 (1-10). 3. Frank A.G., Bogdanov S.Yu., Dreiden G.V. et al. // Phys. Lett. A 2006. 348, 318-325. 4. Frank A.G., Kyrie N.P., Satunin S.N. // Phys. Plasmas 2011. 18, 111209 (1-9). 5. Kyrie N.P., Markov V.S., Frank A.G. // Plasma Phys. Reports 2010. 36, 357-364; JETP Lett. 2012. 95, 14-19. 6. Ostrovskaya G.V., Frank A.G. // Plasma Phys. Reports 2014. 40, 21-33.

Explosive Magnetic Reconnection in Double-current Sheet Systems: Ideal versus Resistive Tearing Mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baty, Hubert

2017-03-01

Magnetic reconnection associated with the tearing instability occurring in double-current sheet systems is investigated within the framework of resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) in a two-dimensional Cartesian geometry. A special emphasis on the existence of fast and explosive phases is taken. First, we extend the recent theory on the ideal tearing mode of a single-current sheet to a double-current layer configuration. A linear stability analysis shows that, in long and thin systems with (length to shear layer thickness) aspect ratios scaling as {S}L9/29 (S L being the Lundquist number based on the length scale L), tearing modes can develop on a fast Alfvénic timescale in the asymptotic limit {S}L\\to ∞ . The linear results are confirmed by means of compressible resistive MHD simulations at relatively high S L values (up to 3× {10}6) for different current sheet separations. Moreover, the nonlinear evolution of the ideal double tearing mode (IDTM) exhibits a richer dynamical behavior than its single-tearing counterpart, as a nonlinear explosive growth violently ends up with a disruption when the two current layers interact trough the merging of plasmoids. The final outcome of the system is a relaxation toward a new state, free of magnetic field reversal. The IDTM dynamics is also compared to the resistive double tearing mode dynamics, which develops in similar systems with smaller aspect ratios, ≳ 2π , and exhibits an explosive secondary reconnection, following an initial slow resistive growth phase. Finally, our results are used to discuss the flaring activity in astrophysical magnetically dominated plasmas, with a particular emphasis on pulsar systems.

Formation of Sprays From Conical Liquid Sheets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peck, Bill; Mansour, N. N.; Koga, Dennis (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

Our objective is to predict droplet size distributions created by fuel injector nozzles in Jet turbines. These results will be used to determine the initial conditions for numerical simulations of the combustion process in gas turbine combustors. To predict the droplet size distribution, we are currently constructing a numerical model to understand the instability and breakup of thin conical liquid sheets. This geometry serves as a simplified model of the liquid jet emerging from a real nozzle. The physics of this process is difficult to study experimentally as the time and length scales are very short. From existing photographic data, it does seem clear that three-dimensional effects such as the formation of streamwise ligaments and the pulling back of the sheet at its edges under the action of surface tension are important.

Wave-induced drift of large floating sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen, K. H.; Weber, J. E.

In this article we study the wave-induced drift of large, flexible shallow floating objects, referred to as sheets. When surface waves propagate through a sheet, they provide a mean stress on the sheet, resulting in a mean drift. In response, the sheet generates an Ekman current. The drift velocity of the sheet is determined by (i) the wave-induced stress, (ii) the viscous stress due to the Ekman current, and (iii) the Coriolis force. The sheet velocity and the current beneath the sheet are determined for constant and depth-varying eddy viscosities.

Electron acceleration by magnetic islands in a dynamically evolved coronal current sheet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Shaohua, E-mail: shzhang@mail.iggcas.ac.cn; Wang, Bin; Meng, Lifei

2016-03-25

This work simulated the electron acceleration by magnetic islands in a drastically evolved solar coronal current sheet via the combined 2.5-dimensional (2.5D) resistive Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and guiding-center approximation test-particle methods. With high magnetic Reynolds number of 105, the long–thin current sheet is evolved into a chain of magnetic islands, growing in size and coalescing with each other, due to tearing instability. The acceleration of electrons is studied in one typical phase when several large magnetic islands are formed. The results show that the electrons with an initial Maxwell distribution evolve into a heavy-tailed distribution and more than 20% of themore » electrons can be accelerated higher than 200 keV within 0.1 second and some of them can even be energized up to MeV ranges. The most energetic electrons have a tendency to be around the outer regions of the magnetic islands or to be located in the small secondary magnetic islands. We find that the acceleration and spatial distributions of the energetic electrons is caused by the trapping effect of the magnetic islands and the distributions of the parallel electric field E{sub p}.« less

Double Current Sheet Instabilities and the Transition to Turbulence.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pucci, F.; Velli, M.; Biferale, L.; Sahoo, G.

2016-12-01

The double tearing instability has often been studied as a proxy for the m=1 kink mode in cylindrical plasma. In this paper we describe the results of 3D simulations of an initially periodic double current sheet described by Harris equilibria with a guide field in two cases: 1) zero net helicity and an average magnetic field and 2) a well defined helicity (force free but non constant alpha). We study and contrast the de-stabilization and transition to turbulence for these two cases: we describe spectra, cascades, and possible application to heliospheric phenomena, in particular CME evolution and relaxation. The research leading to these results has received fund- ing from the European Union's Seventh Framework Pro- gramme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement No. 339032

Time Evolution of the Macroscopic Characteristics of a Thin Current Sheet in the Course of Its Formation in the Earth's Magnetotail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domrin, V. I.; Malova, H. V.; Popov, V. Yu.

2018-04-01

A numerical model is developed that allows tracing the time evolution of a current sheet from a relatively thick current configuration with isotropic distributions of the pressure and temperature in an extremely thin current sheet, which plays a key role in geomagnetic processes. Such a configuration is observed in the Earth's magnetotail in the stage preceding a large-scale geomagnetic disturbance (substorm). Thin current sheets are reservoirs of the free energy released during geomagnetic disturbances. The time evolution of the components of the pressure tensor caused by changes in the structure of the current sheet is investigated. It is shown that the pressure tensor in the current sheet evolves in two stages. In the first stage, a current sheet with a thickness of eight to ten proton Larmor radii forms. This stage is characterized by the plasma drift toward the current sheet and the Earth and can be described in terms of the Chu-Goldberger-Low approximation. In the second stage, an extremely thin current sheet with an anisotropic plasma pressure tensor forms, due to which the system is maintained in an equilibrium state. Estimates of the characteristic time of the system evolution agree with available experimental data.

ISMIP6 - initMIP: Greenland ice sheet model initialisation experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goelzer, Heiko; Nowicki, Sophie; Payne, Tony; Larour, Eric; Abe Ouchi, Ayako; Gregory, Jonathan; Lipscomb, William; Seroussi, Helene; Shepherd, Andrew; Edwards, Tamsin

2016-04-01

Earlier large-scale Greenland ice sheet sea-level projections e.g. those run during ice2sea and SeaRISE initiatives have shown that ice sheet initialisation can have a large effect on the projections and gives rise to important uncertainties. This intercomparison exercise (initMIP) aims at comparing, evaluating and improving the initialization techniques used in the ice sheet modeling community and to estimate the associated uncertainties. It is the first in a series of ice sheet model intercomparison activities within ISMIP6 (Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6). The experiments are conceived for the large-scale Greenland ice sheet and are designed to allow intercomparison between participating models of 1) the initial present-day state of the ice sheet and 2) the response in two schematic forward experiments. The latter experiments serve to evaluate the initialisation in terms of model drift (forward run without any forcing) and response to a large perturbation (prescribed surface mass balance anomaly). We present and discuss first results of the intercomparison and highlight important uncertainties with respect to projections of the Greenland ice sheet sea-level contribution.

Current status of liquid sheet radiator research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chubb, Donald L.; Calfo, Frederick D.; Mcmaster, Matthew S.

1993-01-01

Initial research on the external flow, low mass liquid sheet radiator (LSR), has been concentrated on understanding its fluid mechanics. The surface tension forces acting at the edges of the sheet produce a triangular planform for the radiating surface of width, W, and length, L. It has been experimentally verified that (exp L)/W agrees with the theoretical result, L/W = (We/8)exp 1/2, where We is the Weber number. Instability can cause holes to form in regions of large curvature such as where the edge cylinders join the sheet of thickness, tau. The W/tau limit that will cause hole formation with subsequent destruction of the sheet has yet to be reached experimentally. Although experimental measurements of sheet emissivity have not yet been performed because of limited program scope, calculations of the emissivity and sheet lifetime is determined by evaporation losses were made for two silicon based oils; Dow Corning 705 and Me(sub 2). Emissivities greater than 0.75 are calculated for tau greater than or equal to 200 microns for both oils. Lifetimes for Me(sub 2) are much longer than lifetimes for 705. Therefore, Me(sub 2) is the more attractive working fluid for higher temperatures (T greater than or equal to 400 K).

Space Technology 5 Multi-point Measurements of Near-Earth Magnetic Fields: Initial Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slavin, James A.; Le, G.; Strangeway, R. L.; Wang, Y.; Boardsen, S.A.; Moldwin, M. B.; Spence, H. E.

2007-01-01

The Space Technology 5 (ST-5) mission successfully placed three micro-satellites in a 300 x 4500 km dawn-dusk orbit on 22 March 2006. Each spacecraft carried a boom-mounted vector fluxgate magnetometer that returned highly sensitive and accurate measurements of the geomagnetic field. These data allow, for the first time, the separation of temporal and spatial variations in field-aligned current (FAC) perturbations measured in low-Earth orbit on time scales of approximately 10 sec to 10 min. The constellation measurements are used to directly determine field-aligned current sheet motion, thickness and current density. In doing so, we demonstrate two multi-point methods for the inference of FAC current density that have not previously been possible in low-Earth orbit; 1) the "standard method," based upon s/c velocity, but corrected for FAC current sheet motion, and 2) the "gradiometer method" which uses simultaneous magnetic field measurements at two points with known separation. Future studies will apply these methods to the entire ST-5 data set and expand to include geomagnetic field gradient analyses as well as field-aligned and ionospheric currents.

Multiscale Currents Observed by MMS in the Flow Braking Region.

PubMed

Nakamura, Rumi; Varsani, Ali; Genestreti, Kevin J; Le Contel, Olivier; Nakamura, Takuma; Baumjohann, Wolfgang; Nagai, Tsugunobu; Artemyev, Anton; Birn, Joachim; Sergeev, Victor A; Apatenkov, Sergey; Ergun, Robert E; Fuselier, Stephen A; Gershman, Daniel J; Giles, Barbara J; Khotyaintsev, Yuri V; Lindqvist, Per-Arne; Magnes, Werner; Mauk, Barry; Petrukovich, Anatoli; Russell, Christopher T; Stawarz, Julia; Strangeway, Robert J; Anderson, Brian; Burch, James L; Bromund, Ken R; Cohen, Ian; Fischer, David; Jaynes, Allison; Kepko, Laurence; Le, Guan; Plaschke, Ferdinand; Reeves, Geoff; Singer, Howard J; Slavin, James A; Torbert, Roy B; Turner, Drew L

2018-02-01

We present characteristics of current layers in the off-equatorial near-Earth plasma sheet boundary observed with high time-resolution measurements from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission during an intense substorm associated with multiple dipolarizations. The four Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft, separated by distances of about 50 km, were located in the southern hemisphere in the dusk portion of a substorm current wedge. They observed fast flow disturbances (up to about 500 km/s), most intense in the dawn-dusk direction. Field-aligned currents were observed initially within the expanding plasma sheet, where the flow and field disturbances showed the distinct pattern expected in the braking region of localized flows. Subsequently, intense thin field-aligned current layers were detected at the inner boundary of equatorward moving flux tubes together with Earthward streaming hot ions. Intense Hall current layers were found adjacent to the field-aligned currents. In particular, we found a Hall current structure in the vicinity of the Earthward streaming ion jet that consisted of mixed ion components, that is, hot unmagnetized ions, cold E × B drifting ions, and magnetized electrons. Our observations show that both the near-Earth plasma jet diversion and the thin Hall current layers formed around the reconnection jet boundary are the sites where diversion of the perpendicular currents take place that contribute to the observed field-aligned current pattern as predicted by simulations of reconnection jets. Hence, multiscale structure of flow braking is preserved in the field-aligned currents in the off-equatorial plasma sheet and is also translated to ionosphere to become a part of the substorm field-aligned current system.

Conservation in a World of Six Billion: A Grassroots Action Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hren, Benedict J.

This grassroots action guide features a conservation initiative working to bring the impacts of human population growth, economic development, and natural resource consumption into balance with the limits of nature for the benefit of current and future generations. Contents include information sheets entitled "Six Billion People and Growing,""The…

The Gamburtsev mountains and the origin and early evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.

PubMed

Bo, Sun; Siegert, Martin J; Mudd, Simon M; Sugden, David; Fujita, Shuji; Xiangbin, Cui; Yunyun, Jiang; Xueyuan, Tang; Yuansheng, Li

2009-06-04

Ice-sheet development in Antarctica was a result of significant and rapid global climate change about 34 million years ago. Ice-sheet and climate modelling suggest reductions in atmospheric carbon dioxide (less than three times the pre-industrial level of 280 parts per million by volume) that, in conjunction with the development of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, led to cooling and glaciation paced by changes in Earth's orbit. Based on the present subglacial topography, numerical models point to ice-sheet genesis on mountain massifs of Antarctica, including the Gamburtsev mountains at Dome A, the centre of the present ice sheet. Our lack of knowledge of the present-day topography of the Gamburtsev mountains means, however, that the nature of early glaciation and subsequent development of a continental-sized ice sheet are uncertain. Here we present radar information about the base of the ice at Dome A, revealing classic Alpine topography with pre-existing river valleys overdeepened by valley glaciers formed when the mean summer surface temperature was around 3 degrees C. This landscape is likely to have developed during the initial phases of Antarctic glaciation. According to Antarctic climate history (estimated from offshore sediment records) the Gamburtsev mountains are probably older than 34 million years and were the main centre for ice-sheet growth. Moreover, the landscape has most probably been preserved beneath the present ice sheet for around 14 million years.

THEMIS two‐point measurements of the cross‐tail current density: A thick bifurcated current sheet in the near‐Earth plasma sheet

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Abstract The basic properties of the near‐Earth current sheet from 8 RE to 12 RE were determined based on Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) observations from 2007 to 2013. Ampere's law was used to estimate the current density when the locations of two spacecraft were suitable for the calculation. A total of 3838 current density observations were obtained to study the vertical profile. For typical solar wind conditions, the current density near (off) the central plane of the current sheet ranged from 1 to 2 nA/m2 (1 to 8 nA/m2). All the high current densities appeared off the central plane of the current sheet, indicating the formation of a bifurcated current sheet structure when the current density increased above 2 nA/m2. The median profile also showed a bifurcated structure, in which the half thickness was about 3 RE. The distance between the peak of the current density and the central plane of the current sheet was 0.5 to 1 RE. High current densities above 4 nA/m2 were observed in some cases that occurred preferentially during substorms, but they also occurred in quiet times. In contrast to the commonly accepted picture, these high current densities can form without a high solar wind dynamic pressure. In addition, these high current densities can appear in two magnetic configurations: tail‐like and dipolar structures. At least two mechanisms, magnetic flux depletion and new current system formation during the expansion phase, other than plasma sheet compression are responsible for the formation of the bifurcated current sheets. PMID:27722039

Ring current dynamics and plasma sheet sources. [magnetic storms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyons, L. R.

1984-01-01

The source of the energized plasma that forms in geomagnetic storm ring currents, and ring current decay are discussed. The dominant loss processes for ring current ions are identified as charge exchange and resonant interactions with ion-cyclotron waves. Ring current ions are not dominated by protons. At L4 and energies below a few tens of keV, O+ is the most abundant ion, He+ is second, and protons are third. The plasma sheet contributes directly or indirectly to the ring current particle population. An important source of plasma sheet ions is earthward streaming ions on the outer boundary of the plasma sheet. Ion interactions with the current across the geomagnetic tail can account for the formation of this boundary layer. Electron interactions with the current sheet are possibly an important source of plasma sheet electrons.

Structure and Dynamics of Current Sheets in 3D Magnetic Fields with the X-line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, Anna G.; Bogdanov, S. Yu.; Bugrov, S. G.; Markov, V. S.; Dreiden, G. V.; Ostrovskaya, G. V.

2004-11-01

Experimental results are presented on the structure of current sheets formed in 3D magnetic fields with singular lines of the X-type. Two basic diagnostics were used with the device CS - 3D: two-exposure holographic interferometry and magnetic measurements. Formation of extended current sheets and plasma compression were observed in the presence of the longitudinal magnetic field component aligned with the X-line. Plasma density decreased and the sheet thickness increased with an increase of the longitudinal component. We succeeded to reveal formation of the sheets taking unusual shape, namely tilted and asymmetric sheets, in plasmas with the heavy ions. These current sheets were obviously different from the planar sheets formed in 2D magnetic fields, i.e. without longitudinal component. Analysis of typical plasma parameters made it evident that plasma dynamics and current sheet evolution should be treated on the base of the two-fluid approach. Specifically it is necessary to take into account the Hall currents in the plane perpendicular to the X-line, and the dynamic effects resulting from interaction of the Hall currents and the 3D magnetic field. Supported by RFBR, grant 03-02-17282, and ISTC, project 2098.

ISEE-1 and 2 observations of field-aligned currents in the distant midnight magnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elphic, R. C.; Kelly, T. J.; Russell, C. T.

1985-01-01

Magnetic field measurements obtained in the nightside magnetosphere by the co-orbiting ISEE-1 and 2 spacecraft have been examined for signatures of field-aligned currents (FAC). Such currents are found on the boundary of the plasma sheet both when the plasma sheet is expanding and when it is thinning. Evidence is often found for the existence of waves on the plasma sheet boundary, leading to multiple crossings of the FAC sheet. At times the boundary layer FAC sheet orientation is nearly parallel to the X-Z GSM plane, suggesting 'protrusions' of plasma sheet into the lobes. The boundary layer current polarity is, as expected, into the ionosphere in the midnight to dawn local time sector, and outward near dusk. Current sheet thicknesses and velocities are essentially independent of plasma sheet expansion or thinning, having typical values of 1500 km and 20-40 km/s respectively. Characteristic boundary layer current densities are about 10 nanoamps per square meter.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Erkaev, N. V.; Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk; Semenov, V. S.

A new kind of magnetohydrodynamic instability and waves are analyzed for a current sheet in the presence of a small normal magnetic field component varying along the sheet. These waves and instability are related to the existence of two gradients of the tangential (B{sub {tau}}) and normal (B{sub n}) magnetic field components along the normal ({nabla}{sub n}B{sub {tau}}) and tangential ({nabla}{sub {tau}}B{sub n}) directions with respect to the current sheet. The current sheet can be stable or unstable if the multiplication of two magnetic gradients is positive or negative. In the stable region, the kinklike wave mode is interpreted asmore » so-called flapping waves observed in Earth's magnetotail current sheet. The kink wave group velocity estimated for the Earth's current sheet is of the order of a few tens of kilometers per second. This is in good agreement with the observations of the flapping motions of the magnetotail current sheet.« less

A Description of Local Time Asymmetries in the Kronian Current Sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nickerson, J. S.; Hansen, K. C.; Gombosi, T. I.

2012-12-01

Cassini observations imply that Saturn's magnetospheric current sheet is displaced northward above the rotational equator [C.S. Arridge et al., Warping of Saturn's magnetospheric and magnetotail current sheets, Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 113, August 2008]. Arridge et al. show that this hinging of the current sheet above the equator occurs over the noon, midnight, and dawn local time sectors. They present an azimuthally independent model to describe this paraboloid-like geometry. We have used our global MHD model, BATS-R-US/SWMF, to study Saturn's magnetospheric current sheet under various solar wind dynamic pressure and solar zenith angle conditions. We show that under reasonable conditions the current sheet does take on the basic shape of the Arridge model in the noon, midnight, and dawn sectors. However, the hinging distance parameter used in the Arridge model is not a constant and does in fact vary in Saturn local time. We recommend that the Arridge model should be adjusted to account for this azimuthal dependence. Arridge et al. does not discuss the shape of the current sheet in the dusk sector due to an absence of data but does presume that the current sheet will assume the same geometry in this region. On the contrary, our model shows that this is not the case. On the dusk side the current sheet hinges (aggressively) southward and cannot be accounted for by the Arridge model. We will present results from our simulations showing the deviation from axisymmetry and the general behavior of the current sheet under different conditions.

Results of the Greenland ice sheet model initialisation experiments: ISMIP6 - initMIP-Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goelzer, Heiko; Nowicki, Sophie; Edwards, Tamsin; Beckley, Matthew

2017-04-01

Ice sheet model initialisation has a large effect on projected future sea-level contributions and gives rise to important uncertainties. The goal of this intercomparison exercise for the continental-scale Greenland ice sheet is therefore to compare, evaluate and improve the initialisation techniques used in the ice sheet modelling community. The initMIP-Greenland project is the first in a series of ice sheet model intercomparison activities within ISMIP6 (Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6). The experimental set-up has been designed to allow comparison of the initial present-day state of the Greenland ice sheet between participating models and against observations. Furthermore, the initial states are tested with two schematic forward experiments to evaluate the initialisation in terms of model drift (forward run without any forcing) and response to a large perturbation (prescribed surface mass balance anomaly). We present and discuss results that highlight the wide diversity of data sets, boundary conditions and initialisation techniques used in the community to generate initial states of the Greenland ice sheet.

Why S, Not X, Marks the Spot for CME/Flare Eruptions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Ronald L.; Sterling, Alphonse; Gary, Allen; Cirtain, Jonathan; Falconer, David

2010-01-01

For any major CME/flare eruption: I. The field that erupts is an arcade in which the interior is greatly sheared and twisted. Most of the free magnetic energy to be released: a) Is in the shear and twist of the interior field. b) Is Not due to a big current sheet. The eruption is unleashed by reconnection at a growing current sheet. The current sheet is still little when the reconnection turns on. The unleashed eruption then makes the current sheet much bigger by building it up faster than the reconnection can tear it down. II. Most X-ray jets work the opposite way: a) Tapped free energy is in the field of a pre-jet current sheet. b) Current sheet built by small arcade emerging into ambient field. c) Current sheet still much smaller than the arcade when reconnection turns on and tears it down, producing a jet. III. These rules reflect the low-beta condition in the eruptive magnetic field

Results of the Greenland Ice Sheet Model Initialisation Experiments ISMIP6 - initMIP-Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goelzer, H.; Nowicki, S.; Edwards, T.; Beckley, M.; Abe-Ouchi, A.; Aschwanden, A.; Calov, R.; Gagliardini, O.; Gillet-chaulet, F.; Golledge, N. R.; Gregory, J. M.; Greve, R.; Humbert, A.; Huybrechts, P.; Larour, E. Y.; Lipscomb, W. H.; Le ´h, S.; Lee, V.; Kennedy, J. H.; Pattyn, F.; Payne, A. J.; Rodehacke, C. B.; Rückamp, M.; Saito, F.; Schlegel, N.; Seroussi, H. L.; Shepherd, A.; Sun, S.; Vandewal, R.; Ziemen, F. A.

2016-12-01

Earlier large-scale Greenland ice sheet sea-level projections e.g. those run during ice2sea and SeaRISE initiatives have shown that ice sheet initialisation can have a large effect on the projections and gives rise to important uncertainties. The goal of this intercomparison exercise (initMIP-Greenland) is to compare, evaluate and improve the initialization techniques used in the ice sheet modeling community and to estimate the associated uncertainties. It is the first in a series of ice sheet model intercomparison activities within ISMIP6 (Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6). Two experiments for the large-scale Greenland ice sheet have been designed to allow intercomparison between participating models of 1) the initial present-day state of the ice sheet and 2) the response in two schematic forward experiments. The forward experiments serve to evaluate the initialisation in terms of model drift (forward run without any forcing) and response to a large perturbation (prescribed surface mass balance anomaly). We present and discuss final results of the intercomparison and highlight important uncertainties with respect to projections of the Greenland ice sheet sea-level contribution.

Current-induced nonuniform enhancement of sheet resistance in A r+ -irradiated SrTi O3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Debangsu; Frenkel, Yiftach; Davidovitch, Sagi; Persky, Eylon; Haham, Noam; Gabay, Marc; Kalisky, Beena; Klein, Lior

2017-06-01

The sheet resistance Rs of A r+ irradiated SrTi O3 in patterns with a length scale of several microns increases significantly below ˜40 K in connection with driving currents exceeding a certain threshold. The initial lower Rs is recovered upon warming with accelerated recovery around 70 and 160 K. Scanning superconducting quantum interference device microscopy shows local irreversible changes in the spatial distribution of the current with a length scale of several microns. We attribute the observed nonuniform enhancement of Rs to the attraction of the charged single-oxygen and dioxygen vacancies by the crystallographic domain boundaries in SrTi O3 . The boundaries, which are nearly ferroelectric below 40 K, are polarized by the local electrical field associated with the driven current and the clustered vacancies which suppress conductivity in their vicinity and yield a noticeable enhancement in the device resistance when the current path width is on the order of the boundary extension. The temperatures of accelerated conductivity recovery are associated with the energy barriers for the diffusion of the two types of vacancies.

Effects of electron pressure anisotropy on current sheet configuration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Artemyev, A. V., E-mail: aartemyev@igpp.ucla.edu; Angelopoulos, V.; Runov, A.

2016-09-15

Recent spacecraft observations in the Earth's magnetosphere have demonstrated that the magnetotail current sheet can be supported by currents of anisotropic electron population. Strong electron currents are responsible for the formation of very thin (intense) current sheets playing the crucial role in stability of the Earth's magnetotail. We explore the properties of such thin current sheets with hot isotropic ions and cold anisotropic electrons. Decoupling of the motions of ions and electrons results in the generation of a polarization electric field. The distribution of the corresponding scalar potential is derived from the electron pressure balance and the quasi-neutrality condition. Wemore » find that electron pressure anisotropy is partially balanced by a field-aligned component of this polarization electric field. We propose a 2D model that describes a thin current sheet supported by currents of anisotropic electrons embedded in an ion-dominated current sheet. Current density profiles in our model agree well with THEMIS observations in the Earth's magnetotail.« less

Studies of Low Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei with Monte Carlo and Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilburn, Guy Louis

Results from several studies are presented which detail explorations of the physical and spectral properties of low luminosity active galactic nuclei. An initial Sagittarius A* general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulation and Monte Carlo radiation transport model suggests accretion rate changes as the dominant flaring method. A similar study on M87 introduces new methods to the Monte Carlo model for increased consistency in highly energetic sources. Again, accretion rate variation seems most appropriate to explain spectral transients. To more closely resolve the methods of particle energization in active galactic nuclei accretion disks, a series of localized shearing box simulations explores the effect of numerical resolution on the development of current sheets. A particular focus on numerically describing converged current sheet formation will provide new methods for consideration of turbulence in accretion disks.

Current Sheet Formation in a Conical Theta Pinch Faraday Accelerator with Radio-frequency Assisted Discharge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polzin, Kurt A.; Hallock, Ashley K.; Choueiri, Edgar Y.

2008-01-01

Data from an inductive conical theta pinch accelerator are presented to gain insight into the process of inductive current sheet formation in the presence of a preionized background gas produced by a steady-state RF-discharge. The presence of a preionized plasma has been previously shown to allow for current sheet formation at lower discharge voltages and energies than those found in other pulsed inductive accelerator concepts, leading to greater accelerator efficiencies at lower power levels. Time-resolved magnetic probe measurements are obtained for different background pressures and pulse energies to characterize the effects of these parameters on current sheet formation. Indices are defined that describe time-resolved current sheet characteristics, such as the total current owing in the current sheet, the time-integrated total current ('strength'), and current sheet velocity. It is found that for a given electric field strength, maximums in total current, strength, and velocity occur for one particular background pressure. At other pressures, these current sheet indices are considerably smaller. The trends observed in these indices are explained in terms of the principles behind Townsend breakdown that lead to a dependence on the ratio of the electric field to the background pressure. Time-integrated photographic data are also obtained at the same experimental conditions, and qualitatively they compare quite favorably with the time-resolved magnetic field data.

Spine-fan reconnection. The influence of temporal and spatial variation in the driver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyper, P. F.; Jain, R.; Pontin, D. I.

2012-09-01

Context. From observations, the atmosphere of the Sun has been shown to be highly dynamic with perturbations of the magnetic field often lacking temporal or spatial symmetry. Despite this, studies of the spine-fan reconnection mode at 3D nulls have so far focused on the very idealised case with symmetric driving of a fixed spatial extent. Aims: We investigate the spine-fan reconnection process for less idealised cases, focusing on asymmetric driving and drivers with different length scales. We look at the initial current sheet formation and whether the scalings developed in the idealised models are robust in more realistic situations. Methods: The investigation was carried out by numerically solving the resistive compressible 3D magnetohydrodynamic equations in a Cartesian box containing a linear null point. The spine-fan collapse was driven at the null through tangential boundary driving of the spine foot points. Results: We find significant differences in the initial current sheet formation with asymmetric driving. Notable is the displacement of the null point position as a function of driving velocity and resistivity (η). However, the scaling relations developed in the idealised case are found to be robust (albeit at reduced amplitudes) despite this extra complexity. Lastly, the spatial variation is also shown to play an important role in the initial current sheet formation through controlling the displacement of the spine foot points. Conclusions: We conclude that during the early stages of spine-fan reconnection both the temporal and spatial nature of the driving play important roles, with the idealised symmetrically driven case giving a "best case" for the rate of current development and connectivity change. As the most interesting eruptive events occur in relatively short time frames this work clearly shows the need for high temporal and spatial knowledge of the flows for accurate interpretation of the reconnection scenario. Lastly, since the scalings developed in the idealised case remain robust with more complex driving we can be more confident of their use in interpreting reconnection in complex magnetic field structures.

75 FR 10758 - Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet and Strip from India: Initiation of Antidumping Duty and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-09

... Terephthalate Film, Sheet and Strip from India: Initiation of Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty New... of the antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet and Strip (PET Film) from India. The Department determines that these requests are sufficient to...

Effect of Inductive Coil Geometry and Current Sheet Trajectory of a Conical Theta Pinch Pulsed Inductive Plasma Accelerator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hallock, Ashley K.; Polzin, Kurt A.; Bonds, Kevin W.; Emsellem, Gregory D.

2011-01-01

Results are presented demonstrating the e ect of inductive coil geometry and current sheet trajectory on the exhaust velocity of propellant in conical theta pinch pulsed induc- tive plasma accelerators. The electromagnetic coupling between the inductive coil of the accelerator and a plasma current sheet is simulated, substituting a conical copper frustum for the plasma. The variation of system inductance as a function of plasma position is obtained by displacing the simulated current sheet from the coil while measuring the total inductance of the coil. Four coils of differing geometries were employed, and the total inductance of each coil was measured as a function of the axial displacement of two sep- arate copper frusta both having the same cone angle and length as the coil but with one compressed to a smaller size relative to the coil. The measured relationship between total coil inductance and current sheet position closes a dynamical circuit model that is used to calculate the resulting current sheet velocity for various coil and current sheet con gura- tions. The results of this model, which neglects the pinching contribution to thrust, radial propellant con nement, and plume divergence, indicate that in a conical theta pinch ge- ometry current sheet pinching is detrimental to thruster performance, reducing the kinetic energy of the exhausting propellant by up to 50% (at the upper bound for the parameter range of the study). The decrease in exhaust velocity was larger for coils and simulated current sheets of smaller half cone angles. An upper bound for the pinching contribution to thrust is estimated for typical operating parameters. Measurements of coil inductance for three di erent current sheet pinching conditions are used to estimate the magnetic pressure as a function of current sheet radial compression. The gas-dynamic contribution to axial acceleration is also estimated and shown to not compensate for the decrease in axial electromagnetic acceleration that accompanies the radial compression of the plasma in conical theta pinches.

Dipolarization Fronts from Reconnection Onset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sitnov, M. I.; Swisdak, M. M.; Merkin, V. G.; Buzulukova, N.; Moore, T. E.

2012-12-01

Dipolarization fronts observed in the magnetotail are often viewed as signatures of bursty magnetic reconnection. However, until recently spontaneous reconnection was considered to be fully prohibited in the magnetotail geometry because of the linear stability of the ion tearing mode. Recent theoretical studies showed that spontaneous reconnection could be possible in the magnetotail geometries with the accumulation of magnetic flux at the tailward end of the thin current sheet, a distinctive feature of the magnetotail prior to substorm onset. That result was confirmed by open-boundary full-particle simulations of 2D current sheet equilibria, where two magnetotails were separated by an equilibrium X-line and weak external electric field was imposed to nudge the system toward the instability threshold. To investigate the roles of the equilibrium X-line, driving electric field and other parameters in the reconnection onset process we performed a set of 2D PIC runs with different initial settings. The investigated parameter space includes the critical current sheet thickness, flux tube volume per unit magnetic flux and the north-south component of the magnetic field. Such an investigation is critically important for the implementation of kinetic reconnection onset criteria into global MHD codes. The results are compared with Geotail visualization of the magnetotail during substorms, as well as Cluster and THEMIS observations of dipolarization fronts.

A dynamic early East Antarctic Ice Sheet suggested by ice-covered fjord landscapes.

PubMed

Young, Duncan A; Wright, Andrew P; Roberts, Jason L; Warner, Roland C; Young, Neal W; Greenbaum, Jamin S; Schroeder, Dustin M; Holt, John W; Sugden, David E; Blankenship, Donald D; van Ommen, Tas D; Siegert, Martin J

2011-06-02

The first Cenozoic ice sheets initiated in Antarctica from the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains and other highlands as a result of rapid global cooling ∼34 million years ago. In the subsequent 20 million years, at a time of declining atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and an evolving Antarctic circumpolar current, sedimentary sequence interpretation and numerical modelling suggest that cyclical periods of ice-sheet expansion to the continental margin, followed by retreat to the subglacial highlands, occurred up to thirty times. These fluctuations were paced by orbital changes and were a major influence on global sea levels. Ice-sheet models show that the nature of such oscillations is critically dependent on the pattern and extent of Antarctic topographic lowlands. Here we show that the basal topography of the Aurora Subglacial Basin of East Antarctica, at present overlain by 2-4.5 km of ice, is characterized by a series of well-defined topographic channels within a mountain block landscape. The identification of this fjord landscape, based on new data from ice-penetrating radar, provides an improved understanding of the topography of the Aurora Subglacial Basin and its surroundings, and reveals a complex surface sculpted by a succession of ice-sheet configurations substantially different from today's. At different stages during its fluctuations, the edge of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet lay pinned along the margins of the Aurora Subglacial Basin, the upland boundaries of which are currently above sea level and the deepest parts of which are more than 1 km below sea level. Although the timing of the channel incision remains uncertain, our results suggest that the fjord landscape was carved by at least two iceflow regimes of different scales and directions, each of which would have over-deepened existing topographic depressions, reversing valley floor slopes.

76 FR 27005 - Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet, and Strip From the Republic of Korea: Initiation and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-10

... Film, Sheet, and Strip From the Republic of Korea: Initiation and Preliminary Results of Antidumping... changed circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet and strip (PET film) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) pursuant to section 751(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930...

West Antarctic Ice Sheet Initiative. Volume 2: Discipline Reviews

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bindschadler, Robert A. (Editor)

1991-01-01

Seven discipline review papers are presented on the state of the knowledge of West Antarctica and opinions on how that knowledge must be increased to predict the future behavior of this ice sheet and to assess its potential to collapse, rapidly raising the global sea level. These are the goals of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Initiative (WAIS).

Kinetic Studies of Thin Current Sheets at Magnetosheath Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eriksson, E.; Vaivads, A.; Khotyaintsev, Y. V.; Graham, D. B.; Yordanova, E.; Hietala, H.; Markidis, S.; Giles, B. L.; Andre, M.; Russell, C. T.; Le Contel, O.; Burch, J. L.

2017-12-01

In near-Earth space one of the most turbulent plasma environments is the magnetosheath (MSH) downstream of the quasi-parallel shock. The particle acceleration and plasma thermalization processes there are still not fully understood. Regions of strong localized currents are believed to play a key role in those processes. The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission has sufficiently high cadence to study these processes in detail. We present details of studies of two different events that contain strong current regions inside the MSH downstream of the quasi-parallel shock. In both cases the shape of the current region is in the form of a sheet, however they show internal 3D structure on the scale of the spacecraft separation (15 and 20 km, respectively). Both current sheets have a normal magnetic field component different from zero indicating that the regions at the different sides of the current sheets are magnetically connected. Both current sheets are boundaries between two different plasma regions. Furthermore, both current sheets are observed at MSH jets. These jets are characterized by localized dynamic pressure being larger than the solar wind dynamic pressure. One current sheet does not seem to be reconnecting while the other shows reconnection signatures. Inside the non-reconnecting current sheet we observe locally accelerated electron beams along the magnetic field. At energies above the beam energy we observe a loss cone consistent with part of the hot MSH-like electrons escaping into the colder solar wind-like plasma. This suggests that the acceleration process within this current sheet is similar to the one that occurs at the bow shock, where electron beams and loss cones are also observed. Therefore, we conclude that electron beams observed in the MSH do not have to originate from the bow shock, but can also be generated locally inside the MSH. The reconnecting current sheet also shows signs of thermalization and electron acceleration processes that are discussed in detail.

An elastoplastic analysis of a uniaxially loaded sheet with an interference-fit bolt. [using the finite element method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crews, J. H., Jr.

1974-01-01

The stresses and strains in a uniaxially loaded sheet with an unloaded interference-fit bolt were calculated by an elastoplastic finite-element analysis. The material properties represented a 7075-T6 aluminum alloy sheet and a steel bolt. The analysis considered the two ideal cases of no slip and no friction at the bolt-sheet interface for a single combination of bolt diameter, interference level, and cyclic loading. When the bolt was inserted, the sheet deformed plastically near the hole; the first tensile load cycle produced additional yielding, but subsequent cycles to the same level caused only elastic cyclic stresses. These stresses together with fatigue data for unnotched specimens were used to estimate crack initiation periods and initiation sites. The cases analyzed with interference-fit bolts were predicted to have crack initiation periods which were about 50 times that for a clearance-fit bolt. Crack initiation was predicted to occur on the transverse axis at a distance of about one radius from the hole.

Spectral and Imaging Observations of a Current Sheet Region in a Small-scale Magnetic Reconnection Event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Zhike; Yan, Xiaoli; Yang, Liheng; Wang, Jincheng; Feng, Song; Li, Qiaoling; Ji, Kaifan; Zhao, Li

2018-05-01

We report a possible current sheet region associated with a small-scale magnetic reconnection event by using the spectral and imaging observations of the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and the magnetograms obtained by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on 2016 August 08. The length and width of the current sheet region are estimated to be from 1.4 ± 0.1 Mm to 3.0 ± 0.3 Mm and from 0.34 ± 0.01 Mm to 0.64 ± 0.09 Mm, respectively. The evolutions of the length of the current sheet region are positively correlated with that of the width. These measurements are among the smallest reported. When the IRIS slit scans the current sheet region, the spectroscopic observations show that the Si IV line is broadened in the current sheet region and the plasma has a blueshifted feature at the middle and a redshifted feature at the ends of the current sheet region. The maximum measured blueshifted and redshifted Doppler velocities are ‑20.8 ± 0.9 and 34.1 ± 0.4 km s‑1, respectively. Additionally, the electron number densities of the plasma in the current sheet region are computed to be around 1011 cm‑3 based on the spectrums of the two O IV lines. The emergence, movement, and cancellation of a small sunspot with negative polarity are observed during the formation and shift of the current sheet region. We suggest that the occurrence and evolution of the magnetic reconnection are driven by the movement of the small sunspot in the photosphere.

Influence of nanotopography on periodontal ligament stem cell functions and cell sheet based periodontal regeneration

PubMed Central

Gao, Hui; Li, Bei; Zhao, Lingzhou; Jin, Yan

2015-01-01

Periodontal regeneration is an important part of regenerative medicine, with great clinical significance; however, the effects of nanotopography on the functions of periodontal ligament (PDL) stem cells (PDLSCs) and on PDLSC sheet based periodontal regeneration have never been explored. Titania nanotubes (NTs) layered on titanium (Ti) provide a good platform to study this. In the current study, the influence of NTs of different tube size on the functions of PDLSCs was observed. Afterward, an ectopic implantation model using a Ti/cell sheets/hydroxyapatite (HA) complex was applied to study the effect of the NTs on cell sheet based periodontal regeneration. The NTs were able to enhance the initial PDLSC adhesion and spread, as well as collagen secretion. With the Ti/cell sheets/HA complex model, it was demonstrated that the PDLSC sheets were capable of regenerating the PDL tissue, when combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) sheets and HA, without the need for extra soluble chemical cues. Simultaneously, the NTs improved the periodontal regeneration result of the ectopically implanted Ti/cell sheets/HA complex, giving rise to functionally aligned collagen fiber bundles. Specifically, much denser collagen fibers, with abundant blood vessels as well as cementum-like tissue on the Ti surface, which well-resembled the structure of natural PDL, were observed in the NT5 and NT10 sample groups. Our study provides the first evidence that the nanotopographical cues obviously influence the functions of PDLSCs and improve the PDLSC sheet based periodontal regeneration size dependently, which provides new insight to the periodontal regeneration. The Ti/cell sheets/HA complex may constitute a good model to predict the effect of biomaterials on periodontal regeneration. PMID:26150714

Influence of nanotopography on periodontal ligament stem cell functions and cell sheet based periodontal regeneration.

PubMed

Gao, Hui; Li, Bei; Zhao, Lingzhou; Jin, Yan

2015-01-01

Periodontal regeneration is an important part of regenerative medicine, with great clinical significance; however, the effects of nanotopography on the functions of periodontal ligament (PDL) stem cells (PDLSCs) and on PDLSC sheet based periodontal regeneration have never been explored. Titania nanotubes (NTs) layered on titanium (Ti) provide a good platform to study this. In the current study, the influence of NTs of different tube size on the functions of PDLSCs was observed. Afterward, an ectopic implantation model using a Ti/cell sheets/hydroxyapatite (HA) complex was applied to study the effect of the NTs on cell sheet based periodontal regeneration. The NTs were able to enhance the initial PDLSC adhesion and spread, as well as collagen secretion. With the Ti/cell sheets/HA complex model, it was demonstrated that the PDLSC sheets were capable of regenerating the PDL tissue, when combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) sheets and HA, without the need for extra soluble chemical cues. Simultaneously, the NTs improved the periodontal regeneration result of the ectopically implanted Ti/cell sheets/HA complex, giving rise to functionally aligned collagen fiber bundles. Specifically, much denser collagen fibers, with abundant blood vessels as well as cementum-like tissue on the Ti surface, which well-resembled the structure of natural PDL, were observed in the NT5 and NT10 sample groups. Our study provides the first evidence that the nanotopographical cues obviously influence the functions of PDLSCs and improve the PDLSC sheet based periodontal regeneration size dependently, which provides new insight to the periodontal regeneration. The Ti/cell sheets/HA complex may constitute a good model to predict the effect of biomaterials on periodontal regeneration.

Design of a Microwave Assisted Discharge Inductive Plasma Accelerator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hallock, Ashley K.; Polzin, Kurt A.

2010-01-01

A new plasma accelerator concept that employs electrodeless plasma preionization and pulsed inductive acceleration is presented. Preionization is achieved through an electron cyclotron resonance discharge that produces a weakly-ionized plasma at the face of a conical theta pinch-shaped inductive coil. The presence of the preionized plasma allows for current sheet formation at lower discharge voltages than those found in other pulsed inductive accelerators. The location of an electron cyclotron resonance discharge can be controlled through the design of the applied magnetic field in the thruster. A finite-element model of the magnetic field was used as a design tool, allowing for the implementation of an arrangement of permanent magnets that yields a small volume of preionized propellant at the coil face. This allows for current sheet formation at the face of the inductive coil, minimizing the initial inductance of the pulse circuit and maximizing the potential efficiency of the new accelerator.

Simulations of Flare Reconnection in Breakout Coronal Mass Ejections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeVore, C. Richard; Karpen, J. T.; Antiochos, S. K.

2009-05-01

We report 3D MHD simulations of the flare reconnection in the corona below breakout coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The initial setup is a single bipolar active region imbedded in the global-scale background dipolar field of the Sun, forming a quadrupolar magnetic configuration with a coronal null point. Rotational motions applied to the active-region polarities at the base of the atmosphere introduce shear across the polarity inversion line (PIL). Eventually, the magnetic stress and energy reach the critical threshold for runaway breakout reconnection, at which point the sheared core field erupts outward at high speed. The vertical current sheet formed by the stretching of the departing sheared field suffers reconnection that reforms the initial low-lying arcade across the PIL, i.e., creates the flare loops. Our simulation model, the Adaptively Refined MHD Solver, exploits local grid refinement to resolve the detailed structure and evolution of the highly dynamic current sheet. We are analyzing the numerical experiments to identify and interpret observable signatures of the flare reconnection associated with CMEs, e.g., the flare loops and ribbons, coronal jets and shock waves, and possible origins of solar energetic particles. This research was supported by NASA and ONR.

The extent and timing of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet offshore of west Ireland-preliminary findings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Jared; Benetti, Sara; Dunlop, Paul; Cofaigh, Colm Ó.

2014-05-01

Recently interpreted marine geophysical data from the western Irish shelf has provided the first direct evidence that the last British-Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) extended westwards onto the Irish continental shelf as a grounded ice mass composed of several lobes with marine-terminating margins. Marine terminating ice margins are known to be sensitive to external forcing mechanisms and currently there is concern regarding the future stability of marine based ice sheets, such as the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, in a warming world. Given its position, the glaciated western Irish continental shelf is a prime location to investigate the processes of how marine-based ice sheets responded to past climatic and oceanic events, which may in turn help us better predict the future trajectory of the marine sectors of modern Ice Sheets. However, despite the potential importance of the former Irish ice margin to our understanding of ice sheet behaviour, the timing and nature of its advance and retreat is currently poorly understood. This study aims to describe the depositional history of the last BIIS on the continental shelf west of Ireland and age-constrain the rate of retreat of two ice lobes that extended from Galway Bay and Clew Bay. This is being accomplished through a multifaceted analysis of at least 29 sediment cores gathered across the continental shelf offshore of counties Galway and Mayo, Ireland. This poster shows results from initial sedimentological descriptions of cores from the mid to outer shelf, which support previous geomorphic interpretations of BIIS history. Preliminary palaeoenvironmental results from ongoing micropaleontological analyses are also discussed and provide new data that verifies sedimentary interpretations on ice proximity. Finally, results from several radiocarbon dates are discussed, which limit these deposits to the last glacial maximum and constrain the timings of ice advance and retreat on the continental shelf west of Ireland.

Statistical Study between Solar Wind, Magnetosheath and Plasma Sheet Fluctuation Properties and Correlation with Magnetotail Bursty Bulk Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, C. S.; Nykyri, K.; Dimmock, A. P.

2017-12-01

In this paper we test a hypothesis that magnetotail reconnection in the thin current sheet could be initiated by external fluctuations. Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) has been observed during southward IMF and it can produce, cold, dense plasma transport and compressional fluctuations that can move further into the magnetosphere. The properties of the KHI depend on the magnetosheath seed fluctuation spectrum (Nykyri et al., JGR, 2017). In this paper we present a statistical correlation study between Solar Wind, Magnetosheath and Plasma sheet fluctuation properties using 9+ years of THEMIS data in aberrated GSM frame, and in a normalized coordinate system that takes into account the changes of the magnetopause and bow shock location with respect to changing solar wind conditions. We present statistical results of the plasma sheet fluctuation properties (dn, dV and dB) and their dependence on IMF orientation and fluctuation properties and resulting magnetosheath state. These statistical maps are compared with spatial distribution of magnetotail Bursty Bulk Flows to study possible correlations with magnetotail reconnection and these fluctuations.

Intermittent magnetic reconnection in TS-3 merging experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ono, Y.; Hayashi, Y.; Ii, T.

2011-11-15

Ejection of current sheet with plasma mass causes impulsive and intermittent magnetic reconnection in the TS-3 spherical tokamak (ST) merging experiment. Under high guide toroidal field, the sheet resistivity is almost classical due to the sheet thickness much longer than the ion gyroradius. Large inflow flux and low current-sheet resistivity result in flux and plasma pileup followed by rapid growth of the current sheet. When the pileup exceeds a critical limit, the sheet is ejected mechanically from the squeezed X-point area. The reconnection (outflow) speed is slow during the flux/plasma pileup and is fast during the ejection, suggesting that intermittentmore » reconnection similar to the solar flare increases the averaged reconnection speed. These transient effects enable the merging tokamaks to have the fast reconnection as well as the high-power reconnection heating, even when their current-sheet resistivity is low under high guide field.« less

Non-Evolutionarity of a Reconnecting Current Sheet as a Cause of Its Splitting into MHD Shocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markovsky, S. A.; Somov, B. V.

1995-04-01

Numerical simulations of the magnetic reconnection process in a current sheet show that, in some cases, MHD shocks appear to be attached to edges of the sheet. The appearance of the shocks may be considered to be a result of splitting of the sheet. In the present paper we suppose that this splitting takes place in consequence of non-evolutionarity of the reconnecting current sheet as a discontinuity. The problem of time evolution of small perturbations does not have a unique solution for a non-evolutionary discontinuity, and it splits into other (evolutionary) discontinuities. Such an approach allows us to determine conditions under which the splitting of the-sheet occurs. The main difficulty of this approach is that a current sheet is not reduced to a classified 1D discontinuity, because inhomogeneity of flow velocity inside the sheet is two-dimensional. To formulate the non-evolutionarity problem, we solve the linear MHD equations inside and outside the sheet and deduce linearized 1D boundary conditions at its surface. We show that for large enough conductivity, small perturbations exist which interact with the sheet as with a discontinuity. Then we obtain a non-evolutionarity criterion, with respect to these perturbations, in the form of a restriction on the flow velocity across the surface of the sheet.

Greenland Regional and Ice Sheet-wide Geometry Sensitivity to Boundary and Initial conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Logan, L. C.; Narayanan, S. H. K.; Greve, R.; Heimbach, P.

2017-12-01

Ice sheet and glacier model outputs require inputs from uncertainly known initial and boundary conditions, and other parameters. Conservation and constitutive equations formalize the relationship between model inputs and outputs, and the sensitivity of model-derived quantities of interest (e.g., ice sheet volume above floatation) to model variables can be obtained via the adjoint model of an ice sheet. We show how one particular ice sheet model, SICOPOLIS (SImulation COde for POLythermal Ice Sheets), depends on these inputs through comprehensive adjoint-based sensitivity analyses. SICOPOLIS discretizes the shallow-ice and shallow-shelf approximations for ice flow, and is well-suited for paleo-studies of Greenland and Antarctica, among other computational domains. The adjoint model of SICOPOLIS was developed via algorithmic differentiation, facilitated by the source transformation tool OpenAD (developed at Argonne National Lab). While model sensitivity to various inputs can be computed by costly methods involving input perturbation simulations, the time-dependent adjoint model of SICOPOLIS delivers model sensitivities to initial and boundary conditions throughout time at lower cost. Here, we explore both the sensitivities of the Greenland Ice Sheet's entire and regional volumes to: initial ice thickness, precipitation, basal sliding, and geothermal flux over the Holocene epoch. Sensitivity studies such as described here are now accessible to the modeling community, based on the latest version of SICOPOLIS that has been adapted for OpenAD to generate correct and efficient adjoint code.

A possible mechanism of the enhancement and maintenance of the shear magnetic field component in the current sheet of the Earth’s magnetotail

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grigorenko, E. E., E-mail: elenagrigorenko2003@yahoo.com; Malova, H. V., E-mail: hmalova@yandex.ru; Malykhin, A. Yu., E-mail: anmaurdreg@gmail.com

2015-01-15

The influence of the shear magnetic field component, which is directed along the electric current in the current sheet (CS) of the Earth’s magnetotail and enhanced near the neutral plane of the CS, on the nonadiabatic dynamics of ions interacting with the CS is studied. The results of simulation of the nonadiabatic ion motion in the prescribed magnetic configuration similar to that observed in the magnetotail CS by the CLUSTER spacecraft demonstrated that, in the presence of some initial shear magnetic field, the north-south asymmetry in the ion reflection/refraction in the CS is observed. This asymmetry leads to the formationmore » of an additional current system formed by the oppositely directed electric currents flowing in the northern and southern parts of the plasma sheet in the planes tangential to the CS plane and in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the electric current in the CS. The formation of this current system perhaps is responsible for the enhancement and further maintenance of the shear magnetic field near the neutral plane of the CS. The CS structure and ion dynamics observed in 17 intervals of the CS crossings by the CLUSTER spacecraft is analyzed. In these intervals, the shear magnetic field was increased near the neutral plane of the CS, so that the bell-shaped spatial distribution of this field across the CS plane was observed. The results of the present analysis confirm the suggested scenario of the enhancement of the shear magnetic field near the neutral plane of the CS due to the peculiarities of the nonadiabatic ion dynamics.« less

Spontaneous formation of electric current sheets and the origin of solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Low, B. C.; Wolfson, R.

1988-01-01

It is demonstrated that the continuous boundary motion of a sheared magnetic field in a tenuous plasma with an infinite electrical conductivity can induce the formation of multiple electric current sheets in the interior plasma. In response to specific footpoint displacements, the quadrupolar magnetic field considered is shown to require the formation of multiple electric current sheets as it achieves a force-free state. Some of the current sheets are found to be of finite length, running along separatrix lines of force which separate lobes of magnetic flux. It is suggested that current sheets in the form of infinitely thin magnetic shear layers may be unstable to resistive tearing, a process which may have application to solar flares.

Computational studies of an impulsively started viscous flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Sanford S.

1988-01-01

Progress in validating incompressible Navier-Stokes codes is described using a predictor/corrector scheme. The flow field under study is the impulsive start of a circular cylinder and the unsteady evolution of the separation bubble. In the current code, a uniform asymptotic expansion is used as an initial condition in order to correctly capture the initial growth of the vortex sheet. Volocity fields at selected instants of time are decomposed into vectorial representations of Navier-Stokes equations which are then used to analyze dominant contributions in the boundary-layer region.

Two-dimensional potential double layers and discrete auroras

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kan, J. R.; Lee, L. C.; Akasofu, S.-I.

1979-01-01

This paper is concerned with the formation of the acceleration region for electrons which produce the visible auroral arc and with the formation of the inverted V precipitation region. The former is embedded in the latter, and both are associated with field-aligned current sheets carried by plasma sheet electrons. It is shown that an electron current sheet driven from the plasma sheet into the ionosphere leads to the formation of a two-dimensional potential double layer. For a current sheet of a thickness less than the proton gyrodiameter solutions are obtained in which the field-aligned potential drop is distributed over a length much greater than the Debye length. For a current sheet of a thickness much greater than the proton gyrodiameter solutions are obtained in which the potential drop is confined to a distance on the order of the Debye length. The electric field in the two-dimensional double-layer model is the zeroth-order field inherent to the current sheet configuration, in contrast to those models in which the electric field is attributed to the first-order field due to current instabilities or turbulences. The maximum potential in the two-dimensional double-layer models is on the order of the thermal energy of plasma sheet protons, which ranges from 1 to 10 keV.

Current Sheet Properties and Dynamics During Sympathetic Breakout Eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynch, B. J.; Edmondson, J. K.

2013-12-01

We present the continued analysis of the high-resolution 2.5D MHD simulations of sympathetic magnetic breakout eruptions from a pseudostreamer source region. We examine the generation of X- and O-type null points during the current sheet tearing and track the magnetic island formation and evolution during periods of reconnection. The magnetic breakout eruption scenario forms an overlying 'breakout' current sheet that evolves slowly and removes restraining flux from above the sheared field core that will eventually become the center of the erupting flux rope-like structure. The runaway expansion from the expansion-breakout reconnection positive feedback enables the formation of the second, vertical/radial current sheet underneath the rising sheared field core as in the standard CHSKP eruptive flare scenario. We will examine the flux transfer rates through the breakout and flare current sheets and compare the properties of the field and plasma inflows into the current sheets and the reconnection jet outflows into the flare loops and flux rope ejecta.

Fluctuation dynamics in reconnecting current sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Stechow, Adrian; Grulke, Olaf; Ji, Hantao; Yamada, Masaaki; Klinger, Thomas

2015-11-01

During magnetic reconnection, a highly localized current sheet forms at the boundary between opposed magnetic fields. Its steep perpendicular gradients and fast parallel drifts can give rise to a range of instabilities which can contribute to the overall reconnection dynamics. In two complementary laboratory reconnection experiments, MRX (PPPL, Princeton) and VINETA.II (IPP, Greifswald, Germany), magnetic fluctuations are observed within the current sheet. Despite the large differences in geometries (toroidal vs. linear), plasma parameters (high vs. low beta) and magnetic configuration (low vs. high magnetic guide field), similar broadband fluctuation characteristics are observed in both experiments. These are identified as Whistler-like fluctuations in the lower hybrid frequency range that propagate along the current sheet in the electron drift direction. They are intrinsic to the localized current sheet and largely independent of the slower reconnection dynamics. This contribution characterizes these magnetic fluctuations within the wide parameter range accessible by both experiments. Specifically, the fluctuation spectra and wave dispersion are characterized with respect to the magnetic topology and plasma parameters of the reconnecting current sheet.

Comparing Sources of Storm-Time Ring Current O+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kistler, L. M.

2015-12-01

The first observations of the storm-time ring current composition using AMPTE/CCE data showed that the O+ contribution to the ring current increases significantly during storms. The ring current is predominantly formed from inward transport of the near-earth plasma sheet. Thus the increase of O+ in the ring current implies that the ionospheric contribution to the plasma sheet has increased. The ionospheric plasma that reaches the plasma sheet can come from both the cusp and the nightside aurora. The cusp outflow moves through the lobe and enters the plasma sheet through reconnection at the near-earth neutral line. The nightside auroral outflow has direct access to nightside plasma sheet. Using data from Cluster and the Van Allen Probes spacecraft, we compare the development of storms in cases where there is a clear input of nightside auroral outflow, and in cases where there is a significant cusp input. We find that the cusp input, which enters the tail at ~15-20 Re becomes isotropized when it crosses the neutral sheet, and becomes part of the hot (>1 keV) plasma sheet population as it convects inward. The auroral outflow, which enters the plasma sheet closer to the earth, where the radius of curvature of the field line is larger, does not isotropize or become significantly energized, but remains a predominantly field aligned low energy population in the inner magnetosphere. It is the hot plasma sheet population that gets accelerated to high enough energies in the inner magnetosphere to contribute strongly to the ring current pressure. Thus it appears that O+ that enters the plasma sheet further down the tail has a greater impact on the storm-time ring current than ions that enter closer to the earth.

Electromagnetic augmentation for casting of thin metal sheets

DOEpatents

Hull, John R.

1989-01-01

Thin metal sheets are cast by magnetically levitating molten metal deposited in a mold within a ferromagnetic yoke and between AC conducting coils and linearly displacing the magnetically levitated liquid metal while it is being cooled by the water-cooled walls of the mold to form a solid metal sheet. A conducting shield is electrically coupled to the molten metal sheet to provide a return path for eddy currents induced in the metal sheet by the current in the AC conducting coils. In another embodiment, a DC conducting coil is coupled to the metal sheet for providing a direct current therein which interacts with the magnetic field to levitate the moving metal sheet. Levitation of the metal sheet in both molten and solid forms reduces its contact pressure with the mold walls while maintaining sufficient engagement therebetween to permit efficient conductive cooling by the mold through which a coolant fluid may be circulated. The magnetic fields associated with the currents in the aforementioned coils levitate the molten metal sheet while the mold provides for its lateral and vertical confinement. A leader sheet having electromagnetic characteristics similar to those of the molten metal sheet is used to start the casing process and precedes the molten metal sheet through the yoke/coil arrangement and mold and forms a continuous sheet therewith. The yoke/coil arrangement may be either U-shaped with a single racetrack coil or may be rectangular with a pair of spaced, facing bedstead coils.

A coronal magnetic field model with horizontal volume and sheet currents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhao, Xuepu; Hoeksema, J. Todd

1994-01-01

When globally mapping the observed photospheric magnetic field into the corona, the interaction of the solar wind and magnetic field has been treated either by imposing source surface boundary conditions that tacitly require volume currents outside the source surface or by limiting the interaction to thin current sheets between oppositely directed field regions. Yet observations and numerical Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) calculations suggest the presence of non-force-free volume currents throughout the corona as well as thin current sheets in the neighborhoods of the interfaces between closed and open field lines or between oppositely directed open field lines surrounding coronal helmet-streamer structures. This work presents a model including both horizontal volume currents and streamer sheet currents. The present model builds on the magnetostatic equilibria developed by Bogdan and Low and the current-sheet modeling technique developed by Schatten. The calculation uses synoptic charts of the line-of-sight component of the photospheric magnetic field measured at the Wilcox Solar Observatory. Comparison of an MHD model with the calculated model results for the case of a dipole field and comparison of eclipse observations with calculations for CR 1647 (near solar minimum) show that this horizontal current-current-sheet model reproduces polar plumes and axes of corona streamers better than the source-surface model and reproduces polar plumes and axes of corona streamers better than the source-surface model and reproduces coro nal helmet structures better than the current-sheet model.

Dynamic Harris current sheet thickness from Cluster current density and plasma measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, S. M.; Kivelson, M. G.; Khurana, K. K.; McPherron, R. L.; Weygand, J. M.; Balogh, A.; Reme, H.; Kistler, L. M.

2005-01-01

We use the first accurate measurements of current densities in the plasma sheet to calculate the half-thickness and position of the current sheet as a function of time. Our technique assumes a Harris current sheet model, which is parameterized by lobe magnetic field B(o), current sheet half-thickness h, and current sheet position z(sub o). Cluster measurements of magnetic field, current density, and plasma pressure are used to infer the three parameters as a function of time. We find that most long timescale (6-12 hours) current sheet crossings observed by Cluster cannot be described by a static Harris current sheet with a single set of parameters B(sub o), h, and z(sub o). Noting the presence of high-frequency fluctuations that appear to be superimposed on lower frequency variations, we average over running 6-min intervals and use the smoothed data to infer the parameters h(t) and z(sub o)(t), constrained by the pressure balance lobe magnetic field B(sub o)(t). Whereas this approach has been used in previous studies, the spatial gnuhen& now provided by the Cluster magnetometers were unavailable or not well constrained in earlier studies. We place the calculated hdf&cknessa in a magnetospheric context by examining the change in thickness with substorm phase for three case study events and 21 events in a superposed epoch analysis. We find that the inferred half-thickness in many cases reflects the nominal changes experienced by the plasma sheet during substorms (i.e., thinning during growth phase, thickening following substorm onset). We conclude with an analysis of the relative contribution of (Delta)B(sub z)/(Delta)X to the cross-tail current density during substorms. We find that (Delta)B(sub z)/(Delta)X can contribute a significant portion of the cross-tail c m n t around substorm onset.

Extreme energetic particle decreases near geostationary orbit - A manifestation of current diversion within the inner plasma sheet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, D. N.; Mcpherron, R. L.

1990-01-01

A qualitative model of magnetic field reconfiguration as might result from neutral line formation in the central plasma sheet late in a substorm growth phase is considered. It is suggested that magnetic reconnection probably begins before the substorm expansion phase and that cross-tail current is enhanced across the plasma sheet both earthward and tailward of a limited region near the neutral line. Such an enhanced cross-tail current earthward of the original X line region may contribute to thinning the plasma sheet substantially, and this would in turn affect the drift currents in that location, thus enhancing the current even closer toward the earth. In this way a redistribution and progressive diversion of normal cross-tail current throughout much of the inner portion of the plasma sheet could occur. The resulting intensified current, localized at the inner edge of the plasma sheet, would lead to a very thin plasma confinement region. This would explain the very taillike field and extreme particle dropouts often seen late in substorm growth phases.

Enabling parents who smoke to prevent their children from initiating smoking: results from a 3-year intervention evaluation.

PubMed

Jackson, Christine; Dickinson, Denise

2006-01-01

To evaluate effects of a home-based antismoking socialization program on the initiation of smoking among children whose parents smoke. Three-year randomized controlled trial. Parents who were current smokers and had a child in the third grade who had not tried smoking were eligible; 873 parents-offspring pairs met these criteria, completed baseline interviews, and were randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition; 776 children (89%) completed an interview 3 years after baseline and were included in the study. During 3 months, the intervention group (n = 371) received 5 printed activity guides, parenting tip sheets, child newsletters, and incentives; this group also received a booster activity guide 1 year later. The control group (n = 405) received fact sheets about smoking. Initiation of smoking (first instance of puffing on a cigarette) was reported by 12% vs 19% of children in the intervention vs control groups. Logistic regression analysis indicated that children in the control condition had twice the odds of reporting initiation of smoking as children in the intervention condition (adjusted odds ratio, 2.16; P<.001), after adjusting for child sex, parent sex, parent race, parent educational achievement, child's best friends' smoking, parent smoking rate at baseline, and parent cessation status. Children in the pre-initiation phase of smoking who receive antismoking socialization from their parents are less likely to initiate smoking, even if their parents smoke.

Evolution of three-dimensional relativistic current sheets and development of self-generated turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takamoto, M.

2018-05-01

In this paper, the temporal evolution of three-dimensional relativistic current sheets in Poynting-dominated plasma is studied for the first time. Over the past few decades, a lot of efforts have been conducted on studying the evolution of current sheets in two-dimensional space, and concluded that sufficiently long current sheets always evolve into the so-called plasmoid chain, which provides a fast reconnection rate independent of its resistivity. However, it is suspected that plasmoid chain can exist only in the case of two-dimensional approximation, and would show transition to turbulence in three-dimensional space. We performed three-dimensional numerical simulation of relativistic current sheet using resistive relativistic magnetohydrodynamic approximation. The results showed that the three-dimensional current sheets evolve not into plasmoid chain but turbulence. The resulting reconnection rate is 0.004, which is much smaller than that of plasmoid chain. The energy conversion from magnetic field to kinetic energy of turbulence is just 0.01 per cent, which is much smaller than typical non-relativistic cases. Using the energy principle, we also showed that the plasmoid is always unstable for a displacement in the opposite direction to its acceleration, probably interchange-type instability, and this always results in seeds of turbulence behind the plasmoids. Finally, the temperature distribution along the sheet is discussed, and it is found that the sheet is less active than plasmoid chain. Our finding can be applied for many high-energy astrophysical phenomena, and can provide a basic model of the general current sheet in Poynting-dominated plasma.

Electromagnetic augmentation for casting of thin metal sheets

DOEpatents

Hull, J.R.

1987-10-28

Thin metal sheets are cast by magnetically levitating molten metal deposited in a model within a ferromagnetic yoke and between AC conducting coils and linearly displacing the magnetically levitated liquid metal while it is being cooled by the water-cooled walls of the mold to form a solid metal sheet. A conducting shield is electrically coupled to the molten metal sheet to provide a return path for eddy currents induced in the metal sheet by the current in the AC conducting coils. In another embodiment, a DC conducting coil is coupled to the metal sheet for providing a direct current therein which interacts with the magnetic field to levitate the moving metal sheet. Levitation of the metal sheet in both molten and solid forms reduces its contact pressure with the mold walls while maintaining sufficient engagement therebetween to permit efficient conductive cooling by the mold through which a coolant fluid may be circulated. 8 figs.

Intermittent Reconnection Downflow Enhancements In A Simulated Flux Rope Eruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kliem, Bernhard; Linton, M. G.

2009-05-01

Supra-arcade downflows in X-ray and EUV flare emissions and post-eruption inflows in coronagraph data have been interpreted to be signatures of the downward reconnection outflow from a vertical (flare) current sheet. These downflows show an intermittent occurrence pattern, indicating that the reconnection is bursty in time or patchy in space, or both. We present MHD simulations of such reconnection in the realistic configuration of a vertical current sheet formed beneath and driven by an erupting flux rope. The reconnection is found to develop bursty outflows, both upward and downward, with the upward outflows generally showing the stronger variablity. While the reconnection starts early in the rise of the flux rope and its peak upward outflow velocity is closely correlated with the rope's rise velocity, the burstiness develops in a clear fashion only as the rope's height has increased from the initial position by about an order of magnitude, so that the current sheet has reached a sufficient vertical extent. The reconnection downflow shows a series of enhancements, each of them starting at a successively greater height from a newly developed magnetic X line. The plasma temporarily accelerated downward in such an enhancement soon turns into a gradual deceleration and then eventually comes to rest on top of previously accelerated plasma. These findings are consistent with the observations of intermittent downflows.

Criticality and turbulence in a resistive magnetohydrodynamic current sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimas, Alexander J.; Uritsky, Vadim M.

2017-02-01

Scaling properties of a two-dimensional (2d) plasma physical current-sheet simulation model involving a full set of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations with current-dependent resistivity are investigated. The current sheet supports a spatial magnetic field reversal that is forced through loading of magnetic flux containing plasma at boundaries of the simulation domain. A balance is reached between loading and annihilation of the magnetic flux through reconnection at the current sheet; the transport of magnetic flux from boundaries to current sheet is realized in the form of spatiotemporal avalanches exhibiting power-law statistics of lifetimes and sizes. We identify this dynamics as self-organized criticality (SOC) by verifying an extended set of scaling laws related to both global and local properties of the current sheet (critical susceptibility, finite-size scaling of probability distributions, geometric exponents). The critical exponents obtained from this analysis suggest that the model operates in a slowly driven SOC state similar to the mean-field state of the directed stochastic sandpile model. We also investigate multiscale correlations in the velocity field and find them numerically indistinguishable from certain intermittent turbulence (IT) theories. The results provide clues on physical conditions for SOC behavior in a broad class of plasma systems with propagating instabilities, and suggest that SOC and IT may coexist in driven current sheets which occur ubiquitously in astrophysical and space plasmas.

Criticality and turbulence in a resistive magnetohydrodynamic current sheet.

PubMed

Klimas, Alexander J; Uritsky, Vadim M

2017-02-01

Scaling properties of a two-dimensional (2d) plasma physical current-sheet simulation model involving a full set of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations with current-dependent resistivity are investigated. The current sheet supports a spatial magnetic field reversal that is forced through loading of magnetic flux containing plasma at boundaries of the simulation domain. A balance is reached between loading and annihilation of the magnetic flux through reconnection at the current sheet; the transport of magnetic flux from boundaries to current sheet is realized in the form of spatiotemporal avalanches exhibiting power-law statistics of lifetimes and sizes. We identify this dynamics as self-organized criticality (SOC) by verifying an extended set of scaling laws related to both global and local properties of the current sheet (critical susceptibility, finite-size scaling of probability distributions, geometric exponents). The critical exponents obtained from this analysis suggest that the model operates in a slowly driven SOC state similar to the mean-field state of the directed stochastic sandpile model. We also investigate multiscale correlations in the velocity field and find them numerically indistinguishable from certain intermittent turbulence (IT) theories. The results provide clues on physical conditions for SOC behavior in a broad class of plasma systems with propagating instabilities, and suggest that SOC and IT may coexist in driven current sheets which occur ubiquitously in astrophysical and space plasmas.

Structure of the Magnetotail Current Sheet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larson, Douglas J.; Kaufmann, Richard L.

1996-01-01

An orbit tracing technique was used to generate current sheets for three magnetotail models. Groups of ions were followed to calculate the resulting cross-tail current. Several groups then were combined to produce a current sheet. The goal is a model in which the ions and associated electrons carry the electric current distribution needed to generate the magnetic field B in which ion orbits were traced. The region -20 R(sub E) less than x less than - 14 R(sub E) in geocentric solar magnetospheric coordinates was studied. Emphasis was placed on identifying the categories of ion orbits which contribute most to the cross-tail current and on gaining physical insight into the manner by which the ions carry the observed current distribution. Ions that were trapped near z = 0, ions that magnetically mirrored throughout the current sheet, and ions that mirrored near the Earth all were needed. The current sheet structure was determined primarily by ion magnetization currents. Electrons of the observed energies carried relatively little cross-tail current in these quiet time current sheets. Distribution functions were generated and integrated to evaluate fluid parameters. An earlier model in which B depended only on z produced a consistent current sheet, but it did not provide a realistic representation of the Earth's middle magnetotail. In the present study, B changed substantially in the x and z directions but only weakly in the y direction within our region of interest. Plasmas with three characteristic particle energies were used with each of the magnetic field models. A plasma was found for each model in which the density, average energy, cross-tail current, and bulk flow velocity agreed well with satellite observations.

Structure of the Magnetotail Current Sheet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larson, Douglas J.; Kaufmann, Richard L.

1996-01-01

An orbit tracing technique was used to generate current sheets for three magnetotail models. Groups of ions were followed to calculate the resulting cross-tail current. Several groups then were combined to produce a current sheet. The goal is a model in which the ions and associated electrons carry the electric current distribution needed to generate the magnetic field B in which ion orbits were traced. The region -20 R(E) less than x less than -14 R(E) in geocentric solar magnetospheric coordinates was studied. Emphasis was placed on identifying the categories of ion orbits which contribute most to the cross-tail current and on gaining physical insight into the manner by which the ions carry the observed current distribution. Ions that were trapped near z = 0, ions that magnetically mirrored throughout the current sheet, and ions that mirrored near the Earth all were needed. The current sheet structure was determined primarily by ion magnetization currents. Electrons of the observed energies carried relatively little cross-tail current in these quiet time current sheets. Distribution functions were generated and integrated to evaluate fluid parameters. An earlier model in which B depended only on z produced a consistent current sheet, but it did not provide a realistic representation of the Earth's middle magnetotail. In the present study, B changed substantially in the x and z directions but only weakly in the y direction within our region of interest. Plasmas with three characteristic particle energies were used with each of the magnetic field models. A plasma was found for each model in which the density, average energy, cross-tail current, and bulk flow velocity agreed well with satellite observations.

Relaxation of flux ropes and magnetic reconnection in the Reconnection Scaling Experiment at LANL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furno, I.; Intrator, T.; Hemsing, E.; Hsu, S.; Lapenta, G.; Abbate, S.

2004-12-01

Magnetic reconnection and plasma relaxation are studied in the Reconnection Scaling Experiment (RSX) with current carrying plasma columns (magnetic flux ropes). Using plasma guns, multiple flux ropes (Bθ ≤ 100 Gauss, L=90 cm, r≤3 cm) are generated in a three-dimensional (3D) cylindrical geometry and are observed to evolve dynamically during the injection of magnetic helicity. Detailed evolution of electron density, temperature, plasma potential and magnetic field structures is reconstructed experimentally and visible light emission is captured with a fast-gated, intensified CCD camera to provide insight into the global flux rope dynamics. Experiments with two flux ropes in collisional plasmas and in a strong axial guide field (Bz / Bθ > 10) suggest that magnetic reconnection plays an important role in the initial stages of flux rope evolution. During the early stages of the applied current drive (t≤ 20 τ Alfv´ {e}n), the flux ropes are observed to twist, partially coalesce and form a thin current sheet with a scale size comparable to that of the ion sound gyro-radius. Here, non-ideal terms in a generalized Ohm's Law appear to play a significant role in the 3D reconnection process as shown by the presence of a strong axial pressure gradient in the current sheet. In addition, a density perturbation with a structure characteristic of a kinetic Alfvén wave is observed to propagate axially in the current layer, anti-parallel to the induced sheet current. Later in the evolution, when a sufficient amount of helicity is injected into the system, a critical threshold for the kink instability is exceeded and the helical twisting of each individual flux rope can dominate the dynamics of the system. This may prevent the complete coalescence of the flux ropes.

Relaxation of flux ropes and magnetic reconnection in the Reconnection Scaling Experiment at LANL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furno, Ivo

2004-11-01

Magnetic reconnection and plasma relaxation are studied in the Reconnection Scaling Experiment (RSX) with current carrying plasma columns (magnetic flux ropes). Using plasma guns, multiple flux ropes (B_pol < 100 Gauss, L=90 cm, r < 3 cm) are generated in a three-dimensional (3D) cylindrical geometry and are observed to evolve dynamically during the injection of magnetic helicity. Detailed evolution of electron density, temperature, plasma potential and magnetic field structures is reconstructed experimentally and visible light emission is captured with a fast-gated, intensified CCD camera to provide insight into the global flux rope dynamics. Experiments with two flux ropes in collisional plasmas and in a strong axial guide field (Bz / B_pol > 10) suggest that magnetic reconnection plays an important role in the initial stages of flux rope evolution. During the early stages of the applied current drive (t < 20τ_Alfven), the flux ropes are observed to twist, partially coalesce and form a thin current sheet with a scale size comparable to that of the ion sound gyro-radius. Here, non-ideal terms in a generalized Ohm's Law appear to play a significant role in the 3D reconnection process as shown by the presence of a strong axial pressure gradient in the current sheet. In addition, a density perturbation with a structure characteristic of a kinetic Alfvén wave is observed to propagate axially in the current layer, anti-parallel to the induced sheet current. Later in the evolution, when a sufficient amount of helicity is injected into the system, a critical threshold for the kink instability is exceeded and the helical twisting of each individual flux rope can dominate the dynamics of the system. This may prevent the complete coalescence of the flux ropes.

Current-sheet formation in two-dimensional coronal fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Billinghurst, M. N.; Craig, I. J. D.; Sneyd, A. D.

1993-11-01

The formation of current sheets by shearing motions in line-tied twin-lobed fields is examined. A general analytic argument shows that current sheets form along the fieldline bounding the two lobes in the case of both symmetric and asymmetric footpoint motions. In the case of strictly antisymmetric motions however no current sheets can form. These findings are reinforced by magnetic relaxation experiments involving sheared two-lobed fields represented by Clebsh variables. It is pointed out that, although current singularites cannot be expected to form when the line-tying assumption is relaxed, the two-lobed geometry is still consistent with the formation of highly localised currents - and strong resistive dissipation - along field lines close to the bounding fieldline.

Coupling between Mercury and its nightside magnetosphere: Cross-tail current sheet asymmetry and substorm current wedge formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poh, Gangkai; Slavin, James A.; Jia, Xianzhe; Raines, Jim M.; Imber, Suzanne M.; Sun, Wei-Jie; Gershman, Daniel J.; DiBraccio, Gina A.; Genestreti, Kevin J.; Smith, Andy W.

2017-08-01

We analyzed MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) magnetic field and plasma measurements taken during 319 crossings of Mercury's cross-tail current sheet. We found that the measured BZ in the current sheet is higher on the dawnside than the duskside by a factor of ≈3 and the asymmetry decreases with downtail distance. This result is consistent with expectations based upon MHD stress balance. The magnetic fields threading the more stretched current sheet in the duskside have a higher plasma beta than those on the dawnside, where they are less stretched. This asymmetric behavior is confirmed by mean current sheet thickness being greatest on the dawnside. We propose that heavy planetary ion (e.g., Na+) enhancements in the duskside current sheet provides the most likely explanation for the dawn-dusk current sheet asymmetries. We also report the direct measurement of Mercury's substorm current wedge (SCW) formation and estimate the total current due to pileup of magnetic flux to be ≈11 kA. The conductance at the foot of the field lines required to close the SCW current is found to be ≈1.2 S, which is similar to earlier results derived from modeling of Mercury's Region 1 field-aligned currents. Hence, Mercury's regolith is sufficiently conductive for the current to flow radially then across the surface of Mercury's highly conductive iron core. Mercury appears to be closely coupled to its nightside magnetosphere by mass loading of upward flowing heavy planetary ions and electrodynamically by field-aligned currents that transfer momentum and energy to the nightside auroral oval crust and interior. Heavy planetary ion enhancements in Mercury's duskside current sheet provide explanation for cross-tail asymmetries found in this study. The total current due to the pileup of magnetic flux and conductance required to close the SCW current is found to be ≈11 kA and 1.2 S. Mercury is coupled to magnetotail by mass loading of heavy ions and field-aligned currents driven by reconnection-related fast plasma flow.

Evaluating Potential Tipping Points of Antarctic basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durand, G.; Sainan, S.; Pattyn, F.; Jourdain, N.

2017-12-01

Antarctica is currently loosing mass and its forthcoming contribution to sea-level rise could substantially increase during the coming centuries. This is essentially due to geometrical constraints, i.e., in regions where grounded ice lies on a bedrock below sea-level sloping down towards the interior of the ice sheet (retrograde slope). For such a configuration the ice sheet is considered potentially unstable, as suggested by theory. However, recent observations on accelerated grounding-line retreat and new insights in modeling Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers give evidence that such self-sustained retreat, called marine ice sheet instability (MISI), has already been on its way. Although West Antarctica appears to be the most vulnerable region for MISI occurrence, similar topographic configurations are also observed in East Antarctica, in the Wilkes Basin in particular. Therefore, evaluating the MISI potential at a pan-Antarctic scale is becoming a priority. Here, using the f.ETISh ice sheet model, an ensemble of simulations of the entire contemporary Antarctic ice sheet has been carried out. In particular, we investigate the debuttressing of ice shelves required to initiate MISI for each coastal region around Antarctica by forcing the model with realistic sub-shelf melt pulses of varying duration and amplitude. We further identify the currently grounded areas where the outlet glaciers could hardly stabilize, the Amundsen Sea Sector being the more prone to large self-sustained retreats. On the contrary, the ability of Cook and Ninnis ice shelves to recover after large perturbations and enough buttress upstream outlet glaciers tends to limit self-sustained retreat of the sector. For each basin, rates of contribution to sea-level rise are discussed together with the RCPs and time when tipping points could be reached and MISI triggered.

A case study of magnetotail current sheet disruption and diversion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lui, A. T. Y.; Lopez, R. E.; Krimigis, S. M.; Mcentire, R. W.; Zanetti, L. J.

1988-01-01

On June 1, 1985 the AMPTE/CCE spacecraft (at a geocentric distance of about 8.8 earth radii at the midnight neutral sheet region) observed a dispersionless energetic particle injection and an increase in magnetic field magnitude, which are features commonly attributed to disruption of the near-earth cross-tail current sheet during substorm expansion onsets. An analysis based on high time-resolution measurements from the magnetometer and the energetic particle detector indicates that the current sheet disruption region exhibited localized (less than 1 earth radius) and transient (less than 1 min) particle intensity enhancements, accompanied by complex magnetic field changes with occasional development of a southward magnetic field component. Similar features are seen in other current disruption/diversion events observed by the CCE. The present analysis suggests that the current disruption region is quite turbulent, similar to laboratory experiments on current sheet disruption, with signatures unlike those expected from an X-type neutral line configuration. No clear indication of periodicity in any magnetic field parameter is discernible for this current disruption event.

Tearing Instability of a Current Sheet Forming by Sheared Incompressible Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tolman, Elizabeth; Loureiro, Nuno; Uzdensky, Dmitri

2017-10-01

Sweet-Parker current sheets are unstable to the tearing mode, suggesting they will not form in physical systems. Understanding magnetic reconnection thus requires study of the stability of a current sheet as it forms. Such formation can occur as a result of sheared, sub-Alfvénic incompressible flows into and along the sheet. This work presents an analysis of how tearing perturbations behave in a current sheet forming under the influence of such flows, beginning with a phase when the growth rate of the tearing mode is small and the behavior of perturbations is primarily governed by ideal MHD. Later, after the tearing growth rate becomes significant relative to the time scale of the driving flows, the flows cause a slight reduction in the tearing growth rate and wave vector of the dominant mode. Once the tearing mode enters the nonlinear regime, the flows accelerate the tearing growth slightly; during X-point collapse, the flows have negligible effect on the system behavior. This analysis allows greater understanding of reconnection in evolving systems and increases confidence in the application of tools developed in time-independent current sheets to changing current sheets. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

Particle Acceleration and Heating by Turbulent Reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlahos, Loukas; Pisokas, Theophilos; Isliker, Heinz; Tsiolis, Vassilis; Anastasiadis, Anastasios

2016-08-01

Turbulent flows in the solar wind, large-scale current sheets, multiple current sheets, and shock waves lead to the formation of environments in which a dense network of current sheets is established and sustains “turbulent reconnection.” We constructed a 2D grid on which a number of randomly chosen grid points are acting as scatterers (I.e., magnetic clouds or current sheets). Our goal is to examine how test particles respond inside this large-scale collection of scatterers. We study the energy gain of individual particles, the evolution of their energy distribution, and their escape time distribution. We have developed a new method to estimate the transport coefficients from the dynamics of the interaction of the particles with the scatterers. Replacing the “magnetic clouds” with current sheets, we have proven that the energization processes can be more efficient depending on the strength of the effective electric fields inside the current sheets and their statistical properties. Using the estimated transport coefficients and solving the Fokker-Planck (FP) equation, we can recover the energy distribution of the particles only for the stochastic Fermi process. We have shown that the evolution of the particles inside a turbulent reconnecting volume is not a solution of the FP equation, since the interaction of the particles with the current sheets is “anomalous,” in contrast to the case of the second-order Fermi process.

PARTICLE ACCELERATION AND HEATING BY TURBULENT RECONNECTION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vlahos, Loukas; Pisokas, Theophilos; Isliker, Heinz

2016-08-10

Turbulent flows in the solar wind, large-scale current sheets, multiple current sheets, and shock waves lead to the formation of environments in which a dense network of current sheets is established and sustains “turbulent reconnection.” We constructed a 2D grid on which a number of randomly chosen grid points are acting as scatterers (i.e., magnetic clouds or current sheets). Our goal is to examine how test particles respond inside this large-scale collection of scatterers. We study the energy gain of individual particles, the evolution of their energy distribution, and their escape time distribution. We have developed a new method tomore » estimate the transport coefficients from the dynamics of the interaction of the particles with the scatterers. Replacing the “magnetic clouds” with current sheets, we have proven that the energization processes can be more efficient depending on the strength of the effective electric fields inside the current sheets and their statistical properties. Using the estimated transport coefficients and solving the Fokker–Planck (FP) equation, we can recover the energy distribution of the particles only for the stochastic Fermi process. We have shown that the evolution of the particles inside a turbulent reconnecting volume is not a solution of the FP equation, since the interaction of the particles with the current sheets is “anomalous,” in contrast to the case of the second-order Fermi process.« less

Current sheet characteristics of a parallel-plate electromagnetic plasma accelerator operated in gas-prefilled mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Shuai; Huang, Yizhi; Guo, Haishan; Lin, Tianyu; Huang, Dong; Yang, Lanjun

2018-05-01

The axial characteristics of a current sheet in a parallel-plate electromagnetic plasma accelerator operated in gas-prefilled mode are reported. The accelerator is powered by a fourteen stage pulse forming network. The capacitor and inductor in each stage are 1.5 μF and 300 nH, respectively, and yield a damped oscillation square wave of current with a pulse width of 20.6 μs. Magnetic probes and photodiodes are placed at various axial positions to measure the behavior of the current sheet. Both magnetic probe and photodiode signals reveal a secondary breakdown when the current reverses the direction. An increase in the discharge current amplitude and a decrease in pressure lead to a decrease in the current shedding factor. The current sheet velocity and thickness are nearly constant during the run-down phase under the first half-period of the current. The current sheet thicknesses are typically in the range of 25 mm to 40 mm. The current sheet velocities are in the range of 10 km/s to 45 km/s when the discharge current is between 10 kA and 55 kA and the gas prefill pressure is between 30 Pa and 800 Pa. The experimental velocities are about 75% to 90% of the theoretical velocities calculated with the current shedding factor. One reason for this could be that the idealized snowplow analysis model ignores the surface drag force.

Field-Aligned Current at Plasma Sheet Boundary Layers During Storm Time: Cluster Observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, J.; Cheng, Z.; Zhang, T.; Dunlop, M.; Liu, Z.

2007-05-01

The magnetic field data from the FGM instruments on board the four Cluster spacecrafts were used to study Field Aligned Current (FAC) at the Plasma Sheet Boundary Layers (PSBLs) with the so called "curlometer technique". We analyzed the date obtained in 2001 in the magnetotail and only two cases were found in the storm time. One (August 17, 2001) occurred from sudden commencement to main phase, and the other (October 1, 2001) lay in the main phase and recovery phase. The relationship between the FAC density and the AE index was studied and the results are shown as follows. (1) In the sudden commencement and the main phase the density of the FAC increases obviously, in the recovery phase the density of the FAC increases slightly. (2) From the sudden commencement to the initial stage of the main phase the FAC increases with decreasing AE index and decreases with increasing AE index. From the late stage of the main phase to initial stage of the recovery phase, the FAC increases with increasing AE index and decreases with decreasing AE index. In the late stage of the recovery phase the disturbance of the FAC is not so violent, so that the FAC varying with the AE index is not very obvious.

75 FR 69629 - Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet, and Strip From the People's Republic of China: Extension...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-15

... Film, Sheet, and Strip From the People's Republic of China: Extension of Time Limit for the Final... the initiation of the antidumping duty administrative review on polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet... the preliminary results of this review. See Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet, and Strip From the...

75 FR 65450 - Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet and Strip From India: Extension of Time Limit for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-25

... Film, Sheet and Strip From India: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty... polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet and strip from India for the period July 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009. See Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet and Strip from India: Initiation of Antidumping Duty...

19 CFR 123.6 - Train sheet for arriving railroad trains.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Train sheet for arriving railroad trains. 123.6 Section 123.6 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY... called a consist, bridge sheet, or trip sheet, listing each car and showing the car numbers and initials. ...

Spatiotemporal Variability of Meltwater Refreezing in Southwest Greenland Ice Sheet Firn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rennermalm, A. K.; Hock, R.; Tedesco, M.; Corti, G.; Covi, F.; Miège, C.; Kingslake, J.; Leidman, S. Z.; Munsell, S.

2017-12-01

A substantial fraction of the summer meltwater formed on the surface of the Greenland ice sheet is retained in firn, while the remaining portion runs to the ocean through surface and subsurface channels. Refreezing of meltwater in firn can create impenetrable ice lenses, hence being a crucial process in the redistribution of surface runoff. To quantify the impact of refreezing on runoff and current and future Greenland surface mass balance, a three year National Science Foundation funded project titled "Refreezing in the firn of the Greenland ice sheet: Spatiotemporal variability and implications for ice sheet mass balance" started this past year. Here we present an overview of the project and some initial results from the first field season in May 2017 conducted in proximity of the DYE-2 site in the percolation zone of the Southwest Greenland ice sheet at elevations between 1963 and 2355 m a.s.l.. During this fieldwork two automatic weather stations were deployed, outfitted with surface energy balance sensors and 16 m long thermistor strings, over 300 km of ground penetrating radar data were collected, and five 20-26 m deep firn cores were extracted and analyzed for density and stratigraphy. Winter snow accumulation was measured along the radar tracks. Preliminary work on the firn-core data reveals increasing frequency and thickness of ice lenses at lower ice-sheet elevations, in agreement with other recent work in the area. Data collected within this project will facilitate advances in our understanding of the spatiotemporal variability of firn refreezing and its role in the hydrology and surface mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Self-consistent current sheet structures in the quiet-time magnetotail

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holland, Daniel L.; Chen, James

1993-01-01

The structure of the quiet-time magnetotail is studied using a test particle simulation. Vlasov equilibria are obtained in the regime where v(D) = E(y) c/B(z) is much less than the ion thermal velocity and are self-consistent in that the current and magnetic field satisfy Ampere's law. Force balance between the plasma and magnetic field is satisfied everywhere. The global structure of the current sheet is found to be critically dependent on the source distribution function. The pressure tensor is nondiagonal in the current sheet with anisotropic temperature. A kinetic mechanism is proposed whereby changes in the source distribution results in a thinning of the current sheet.

Large-current-controllable carbon nanotube field-effect transistor in electrolyte solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myodo, Miho; Inaba, Masafumi; Ohara, Kazuyoshi; Kato, Ryogo; Kobayashi, Mikinori; Hirano, Yu; Suzuki, Kazuma; Kawarada, Hiroshi

2015-05-01

Large-current-controllable carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNT-FETs) were fabricated with mm-long CNT sheets. The sheets, synthesized by remote-plasma-enhanced CVD, contained both single- and double-walled CNTs. Titanium was deposited on the sheet as source and drain electrodes, and an electrolyte solution was used as a gate electrode (solution gate) to apply a gate voltage to the CNTs through electric double layers formed around the CNTs. The drain current came to be well modulated as electrolyte solution penetrated into the sheets, and one of the solution gate CNT-FETs was able to control a large current of over 2.5 A. In addition, we determined the transconductance parameter per tube and compared it with values for other CNT-FETs. The potential of CNT sheets for applications requiring the control of large current is exhibited in this study.

Two-step electrodeposition construction of flower-on-sheet hierarchical cobalt hydroxide nano-forest for high-capacitance supercapacitors.

PubMed

Yang, Wanlu; Gao, Zan; Ma, Jing; Wang, Jun; Zhang, Xingming; Liu, Lianhe

2013-11-28

A novel flower-on-sheet hierarchical morphology of α-Co(OH)2 nanostructures was achieved via an easy two-step synthesis strategy. The method is based on first a galvanostatic electrodeposition (GE) of vertically aligned interconnected Co(OH)2 nanosheets to form a branch layer and second a potentiostatic electrodeposition (PE) of Co(OH)2 microflowers on the obtained branch layer from the secondary growth of their sheet-like precursors. The formation mechanism of this special PE time-dependent nanostructure was proposed and their morphology-dependent supercapacitor properties were also investigated. For a given areas mass loading, high specific capacitances of 1822 F g(-1) have been achieved for the electrode obtained after 200 s GE followed by a 300 s PE in a three-electrode configuration, and it maintained 91% of its initial capacity after 1000 constant-current charge/discharge cycles. Even when the discharge current density was increased from 1 to 50 mA cm(-2), the capacitance was still as high as 1499 F g(-1), indicating an excellent rate performance of the fabricated electrodes. The high performances of the electrodes are attributed to the special porous structure, 3D hierarchical morphology, vertical aligned orientation, and low contact resistance between active material and charge collector.

Observational support for the current sheet catastrophe model of substorm current disruption

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burkhart, G. R.; Lopez, R. E.; Dusenbery, P. B.; Speiser, T. W.

1992-01-01

The principles of the current sheet catastrophe models are briefly reviewed, and observations of some of the signatures predicted by the theory are presented. The data considered here include AMPTE/CCE observations of fifteen current sheet disruption events. According to the model proposed here, the root cause of the current disruption is some process, as yet unknown, that leads to an increase in the k sub A parameter. Possible causes for the increase in k sub A are discussed.

Collisionless current sheet equilibria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neukirch, T.; Wilson, F.; Allanson, O.

2018-01-01

Current sheets are important for the structure and dynamics of many plasma systems. In space and astrophysical plasmas they play a crucial role in activity processes, for example by facilitating the release of magnetic energy via processes such as magnetic reconnection. In this contribution we will focus on collisionless plasma systems. A sensible first step in any investigation of physical processes involving current sheets is to find appropriate equilibrium solutions. The theory of collisionless plasma equilibria is well established, but over the past few years there has been a renewed interest in finding equilibrium distribution functions for collisionless current sheets with particular properties, for example for cases where the current density is parallel to the magnetic field (force-free current sheets). This interest is due to a combination of scientific curiosity and potential applications to space and astrophysical plasmas. In this paper we will give an overview of some of the recent developments, discuss their potential applications and address a number of open questions.

Four large-scale field-aligned current systmes in the dayside high-latitude region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ohtani, S.; Potemra, T. A.; Newell, P.T.; Zanetti, L. J.; Iijima, T.; Watanabe, M.; Blomberg, L. G.; Elphinstone, R. D.; Murphree, J. S.; Yamauchi, M.

1995-01-01

A system of four current sheets of large-scale field-aligned currents (FACs) was discovered in the data set of simultaneous Viking and Defense Meteorological Satellire Program-F7 (DMSP-F7) crossing of the dayside high-latitude region. This paper reports four examples of this system that were observed in the prenoon sector. The flow polarities of FACs are upward, downward, upward, and downward, from equatorward to poleward. The lowest-latitude upward current is flowing mostly in the central plasma sheet (CPS) precipitation region, often overlapping with the boundary plasma sheet (BPS) at its poleward edge, andis interpreted as a region 2 current. The pair of downward and upward FACs in the middle of te structure are collocated with structured electron precipitation. The precipitation of high-energy (greater than 1 keV) electrons is more intense in the lower-latitude downward current sheet. The highest-latitude downward flowing current sheet is located in a weak, low-energy particle precipitation region, suggesting that this current is flowing on open field lines. Simulaneous observations in the postnoon local time sector reveal the standard three-sheet structure of FACs, sometimes described as region 2, region 1, and mantle (referred to the midday region O) currents. A high correlation was found between the occurrence of the four FAC sheet structure and negative interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) B(sub Y). We discuss the FAC structurein terms of three types of convection cells: the merging, viscous, andlobe cells. During strongly negative IMF B(sub Y), two convection reversals exist in the prenoon sector; one is inside the viscous cell, and the other is between the viscous cell and the lobe cell. This structure of convection flow is supported by the Viking electric field and auroral UV image data. Based on the convection pattern, the four FAC sheet structure is interpreted as the latitude overlap of midday and morning FAC systems. We suggest that the for-current sheet structure is common in a certain prenoon localtime sector during strongly negative IMF B(sub Y).

Magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling during substorm onset

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maynard, N. C.; Burke, W. J.; Erickson, G. M.; Basinka, E. M.; Yahnin, A. G.

1996-01-01

Through the analysis of a combination of CRRES satellite measurements and ground-based measurements, an empirical scenario was developed for the onset of substorms. The process develops from ripples at the inner edge of the plasma sheet associated with dusk to dawn excursions of the electric field, prior to the beginning of dipolarization. The importance of Poynting flux is considered. Substorms develop when significant amounts of energy flow in both directions with the second cycle stronger than the initial cycle. Pseudobreakups occur when the energy flowing in both directions is weak or out of phase. The observations indicate that the dusk to dawn excursions of the cross-tail electric field correlate with changes in currents and particle energies observed by CRRES, and with ultra low frequency wave activity observed on the ground. Magnetic signatures of field aligned current filaments, associated with the substorm current wedge were observed to be initiated by the process.

Ionospheric control of the dawn-dusk asymmetry of the Mars magnetotail current sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liemohn, Michael W.; Xu, Shaosui; Dong, Chuanfei; Bougher, Stephen W.; Johnson, Blake C.; Ilie, Raluca; De Zeeuw, Darren L.

2017-06-01

This study investigates the role of solar EUV intensity at controlling the location of the Mars magnetotail current sheet and the structure of the lobes. Four simulation results are examined from a multifluid magnetohydrodynamic model. The solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions are held constant, and the Mars crustal field sources are omitted from the simulation configuration. This isolates the influence of solar EUV. It is found that solar maximum conditions, regardless of season, result in a Venus-like tail configuration with the current sheet shifted to the -Y (dawnside) direction. Solar minimum conditions result in a flipped tail configuration with the current sheet shifted to the +Y (duskside) direction. The lobes follow this pattern, with the current sheet shifting away from the larger lobe with the higher magnetic field magnitude. The physical process responsible for this solar EUV control of the magnetotail is the magnetization of the dayside ionosphere. During solar maximum, the ionosphere is relatively strong and the draped IMF field lines quickly slip past Mars. At solar minimum, the weaker ionosphere allows the draped IMF to move closer to the planet. These lower altitudes of the closest approach of the field line to Mars greatly hinder the day-to-night flow of magnetic flux. This results in a buildup of magnetic flux in the dawnside lobe as the S-shaped topology on that side of the magnetosheath extends farther downtail. The study demonstrates that the Mars dayside ionosphere exerts significant control over the nightside induced magnetosphere of that planet.