High-quality weather data for grid integration studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Draxl, C.

2016-12-01

As variable renewable power penetration levels increase in power systems worldwide, renewable integration studies are crucial to ensure continued economic and reliable operation of the power grid. In this talk we will shed light on requirements for grid integration studies as far as wind and solar energy are concerned. Because wind and solar plants are strongly impacted by weather, high-resolution and high-quality weather data are required to drive power system simulations. Future data sets will have to push limits of numerical weather prediction to yield these high-resolution data sets, and wind data will have to be time-synchronized with solar data. Current wind and solar integration data sets will be presented. The Wind Integration National Dataset (WIND) Toolkit is the largest and most complete grid integration data set publicly available to date. A meteorological data set, wind power production time series, and simulated forecasts created using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model run on a 2-km grid over the continental United States at a 5-min resolution is now publicly available for more than 126,000 land-based and offshore wind power production sites. The Solar Integration National Dataset (SIND) is available as time synchronized with the WIND Toolkit, and will allow for combined wind-solar grid integration studies. The National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) is a similar high temporal- and spatial resolution database of 18 years of solar resource data for North America and India. Grid integration studies are also carried out in various countries, which aim at increasing their wind and solar penetration through combined wind and solar integration data sets. We will present a multi-year effort to directly support India's 24x7 energy access goal through a suite of activities aimed at enabling large-scale deployment of clean energy and energy efficiency. Another current effort is the North-American-Renewable-Integration-Study, with the aim of providing a seamless data set across borders for a whole continent, to simulate and analyze the impacts of potential future large wind and solar power penetrations on bulk power system operations.

Penetration of Solar Wind Driven ULF Waves into the Earth's Inner Magnetosphere: Role in Radiation Belt and Ring Current Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mann, Ian; Murphy, Kyle; Rae, Jonathan; Ozeke, Louis; Milling, David

2013-04-01

Ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves in the Pc4-5 band can be excited in the magnetosphere by the solar wind. Much recent work has shown how ULF wave power is strongly correlated with solar wind speed. However, little attention has been paid the dynamics of ULF wave power penetration onto low L-shells in the inner magnetosphere. We use more than a solar cycle of ULF wave data, derived from ground-based magnetometer networks, to examine this ULF wave power penetration and its dependence on solar wind and geomagnetic activity indices. In time domain data, we show very clearly that dayside ULF wave power, spanning more than 4 orders of magnitude, follows solar wind speed variations throughout the whole solar cycle - during periods of sporadic solar maximum ICMEs, during declining phase fast solar wind streams, and at solar minimum, alike. We also show that time domain ULF wave power increases during magnetic storms activations, and significantly demonstrate that a deeper ULF wave power penetration into the inner magnetosphere occurs during larger negative excursions in Dst. We discuss potential explanations for this low-L ULF wave power penetration, including the role of plasma mass density (such as during plasmaspheric erosion), or ring current ion instabilities during near-Earth ring current penetration. Interestingly, we also show that both ULF wave power and SAMPEX MeV electron flux show a remarkable similarity in their penetration to low-L, which suggests that ULF wave power penetration may be important for understanding and explaining radiation belt dynamics. Moreover, the correlation of ULF wave power with Dst, which peaks at one day lag, suggests the ULF waves might also be important for the inward transport of ions into the ring current. Current ring current models, which exclude long period ULF wave transport, under-estimate the ring current during fast solar wind streams which is consistent with a potential role for ULF waves in ring current energisation. The combination of data from ground arrays such as CARISMA and the contemporaneous operation of the NASA Van Allen Probes (VAP) mission offers an excellent basis for understanding this cross-energy plasma coupling which spans more than 6 orders of magnitude in energy. Explaining the casual connections between plasmas in the plasmasphere (eV), ring current (keV), and radiation belt (MeV), via the intermediaries of plasma waves, is key to understanding inner magnetosphere dynamics. This work has received funding from the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-Space) under grant agreement n 284520 for the MAARBLE (Monitoring, Analyzing and Assessing Radiation Belt Energization and Loss) collaborative research project.

Deployed Base Solar Power (BRIEFING SLIDES)

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

various time intervals. Data Acquisitions and Components:  FieldPoint  Current, Voltage, and Power Transducers  POA Pyranometers  Solar...Tracking Pyranometer  Weather Station  kWh Meter Parameters being monitored:  Solar Module Temperatures  Ambient Temperature  Wind Speed  Wind

The most intense current sheets in the high-speed solar wind near 1 AU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podesta, John J.

2017-03-01

Electric currents in the solar wind plasma are investigated using 92 ms fluxgate magnetometer data acquired in a high-speed stream near 1 AU. The minimum resolvable scale is roughly 0.18 s in the spacecraft frame or, using Taylor's "frozen turbulence" approximation, one proton inertial length di in the plasma frame. A new way of identifying current sheets is developed that utilizes a proxy for the current density J obtained from the derivatives of the three orthogonal components of the observed magnetic field B. The most intense currents are identified as 5σ events, where σ is the standard deviation of the current density. The observed 5σ events are characterized by an average scale size of approximately 3di along the flow direction of the solar wind, a median separation of around 50di or 100di along the flow direction of the solar wind, and a peak current density on the order of 0.5 pA/cm2. The associated current-carrying structures are consistent with current sheets; however, the planar geometry of these structures cannot be confirmed using single-point, single-spacecraft measurements. If Taylor's hypothesis continues to hold for the energetically dominant fluctuations at kinetic scales 1

The magnetospheric electric field and convective processes as diagnostics of the IMF and solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaye, S. M.

1979-01-01

Indirect measurements of the convection field as well as direct of the ionospheric electric field provide a means to at least monitor quanitatively solar wind processes. For instance, asymmetries in the ionospheric electric field and ionospheric Hall currents over the polar cap reflect the solar wind sector polarity. A stronger electric field, and thus convective flow, is found on the side of the polar cap where the y component of the IMF is parallel to the y component of the geomagnetic field. Additionally, the magnitude of the electric field and convective southward B sub Z and/or solar wind velocity, and thus may indicate the arrival at Earth of an interaction region in the solar wind. It is apparent that processes associated with the convention electric field may be used to predict large scale features in the solar wind; however, with present empirical knowledge it is not possible to make quantitative predictions of individual solar wind or IMF parameters.

Solar wind: Internal parameters driven by external source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chertkov, A. D.

1995-01-01

A new concept interpreting solar wind parameters is suggested. The process of increasing twofold of a moving volume in the solar wind (with energy transfer across its surface which is comparable with its whole internal energy) is a more rapid process than the relaxation for the pressure. Thus, the solar wind is unique from the point of view of thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The presumptive source of the solar wind creation - the induction electric field of the solar origin - has very low entropy. The state of interplanetary plasma must be very far from the thermodynamic equilibrium. Plasma internal energy is contained mainly in non-degenerate forms (plasma waves, resonant plasma oscillations, electric currents). Microscopic oscillating electric fields in the solar wind plasma should be about 1 V/m. It allows one to describe the solar wind by simple dissipative MHD equations with small effective mean free path (required for hydrodynamical description), low value of electrical conductivity combined with very big apparent thermal conductivity (required for observed solar wind acceleration). These internal parameters are interrelated only due to their origin: they are externally driven. Their relation can change during the interaction of solar wind plasma with an obstacle (planet, spacecraft). The concept proposed can be verified by the special electric field measurements, not ruining the primordial plasma state.

Wave Modeling of the Solar Wind.

PubMed

Ofman, Leon

The acceleration and heating of the solar wind have been studied for decades using satellite observations and models. However, the exact mechanism that leads to solar wind heating and acceleration is poorly understood. In order to improve the understanding of the physical mechanisms that are involved in these processes a combination of modeling and observational analysis is required. Recent models constrained by satellite observations show that wave heating in the low-frequency (MHD), and high-frequency (ion-cyclotron) range may provide the necessary momentum and heat input to coronal plasma and produce the solar wind. This review is focused on the results of several recent solar modeling studies that include waves explicitly in the MHD and the kinetic regime. The current status of the understanding of the solar wind acceleration and heating by waves is reviewed.

Relation of Field-Aligned Currents Measured by the Network of Iridium® Spacecraft to Solar Wind and Substorms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McPherron, R. L.; Anderson, B. J.; Chu, Xiangning

2018-03-01

The strength of field-aligned currents coupling the magnetosphere to the ionosphere was obtained by the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE) using the network of Iridium® spacecraft. The distribution of current was integrated giving total current in and out of the ionosphere on the dayside and nightside of the Earth in both hemispheres. The onset of auroral zone negative bays and midlatitude positive bays corresponds to an increase in nightside upward current. The total outward current tends toward saturation with increasing solar wind driver strength. The optimum solar wind coupling function for AL index predicts 73% of the variance in nightside upward current. The dayside and nightside predictors of upward current rise to a peak at 30-45 min and decay slowly over 2.5 hr. Nightside response is delayed relative to dayside.

THE NEW HORIZONS SOLAR WIND AROUND PLUTO (SWAP) OBSERVATIONS OF THE SOLAR WIND FROM 11–33 au

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

Elliott, H. A.; McComas, D. J.; Valek, P.

The Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument on National Aeronautics and Space Administration's New Horizons Pluto mission has collected solar wind observations en route from Earth to Pluto, and these observations continue beyond Pluto. Few missions have explored the solar wind in the outer heliosphere making this dataset a critical addition to the field. We created a forward model of SWAP count rates, which includes a comprehensive instrument response function based on laboratory and flight calibrations. By fitting the count rates with this model, the proton density (n), speed (V), and temperature (T) parameters are determined. Comparisons between SWAP parametersmore » and both propagated 1 au observations and prior Voyager 2 observations indicate consistency in both the range and mean wind values. These comparisons as well as our additional findings confirm that small and midsized solar wind structures are worn down with increasing distance due to dynamic interaction of parcels of wind with different speed. For instance, the T–V relationship steepens, as the range in V is limited more than the range in T with distance. At times the T–V correlation clearly breaks down beyond 20 au, which may indicate wind currently expanding and cooling may have an elevated T reflecting prior heating and compression in the inner heliosphere. The power of wind parameters at shorter periodicities decreases with distance as the longer periodicities strengthen. The solar rotation periodicity is present in temperature beyond 20 au indicating the observed parcel temperature may reflect not only current heating or cooling, but also heating occurring closer to the Sun.« less

The evolution of 1 AU equatorial solar wind and its association with the morphology of the heliospheric current sheet from solar cycles 23 to 24

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

Zhao, L.; Landi, E.; Zurbuchen, T. H.

2014-09-20

The solar wind can be categorized into three types based on its 'freeze-in' temperature (T {sub freeze-in}) in the coronal source: low T {sub freeze-in} wind mostly from coronal holes, high T {sub freeze-in} wind mostly from regions outside of coronal holes, including streamers (helmet streamer and pseudostreamer), active regions, etc., and transient interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) usually possessing the hottest T {sub freeze-in}. The global distribution of these three types of wind has been investigated by examining the most effective T {sub freeze-in} indicator, the O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} ratio, as measured by the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometermore » on board the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) during 1998-2008 by Zhao et al. In this study, we extend the previous investigation to 2011 June, covering the unusual solar minimum between solar cycles 23 and 24 (2007-2010) and the beginning of solar cycle 24. We find that during the entire solar cycle, from the ascending phase of cycle 23 in 1998 to the ascending phase of cycle 24 in 2011, the average fractions of the low O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} ratio (LOR) wind, the high O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} ratio (HOR) wind, and ICMEs at 1 AU are 50.3%, 39.4%, and 10.3%, respectively; the contributions of the three types of wind evolve with time in very different ways. In addition, we compare the evolution of the HOR wind with two heliospheric current sheet (HCS) parameters, which indicate the latitudinal standard deviation (SD) and the slope (SL) of the HCS on the synoptic Carrington maps at 2.5 solar radii surface. We find that the fraction of HOR wind correlates with SD and SL very well (slightly better with SL than with SD), especially after 2005. This result verifies the link between the production of HOR wind and the morphology of the HCS, implying that at least one of the major sources of the HOR wind must be associated with the HCS.« less

ULF Waves in the Earth's Inner Magnetosphere: Role in Radiation Belt and Ring Current Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mann, I. R.; Murphy, K. R.; Rae, J.; Claudepierre, S. G.; Fennell, J. F.; Baker, D. N.; Reeves, G. D.; Spence, H. E.; Ozeke, L.; Milling, D. K.

2013-05-01

Ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves in the Pc4-5 band can be excited in the magnetosphere by the solar wind. Much recent work has shown how ULF wave power is strongly correlated with solar wind speed. However, little attention has been paid the dynamics of ULF wave power penetration onto low L-shells in the inner magnetosphere. We use more than a solar cycle of ULF wave data, derived from ground-based magnetometer networks, to examine this ULF wave power penetration and its dependence on solar wind and geomagnetic activity indices. In time domain data, we show very clearly that dayside ULF wave power, spanning more than 4 orders of magnitude, follows solar wind speed variations throughout the whole solar cycle - during periods of sporadic solar maximum ICMEs, during declining phase fast solar wind streams, and at solar minimum, alike. We also show that time domain ULF wave power increases during magnetic storms activations, and significantly demonstrate that a deeper ULF wave power penetration into the inner magnetosphere occurs during larger negative excursions in Dst. We discuss potential explanations for this low-L ULF wave power penetration, including the role of plasma mass density (such as during plasmaspheric erosion), or ring current ion instabilities during near-Earth ring current penetration. Interestingly, we also show that both ULF wave power and SAMPEX MeV electron flux show a remarkable similarity in their penetration to low-L, which suggests that ULF wave power penetration may be important for understanding and explaining radiation belt dynamics. Moreover, the correlation of ULF wave power with Dst, which peaks at one day lag, suggests the ULF waves might also be important for the inward transport of ions into the ring current. Current ring current models, which exclude long period ULF wave transport, under-estimate the ring current during fast solar wind streams which is consistent with a potential role for ULF waves in ring current energisation. Finally, the combination of data from ground arrays such as CARISMA and the contemporaneous operation of the NASA Van Allen Probes mission offers an excellent basis for understanding this cross-energy plasma coupling which spans more than 6 orders of magnitude in energy; we present an initial example of ULF-wave particle interaction using early mission data. This work has received funding from the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-Space) under grant agreement n 284520 for the MAARBLE (Monitoring, Analyzing and Assessing Radiation Belt Energization and Loss) collaborative research project.

Current Sheets in the Corona and the Complexity of Slow Wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antiochos, Spiro

2010-01-01

The origin of the slow solar wind has long been one of the most important problems in solar/heliospheric physics. Two observational constraints make this problem especially challenging. First, the slow wind has the composition of the closed-field corona, unlike the fast wind that originates on open field lines. Second, the slow wind has substantial angular extent, of order 30 degrees, which is much larger than the widths observed for streamer stalks or the widths expected theoretically for a dynamic heliospheric current sheet. We propose that the slow wind originates from an intricate network of narrow (possibly singular) open-field corridors that emanate from the polar coronal hole regions. Using topological arguments, we show that these corridors must be ubiquitous in the solar corona. The total solar eclipse in August 2008, near the lowest point of cycle 23 affords an ideal opportunity to test this theory by using the ultra-high resolution Predictive Science's (PSI) eclipse model for the corona and wind. Analysis of the PSI eclipse model demonstrates that the extent and scales of the open-field corridors can account for both the angular width of the slow wind and its closed-field composition. We discuss the implications of our slow wind theory for the structure of the corona and heliosphere at solar minimum and describe further observational and theoretical tests.

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

Nasir, M. N. M.; Saharuddin, N. Z.; Sulaima, M. F.

This paper presents the performance evaluation of standalone hybrid system on Photovoltaic (PV)-Wind generator at Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FKE), UTeM. The hybrid PV-Wind in UTeM system is combining wind turbine system with the solar system and the energy capacity of this hybrid system can generate up to charge the battery and supply the LED street lighting load. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the performance of PV-Wind hybrid generator. Solar radiation meter has been used to measure the solar radiation and anemometer has been used to measure the wind speed. The effectiveness of the PV-Wind system ismore » based on the various data that has been collected and compared between them. The result shows that hybrid system has greater reliability. Based on the solar result, the correlation coefficient shows strong relationship between the two variables of radiation and current. The reading output current followed by fluctuate of solar radiation. However, the correlation coefficient is shows moderate relationship between the two variables of wind speed and voltage. Hence, the wind turbine system in FKE show does not operate consistently to produce energy source for this hybrid system compare to PV system. When the wind system does not fully operate due to inconsistent energy source, the other system which is PV will operate and supply the load for equilibrate the extra load demand.« less

Solar terrestrial relationships related to thunderstorms and BUV dark current and ozone data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herman, J. R.

1980-01-01

Solar terrestrial interactions as they affect Nimbus 4 BUV dark current and possibly affect thunderstorm occurrence are investigated. A solar wind index is calculated for 1970 to 1971. Dark current enhancements appear to be associated in some way with solar proton events and the solar wind index, but additional investigations by GSFC are required before conclusions can be drawn. Superposed epoch analysis of an index of North American thunderstorm occurrence reveals a discernible increase in the index magnitude on days 1 and 2 following solar proton events. There appears to be little or no 27 day recurrence tendency in thunderstorm occurrence frequency and no association with vorticity area index on a day to day basis.

Saturation of the Electric Field Transmitted to the Magnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyatsky, Wladislaw; Khazanov, George V.; Slavin, James A.

2010-01-01

We reexamined the processes leading to saturation of the electric field, transmitted into the Earth's ionosphere from the solar wind, incorporating features of the coupled system previously ignored. We took into account that the electric field is transmitted into the ionosphere through a region of open field lines, and that the ionospheric conductivity in the polar cap and auroral zone may be different. Penetration of the electric field into the magnetosphere is linked with the generation of the Alfven wave, going out from the ionosphere into the solar wind and being coupled with the field-aligned currents at the boundary of the open field limes. The electric field of the outgoing Alfven wave reduces the original electric field and provides the saturation effect in the electric field and currents during strong geomagnetic disturbances, associated with increasing ionospheric conductivity. The electric field and field-aligned currents of this Alfven wave are dependent on the ionospheric and solar wind parameters and may significantly affect the electric field and field-aligned currents, generated in the polar ionosphere. Estimating the magnitude of the saturation effect in the electric field and field-aligned currents allows us to improve the correlation between solar wind parameters and resulting disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere.

Evolution of large-scale plasma structures in comets: Kinematics and physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandt, John C.

1993-01-01

Cometary and solar wind data from December 1985 through April 1986 are presented for the purpose of determining the solar wind conditions associated with comet plasma tail disconnection events (DE's). The cometary data are from The International Halley Watch Atlas of Large-Scale Phenomena (Brandt, Niedner, and Rahe, 1992). In addition, we present the kinematic analysis of 4 DE's, those of Dec. 13.5 and 31.2, 1985, and Feb. 21.7 and 28.7, 1986. The circumstances of these DE's clearly illustrate the need to analyze DE's in groups. In situ solar wind measurements from IMP-8, ICE, and PVO were used to construct the variation of solar wind speed, density, and dynamic pressure during this interval. Data from these same spacecraft plus Vega-1 were used to determine the time of 48 current sheet crossings. These data were fitted to heliospheric current sheet curves extrapolated from the corona into the heliosphere in order to determine the best-fit source surface radius for each Carrington rotation. Comparison of the solar wind conditions and 16 DE's in Halley's comet (the four DE's discussed in this paper and 12 DE's in the literature) leaves little doubt that DE's are associated primarily with crossings of the heliospheric current sheet and apparently not with any other property of the solar wind. If we assume that there is a single or primary physical mechanism and that Halley's DE's are representative, efforts at simulation should concentrate on conditions at current sheet crossings. The mechanisms consistent with this result are sunward magnetic reconnection and tailward magnetic reconnection, if tailward reconnection can be triggered by the sector boundary crossing.

Field-aligned currents and large scale magnetospheric electric fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dangelo, N.

1980-01-01

D'Angelo's model of polar cap electric fields (1977) was used to visualize how high-latitude field-aligned currents are driven by the solar wind generator. The region 1 and region 2 currents of Iijima and Potemra (1976) and the cusp field-aligned currents of Wilhjelm et al. (1978) and McDiarmid et al. (1978) are apparently driven by different generators, although in both cases the solar wind is their ultimate source.

Solar wind influence on Jupiter's magnetosphere and aurora

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, Marissa; Gyalay, Szilard; Withers, Paul

2016-04-01

Jupiter's magnetosphere is often said to be rotationally driven, with strong centrifugal stresses due to large spatial scales and a rapid planetary rotation period. For example, the main auroral emission at Jupiter is not due to the magnetosphere-solar wind interaction but is driven by a system of corotation enforcement currents that arises to speed up outflowing Iogenic plasma. Additionally, processes like tail reconnection are also thought to be driven, at least in part, by processes internal to the magnetosphere. While the solar wind is generally expected to have only a small influence on Jupiter's magnetosphere and aurora, there is considerable observational evidence that the solar wind does affect the magnetopause standoff distance, auroral radio emissions, and the position and brightness of the UV auroral emissions. We will report on the results of a comprehensive, quantitative study of the influence of the solar wind on various magnetospheric data sets measured by the Galileo mission from 1996 to 2003. Using the Michigan Solar Wind Model (mSWiM) to predict the solar wind conditions upstream of Jupiter, we have identified intervals of high and low solar wind dynamic pressure. We can use this information to quantify how a magnetospheric compression affects the magnetospheric field configuration, which in turn will affect the ionospheric mapping of the main auroral emission. We also consider whether there is evidence that reconnection events occur preferentially during certain solar wind conditions or that the solar wind modulates the quasi-periodicity seen in the magnetic field dipolarizations and flow bursts.

Wind loading on solar concentrators: Some general considerations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roschke, E. J.

1984-01-01

A survey was completed to examine the problems and complications arising from wind loading on solar concentrators. Wind loading is site specific and has an important bearing on the design, cost, performance, operation and maintenance, safety, survival, and replacement of solar collecting systems. Emphasis herein is on paraboloidal, two-axis tracking systems. Thermal receiver problems also are discussed. Wind characteristics are discussed from a general point of view. Current methods for determining design wind speed are reviewed. Aerodynamic coefficients are defined and illustrative examples are presented. Wind tunnel testing is discussed, and environmental wind tunnels are reviewed. Recent results on heliostat arrays are reviewed as well. Aeroelasticity in relation to structural design is discussed briefly.

Latitudinal variation of speed and mass flux in the acceleration region of the solar wind inferred from spectral broadening measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woo, Richard; Goldstein, Richard M.

1994-01-01

Spectral broadening measurements conducted at S-band (13-cm wavelength) during solar minimum conditions in the heliocentric distance range of 3-8 R(sub O) by Mariner 4, Pioneer 10, Mariner 10, Helios 1, Helios 2, and Viking have been combined to reveal a factor of 2.6 reduction in bandwidth from equator to pole. Since spectral broadening bandwidth depends on electron density fluctuation and solar wind speed, and latitudinal variation of the former is available from coherence bandwidth measurements, the remote sensing spectral broadening measurements provide the first determination of the latitudinal variation of solar wind speed in the acceleration region. When combined with electron density measurements deduced from white-light coronagraphs, this result also leads to the first determination of the latitudinal variation of mass flux in the acceleration region. From equator to pole, solar wind speed increases by a factor of 2.2, while mass flux decreases by a factor of 2.3. These results are consistent with measurements of solar wind speed by multi-station intensity scintillation measurements, as well as measurements of mass flux inferred from Lyman alpha observations, both of which pertain to the solar wind beyond 0.5 AU. The spectral broadening observations, therefore, strengthen earlier conclusions about the latitudinal variation of solar wind speed and mass flux, and reinforce current solar coronal models and their implications for solar wind acceleration and solar wind modeling.

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

On the signatures of magnetic islands and multiple X-lines in the solar wind as observed by ARTEMIS and WIND

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eriksson, S.; Newman, D. L.; Lapenta, G.; Angelopoulos, V.

2014-06-01

We report the first observation consistent with a magnetic reconnection generated magnetic island at a solar wind current sheet that was observed on 10 June 2012 by the two ARTEMIS satellites and the upstream WIND satellite. The evidence consists of a core magnetic field within the island which is formed by enhanced Hall magnetic fields across a solar wind reconnection exhaust. The core field at ARTEMIS displays a local dip coincident with a peak plasma density enhancement and a locally slower exhaust speed which differentiates it from a regular solar wind exhaust crossing. Further indirect evidence of magnetic island formation is presented in the form of a tripolar Hall magnetic field, which is supported by an observed electron velocity shear, and plasma density depletion regions which are in general agreement with multiple reconnection X-line signatures at the same current sheet on the basis of predicted signatures of magnetic islands as generated by a kinetic reconnection simulation for solar wind-like conditions. The combined ARTEMIS and WIND observations of tripolar Hall magnetic fields across the same exhaust and Grad-Shrafranov reconstructions of the magnetic field suggest that an elongated magnetic island was encountered which displayed a 4RE normal width and a 43RE extent along the exhaust between two neighboring X-lines.

Mass flux in the ecliptic plane and near the Sun deduced from Doppler scintillation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woo, Richard; Gazis, Paul R.

1994-01-01

During the late declining phase of the solar cycle, the tilt of the solar magnetic dipole with respect to the Sun's rotation axis leads to large-scale organization of the solar wind, such that alternating regions of high- and low-speed solar wind are observed in the ecliptic plane. In this paper, we use Doppler scintillation measurements to investigate mass flux of these two types of solar wind in the ecliptic plane and inside 0.3 AU, where in situ measurements have not been possible. To the extent that Doppler scintillation reflects mass flux, we find that mass flux in high-speed streams: (1) is lower (by a factor of approximately 2.2) than the mass flux of the average solar wind in the heliocentric distance range of 0.3-0.5 AU; (2) is lower still (by as much as a factor of about 4) than the mass flux of the slow solar wind associated with the streamer belt; and (3) appears to grow with heliocentric distance. These Doppler scintillation results are consistent with the equator to pole decrease in mass flux observed in earlier spectral broadening measurements, and with trends and differences between high- and low-speed solar wind observed by in situ measurements in the range of 0.3-0.1 AU. The mass flux results suggest that the solar wind flow in high-speed streams is convergent towards the ecliptic near the Sun, becoming less convergent and approaching radial with increasing heliocentric distance beyond 0.3 AU. The variability of mass flux observed within equatorial and polar high-speed streams close to the Sun is strikingly low. This low variability implies that, as Ulysses currently ascends to higher latitudes and spends more time in the south polar high-speed stream after crossing the heliocentric current sheet, it can expect to observe a marked decrease in variations of both mass flux and solar wind speed, a trend that appears to have started already.

Role of ULF Waves in Radiation Belt and Ring Current Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mann, I. R.; Murphy, K. R.; Rae, I. J.; Ozeke, L.; Milling, D. K.

2013-12-01

Ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves in the Pc4-5 band can be excited in the magnetosphere by the solar wind. Much recent work has shown how ULF wave power is strongly correlated with solar wind speed. However, little attention has been paid the dynamics of ULF wave power penetration onto low L-shells in the inner magnetosphere. We use more than a solar cycle of ULF wave data, derived from ground-based magnetometer networks, to examine this ULF wave power penetration and its dependence on solar wind and geomagnetic activity indices. In time domain data, we show very clearly that dayside ULF wave power, spanning more than 4 orders of magnitude, follows solar wind speed variations throughout the whole solar cycle - during periods of sporadic solar maximum ICMEs, during declining phase fast solar wind streams, and at solar minimum, alike. We also show that time domain ULF wave power increases during magnetic storms activations, and significantly demonstrate that a deeper ULF wave power penetration into the inner magnetosphere occurs during larger negative excursions in Dst. We discuss potential explanations for this low-L ULF wave power penetration, including the role of plasma mass density (such as during plasmaspheric erosion), or ring current ion instabilities during near-Earth ring current penetration. Interestingly, we also show that both ULF wave power and SAMPEX MeV electron flux show a remarkable similarity in their penetration to low-L, which suggests that ULF wave power penetration may be important for understanding and explaining radiation belt dynamics. Moreover, the correlation of ULF wave power with Dst, which peaks at one day lag, suggests the ULF waves might also be important for the inward transport of ions into the ring current. Current ring current models, which exclude long period ULF wave transport, under-estimate the ring current during fast solar wind streams which is consistent with a potential role for ULF waves in ring current energisation. The combination of data from ground arrays such as CARISMA and the contemporaneous operation of the NASA Van Allen Probes (VAP) mission offers an excellent basis for understanding this cross-energy plasma coupling which spans more than 6 orders of magnitude in energy. Explaining the casual connections between plasmas in the plasmasphere (eV), ring current (keV), and radiation belt (MeV), via the intermediaries of plasma waves, is key to understanding inner magnetosphere dynamics. This work has received funding from the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-Space) under grant agreement n 284520 for the MAARBLE (Monitoring, Analyzing and Assessing Radiation Belt Energization and Loss) collaborative research project.

Electric fields and field-aligned currents in polar regions of the solar corona: 3-D MHD consideration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pisanko, Yu. V.

1995-01-01

The calculation of the solar rotation electro-dynamical effects in the near-the-Sun solar wind seems more convenient from the non-inertial corotating reference frame. This implies some modification of the 3-D MHD equations generally on the base of the General Theory of Relativity. The paper deals with the search of stationary (in corotating non-inertial reference frame) solutions of the modified 3-D MHD equations for the in near-the-Sun high latitude sub-alfvenic solar wind. The solution is obtained requiring electric fields and field-aligned electric currents in the high latitude near-the-Sun solar wind. Various scenario are explored self-consistently via a number of numerical experiments. The analogy with the high latitude Earth's magnetosphere is used for the interpretation of the results. Possible observational manifestations are discussed.

Greening the Grid: Pathways to Integrate 175 Gigawatts of Renewable Energy into India’s Electric Grid, Vol. I. National Study. Executive Summary

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

Palchak, David; Cochran, Jaquelin; Deshmukh, Ranjit

The use of renewable energy (RE) sources, primarily wind and solar generation, is poised to grow significantly within the Indian power system. The Government of India has established an installed capacity target of 175 gigawatts (GW) RE by 2022 that includes 60 GW of wind and 100 GW of solar, up from current capacities of 29 GW wind and 9 GW solar. India’s contribution to global efforts on climate mitigation extends this ambition to 40% non-fossil-based generation capacity by 2030. Global experience demonstrates that power systems can integrate wind and solar at this scale; however, evidence-based planning is important tomore » achieve wind and solar integration at least cost. The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the operation of India’s power grid with 175 GW of RE in order to identify potential cost and operational concerns and actions needed to efficiently integrate this level of wind and solar generation.« less

Detection of oppositely directed reconnection jets in a solar wind current sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, M. S.; Phan, T. D.; Gosling, J. T.; Skoug, R. M.

2006-10-01

We report the first two-spacecraft (Wind and ACE) detection of oppositely directed plasma jets within a bifurcated current sheet in the solar wind. The event occurred on January 3, 2003 and provides further direct evidence that such jets result from reconnection. The magnetic shear across the bifurcated current sheet at both Wind and ACE was ~150°, indicating that the magnetic shear must have been the same at the reconnection site located between the two spacecraft. These observations thus provide strong evidence for component merging with a guide field ~ 30% of the antiparallel field. The dimensionless reconnection rate based on the measured inflow was 0.03, implying fast reconnection.

Detection of oppositely directed reconnection jets in a solar wind current sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, M. S.; Phan, T. D.; Gosling, J. T.; Skoug, R. M.

2006-12-01

We report the first two-spacecraft (Wind and ACE) detection of oppositely directed plasma jets within a bifurcated current sheet in the solar wind. The event occurred on January 3, 2003 and provides further direct evidence that such jets result from reconnection. The magnetic shear across the bifurcated current sheet at both Wind and ACE was approximately 150 degrees, indicating that the magnetic shear must have been the same at the reconnection site located between the two spacecraft. These observations thus provide strong evidence for component merging with a guide field approximately 30% of the antiparallel field. The dimensionless reconnection rate based on the measured inflow was 0.03, implying fast reconnection.

Modeling of the coupled magnetospheric and neutral wind dynamos

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thayer, Jeff P.

1993-01-01

The solar wind interaction with the earth's magnetosphere generates electric fields and currents that flow from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere at high latitudes. Consequently, the neutral atmosphere is subject to the dissipation and conversion of this electrical energy to thermal and mechanical energy through Joule heating and Lorentz forcing. As a result of the mechanical energy stored within the neutral wind (caused in part by Lorentz--and pressure gradient--forces set up by the magnetospheric flux of electrical energy), electric currents and fields can be generated in the ionosphere through the neutral wind dynamo mechanism. At high latitudes this source of electrical energy has been largely ignored in past studies, owing to the assumed dominance of the solar wind/magnetospheric dynamo as an electrical energy source to the ionosphere. However, other researchers have demonstrated that the available electrical energy provided by the neutral wind is significant at high latitudes, particularly in the midnight sector of the polar cap and in the region of the magnetospheric convection reversal. As a result, the conclusions of a number of broad ranging high-latitude investigations may be modified if the neutral-wind contribution to high-latitude electrodynamics is properly accounted for. These include the following: studies assessing solar wind-magnetospheric coupling by comparing the cross polar cap potential with solar wind parameters; research based on the alignment of particle precipitation with convection or field aligned current boundaries; and synoptic investigations attributing seasonal variations in the observed electric field and current patterns to external sources. These research topics have been initiated by satellite and ground-based observations and have been attributed to magnetospheric causes. However, the contribution of the neutral wind to the high-latitude electric field and current systems and their seasonal and local time dependence has yet to be quantitatively evaluated. In this program, we are evaluating the coupled magnetospheric and neutral wind dynamos at high latitudes under various conditions. In addition to examining the impact of seasonal variations, we are investigating the consequences of the separate dynamos having pure current-source or voltage-source behaviors.

Time delay between the SYMH and the solar wind energy input during intense storms determined by response function analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, X.; Du, A.

2014-12-01

We statistically studied the response time of the SYMH to the solar wind energy input ɛ by using the RFA approach. The average response time was 64 minutes. There was no clear trend among these events concerning to the minimum SYMH and storm type. It seems that the response time of magnetosphere to the solar wind energy input is independent on the storm intensity and the solar wind condition. The response function shows one peak even when the solar wind energy input and the SYMH have multi-peak. The response time exhibits as the intrinsic property of the magnetosphere that stands for the typical formation time of the ring current. This may be controlled by magnetospheric temperature, average number density, the oxygen abundance et al.

RECONSTRUCTING THE SOLAR WIND FROM ITS EARLY HISTORY TO CURRENT EPOCH

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

Airapetian, Vladimir S.; Usmanov, Arcadi V., E-mail: vladimir.airapetian@nasa.gov, E-mail: avusmanov@gmail.com

Stellar winds from active solar-type stars can play a crucial role in removal of stellar angular momentum and erosion of planetary atmospheres. However, major wind properties except for mass-loss rates cannot be directly derived from observations. We employed a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic Alfvén wave driven solar wind model, ALF3D, to reconstruct the solar wind parameters including the mass-loss rate, terminal velocity, and wind temperature at 0.7, 2, and 4.65 Gyr. Our model treats the wind thermal electrons, protons, and pickup protons as separate fluids and incorporates turbulence transport, eddy viscosity, turbulent resistivity, and turbulent heating to properly describe proton and electronmore » temperatures of the solar wind. To study the evolution of the solar wind, we specified three input model parameters, the plasma density, Alfvén wave amplitude, and the strength of the dipole magnetic field at the wind base for each of three solar wind evolution models that are consistent with observational constrains. Our model results show that the velocity of the paleo solar wind was twice as fast, ∼50 times denser and 2 times hotter at 1 AU in the Sun's early history at 0.7 Gyr. The theoretical calculations of mass-loss rate appear to be in agreement with the empirically derived values for stars of various ages. These results can provide realistic constraints for wind dynamic pressures on magnetospheres of (exo)planets around the young Sun and other active stars, which is crucial in realistic assessment of the Joule heating of their ionospheres and corresponding effects of atmospheric erosion.« less

The most intense electric currents in turbulent high speed solar wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podesta, J. J.

2017-12-01

Theory and simulations suggest that dissipation of turbulent energy in collisionless astrophysical plasmas occurs most rapidly in spatial regions where the current density is most intense. To advance understanding of plasma heating by turbulent dissipation in the solar corona and solar wind, it is of interest to characterize the properties of plasma regions where the current density takes exceptionally large values and to identify the operative dissipation processes. In the solar wind, the curl of the magnetic field cannot be measured using data from a single spacecraft, however, a suitable proxy for this quantity can be constructed from the spatial derivative of the magnetic field along the flow direction of the plasma. This new approach is used to study the properties of the most intense current carrying structures in a high speed solar wind stream near 1 AU. In this study, based on 11 Hz magnetometer data from the WIND spacecraft, the spatial resolution of the proxy technique is approximately equal to the proton inertial length. Intense current sheets or current carrying structures were identified as events where the magnitude of the current density exceeds μ+5σ, where μ and σ are the mean and standard deviation of the magnitude of the current density (or its proxy), respectively. Statistical studies show (1) the average size of these 5σ events is close to the smallest resolvable scale in the data set, the proton inertial length; (2) the linear distance between neighboring events follows a power law distribution; and (3) the average peak current density of 5σ events is around 1 pA/cm2. The analysis techniques used in these studies have been validated using simulated spacecraft data from three dimensional hybrid simulations which show that results based on the analysis of the proxy are qualitatively and quantitatively similar to results based on the analysis of the true current density.

Coronal magnetic fields and the solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newkirk, G., Jr.

1972-01-01

Current information is presented on coronal magnetic fields as they bear on problems of the solar wind. Both steady state fields and coronal transient events are considered. A brief critique is given of the methods of calculating coronal magnetic fields including the potential (current free) models, exact solutions for the solar wind and field interaction, and source surface models. These solutions are compared with the meager quantitative observations which are available at this time. Qualitative comparisons between the shapes of calculated magnetic field lines and the forms visible in the solar corona at several recent eclipses are displayed. These suggest that: (1) coronal streamers develop above extended magnetic arcades which connect unipolar regions of opposite polarity; and (2) loops, arches, and rays in the corona correspond to preferentially filled magnetic tubes in the approximately potential field.

CONTROLLING INFLUENCE OF MAGNETIC FIELD ON SOLAR WIND OUTFLOW: AN INVESTIGATION USING CURRENT SHEET SOURCE SURFACE MODEL

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

Poduval, B., E-mail: bpoduval@spacescience.org

2016-08-10

This Letter presents the results of an investigation into the controlling influence of large-scale magnetic field of the Sun in determining the solar wind outflow using two magnetostatic coronal models: current sheet source surface (CSSS) and potential field source surface. For this, we made use of the Wang and Sheeley inverse correlation between magnetic flux expansion rate (FTE) and observed solar wind speed (SWS) at 1 au. During the period of study, extended over solar cycle 23 and beginning of solar cycle 24, we found that the coefficients of the fitted quadratic equation representing the FTE–SWS inverse relation exhibited significantmore » temporal variation, implying the changing pattern of the influence of FTE on SWS over time. A particularly noteworthy feature is an anomaly in the behavior of the fitted coefficients during the extended minimum, 2008–2010 (CRs 2073–2092), which is considered due to the particularly complex nature of the solar magnetic field during this period. However, this variation was significant only for the CSSS model, though not a systematic dependence on the phase of the solar cycle. Further, we noticed that the CSSS model demonstrated better solar wind prediction during the period of study, which we attribute to the treatment of volume and sheet currents throughout the corona and the more accurate tracing of footpoint locations resulting from the geometry of the model.« less

Dynamics of Intense Currents in the Solar Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artemyev, Anton V.; Angelopoulos, Vassilis; Halekas, Jasper S.; Vinogradov, Alexander A.; Vasko, Ivan Y.; Zelenyi, Lev M.

2018-06-01

Transient currents in the solar wind are carried by various magnetic field discontinuities that contribute significantly to the magnetic field fluctuation spectrum. Internal instabilities and dynamics of these discontinuities are believed to be responsible for magnetic field energy dissipation and corresponding charged particle acceleration and heating. Accurate modeling of these phenomena requires detailed investigation of transient current formation and evolution. By examining such evolution using a unique data set compiled from observations of the same solar wind flow by two spacecraft at Earth’s and Mars’s orbits, we show that it consists of several processes: discontinuity thinning (decrease in thickness normalized by the ion inertial length), intensification of currents normalized to the proton thermal current (i.e., the product of proton charge, density, and thermal velocity), and increase in the compressional component of magnetic field variations across discontinuities. The significant proton temperature variation around most observed discontinuities indicates possible proton heating. Plasma velocity jumps across the discontinuities are well correlated with Alfvén velocity changes. We discuss possible explanations of the observed discontinuity evolution. We also compare the observed evolution with predictions of models describing discontinuity formation due to Alfvén wave steepening. Our results show that discontinuity modeling likely requires taking into account both the effects of nonlinear Alfvén wave dynamics and solar wind expansion.

Energetics of the terrestrial bow shock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamrin, Maria; Gunell, Herbert; Norqvist, Patrik

2017-04-01

The solar wind is the primary energy source for the magnetospheric energy budget. Energy can enter through the magnetopause both as kinetic energy (plasma entering via e.g. magnetic reconnection and impulsive penetration) and as electromagnetic energy (e.g. by the conversion of solar wind kinetic energy into electromagnetic energy in magnetopause generators). However, energy is extracted from the solar wind already at the bow shock, before it encounters the terrestrial magnetopause. At the bow shock the supersonic solar wind is slowed down and heated, and the region near the bow shock is known to host many complex processes, including the accelerating of particles and the generation of waves. The processes at and near the bow shock can be discussed in terms of energetics: In a generator (load) process kinetic energy is converted to (from) electromagnetic energy. Bow shock regions where the solar wind is decelerated correspond to generators, while regions where particles are energized (accelerated and heated) correspond to loads. Recently, it has been suggested that currents from the bow shock generator should flow across the magnetosheath and connect to the magnetospause current systems [Siebert and Siscoe, 2002; Lopez et al., 2011]. In this study we use data from the Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) mission to investigate the energetics of the bow shock and the current closure, and we compare with the MHD simulations of Lopez et al., 2011.

Mars atmospheric losses induced by the solar wind: current knowledge and perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ermakov, Vladimir; Zelenyi, Lev; Vaisberg, Oleg; Sementsov, Egor; Dubinin, Eduard

2017-04-01

Solar wind induced atmospheric losses have been studied since earlier 1970th. Several loss channels have been identified including pick-up of exospheric photo-ions and ionospheric ions escape. Measurements performed during several solar cycles showed variation of these losses by about factor of 10, being largest at maximum solar activity. MAVEN spacecraft equipped with comprehensive set of instruments with high temporal and mass resolution operating at Mars since fall 2014 ensures much better investigation of solar wind enforcing Martian environment, Mars atmospheric losses processes and mass loss rate. These issues are very important for understanding of Martian atmospheric evolution including water loss during cosmogonic time. Simultaneous observations by MAVEN and MEX spacecraft open the new perspective in study of Martian environment. In this report we discuss results of past and current missions and preliminary analysis of heavy ions escape using simultaneous measurements of MEX and MAVEN spacecraft.

Jupiter's outer atmosphere.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brice, N. M.

1973-01-01

The current state of the theory of Jupiter's outer atmosphere is briefly reviewed. The similarities and dissimilarities between the terrestrial and Jovian upper atmospheres are discussed, including the interaction of the solar wind with the planetary magnetic fields. Estimates of Jovian parameters are given, including magnetosphere and auroral zone sizes, ionospheric conductivity, energy inputs, and solar wind parameters at Jupiter. The influence of the large centrifugal force on the cold plasma distribution is considered. The Jovian Van Allen belt is attributed to solar wind particles diffused in toward the planet by dynamo electric fields from ionospheric neutral winds, and the consequences of this theory are indicated.

Some characteristics of intense geomagnetic storms and their energy budget

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vichare, Geeta; Alex, S.; Lakhina, G. S.

2005-03-01

The present study analyses nine intense geomagnetic storms (∣Dst∣ > 175 nT) with the aid of ACE satellite measurements and ground magnetic field values at Alibag Magnetic Observatory. The study confirms the crucial role of southward IMF in triggering the storm main phase as well as controlling the magnitude of the storm. The main phase interval shows clear dependence on the duration of southward IMF. An attempt is made to identify the multipeak signature in the ring current energy injection rate during main phase of the storm. In order to quantify the energy budget of magnetic storms, the present paper computes the solar wind energies, magnetospheric coupling energies, auroral and Joule heating energies, and the ring current energies for each storm under examination. Computation of the solar wind- magnetosphere coupling function considers the variation of the size of the magnetosphere by using the measured solar wind ram pressure. During the main phase of the storm, the solar wind kinetic energy ranges from 9 × 1017 to 72 × 1017 J with an average of 30 × 1017 J; the total energy dissipated in the auroral ionosphere varies between 2 × 1015 and 9 × 1015 J, whereas ring current energies range from 8 × 1015 to 19 × 1015 J. For the total storm period, about 3.5% of total solar wind kinetic energy is available for the redistribution in the magnetosphere, and around 20% of this goes into the inner magnetosphere and in the auroral ionosphere of both the hemispheres. It is found that during main phase of the storm, almost 5% of the total solar wind kinetic energy is available for the redistribution in the magnetosphere, whereas during the recovery phase the percentage becomes 2.3%.

A Time-dependent Heliospheric Model Driven by Empirical Boundary Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, T. K.; Arge, C. N.; Pogorelov, N. V.

2017-12-01

Consisting of charged particles originating from the Sun, the solar wind carries the Sun's energy and magnetic field outward through interplanetary space. The solar wind is the predominant source of space weather events, and modeling the solar wind propagation to Earth is a critical component of space weather research. Solar wind models are typically separated into coronal and heliospheric parts to account for the different physical processes and scales characterizing each region. Coronal models are often coupled with heliospheric models to propagate the solar wind out to Earth's orbit and beyond. The Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) model is a semi-empirical coronal model consisting of a potential field source surface model and a current sheet model that takes synoptic magnetograms as input to estimate the magnetic field and solar wind speed at any distance above the coronal region. The current version of the WSA model takes the Air Force Data Assimilative Photospheric Flux Transport (ADAPT) model as input to provide improved time-varying solutions for the ambient solar wind structure. When heliospheric MHD models are coupled with the WSA model, density and temperature at the inner boundary are treated as free parameters that are tuned to optimal values. For example, the WSA-ENLIL model prescribes density and temperature assuming momentum flux and thermal pressure balance across the inner boundary of the ENLIL heliospheric MHD model. We consider an alternative approach of prescribing density and temperature using empirical correlations derived from Ulysses and OMNI data. We use our own modeling software (Multi-scale Fluid-kinetic Simulation Suite) to drive a heliospheric MHD model with ADAPT-WSA input. The modeling results using the two different approaches of density and temperature prescription suggest that the use of empirical correlations may be a more straightforward, consistent method.

Classification of Initial conditions required for Substorm prediction.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patra, S.; Spencer, E. A.

2014-12-01

We investigate different classes of substorms that occur as a result of various drivers such as the conditions in the solar wind and the internal state of the magnetosphere ionosphere system during the geomagnetic activity. In performing our study, we develop and use our low order physics based nonlinear model of the magnetosphere called WINDMI to establish the global energy exchange between the solar wind, magnetosphere and ionosphere by constraining the model results to satellite and ground measurements. On the other hand, we make quantitative and qualitative comparisons between our low order model with available MHD, multi-fluid and ring current simulations in terms of the energy transfer between the geomagnetic tail, plasma sheet, field aligned currents, ionospheric currents and ring current, during isolated substorms, storm time substorms, and sawtooth events. We use high resolution solar wind data from the ACE satellite, measurements from the CLUSTER and THEMIS missions satellites, and ground based magnetometer measurements from SUPERMAG and WDC Kyoto, to further develop our low order physics based model. Finally, we attempt to answer the following questions: 1) What conditions in the solar wind influence the type of substorm event. This includes the IMF strength and orientation, the particle densities, velocities and temperatures, and the timing of changes such as shocks, southward turnings or northward turnings of the IMF. 2) What is the state of the magnetosphere ionosphere system before an event begins. These are the steady state conditions prior to an event, if they exist, which produce the satellite and ground based measurements matched to the WINDMI model. 3) How does the prior state of the magnetosphere influence the transition into a particular mode of behavior under solar wind forcing. 4) Is it possible to classify the states of the magnetosphere into distinct categories depending on pre-conditioning, and solar wind forcing conditions? 5) Can we predict the occurrence of substorms with any confidence?

Simulating Sources of Superstorm Plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fok, Mei-Ching

2008-01-01

We evaluated the contributions to magnetospheric pressure (ring current) of the solar wind, polar wind, auroral wind, and plasmaspheric wind, with the surprising result that the main phase pressure is dominated by plasmaspheric protons. We used global simulation fields from the LFM single fluid ideal MHD model. We embedded the Comprehensive Ring Current Model within it, driven by the LFM transpolar potential, and supplied with plasmas at its boundary including solar wind protons, polar wind protons, auroral wind O+, and plasmaspheric protons. We included auroral outflows and acceleration driven by the LFM ionospheric boundary condition, including parallel ion acceleration driven by upward currents. Our plasmasphere model runs within the CRCM and is driven by it. Ionospheric sources were treated using our Global Ion Kinetics code based on full equations of motion. This treatment neglects inertial loading and pressure exerted by the ionospheric plasmas, and will be superceded by multifluid simulations that include those effects. However, these simulations provide new insights into the respective role of ionospheric sources in storm-time magnetospheric dynamics.

MESSENGER and Venus Express Observations of the Near-tail of Venus: Magnetic Flux Transport, Current Sheet Structure, and Flux Rope Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slavin, James A.; Boardsen, S. A.; Sarantos, M.; Acuna, M. H.; Anderson, B. J.; Barabash, S.; Benna, M.; Fraenz, M.; Gloeckler, G.; Gold, R. E.;

MESSENGER: Exploring Mercury's Magnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slavin, James A.; Krimigis, Stamatios M.; Acuna, Mario H.; Anderson, Brian J.; Baker, Daniel N.; Koehn, Patrick L.; Korth, Haje; Levi, Stefano; Mauk, Barry H.; Solomon, Sean C.;

The Extent to Which Dayside Reconnection Drives Field-Aligned Currents During Substorms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsyth, C.; Shortt, M. W.; Coxon, J.; Rae, J.; Freeman, M. P.; Kalmoni, N. M. E.; Jackman, C. M.; Anderson, B. J.

2016-12-01

Field-aligned currents, also known as Birkeland currents, are the agents by which energy and momentum is transferred to the ionosphere from the magnetosphere and solar wind. In order to understand this coupling, it is necessary to analyze the variations in these current systems with respect to the main energy sources of the solar wind and substorms. In this study, we perform a superposed epoch analysis of field-aligned currents determined by the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE) project with respect to substorm expansion phase onsets identified using the Substorm Onsets and Phases from Indices of the Electrojet (SOPHIE) technique. We examine the total upward and downward currents separately in the noon, dusk, dawn and midnight sectors. Our results show that the dusk and dawn currents have up to a 66% linear correlated with the dayside reconnection rate estimated from solar wind measurements, whereas the noon and midnight currents are not. The noon currents show little or no variation throughout the substorm cycle. The midnight currents follows the dusk currents up to 20 min before onset, after which the midnight current increases more rapidly and exponentially. At substorm onset, the exponential growth rate increases. While the midnight field-aligned currents grow exponentially after substorm onset, the auroral indices vary with a 1/6th power law. Overall, our results show that the growth and decay rates of the Region 1 and 2 current systems, which are strongest at dawn and dusk, are directly driven by the solar wind, whereas the growth and decay rates of the substorm current system, which are dominant at midnight, act independently of the upstream driver.

Comets as natural laboratories: Interpretations of the structure of the inner heliosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramanjooloo, Yudish; Jones, Geraint H.; Coates, Andrew J.; Owens, Mathew J.

2015-11-01

Much has been learnt about the heliosphere’s structure from in situ solar wind spacecraft observations. Their coverage is however limited in time and space. Comets can be considered to be natural laboratories of the inner heliosphere, as their ion tails trace the solar wind flow. Solar wind conditions influence comets’ induced magnetotails, formed through the draping of the heliospheric magnetic field by the velocity shear in the mass-loaded solar wind.I present a novel imaging technique and software to exploit the vast catalogues of amateur and professional images of comet ion tails. My projection technique uses the comet’s orbital plane to sample its ion tail as a proxy for determining multi-latitudinal radial solar wind velocities in each comet’s vicinity. Making full use of many observing stations from astrophotography hobbyists to professional observatories and spacecraft, this approach is applied to several comets observed in recent years. This work thus assesses the validity of analysing comets’ ion tails as complementary sources of information on dynamical heliospheric phenomena and the underlying continuous solar wind.Complementary velocities, measured from folding ion rays and a velocity profile map built from consecutive images, are derived as an alternative means of quantifying the solar wind-cometary ionosphere interaction, including turbulent transient phenomena such as coronal mass ejections. I review the validity of these techniques by comparing near-Earth comets to solar wind MHD models (ENLIL) in the inner heliosphere and extrapolated measurements by ACE to the orbit of comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz), a near-Earth comet. My radial velocities are mapped back to the solar wind source surface to identify sources of the quiescent solar wind and heliospheric current sheet crossings. Comets were found to be good indicators of solar wind structure, but the quality of results is strongly dependent on the observing geometry.

Dependence of Substorm Evolution on Solar Wind Condition: Simulation Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamiyoshikawa, N.; Ebihara, Y.; Tanaka, T.

2017-12-01

A substorm is one of the remarkable disturbances occurring in the magnetosphere. It is known that the substorm occurs frequently when IMF is southward and solar wind speed is high. However, the physical process to determine substorm scale is not well understood. We reproduced substorms by using global MHD simulation, calculated auroral electrojet (ionospheric Hall current) flowing in the ionosphere to investigate the dependence of substorm evolution on solar wind condition. Solar wind speed of 372.4 km/s and IMF Bz of 5.0 nT were imposed to, obtain the quasi-stationary state of the magnetosphere. Then the solar wind parameters were changed as a step function. For the solar wind speed, we assumed 300 km/s, 500 km/s and 700 km/s. For IMF, we assumed -1.0 nT, -3.0 nT, -5.0 nT, -7.0 nT and -9.0 nT. In total, 15 simulation runs were performed. In order to objectively evaluate the substorm, the onset was identified with the method based on the one proposed by Newell et al. (2011). This method uses the SME index that is an extension of the AE index. In this study, the geomagnetic variation induced by the ionospheric Hall current was obtained every 1 degree from the magnetic latitude 40 degrees to 80 degrees and in every 0.5 hours in the magnetic region direction. The upper and the lower envelopes of the geomagnetic variation are regarded as SMU index and SML index, respectively. The larger the solar wind speed, the larger the southward IMF, the more the onset tends to be faster. This tendency is consistent with the onset occurrence probability indicated by Newell et al. (2016). Moreover, the minimum value of the SML index within 30 minutes from the beginning of the onset tends to decrease with the solar wind speed and the magnitude of the southward IMF. A rapid decrease of the SML index can be explained by a rapid increase in the field-aligned currents flowing in and out of the nightside ionosphere. This means that electromagnetic energies flowing into the ionosphere increase abruptly. To the analogy with electric circuit, dynamo is necessary in the magnetosphere to supply electromagnetic energy to the ionosphere as a load. We will discuss the physical process that may determine the intensity of the electrojet as seen by the SML index in terms of energy flow from the solar wind to the ionosphere and the convection by analyzing the global MHD simulation.

Escape for the Slow Solar Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-05-01

Plasma from the Sun known as the slow solar wind has been observed far away from where scientists thought it was produced. Now new simulations may have resolved the puzzle of where the slow solar wind comes from and how it escapes the Sun to travel through our solar system.An Origin PuzzleA full view of a coronal hole (dark portion) from SDO. The edges of the coronal hole mark the boundary between open and closed magnetic field lines. [SDO; adapted from Higginson et al. 2017]The Suns atmosphere, known as the corona, is divided into two types of regions based on the behavior of magnetic field lines. In closed-field regions, the magnetic field is firmly anchored in the photosphere at both ends of field lines, so traveling plasma is confined to coronal loops and must return to the Suns surface. In open-field regions, only one end of each magnetic field line is anchored in the photosphere, so plasma is able to stream from the Suns surface out into the solar system.This second type of region known as a coronal hole is thought to be the origin of fast-moving plasma measured in our solar system and known as the fast solar wind. But we also observe a slow solar wind: plasma that moves at speeds of less than 500 km/s.The slow solar wind presents a conundrum. Its observational properties strongly suggest it originates in the hot, closed corona rather than the cooler, open regions. But if the slow solar wind plasma originates in closed-field regions of the Suns atmosphere, then how does it escape from the Sun?Slow Wind from Closed FieldsA team of scientists led by Aleida Higginson (University of Michigan) has now used high-resolution, three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations to show how the slow solar wind can be generated from plasma that starts outin closed-field parts of the Sun.A simulated heliospheric arc, composed of open magnetic field lines. [Higginson et al. 2017]Motions on the Suns surface near the boundary between open and closed-field regions the boundary that marks the edges of coronal holes and extends outward as the heliospheric current sheet are caused by supergranule-like convective flows. These motions drive magnetic reconnection that funnel plasma from the closed-field region onto enormous arcs that extend far away from the heliospheric current sheet, spanning tens of degrees in latitude and longitude.The simulations by Higginson and collaborators demonstrate that closed-field plasma from coronal-hole boundaries can be successfully channeled into the solar system. Due to the geometry and dynamics of the coronal holes, the plasma can travel far from the heliospheric current sheet, resulting in a slow solar wind of closed-field plasma consistent with our observations. These simulations therefore suggest aprocessthat resolves the long-standing puzzle of the slow solar wind.BonusCheck out the animation below, made from the results of the teams simulations. This video shows the location of a forming heliospheric arc at a distance of 12 solar radii. The arc forms as magnetic field lines at the boundary of a coronal hole change from closed to open, allowing closed-field flux to escape along them.http://aasnova.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/apjlaa6d72f4_video.mp4CitationA. K. Higginson et al 2017 ApJL 840 L10. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa6d72

Long-term variation of radar-auroral backscatter and the interplanetary sector structure

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

Yeoman, T.K.; Burrage, M.D.; Lester, M.

Recurrent variation of geomagnetic activity at the {approximately}27-day solar rotation period and higher harmonics is a well-documented phenomenon. Auroral radar backscatter data from the Sweden and Britain Radar-Auroral Experiment (SABRE) radar provide a continuous time series from 1981 to the present which is a highly sensitive monitor of geomagnetic activity. In this study, Maximum Entropy Method (MEM) dynamic power spectra of SABRE backscatter data from 1981 to 1989, concurrent interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and solar wind parameters from 1981 to 1987, and the Kp index since 1932 are examined. Data since 1977 are compared with previously published heliospheric current sheetmore » measurements mapped out from the solar photosphere. Stong periodic behavior is observed in the radar backscatter during the declining phase of solar cycle 21, but this periodicity disappears at the start of solar cycle 22. Similar behavior is observed in earlier solar cycles in the Kp spectra. Details of the radar backscatter, IMF, and solar wind spectra indicate that the solar wind momentum density is the dominant parameter in determining the backscatter periodicity. The temporal evolution of two- and four-sector structures, as predicted by SABRE backscatter spectra, throughout solar cycle 21 generally still agree well with heliospheric current sheet measurements. For one interval, however, there is evidence that evolution of the current sheet has occurred between the photospheric source surface and the Earth.« less

Propagation of Interplanetary Disturbances in the Outer Heliosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Chi

2005-01-01

Contents include the following: 1. We have developed a one-dimensional, spherically symmetric, multi-fluid MHD model that includes solar wind protons and electrons, pickup ions, and interstellar neutral hydrogen. This model advances the existing solar wind models for the outer heliosphere in two important ways: one is that it distinguishes solar wind protons from pickup ions, and the other is that it allows for energy transfer from pickup ions to the solar wind protons. Model results compare favorably with the Voyager 2 observations. 2. 2. Solar wind slowdown and interstellar neutral density. The solar wind in the outer heliosphere is fundamentally different from that in the inner heliosphere since the effects of interstellar neutrals become significant. 3. ICME propagation from the inner to outer heliosphere. Large coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have major effects on the structure of the solar wind and the heliosphere. The plasma and magnetic field can be compressed ahead of interplanetary CMEs. 4. During the current solar cycle (Cycle 23), several major CMEs associated with solar flares produced large transient shocks which were observed by widely-separated spacecraft such as Wind at Earth and Voyager 2 beyond 60 AU. Using data from these spacecraft, we use the multi-fluid model to investigate shock propagation and interaction in the heliosphere. Specifically, we studied the Bastille Day 2000, April 2001 and Halloween 2003 events. 5. Statistical properties of the solar wind in the outer heliosphere. In a collaboration with L.F. Burlaga of GSFC, it is shown that the basic statistical properties of the solar wind in the outer heliosphere can be well produced by our model. We studied the large-scale heliospheric magnetic field strength fluctuations as a function of distance from the Sun during the declining phase of a solar cycle, using our numerical model with observations made at 1 AU during 1995 as input. 6. Radial heliospheric magnetic field events. The heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) direction, on average, conforms well to the Parker spiral.

Field-aligned current response to solar indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Thom R.; Weimer, D. R.; Tobiska, W. K.; Olsen, Nils

2017-05-01

Magnetometer data from three satellite missions have been used to analyze and identify the effects of varying solar radiation on the magnitudes and locations of field-aligned currents in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Data from the CHAMP, Ørsted, and Swarm satellite missions have been brought together to provide a database spanning a 15 year period. The extensive time frame has been augmented by data from the ACE satellite, as well as a number of indices of solar radiation. This data set has been sorted by a number of solar wind, interplanetary magnetic field, and solar radiation indices to provide measurements for the field-aligned current structures in both hemispheres for arbitrary seasonal tilts. In addition, routines have been developed to extract the total current for different regions of the current structures, including regions 0, 1, and 2. Results from this study have been used to evaluate the effects of variations in four different solar indices on the total current in different regions of the polar cap. While the solar indices do not have major influence on the total current of the polar cap when compared to solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field parameters, it does appear that there is a nonlinear response to increasing F10.7, M10.7, and S10.7 solar indices. Surprisingly, there appears to be a very linear response as Y10.7 solar index increases.

Electrodynamics of the Martian Ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ledvina, S. A.; Brecht, S. H.

2017-12-01

The presence of the Martian crustal magnetic fields makes a significant modification to the interaction between the solar wind/IMF and the ionosphere of the planet. This paper presents the results of 3-D hybrid simulations of Martian solar wind interaction containing the Martian crustal fields., self-consistent ionospheric chemistry and planetary rotation. It has already been reported that the addition of the crustal fields and planetary rotation makes a significant modification of the ionospheric loss from Mars, Brecht et al., 2016. This paper focuses on two other aspects of the interaction, the electric fields and the current systems created by the solar wind interaction. The results of several simulations will be analyzed and compared. The electric fields around Mars due to its interaction with the solar wind will be examined. Special attention will be paid to the electric field constituents (∇ X B, ∇Pe, ηJ). Regions where the electric field is parallel to the magnetic field will be found and the implications of these regions will be discussed. Current systems for each ion species will be shown. Finally the effects on the electric fields and the current systems due to the rotation of Mars will be examined.

Solar Wind drivers affecting GIC magnitude in New Zealand.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mac Manus, D. H.; Rodger, C. J.; Dalzell, M.; Petersen, T.; Clilverd, M. A.

2017-12-01

Interplanetary shocks arriving at the Earth drive magnetosphere and ionosphere current systems. Ground based magnetometers detect the time derivation of the horizontal magnetic field (dBH/dt) which can indicate the strength of these ionospheric currents. The strong dBH/dt spikes have been observed to cause large Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC) in New Zealand. Such could, potentially lead to large scale damage to technological infrastructure such as power network transformers; one transformer was written off in New Zealand after a sudden commencement on 6 November 2001. The strength of the incoming interplanetary shocks are monitored by satellite measurements undertaken at the L1 point. Such measurements could give power network operators a 20-60 minute warning before potentially damaging GIC occurs. In this presentation we examine solar wind measurements from the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), Wind, and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). We contrast those solar wind observations with GIC measured in New Zealand's South Island from 2001 to 2016. We are searching for a consistent relationship between the incoming interplanetary shock and the GIC magnitude. Such a relationship would allow Transpower New Zealand Limited a small time window to implement mitigation plans in order to restrict any GIC-caused damage.

Wind and Solar Data Projections from the U.S. Energy Information Administration: Past Performance and Planned Enhancements

EIA Publications

2016-01-01

In an effort to improve EIA's approach to providing accurate, comprehensive data, and useful projections for policy analysis, EIA has conducted a review of its historical data and projections of capacity, generation, and cost projections for wind and solar technologies. While EIA's internal processes and engagement with stakeholders are both continuing, this paper shares some early findings of EIA's current review of our wind and solar data and projections, focusing in part on some of the issues that have been publicly raised by EIA's critics.

The structure of the solar wind in the inner heliosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Christina On-Yee

2010-12-01

This dissertation is devoted to expanding our understanding of the solar wind structure in the inner heliosphere and variations therein with solar activity. Using spacecraft observations and numerical models, the origins of the large-scale structures and long-term trends of the solar wind are explored in order to gain insights on how our Sun determines the space environments of the terrestrial planets. I use long term measurements of the solar wind density, velocity, interplanetary magnetic field, and particles, together with models based on solar magnetic field data, to generate time series of these properties that span one solar rotation (˜27 days). From these time series, I assemble and obtain the synoptic overviews of the solar wind properties. The resulting synoptic overviews show that the solar wind around Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars is a complex co-rotating structure with recurring features and occasional transients. During quiet solar conditions, the heliospheric current sheet, which separates the positive interplanetary magnetic field from the negative, usually has a remarkably steady two- or four-sector structure that persists for many solar rotations. Within the sector boundaries are the slow and fast speed solar wind streams that originate from the open coronal magnetic field sources that map to the ecliptic. At the sector boundaries, compressed high-density and the related high-dynamic pressure ridges form where streams from different coronal source regions interact. High fluxes of energetic particles also occur at the boundaries, and are seen most prominently during the quiet solar period. The existence of these recurring features depends on how long-lived are their source regions. In the last decade, 3D numerical solar wind models have become more widely available. They provide important scientific tools for obtaining a more global view of the inner heliosphere and of the relationships between conditions at Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. When I compare the model results with observations for periods outside of solar wind disturbances, I find that the models do a good job of simulating at least the steady, large-scale, ambient solar wind structure. However, it remains a challenge to accurately model the solar wind during active solar conditions. During these times, solar transients such as coronal mass ejections travel through interplanetary space and disturb the ambient solar wind, producing a far less predictable and modelable space environment. However, such conditions may have the greatest impact on the planets - especially on their atmospheres and magnetospheres. I therefore also consider the next steps in modeling, toward including active conditions.

The spatial gradients in the solar wind and IMF in the vicinity of the first Lagrangian point

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, H.; Russell, C. T.; Riley, P.

2017-12-01

To verify the accuracy of predicted solar wind conditions at L1, we need to know how accurate our measurements are as well as the spatial gradients of solar wind properties since the data are not obtained precisely at the L1 point. With ACE, Wind, and DSCOVR currently taking measurements in the vicinity of L1, we first need to test whether their responses to the solar wind are the same and if not, to determine which data are most accurate. Secondly, we need to study the coherency scales of the solar wind properties, which determine the scale over which the measurements can be accurately extrapolated. By comparing the measurements during large solar wind structures (e.g. CMEs), we find that the magnetic fields from all spacecraft are measured accurately, but the plasma parameters can be significantly different from one spacecraft to another. By examining the sum of magnetic and plasma thermal pressure across tangential discontinuities, we find that the density and temperature measurements from Wind and DSCOVR do show pressure continuity as expected while ACE does not. Since plasma data from DSCOVR have a greater variability about the mean and have many data gaps, we believe that data from Wind should be used whenever available. We find that strength of the magnetic field and zero levels of the various magnetometers are consistent, but the direction of the magnetic field can change significantly in the cross-flow direction. Thus, over the separation distance of spacecraft near L1, large changes in the IMF direction can appear between spacecraft even though the IMF is accurately measured. In contrast, the plasma parameters, when measured accurately, are spatially uniform over about 100Re and may be extrapolated well. Our results can also be applied to improving future space weather mission design. A constellation of cubesats with magnetometers would be needed to determine the IMF impinging on the magnetosphere. Fewer plasma instruments are needed to determine the impinging solar wind conditions, but they should be more accurate than the current detectors.

Ionosphere of venus: first observations of the effects of dynamics on the dayside ion composition.

PubMed

Taylor, H A; Brinton, H C; Bauer, S J; Hartle, R E; Cloutier, P A; Michel, F C; Daniell, R E; Donahue, T M; Maehl, R C

1979-02-23

Bennett radio-frequency ion mass spectrometers have returned the first in situ measurements of the Venus dayside ion composition, including evidence of pronounced structural variability resulting from a dynamic interaction with the solar wind. The ionospheric envelope, dominated above 200 kilometers by O(+), responds dramatically to variations in the solar wind pressure, Which is observed to compress the thermal ion distributions from heights as great as 1800 kilometers inward to 280 kilometers. At the thermal ion boundary, or ionopause, the ambient ions are swept away by the solar wind, such that a zone of accelerated suprathermnal plasma is encountered. At higher altitudes, extending outward on some orbits for thousands of kilometers to the bows shock, energetic ion currents are detected, apparently originating from the shocked solar wind plasma. Within the ionosphere, observations of pass-to-pass differences in the ion scale heights are indicative of the effects of ion convection stimlulated by the solar wind interaction.

Anticipated Electrical Environment Within Permanently Shadowed Lunar Craters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrell, W. M.; Stubbs, T. J.; Halekas, J. S.; Killen, R. M.; Delory, G. T.; Collier, M. R.; Vondrak, R. R.

2010-01-01

Shadowed locations ncar the lunar poles arc almost certainly electrically complex regions. At these locations near the terminator, the local solar wind flows nearly tangential to the surface and interacts with large-scale topographic features such as mountains and deep large craters, In this work, we study the solar wind orographic effects from topographic obstructions along a rough lunar surface, On the leeward side of large obstructions, plasma voids are formed in the solar wind because of the absorption of plasma on the upstream surface of these obstacles, Solar wind plasma expands into such voids) producing an ambipolar potential that diverts ion flow into the void region. A surface potential is established on these leeward surfaces in order to balance the currents from the expansion-limited electron and ion populations, Wc find that there arc regions ncar the leeward wall of the craters and leeward mountain faces where solar wind ions cannot access the surface, leaving an electron-rich plasma previously identified as an "electron cloud." In this case, some new current is required to complete the closure for current balance at the surface, and we propose herein that lofted negatively charged dust is one possible (nonunique) compensating current source. Given models for both ambipolar and surface plasma processes, we consider the electrical environment around the large topographic features of the south pole (including Shoemaker crater and the highly varied terrain near Nobile crater), as derived from Goldstone radar data, We also apply our model to moving and stationary objects of differing compositions located on the surface and consider the impact of the deflected ion flow on possible hydrogen resources within the craters

Measurements of electric fields in the solar wind: Interpretation difficulties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chertkov, A. D.

1995-06-01

The traditionally measured electric fields in the solar wind plasma (about 1-10 mV/m) are not the natural, primordial ones but are the result of plasma-vehicle interaction. The theory of this interaction is not complete now and current interpretation of the measurements can fail. The state of fully ionized plasma depends on the entropy of the creating source and on the process in which plasma is involved. The increasing twofold of a moving volume in the solar wind (with energy transfer across its surface which is comparable with its whole internal energy) is a more rapid process than the relaxation for the pressure. The presumptive source of the solar wind creation - the induction electric field of the solar origin - has very low entropy. The state of plasma must be very far from the state of thermodynamic equilibrium. The internal energy of plasma can be contained mainly in plasma waves, resonant plasma oscillations, and electric currents. The primordial microscopic oscillating electric fields could be about 1 V/m. It can be checked by special measurements, not ruining the natural plasma state. The tool should be a dielectrical microelectroscope outside the distortion zone of the spacecraft, having been observed from the latter.

Measurements of electric fields in the solar wind: Interpretation difficulties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chertkov, A. D.

1995-01-01

The traditionally measured electric fields in the solar wind plasma (about 1-10 mV/m) are not the natural, primordial ones but are the result of plasma-vehicle interaction. The theory of this interaction is not complete now and current interpretation of the measurements can fail. The state of fully ionized plasma depends on the entropy of the creating source and on the process in which plasma is involved. The increasing twofold of a moving volume in the solar wind (with energy transfer across its surface which is comparable with its whole internal energy) is a more rapid process than the relaxation for the pressure. The presumptive source of the solar wind creation - the induction electric field of the solar origin - has very low entropy. The state of plasma must be very far from the state of thermodynamic equilibrium. The internal energy of plasma can be contained mainly in plasma waves, resonant plasma oscillations, and electric currents. The primordial microscopic oscillating electric fields could be about 1 V/m. It can be checked by special measurements, not ruining the natural plasma state. The tool should be a dielectrical microelectroscope outside the distortion zone of the spacecraft, having been observed from the latter.

ON INTERMITTENT TURBULENCE HEATING OF THE SOLAR WIND: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TANGENTIAL AND ROTATIONAL DISCONTINUITIES

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

Wang Xin; Tu Chuanyi; He Jiansen

The intermittent structures in solar wind turbulence, studied by using measurements from the WIND spacecraft, are identified as being mostly rotational discontinuities (RDs) and rarely tangential discontinuities (TDs) based on the technique described by Smith. Only TD-associated current sheets (TCSs) are found to be accompanied with strong local heating of the solar wind plasma. Statistical results show that the TCSs have a distinct tendency to be associated with local enhancements of the proton temperature, density, and plasma beta, and a local decrease of magnetic field magnitude. Conversely, for RDs, our statistical results do not reveal convincing heating effects. These resultsmore » confirm the notion that dissipation of solar wind turbulence can take place in intermittent or locally isolated small-scale regions which correspond to TCSs. The possibility of heating associated with RDs is discussed.« less

Non-thermal electron distribution functions through 3D magnetic reconnection instabilities in the solar wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alejandro Munoz Sepulveda, Patricio; Buechner, Joerg

2017-04-01

The effects of kinetic instabilities on the solar wind electron velocity distribution functions (eVDFs) are mostly well understood under local homogeneous and stationary conditions. But the solar wind also contains current sheets, which affect the local properties of instabilities, turbulence and thus the observed non-maxwellian features in the eVDFs. Those processes are vastly unexplored. Therefore, we aim to investigate the influence of self-consistently generated turbulence via electron-scale instabilities in reconnecting current sheets on the formation of suprathermal features in the eVDFs. For this sake, we carry out 3D fully-kinetic Particle-in-Cell code numerical simulations of force free current sheets with a guide magnetic field. We find extended tails, anisotropic plateaus and non-gyrotropic features in the eVDFs, correlated with the locations and time where micro-turbulence is enhanced in the current sheet due to current-aligned streaming instabilities. We also discuss the influence of the plasma parameters, such as the ion to electron temperature ratio, on the excitation of current sheet instabilities and their effect on the properties of the eVDFs.

3DCORE: Forward modeling of solar storm magnetic flux ropes for space weather prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Möstl, C.; Amerstorfer, T.; Palmerio, E.; Isavnin, A.; Farrugia, C. J.; Lowder, C.; Winslow, R. M.; Donnerer, J. M.; Kilpua, E. K. J.; Boakes, P. D.

2018-05-01

3DCORE forward models solar storm magnetic flux ropes called 3-Dimensional Coronal Rope Ejection (3DCORE). The code is able to produce synthetic in situ observations of the magnetic cores of solar coronal mass ejections sweeping over planets and spacecraft. Near Earth, these data are taken currently by the Wind, ACE and DSCOVR spacecraft. Other suitable spacecraft making these kind of observations carrying magnetometers in the solar wind were MESSENGER, Venus Express, MAVEN, and even Helios.

The Interplanetary Magnetic Field and Magnetospheric Current Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Alaoui, Mostafa

2003-01-01

We have performed systematic global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation studies driven by an idealized time series of solar wind parameters to establish basic cause and effect relationships between the solar wind variations and the ionosphere parameters. We studied six cases in which the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) rotated from southward to northward in one minute. In three cases (cases A, B, and C) we ran five hours of southward IMF with Beta(sub Zeta) = 5 nT, followed by five hours of northward IMF with Beta(sub Zeta) = 5 nT. In the other three cases (cases D, E, and F) the magnetic field magnitude was increased to 10 nT. The solar wind parameters were: For cases A and D a density of 5 cm(exp -3), a thermal pressure of 3.3 nPa, and a solar wind speed 375 km/s, for cases B and E a density of 10 cm(exp -3), a thermal pressure of 9.9 nPa, and a solar wind speed 420 km/s, while for cases C and F a density of 15 cm(exp -3), a thermal pressure of 14.9 nPa, and a solar wind speed of 600 km/s.

Physics of the Inner Heliosphere 1-10 R(sub s): Plasma Diagnostics and Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Habbal, Shadia R.; Wagner, William J. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

While the mechanisms responsible for heating the solar corona and accelerating the fast and slow solar wind streams are still unknown, model computations offer the only means for exploring and predicting the properties of such mechanisms in light of the empirical constraints currently available. During the time covered by this grant, modeling and data analysis efforts were aimed at: 1) the study of the propagation and damping of ion-cyclotron waves in the fast solar wind 2) the exploration of the role of instabilities in the development of temperature anisotropies in the inner corona 3) the coupling of neutral hydrogen and protons in the fast solar wind 4) the morphology of the source region of the solar wind. Summarized are some of the highlights of these studies. Two PhD theses by Xing Li and Lorraine Allen were partially supported by this grant.

Jovian Substorms: A Study of Processes Leading to Transient Behavior in the Jovian Magnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, C. T.

2000-01-01

Solar system magnetospheres can be divided into two groups: induced and intrinsic. The induced magnetospheres are produced in the solar wind interaction of the magnetized solar wind with planetary obstacles. Examples of these magnetospheres are those of comets, Venus and Mars. Intrinsic magnetospheres are the cavities formed in the solar wind by the magnetic fields produced by dynamo current systems inside the planets: Mercury, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are known to have intrinsic magnetospheres. Intrinsic magnetospheres can be further subdivided as to how the circulating plasma is driven by external or internal processes. The magnetospheres of Mercury and Earth are driven by the solar wind. The magnetospheres of Jupiter and possibly of Saturn are principally driven by internal processes. These processes provide the energy for the powerful jovian radio signals that can be detected easily on the surface of the Earth.

Recent Insights into the Nature of Turbulence in the Solar Wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, Melvun L.

2008-01-01

During the past several years, studies of solar wind turbulence using data from Cluster and other spacecraft, and results from new numerical simulations, have revealed new aspects of solar wind turbulence. I will try to highlight some of that research. At the shortest length scales and highest frequencies, there is renewed interest in determining how the turbulence dissipates, e.g., whether by kinetic Alfven waves or whistler turbulence. Finding observational evidence for exponential damping of solar wind fluctuations has proven challenging. New studies using a combination of flux gate and search coil magnetometer data from Cluster have extended this search (in the spacecraft frame of reference) to more than 10 Hertz. New models and simulations are also being used to study the dissipation. A detailed study of fluctuations in the magnetosheath suggests that turbulent dissipation could be occurring at very thin current sheets as had been suggested by two-dimensional MHD simulations more than 20 years ago. Data from the four Cluster spacecraft, now at their maximum separation of 10,000 km provide new opportunities to investigate the symmetry properties, scale lengths, and the relative proportion of magnetic energy in parallel and perpendicular wave numbers of solar wind turbulence. By utilizing well-calibrated electron data, it has been possible to take advantage of the tetrahedral separation of Cluster in the solar wind near apogee to measure directly the compressibility and vorticity of the solar wind plasma.

An electrodynamic model of electric currents and magnetic fields in the dayside ionosphere of Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cloutier, P. A.; Tascione, T. F.; Danieli, R. E., Jr.

1981-01-01

The electric current configuration induced in the ionosphere of Venus by the interaction of the solar wind has been calculated in previous papers (Cloutier and Daniell, 1973; Daniell and Cloutier, 1977; Cloutier and Daniell, 1979) for average steady-state solar wind conditions and interplanetary magnetic field. This model is generalized to include the effects of (1) plasma depletion and magnetic field enhancement near the ionopause, (2) velocity-shear-induced MHD instabilities of the Kelvin-Helmholtz type within the ionosphere, and (3) variations in solar wind parameters and interplanetary magnetic field. It is shown that the magnetic field configuration resulting from the model varies in response to changes in solar wind and interplanetary field conditions, and that these variations produce magnetic field profiles in excellent agreement with those seen by the Pioneer-Venus Orbiter. The formation of flux-ropes by the Kelving-Helmholtz instability is shown to be a natural consequence of the model, with the spatial distribution and size of the flux-ropes determined by the magnetic Reynolds number.

Intermittency of solar wind on scale 0.01-16 Hz.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riazantseva, Maria; Zastenker, Georgy; Chernyshov, Alexander; Petrosyan, Arakel

Magnetosphere of the Earth is formed in the process of solar wind flow around earth's magnetic field. Solar wind is a flow of turbulent plasma that displays a multifractal structure and an intermittent character. That is why the study of the characteristics of solar wind turbulence is very important part of the solution of the problem of the energy transport from the solar wind to magnetosphere. A large degree of intermittency is observed in the solar wind ion flux and magnetic field time rows. We investigated the intermittency of solar wind fluctuations under large statistics of high time resolution measurements onboard Interball-1 spacecraft on scale from 0.01 to 16 Hz. Especially it is important that these investigation is carry out for the first time for the earlier unexplored (by plasma data) region of comparatively fast variations (frequency up to 16 Hz), so we significantly extend the range of intermittency observations for solar wind plasma. The intermittency practically absent on scale more then 1000 s and it grows to the small scales right up till t 30-60 s. The behavior of the intermittency for the scale less then 30-60 s is rather changeable. The boundary between these two rates of intermittency is quantitatively near to the well-known boundary between the dissipation and inertial scales of fluctuations, what may point to their possible relation. Special attention is given to a comparison of intermittency for solar wind observation intervals containing SCIF (Sudden Changes of Ion Flux) to ones for intervals without SCIF. Such a comparison allows one to reveal the fundamental turbulent properties of the solar wind regions in which SCIF is observed more frequently. We use nearly incompressible model of the solar wind turbulence for obtained data interpretation. The regime when density fluctuations are passive scalar in a hydrodynamic field of velocity is realized in turbulent solar wind flows according to this model. This hypothesis can be verified straightforwardly by investigating the density spectrum which should be slaved to the incompressible velocity spectrum. Density discontinuities on times up to t 30-60 s are defined by intermittency of velocity turbulent field. Solar wind intermittency and many or most of its discontinuities are produced by MHD turbulence in this time interval. It is possible that many or even most of the current structures in the solar wind, particularly inertial range structures that contribute to the tails of the PDFs. Complex non-gaussian behaviour on smaller times is described by dissipation rate nonhomogeneity of statistical moments for density field in a random flow.

The Genesis Mission: Solar Wind Conditions, and Implications for the FIP Fractionation of the Solar Wind.

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

Reisenfeld, D. B.; Wiens, R. C.; Barraclough, B. L.

2005-01-01

The NASA Genesis mission collected solar wind on ultrapure materials between November 30, 2001 and April 1, 2004. The samples were returned to Earth September 8, 2004. Despite the hard landing that resulted from a failure of the avionics to deploy the parachute, many samples were returned in a condition that will permit analyses. Sample analyses of these samples should give a far better understanding of the solar elemental and isotopic composition (Burnett et al. 2003). Further, the photospheric composition is thought to be representative of the solar nebula, so that the Genesis mission will provide a new baseline formore » the average solar nebula composition with which to compare present-day compositions of planets, meteorites, and asteroids. Sample analysis is currently underway. The Genesis samples must be placed in the context of the solar and solar wind conditions under which they were collected. Solar wind is fractionated from the photosphere by the forces that accelerate the ions off of the Sun. This fractionation appears to be ordered by the first ionization potential (FIP) of the elements, with the tendency for low-FIP elements to be over-abundant in the solar wind relative to the photosphere, and high-FIP elements to be under-abundant (e.g. Geiss, 1982; von Steiger et al., 2000). In addition, the extent of elemental fractionation differs across different solarwind regimes. Therefore, Genesis collected solar wind samples sorted into three regimes: 'fast wind' or 'coronal hole' (CH), 'slow wind' or 'interstream' (IS), and 'coronal mass ejection' (CME). To carry this out, plasma ion and electron spectrometers (Barraclough et al., 2003) continuously monitored the solar wind proton density, velocity, temperature, the alpha/proton ratio, and angular distribution of suprathermal electrons, and those parameters were in turn used in a rule-based algorithm that assigned the most probable solar wind regime (Neugebauer et al., 2003). At any given time, only one of three regime-specific collectors (CH, IS, or CME) was exposed to the solar wind. Here we report on the regime-specific solar wind conditions from in-situ instruments over the course of the collection period. Further, we use composition data from the SWICS (Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer) instrument on ACE (McComas et al., 1998) to examine the FIP fractionation between solar wind regimes, and make a preliminary comparison of these to the FIP analysis of Ulysses/SWICS composition data (von Steiger et al. 2000). Our elemental fractionation study includes a reevaluation of the Ulysses FIP analysis in light of newly reported photospheric abundance data (Asplund, Grevesse & Sauval, 2005). The new abundance data indicate a metallicity (Z/X) for the Sun almost a factor of two lower than that reported in the widely used compilation of Anders & Grevesse (1989). The new photospheric abundances suggest a lower degree of solar wind fractionation than previously reported by von Steiger et al. (2000) for the first Ulysses polar orbit (1991-1998).« less

The GENESIS Mission: Solar Wind Isotopic and Elemental Compositions and Their Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiens, R. C.; Burnett, D. S.; McKeegan, K. D.; Kallio, A. P.; Mao, P. H.; Heber, V. S.; Wieler, R.; Meshik, A.; Hohenberg, C. M.; Mabry, J. C.; Gilmour, J.; Crowther, S. A.; Reisenfeld, D. B.; Jurewicz, A.; Marty, B.; Pepin, R. O.; Barraclough, B. L.; Nordholt, J. E.; Olinger, C. T.; Steinberg, J. T.

2008-12-01

The GENESIS mission was a novel NASA experiment to collect solar wind at the Earth's L1 point for two years and return it for analysis. The capsule crashed upon re-entry in 2004, but many of the solar-wind collectors were recovered, including separate samples of coronal hole, interstream, and CME material. Laboratory analyses of these materials have allowed higher isotopic precision than possible with current in-situ detectors. To date GENESIS results have been obtained on isotopes of O, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe on the order of 1% accuracy and precision, with poorer uncertainty on Xe isotopes and significantly better uncertainties on the lighter noble gases. Elemental abundances are available for the above elements as well as Mg, Si, and Fe. When elemental abundances are compared with other in situ solar wind measurements, agreement is generally quite good. One exception is the Ne elemental abundance, which agrees with Ulysses and Apollo SWC results, but not with ACE. Neon is of particular interest because of the uncertainty in the solar Ne abundance, which has significant implications for the standard solar model. Helium isotopic results of material from the different solar wind regimes collected by GENESIS is consistent with isotopic fractionation predictions of the Coulomb drag model, suggesting that isotopic fractionation corrections need to be applied to heavier elements as well when extrapolating solar wind to solar compositions. Noble gas isotopic compositions from GENESIS are consistent with those obtained for solar wind trapped in lunar grains, but have for the first time yielded a very precise Ar isotopic result. Most interesting for cosmochemistry is a preliminary oxygen isotopic result from GENESIS which indicates a solar enrichment of ~4% in 16O relative to the planets, consistent with a photolytic self-shielding phenomenon during solar system formation. Analyses of solar wind N and C isotopes may further elucidate this phenomenon. Preliminary results from GENESIS have been reported for N, and results are still pending for C.

Evolution of the Sunspot Number and Solar Wind B Time Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cliver, Edward W.; Herbst, Konstantin

2018-03-01

The past two decades have witnessed significant changes in our knowledge of long-term solar and solar wind activity. The sunspot number time series (1700-present) developed by Rudolf Wolf during the second half of the 19th century was revised and extended by the group sunspot number series (1610-1995) of Hoyt and Schatten during the 1990s. The group sunspot number is significantly lower than the Wolf series before ˜1885. An effort from 2011-2015 to understand and remove differences between these two series via a series of workshops had the unintended consequence of prompting several alternative constructions of the sunspot number. Thus it has been necessary to expand and extend the sunspot number reconciliation process. On the solar wind side, after a decade of controversy, an ISSI International Team used geomagnetic and sunspot data to obtain a high-confidence time series of the solar wind magnetic field strength (B) from 1750-present that can be compared with two independent long-term (> ˜600 year) series of annual B-values based on cosmogenic nuclides. In this paper, we trace the twists and turns leading to our current understanding of long-term solar and solar wind activity.

Dense solar wind cloud geometries deduced from comparisons of radio signal delay and in situ plasma measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landt, J. A.

1974-01-01

The geometries of dense solar wind clouds are estimated by comparing single-location measurements of the solar wind plasma with the average of the electron density obtained by radio signal delay measurements along a radio path between earth and interplanetary spacecraft. Several of these geometries agree with the current theoretical spatial models of flare-induced shock waves. A new class of spatially limited structures that contain regions with densities greater than any observed in the broad clouds is identified. The extent of a cloud was found to be approximately inversely proportional to its density.

Geomagnetic activity: Dependence on solar wind parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Svalgaard, L.

1977-01-01

Current ideas about the interaction between the solar wind and the earth's magnetosphere are reviewed. The solar wind dynamic pressure as well as the influx of interplanetary magnetic field lines are both important for the generation of geomagnetic activity. The influence of the geometry of the situation as well as the variability of the interplanetary magnetic field are both found to be important factors. Semi-annual and universal time variations are discussed as well as the 22-year cycle in geomagnetic activity. All three are found to be explainable by the varying geometry of the interaction. Long term changes in geomagnetic activity are examined.

Structured Slow Solar Wind Variability: Streamer-blob Flux Ropes and Torsional Alfvén Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higginson, A. K.; Lynch, B. J.

2018-05-01

The slow solar wind exhibits strong variability on timescales from minutes to days, likely related to magnetic reconnection processes in the extended solar corona. Higginson et al. presented a numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulation that showed interchange magnetic reconnection is ubiquitous and most likely responsible for releasing much of the slow solar wind, in particular along topological features known as the Separatrix-Web (S-Web). Here, we continue our analysis, focusing on two specific aspects of structured slow solar wind variability. The first type is present in the slow solar wind found near the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), and the second we predict should be present everywhere S-Web slow solar wind is observed. For the first type, we examine the evolution of three-dimensional magnetic flux ropes formed at the top of the helmet streamer belt by reconnection in the HCS. For the second, we examine the simulated remote and in situ signatures of the large-scale torsional Alfvén wave (TAW), which propagates along an S-Web arc to high latitudes. We describe the similarities and differences between the reconnection-generated flux ropes in the HCS, which resemble the well-known “streamer blob” observations, and the similarly structured TAW. We discuss the implications of our results for the complexity of the HCS and surrounding plasma sheet and the potential for particle acceleration, as well as the interchange reconnection scenarios that may generate TAWs in the solar corona. We discuss predictions from our simulation results for the dynamic slow solar wind in the extended corona and inner heliosphere.

The Equatorial Scintillations and Space Weather Effects on its Generation during Geomagnetic Storms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biktash, Lilia

Great diversity of the ionospheric phenomena leads to a variety of irregularity types with spatial size from many thousands of kilometers to few centimeters and lifetimes from days to fractions of second. Since the ionosphere strongly influences the propagation of radio waves, signal distortions caused by these irregularities affect short-wave transmissions on Earth, transiono-spheric satellite communications and navigation. In this work the solar wind and the equatorial ionosphere parameters, Kp, Dst, AU, AL indices characterized contribution of different mag-netospheric and ionospheric currents to the H-component of geomagnetic field are examined to test the space weather effect on the generation of ionospheric irregularities producing VLF scintillations. According to the results of the current statistical studies, one can predict scintil-lations from Aarons' criteria using the Dst index, which mainly depicts the magnetospheric ring current field. To amplify Aarons' criteria or to propose new criteria for predicting scintillation characteristics is the question. In the present phase of the experimental investigations of elec-tron density irregularities in the ionosphere new ways are opened up because observations in the interaction between the solar wind -magnetosphere -ionosphere during magnetic storms have progressed greatly. We have examined scintillation relation to magnetospheric and ionospheric currents and show that the factor, which presents during magnetic storms to fully inhibit scin-tillation, is the positive Bz-component of the IMF. During the positive Bz IMF F layer cannot raise altitude where scintillations are formed. The auroral indices and Kp do better for the prediction of the ionospheric scintillations at the equator. The interplanetary magnetic field data and models can be used to explain the relationship between the equatorial ionospheric parameters, h'F, foF2, and the equatorial geomagnetic variations with the polar ionosphere cur-rents and the solar wind. Taking into account the time delay between the solar wind and the ionosphere phenomena, the relationship between the solar wind and the ionosphere parameters can be used for predicting of scintillations.

Balancing Europe's wind power output through spatial deployment informed by weather regimes.

PubMed

Grams, Christian M; Beerli, Remo; Pfenninger, Stefan; Staffell, Iain; Wernli, Heini

2017-08-01

As wind and solar power provide a growing share of Europe's electricity1, understanding and accommodating their variability on multiple timescales remains a critical problem. On weekly timescales, variability is related to long-lasting weather conditions, called weather regimes2-5, which can cause lulls with a loss of wind power across neighbouring countries6. Here we show that weather regimes provide a meteorological explanation for multi-day fluctuations in Europe's wind power and can help guide new deployment pathways which minimise this variability. Mean generation during different regimes currently ranges from 22 GW to 44 GW and is expected to triple by 2030 with current planning strategies. However, balancing future wind capacity across regions with contrasting inter-regime behaviour - specifically deploying in the Balkans instead of the North Sea - would almost eliminate these output variations, maintain mean generation, and increase fleet-wide minimum output. Solar photovoltaics could balance low-wind regimes locally, but only by expanding current capacity tenfold. New deployment strategies based on an understanding of continent-scale wind patterns and pan-European collaboration could enable a high share of wind energy whilst minimising the negative impacts of output variability.

Geomagnetic responses to the solar wind and the solar activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Svalgaard, L.

1975-01-01

Following some historical notes, the formation of the magnetosphere and the magnetospheric tail is discussed. The importance of electric fields is stressed and the magnetospheric convection of plasma and magnetic field lines under the influence of large-scale magnetospheric electric fields is outlined. Ionospheric electric fields and currents are intimately related to electric fields and currents in the magnetosphere and the strong coupling between the two regions is discussed. The energy input of the solar wind to the magnetosphere and upper atmosphere is discussed in terms of the reconnection model where interplanetary magnetic field lines merge or connect with the terrestrial field on the sunward side of the magnetosphere. The merged field lines are then stretched behind earth to form the magnetotail so that kinetic energy from the solar wind is converted into magnetic energy in the field lines in the tail. Localized collapses of the crosstail current, which is driven by the large-scale dawn/dusk electric field in the magnetosphere, divert part of this current along geomagnetic field lines to the ionosphere, causing substorms with auroral activity and magnetic disturbances. The collapses also inject plasma into the radiation belts and build up a ring current. Frequent collapses in rapid succession constitute the geomagnetic storm.

NREL: International Activities - U.S.-China Renewable Energy Partnership

Science.gov Websites

Solar PV and TC88 Wind working groups. Renewable Energy Technology These projects enhance policies to Collaboration on innovative business models and financing solutions for solar PV deployment. Micrositing and O development. Current Projects Recommendations for photovoltaic (PV) and wind grid code updates. New energy

A General Identification of Instabilities in Solar Wind Plasma, and a Particular Application to the WIND Data Set.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Kristopher; Kasper, Justin; Korreck, Kelly; Alterman, Benjamin

2017-04-01

The role of free-energy driven instabilities in governing heating and acceleration processes in the heliosphere has been studied for over half a century, with significant recent advancements enabled by the statistical analysis of decades worth of observations from missions such as WIND. Typical studies focus on marginal stability boundaries in a reduced parameter space, such as the canonical plasma beta versus temperature anisotropy plane, due to a single source of free energy. We present a more general method of determining stability, accounting for all possible sources of free energy in the constituent plasma velocity distributions. Through this novel implementation, we can efficiently determine if the plasma is linearly unstable, and if so, how many normal modes are growing. Such identification will enabling us to better pinpoint the dominant heating or acceleration processes in solar wind plasma. The theory behind this approach is reviewed, followed by a discussion of our methods for a robust numerical implementation, and an initial application to portions of the WIND data set. Further application of this method to velocity distribution measurements from current missions, including WIND, upcoming missions, including Solar Probe Plus and Solar Orbiter, and missions currently in preliminary phases, such as ESA's THOR and NASA's IMAP, will help elucidate how instabilities shape the evolution of the heliosphere.

Upstream proton cyclotron waves at Venus near solar maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delva, M.; Bertucci, C.; Volwerk, M.; Lundin, R.; Mazelle, C.; Romanelli, N.

2015-01-01

magnetometer data of Venus Express are analyzed for the occurrence of waves at the proton cyclotron frequency in the spacecraft frame in the upstream region of Venus, for conditions of rising solar activity. The data of two Venus years up to the time of highest sunspot number so far (1 Mar 2011 to 31 May 2012) are studied to reveal the properties of the waves and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions under which they are observed. In general, waves generated by newborn protons from exospheric hydrogen are observed under quasi- (anti)parallel conditions of the IMF and the solar wind velocity, as is expected from theoretical models. The present study near solar maximum finds significantly more waves than a previous study for solar minimum, with an asymmetry in the wave occurrence, i.e., mainly under antiparallel conditions. The plasma data from the Analyzer of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms instrument aboard Venus Express enable analysis of the background solar wind conditions. The prevalence of waves for IMF in direction toward the Sun is related to the stronger southward tilt of the heliospheric current sheet for the rising phase of Solar Cycle 24, i.e., the "bashful ballerina" is responsible for asymmetric background solar wind conditions. The increase of the number of wave occurrences may be explained by a significant increase in the relative density of planetary protons with respect to the solar wind background. An exceptionally low solar wind proton density is observed during the rising phase of Solar Cycle 24. At the same time, higher EUV increases the ionization in the Venus exosphere, resulting in higher supply of energy from a higher number of newborn protons to the wave. We conclude that in addition to quasi- (anti)parallel conditions of the IMF and the solar wind velocity direction, the higher relative density of Venus exospheric protons with respect to the background solar wind proton density is the key parameter for the higher number of observable proton cyclotron waves near solar maximum.

Modeling Study of the Geospace System Response to the Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure Enhancement on 17 March 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozturk, D. S.; Zou, S.; Ridley, A. J.; Slavin, J. A.

2018-04-01

The global magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system is intrinsically coupled and susceptible to external drivers such as solar wind dynamic pressure enhancements. In order to understand the large-scale dynamic processes in the magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system due to the compression from the solar wind, the 17 March 2015 sudden commencement was studied in detail using global numerical models. This storm was one of the most geoeffective events of the solar cycle 24 with a minimum Dst of -222 nT. The Wind spacecraft recorded a 10-nPa increment in the solar wind dynamic pressure, while the interplanetary magnetic field BZ became further northward. The University of Michigan Block-Adaptive-Tree Solar wind Roe-type Upwind Scheme global magnetohydrodynamic code was utilized to study the generation and propagation of perturbations associated with the compression of the magnetosphere system. In addition, the high-resolution electric potential and auroral power output from the magnetohydrodynamic model was used to drive the global ionosphere-thermosphere model to investigate the ionosphere-thermosphere system response to pressure enhancement. During the compression, the electric potentials and convection patterns in the polar ionosphere were significantly altered when the preliminary impulse and main impulse field-aligned currents moved from dayside to nightside. As a result of enhanced frictional heating, plasma and neutral temperatures increased at the locations where the flow speeds were enhanced, whereas the electron density dropped at these locations. In particular, the region between the preliminary impulse and main impulse field-aligned currents experienced the most significant heating with 1000-K ion temperature increase and 20-K neutral temperature increase within 2 min. Comparison of the simulation results with the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar observations showed reasonable agreements despite underestimated magnitudes.

Voyager Approaches Final Frontier Artist Concept

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-12-12

An artist's concept illustrates the positions of the Voyager spacecraft in relation to structures formed around our Sun by the solar wind. Also illustrated is the termination shock, a violent region the spacecraft must pass through before reaching the outer limits of the solar system. At the termination shock, the supersonic solar wind abruptly slows from an average speed of 400 kilometers per second to less than 100 kilometer per second (900,000 to less than 225,000 miles per hour). Beyond the termination shock is the solar system's final frontier, the heliosheath, a vast region where the turbulent and hot solar wind is compressed as it presses outward against the interstellar wind that is beyond the heliopause. A bow shock likely forms as the interstellar wind approaches and is deflected around the heliosphere, forcing it into a teardrop-shaped structure with a long, comet-like tail. The exact location of the termination shock is unknown, and it originally was thought to be closer to the Sun than Voyager 1 currently is. As Voyager 1 cruised ever farther from the Sun, it confirmed that all the planets are inside an immense bubble blown by the solar wind and the termination shock was much more distant. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04927

Coherence Analysis of the Solar Wind Between l1 and the Lunar Orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crane, S. O.; Fuqua, H.; Poppe, A. R.; Harada, Y.; Fatemi, S.; Delory, G. T.

2016-12-01

A cross correlation analysis of the lunar and solar wind interaction was performed to understand coherence length scales. This is mandatory for conducting tests in electromagnetic sounding of the moon with two measurement probes. Signal processing and data analysis methods encompass the study of the lunar electromagnetic plasma environment with properties of the solar wind at key positions outside of Earth's magnetosphere. Variations in solar activity detected by ACE, WIND, Kaguya and Lunar Prospector can be informative regarding how well correlated the magnetic properties of the solar wind are between the 1st Lagrange point (ACE & WIND orbits) and the lunar orbit (Kaguya & Lunar Prospector investigations). The analysis objective is to use cross correlation to understand the solar wind coherence between these positions. This requires mastering concrete analysis tools to filter and use data that yields high (>0.80) or intermediate (0.70-0.80) coherence values, while demonstrating an analysis of up to one month of data, and archiving poor (<0.50) cross correlation coefficients for effects of orbit position and downstream distance. We also consider the impact of high energy events such as Coronal Mass Ejections, Solar Flares, and shocks that may be recorded by `ACE's List of Disturbances and Transients' to the effect that, at the current level of analysis, various expected coefficients between 0.55 and 0.85 have been generated for up to 3 months of data, 2008-02-01 through 2008-05-03.

Forecast and Specification of Radiation Belt Electrons Based on Solar Wind Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Barker, A.; Burin Des Roziers, E.

2003-12-01

Relativistic electrons in the Earth's magnetosphere are of considerable practical importance because of their effect on spacecraft and because of their radiation hazard to astronauts who perform extravehicular activity. The good correlation between solar wind velocity and MeV electron fluxes at geosynchronous orbit has long been established. We have developed a radial diffusion model, using solar wind parameters as the only input, to reproduce the variation of the MeV electrons at geosynchronous orbit. Based on this model, we have constructed a real-time model that forecasts one to two days in advance the daily averaged >2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit using real-time solar wind data from ACE. The forecasts from this model are available on the web in real time. A natural extension of our current model is to create a system for making quantitative forecasts and specifications of radiation belt electrons at different radial distances and different local times based on the solar wind conditions. The successes and obstacles associated with this extension will be discussed in this presentation.

Solar Wind Interaction and Crustal Field Influences on Mars' Upper Ionosphere: MAVEN Observations Compared to Model Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luhmann, J. G.; Alvarez, K.; Curry, S.; Dong, C.; Ma, Y.; Bougher, S. W.; Benna, M.; Elrod, M. K.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Withers, P.; Girazian, Z.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Brain, D.; Jakosky, B. M.

2016-12-01

Since the two Viking Landers, progress on improving our global knowledge of the Martian ionosphere's characteristics has been limited by the available instrumentation and sampling geometries. In particular, while remote sensing and the lower energy plasma spectrometer observations on missions including MGS and MEX provided insights on the effects of the crustal magnetic fields of Mars and the solar wind interaction, these measurements did not allow the broader thermal ion surveys necessary to test our current understanding of the region between the exobase at 200 km altitude and the solar wind interaction boundary. In this study we use the MAVEN NGIMS thermal ion mass spectrometer observations from the prime mission year 2015 to construct some statistical pictures of the increasingly collisionless region of the ionosphere between 200 and 500 km where crustal field and solar wind interaction effects should begin to dominate its behavior. Comparisons with models of the solar wind interaction with Mars provide important global context for these observations, including the roles of system diversity associated with changing crustal field and interplanetary field orientations.

Potential Improvements in Space Weather Forecasting using New Products Developed for the Upcoming DSCOVR Solar Wind Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cash, M. D.; Biesecker, D. A.; Reinard, A. A.

2013-05-01

The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) mission, which is scheduled for launch in late 2014, will provide real-time solar wind thermal plasma and magnetic measurements to ensure continuous monitoring for space weather forecasting. DSCOVR will be located at the L1 Lagrangian point and will include a Faraday cup to measure the proton and alpha components of the solar wind and a triaxial fluxgate magnetometer to measure the magnetic field in three dimensions. The real-time data provided by DSCOVR will be used to generate space weather applications and products that have been demonstrated to be highly accurate and provide actionable information for customers. We present several future space weather products currently under evaluation for development. New potential space weather products for use with DSCOVR real-time data include: automated shock detection, more accurate L1 to Earth delay time, automatic solar wind regime identification, and prediction of rotations in solar wind Bz within magnetic clouds. Additional ideas from the community on future space weather products are encouraged.

Lessons Learned from 10 Years of STEREO Solar Wind Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jian, L. K.; Russell, C. T.; Luhmann, J. G.; Galvin, A. B.

2017-12-01

We have conducted long-term observations of large-scale solar wind structures since the launch of STEREO spacecraft, specifically interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs), slow-to-fast stream interaction regions (SIRs), and interplanetary shocks. In combination with our previous observations of the same solar wind structures in 1995-2009 using Wind/ACE data and the same identification criteria, we have first studied the solar cycle variations of these structures, especially for the same phases of solar cycles 23 and 24. Attributing the shocks to the interplanetary drivers, we have statistically compared the shocks driven by ICMEs and SIRs, and explained the shocks without a clear local driver. In addition, using the longitudinal and latitudinal separations between the twin spacecraft, we have investigated the recurrence and variability of ICMEs and SIRs, and gained the critical implications for the proposed L5 mission. At last, we have associated the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) crossings with the ICMEs and SIRs, and compared the properties of SIRs with and without HCS crossings, which correspond to the helmet streamers and pseudostreamers, respectively. The findings are important constraints on the theories of slow wind origin.

Probabilistic Solar Wind Forecasting Using Large Ensembles of Near-Sun Conditions With a Simple One-Dimensional "Upwind" Scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owens, Mathew J.; Riley, Pete

2017-11-01

Long lead-time space-weather forecasting requires accurate prediction of the near-Earth solar wind. The current state of the art uses a coronal model to extrapolate the observed photospheric magnetic field to the upper corona, where it is related to solar wind speed through empirical relations. These near-Sun solar wind and magnetic field conditions provide the inner boundary condition to three-dimensional numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models of the heliosphere out to 1 AU. This physics-based approach can capture dynamic processes within the solar wind, which affect the resulting conditions in near-Earth space. However, this deterministic approach lacks a quantification of forecast uncertainty. Here we describe a complementary method to exploit the near-Sun solar wind information produced by coronal models and provide a quantitative estimate of forecast uncertainty. By sampling the near-Sun solar wind speed at a range of latitudes about the sub-Earth point, we produce a large ensemble (N = 576) of time series at the base of the Sun-Earth line. Propagating these conditions to Earth by a three-dimensional MHD model would be computationally prohibitive; thus, a computationally efficient one-dimensional "upwind" scheme is used. The variance in the resulting near-Earth solar wind speed ensemble is shown to provide an accurate measure of the forecast uncertainty. Applying this technique over 1996-2016, the upwind ensemble is found to provide a more "actionable" forecast than a single deterministic forecast; potential economic value is increased for all operational scenarios, but particularly when false alarms are important (i.e., where the cost of taking mitigating action is relatively large).

Probabilistic Solar Wind Forecasting Using Large Ensembles of Near-Sun Conditions With a Simple One-Dimensional "Upwind" Scheme.

PubMed

Owens, Mathew J; Riley, Pete

2017-11-01

Long lead-time space-weather forecasting requires accurate prediction of the near-Earth solar wind. The current state of the art uses a coronal model to extrapolate the observed photospheric magnetic field to the upper corona, where it is related to solar wind speed through empirical relations. These near-Sun solar wind and magnetic field conditions provide the inner boundary condition to three-dimensional numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models of the heliosphere out to 1 AU. This physics-based approach can capture dynamic processes within the solar wind, which affect the resulting conditions in near-Earth space. However, this deterministic approach lacks a quantification of forecast uncertainty. Here we describe a complementary method to exploit the near-Sun solar wind information produced by coronal models and provide a quantitative estimate of forecast uncertainty. By sampling the near-Sun solar wind speed at a range of latitudes about the sub-Earth point, we produce a large ensemble (N = 576) of time series at the base of the Sun-Earth line. Propagating these conditions to Earth by a three-dimensional MHD model would be computationally prohibitive; thus, a computationally efficient one-dimensional "upwind" scheme is used. The variance in the resulting near-Earth solar wind speed ensemble is shown to provide an accurate measure of the forecast uncertainty. Applying this technique over 1996-2016, the upwind ensemble is found to provide a more "actionable" forecast than a single deterministic forecast; potential economic value is increased for all operational scenarios, but particularly when false alarms are important (i.e., where the cost of taking mitigating action is relatively large).

Probabilistic Solar Wind Forecasting Using Large Ensembles of Near‐Sun Conditions With a Simple One‐Dimensional “Upwind” Scheme

PubMed Central

Riley, Pete

2017-01-01

Abstract Long lead‐time space‐weather forecasting requires accurate prediction of the near‐Earth solar wind. The current state of the art uses a coronal model to extrapolate the observed photospheric magnetic field to the upper corona, where it is related to solar wind speed through empirical relations. These near‐Sun solar wind and magnetic field conditions provide the inner boundary condition to three‐dimensional numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models of the heliosphere out to 1 AU. This physics‐based approach can capture dynamic processes within the solar wind, which affect the resulting conditions in near‐Earth space. However, this deterministic approach lacks a quantification of forecast uncertainty. Here we describe a complementary method to exploit the near‐Sun solar wind information produced by coronal models and provide a quantitative estimate of forecast uncertainty. By sampling the near‐Sun solar wind speed at a range of latitudes about the sub‐Earth point, we produce a large ensemble (N = 576) of time series at the base of the Sun‐Earth line. Propagating these conditions to Earth by a three‐dimensional MHD model would be computationally prohibitive; thus, a computationally efficient one‐dimensional “upwind” scheme is used. The variance in the resulting near‐Earth solar wind speed ensemble is shown to provide an accurate measure of the forecast uncertainty. Applying this technique over 1996–2016, the upwind ensemble is found to provide a more “actionable” forecast than a single deterministic forecast; potential economic value is increased for all operational scenarios, but particularly when false alarms are important (i.e., where the cost of taking mitigating action is relatively large). PMID:29398982

Relationship between the growth of the ring current and the interplanetary quantity. [solar wind energy-magnetospheric coupling parameter correlation with substorm AE index

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akasofu, S.-I.

1979-01-01

Akasofu (1979) has reported that the interplanetary parameter epsilon correlates reasonably well with the magnetospheric substorm index AE; in the first approximation, epsilon represents the solar wind coupled to the magnetosphere. The correlation between the interplanetary parameter, the auroral electrojet index and the ring current index is examined for three magnetic storms. It is shown that when the interplanetary parameter exceeds the amount that can be dissipated by the ionosphere in terms of the Joule heat production, the excess energy is absorbed by the ring current belt, producing an abnormal growth of the ring current index.

Solar wind classification from a machine learning perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heidrich-Meisner, V.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

2017-12-01

It is a very well known fact that the ubiquitous solar wind comes in at least two varieties, the slow solar wind and the coronal hole wind. The simplified view of two solar wind types has been frequently challenged. Existing solar wind categorization schemes rely mainly on different combinations of the solar wind proton speed, the O and C charge state ratios, the Alfvén speed, the expected proton temperature and the specific proton entropy. In available solar wind classification schemes, solar wind from stream interaction regimes is often considered either as coronal hole wind or slow solar wind, although their plasma properties are different compared to "pure" coronal hole or slow solar wind. As shown in Neugebauer et al. (2016), even if only two solar wind types are assumed, available solar wind categorization schemes differ considerably for intermediate solar wind speeds. Thus, the decision boundary between the coronal hole and the slow solar wind is so far not well defined.In this situation, a machine learning approach to solar wind classification can provide an additional perspective.We apply a well-known machine learning method, k-means, to the task of solar wind classification in order to answer the following questions: (1) How many solar wind types can reliably be identified in our data set comprised of ten years of solar wind observations from the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE)? (2) Which combinations of solar wind parameters are particularly useful for solar wind classification?Potential subtypes of slow solar wind are of particular interest because they can provide hints of respective different source regions or release mechanisms of slow solar wind.

Constraining heating processes in the solar wind with kinetic properties of heavy ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasper, J. C.; Tracy, P.; Zurbuchen, T.; Raines, J. M.; Gilbert, J. A.; Shearer, P.

2016-12-01

Heavy ion components (A > 4 amu) in collisionally young solar wind plasma show a clear, stable dependence of temperature on mass, probably reflecting the conditions in the solar corona. Using results from the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer (SWICS) onboard the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), we find that the heavy ion temperatures are well organized by a simple linear fit of the form Ti/Tp=(1.35+/- .02) mi/mp. Most importantly we find that the current model predictions based on turbulent transport and kinetic dissipation are in agreement with observed nonthermal heating in intermediate collisional age plasma for m/q < 3.5 amu/e, but are not in quantitative or qualitative agreement with the lowest collisional age results. These dependencies provide new constraints on the physics of ion heating in multispecies plasma, along with predictions to be tested by the upcoming Solar Probe Plus and Solar Orbiter missions to the near-Sun environment.

Solar Polar ORbit Telescope (SPORT): A Potential Space Weather Mission of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y. D.; Xiong, M.; Wu, J.; Liu, H.; Zheng, J.; Li, B.; Zhang, C.; Sun, W.

2013-12-01

We describe a spacecraft mission, named Solar Polar ORbit Telescope (SPORT), which is currently under a scientific and engineering background study in China. SPORT was originally proposed in 2004 by the National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It will carry a suite of remote-sensing and in-situ instruments to observe coronal mass ejections (CMEs), solar high-latitude magnetism, and the fast solar wind from a polar orbit around the Sun. It is intended to be the first mission that carries remote-sensing instruments from a high-latitude orbit around the Sun, the first mission that could image interplanetary CMEs at radio wavelengths from space, and the first mission that could measure solar high-latitude magnetism leading to eruptions and the fast solar wind. The first extended view of the polar region of the Sun and the ecliptic plane enabled by SPORT will provide a unique opportunity to study CME propagation through the inner heliosphere and solar high-latitude magnetism giving rise to eruptions and the fast solar wind.

Review of Variable Generation Integration Charges

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

Porter, K.; Fink, S.; Buckley, M.

2013-03-01

The growth of wind and solar generation in the United States, and the expectation of continued growth of these technologies, dictates that the future power system will be operated in a somewhat different manner because of increased variability and uncertainty. A small number of balancing authorities have attempted to determine an 'integration cost' to account for these changes to their current operating practices. Some balancing authorities directly charge wind and solar generators for integration charges, whereas others add integration charges to projected costs of wind and solar in integrated resource plans or in competitive solicitations for generation. This report reviewsmore » the balancing authorities that have calculated variable generation integration charges and broadly compares and contrasts the methodologies they used to determine their specific integration charges. The report also profiles each balancing authority and how they derived wind and solar integration charges.« less

The dependence of the strength and thickness of field-aligned currents on solar wind and ionospheric parameters

PubMed Central

Johnson, Jay R.; Wing, Simon

2017-01-01

Sheared plasma flows at the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL) correlate well with early afternoon auroral arcs and upward field-aligned currents. We present a simple analytic model that relates solar wind and ionospheric parameters to the strength and thickness of field-aligned currents (Λ) in a region of sheared velocity, such as the LLBL. We compare the predictions of the model with DMSP observations and find remarkably good scaling of the upward region 1 currents with solar wind and ionospheric parameters in region located at the boundary layer or open field lines at 1100–1700 magnetic local time. We demonstrate that Λ~nsw−0.5 and Λ ~ L when Λ/L < 5 where L is the auroral electrostatic scale length. The sheared boundary layer thickness (Δm) is inferred to be around 3000 km, which appears to have weak dependence on Vsw. J‖ has dependencies on Δm, Σp, nsw, and Vsw. The analytic model provides a simple way to organize data and to infer boundary layer structures from ionospheric data. PMID:29057194

EVIDENCE FOR QUASI-ADIABATIC MOTION OF CHARGED PARTICLES IN STRONG CURRENT SHEETS IN THE SOLAR WIND

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

Malova, H. V.; Popov, V. Yu.; Grigorenko, E. E.

We investigate quasi-adiabatic dynamics of charged particles in strong current sheets (SCSs) in the solar wind, including the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), both theoretically and observationally. A self-consistent hybrid model of an SCS is developed in which ion dynamics is described at the quasi-adiabatic approximation, while the electrons are assumed to be magnetized, and their motion is described in the guiding center approximation. The model shows that the SCS profile is determined by the relative contribution of two currents: (i) the current supported by demagnetized protons that move along open quasi-adiabatic orbits, and (ii) the electron drift current. The simplestmore » modeled SCS is found to be a multi-layered structure that consists of a thin current sheet embedded into a much thicker analog of a plasma sheet. This result is in good agreement with observations of SCSs at ∼1 au. The analysis of fine structure of different SCSs, including the HCS, shows that an SCS represents a narrow current layer (with a thickness of ∼10{sup 4} km) embedded into a wider region of about 10{sup 5} km, independently of the SCS origin. Therefore, multi-scale structuring is very likely an intrinsic feature of SCSs in the solar wind.« less

OVATION Prime -2013: Solar Wind Driven Precipitation Model Extended to Higher Geomagnetic Activity Levels (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newell, P. T.; Liou, K.; Zhang, Y.; Paxton, L.; Sotirelis, T.; Mitchell, E. J.

2013-12-01

OVATION Prime is an auroral precipitation model parameterized by solar wind driving. Distinguishing features of the model include an optimized solar wind-magnetosphere coupling function (dΦMP/dt) which predicts auroral power far better than Kp or other traditional parameters, the separation of aurora into categories (diffuse aurora, monoenergetic, broadband, and ion), the inclusion of seasonal variations, and separate parameter fits for each MLATxMLT bin, thus permitting each type of aurora and each location to have differing responses to season and solar wind input (as indeed they do). We here introduce OVATION Prime-2013, an upgrade to the 2008 version currently widely available. The most notable advantage of OP-2013 is that it uses UV images from the GUVI instrument on the satellite TIMED for high disturbance levels (dΦMP/dt > 12,000 (nT2/3 (km/s)4/3 which roughly corresponds to Kp = 5+ or 6-). The range of validity is thought to be about 0 < dΦMP/dt = 30000 (say Kp = 8 or 8+). Other upgrades include a reduced susceptibility to salt and pepper noise, and smoother interpolation across the postmidnight data gap. We will also provide a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of other current precipitation models, especially OVATION-SuperMAG, which produces particularly good estimates for total auroral power, at the expense of working best on an historical basis. OVATION Prime-2013, for high solar wind driving, as TIMED GUVI data takes over from DMSP

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

Guo, X.; Florinski, V.

We present a new model that couples galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) propagation with magnetic turbulence transport and the MHD background evolution in the heliosphere. The model is applied to the problem of the formation of corotating interaction regions (CIRs) during the last solar minimum from the period between 2007 and 2009. The numerical model simultaneously calculates the large-scale supersonic solar wind properties and its small-scale turbulent content from 0.3 au to the termination shock. Cosmic rays are then transported through the background, and thus computed, with diffusion coefficients derived from the solar wind turbulent properties, using a stochastic Parker approach. Ourmore » results demonstrate that GCR variations depend on the ratio of diffusion coefficients in the fast and slow solar winds. Stream interfaces inside the CIRs always lead to depressions of the GCR intensity. On the other hand, heliospheric current sheet (HCS) crossings do not appreciably affect GCR intensities in the model, which is consistent with the two observations under quiet solar wind conditions. Therefore, variations in diffusion coefficients associated with CIR stream interfaces are more important for GCR propagation than the drift effects of the HCS during a negative solar minimum.« less

The ancient sun: Fossil record in the earth, moon and meteorites; Proceedings of the Conference, Boulder, CO, October 16-19, 1979

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pepin, R. O. (Editor); Eddy, J. A.; Merrill, R. B.

1980-01-01

Papers are presented concerning theories of solar variability and their consequences for luminosity, particle emission and magnetic field changes within the past 4.5 billion years, and on the records of such solar behavior in lunar, meteoritic and terrestrial materials. Specific topics include the neutrino luminosity of the sun, the relation of sunspots to the terrestrial climate of the past 100 years, solar modulation of galactic cosmic rays, the historical record of solar activity, C-14 variations in terrestrial and marine reservoirs, and solar particle fluxes as indicated by track, thermoluminescence and solar wind measurements in lunar rocks. Attention is also given to the spin-down of the solar interior through circulation currents and fluid instabilities, grain surface exposure models in planetary regoliths, rare gases in the solar wind, nitrogen isotopic variations in the lunar regolith, the influence of solar UV radiation on climate, and the pre-main sequence evolution of the sun and evidence of the primordial solar wind in the electromagnetic induction heating of the asteroids and moon.

Solar Rotational Periodicities and the Semiannual Variation in the Solar Wind, Radiation Belt, and Aurora

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emery, Barbara A.; Richardson, Ian G.; Evans, David S.; Rich, Frederick J.; Wilson, Gordon R.

2011-01-01

The behavior of a number of solar wind, radiation belt, auroral and geomagnetic parameters is examined during the recent extended solar minimum and previous solar cycles, covering the period from January 1972 to July 2010. This period includes most of the solar minimum between Cycles 23 and 24, which was more extended than recent solar minima, with historically low values of most of these parameters in 2009. Solar rotational periodicities from S to 27 days were found from daily averages over 81 days for the parameters. There were very strong 9-day periodicities in many variables in 2005 -2008, triggered by recurring corotating high-speed streams (HSS). All rotational amplitudes were relatively large in the descending and early minimum phases of the solar cycle, when HSS are the predominant solar wind structures. There were minima in the amplitudes of all solar rotational periodicities near the end of each solar minimum, as well as at the start of the reversal of the solar magnetic field polarity at solar maximum (approx.1980, approx.1990, and approx. 2001) when the occurrence frequency of HSS is relatively low. Semiannual equinoctial periodicities, which were relatively strong in the 1995-1997 solar minimum, were found to be primarily the result of the changing amplitudes of the 13.5- and 27-day periodicities, where 13.5-day amplitudes were better correlated with heliospheric daily observations and 27-day amplitudes correlated better with Earth-based daily observations. The equinoctial rotational amplitudes of the Earth-based parameters were probably enhanced by a combination of the Russell-McPherron effect and a reduction in the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling efficiency during solstices. The rotational amplitudes were cross-correlated with each other, where the 27 -day amplitudes showed some of the weakest cross-correlations. The rotational amplitudes of the > 2 MeV radiation belt electron number fluxes were progressively weaker from 27- to 5-day periods, showing that processes in the magnetosphere act as a low-pass filter between the solar wind and the radiation belt. The A(sub p)/K(sub p) magnetic currents observed at subauroral latitudes are sensitive to proton auroral precipitation, especially for 9-day and shorter periods, while the A(sub p)/K(sub p) currents are governed by electron auroral precipitation for 13.5- and 27-day periodicities.

Implications of the Deep Minimum for Slow Solar Wind Origin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antiochos, S. K.; Mikic, Z.; Lionello, R.; Titov, V. S.; Linker, J. A.

2009-12-01

The origin of the slow solar wind has long been one of the most important problems in solar/heliospheric physics. Two observational constraints make this problem especially challenging. First, the slow wind has the composition of the closed-field corona, unlike the fast wind that originates on open field lines. Second, the slow wind has substantial angular extent, of order 30 degrees, which is much larger than the widths observed for streamer stalks or the widths expected theoretically for a dynamic heliospheric current sheet. We propose that the slow wind originates from an intricate network of narrow (possibly singular) open-field corridors that emanate from the polar coronal hole regions. Using topological arguments, we show that these corridors must be ubiquitous in the solar corona. The total solar eclipse in August 2008, near the lowest point of the Deep Minimum, affords an ideal opportunity to test this theory by using the ultra-high resolution Predictive Science's (PSI) eclipse model for the corona and wind. Analysis of the PSI eclipse model demonstrates that the extent and scales of the open-field corridors can account for both the angular width of the slow wind and its closed-field composition. We discuss the implications of our slow wind theory for the structure of the corona and heliosphere at the Deep Minimum and describe further observational and theoretical tests. This work has been supported by the NASA HTP, SR&T, and LWS programs.

The solar probe and coronal dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belcher, J.; Heinemann, M.; Goodrich, C.

1978-01-01

The discovery of coronal holes led to basic changes in ideas about the structure of the low corona and its expansion into the solar wind. The nature of the energy flux is not understood. Current ideas include enhanced thermal conductivities, extended MHD wave heating, and wave momentum transfer, all in rapidly diverging geometries. There is little feel for the relative importance of these processes. The Solar Probe, with its penetration deep into the solar corona, could lead to observational constraints on their relative importance, and thus to an understanding of the origin of the solar wind. Observations from the Solar Probe will also bear on such questions as to whether small scale "intrastream" structure is common close to the Sun in open field-line regions, whether the properties of the wind are pronouncedly different over closed and open field-line regions at five solar radii, and many others. The resolution of these questions requires measurements of the magnetic field and of the proton and electron distribution functions.

Origin of the Wang-Sheeley-Arge solar wind model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheeley, Neil R., Jr.

2017-03-01

A correlation between solar wind speed at Earth and the amount of magnetic field line expansion in the corona was verified in 1989 using 22 years of solar and interplanetary observations. We trace the evolution of this relationship from its birth 15 years earlier in the Skylab era to its current use as a space weather forecasting technique. This paper is the transcript of an invited talk at the joint session of the Historical Astronomy Division and the Solar Physics Division of the American Astronomical Society during its 224th meeting in Boston, MA, on 3 June 2014.

Long-term Trends in the Solar Wind Proton Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, Heather A.; McComas, David J.; DeForest, Craig E.

2016-11-01

We examine the long-term time evolution (1965-2015) of the relationships between solar wind proton temperature (T p) and speed (V p) and between the proton density (n p) and speed using OMNI solar wind observations taken near Earth. We find a long-term decrease in the proton temperature-speed (T p-V p) slope that lasted from 1972 to 2010, but has been trending upward since 2010. Since the solar wind proton density-speed (n p-V p) relationship is not linear like the T p-V p relationship, we perform power-law fits for n p-V p. The exponent (steepness in the n p-V p relationship) is correlated with the solar cycle. This exponent has a stronger correlation with current sheet tilt angle than with sunspot number because the sunspot number maxima vary considerably from cycle to cycle and the tilt angle maxima do not. To understand this finding, we examined the average n p for different speed ranges, and found that for the slow wind n p is highly correlated with the sunspot number, with a lag of approximately four years. The fast wind n p variation was less, but in phase with the cycle. This phase difference may contribute to the n p-V p exponent correlation with the solar cycle. These long-term trends are important since empirical formulas based on fits to T p and V p data are commonly used to identify interplanetary coronal mass ejections, but these formulas do not include any time dependence. Changes in the solar wind density over a solar cycle will create corresponding changes in the near-Earth space environment and the overall extent of the heliosphere.

The role of turbulence in coronal heating and solar wind expansion

PubMed Central

Cranmer, Steven R.; Asgari-Targhi, Mahboubeh; Miralles, Mari Paz; Raymond, John C.; Strachan, Leonard; Tian, Hui; Woolsey, Lauren N.

2015-01-01

Plasma in the Sun's hot corona expands into the heliosphere as a supersonic and highly magnetized solar wind. This paper provides an overview of our current understanding of how the corona is heated and how the solar wind is accelerated. Recent models of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence have progressed to the point of successfully predicting many observed properties of this complex, multi-scale system. However, it is not clear whether the heating in open-field regions comes mainly from the dissipation of turbulent fluctuations that are launched from the solar surface, or whether the chaotic ‘magnetic carpet’ in the low corona energizes the system via magnetic reconnection. To help pin down the physics, we also review some key observational results from ultraviolet spectroscopy of the collisionless outer corona. PMID:25848083

Probabilistic Solar Wind and Geomagnetic Forecasting Using an Analogue Ensemble or "Similar Day" Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owens, M. J.; Riley, P.; Horbury, T. S.

2017-05-01

Effective space-weather prediction and mitigation requires accurate forecasting of near-Earth solar-wind conditions. Numerical magnetohydrodynamic models of the solar wind, driven by remote solar observations, are gaining skill at forecasting the large-scale solar-wind features that give rise to near-Earth variations over days and weeks. There remains a need for accurate short-term (hours to days) solar-wind forecasts, however. In this study we investigate the analogue ensemble (AnEn), or "similar day", approach that was developed for atmospheric weather forecasting. The central premise of the AnEn is that past variations that are analogous or similar to current conditions can be used to provide a good estimate of future variations. By considering an ensemble of past analogues, the AnEn forecast is inherently probabilistic and provides a measure of the forecast uncertainty. We show that forecasts of solar-wind speed can be improved by considering both speed and density when determining past analogues, whereas forecasts of the out-of-ecliptic magnetic field [BN] are improved by also considering the in-ecliptic magnetic-field components. In general, the best forecasts are found by considering only the previous 6 - 12 hours of observations. Using these parameters, the AnEn provides a valuable probabilistic forecast for solar-wind speed, density, and in-ecliptic magnetic field over lead times from a few hours to around four days. For BN, which is central to space-weather disturbance, the AnEn only provides a valuable forecast out to around six to seven hours. As the inherent predictability of this parameter is low, this is still likely a marked improvement over other forecast methods. We also investigate the use of the AnEn in forecasting geomagnetic indices Dst and Kp. The AnEn provides a valuable probabilistic forecast of both indices out to around four days. We outline a number of future improvements to AnEn forecasts of near-Earth solar-wind and geomagnetic conditions.

Effect of Wind Flow on Convective Heat Losses from Scheffler Solar Concentrator Receivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nene, Anita Arvind; Ramachandran, S.; Suyambazhahan, S.

2018-05-01

Receiver is an important element of solar concentrator system. In a Scheffler concentrator, solar rays get concentrated at focus of parabolic dish. While radiation losses are more predictable and calculable since strongly related to receiver temperature, convective looses are difficult to estimate in view of additional factors such as wind flow direction, speed, receiver geometry, prior to current work. Experimental investigation was carried out on two geometries of receiver namely cylindrical and conical with 2.7 m2 Scheffler to find optimum condition of tilt to provide best efficiency. Experimental results showed that as compared to cylindrical receiver, conical receiver gave maximum efficiency at 45° tilt angle. However effect of additional factors like wind speed, wind direction on especially convective losses could not be separately seen. The current work was undertaken to investigate further the same two geometries using computation fluid dynamics using FLUENT to compute convective losses considering all variables such at tilt angle of receiver, wind velocity and wind direction. For cylindrical receiver, directional heat transfer coefficient (HTC) is remarkably high to tilt condition meaning this geometry is critical to tilt leading to higher convective heat losses. For conical receiver, directional average HTC is remarkably less to tilt condition leading to lower convective heat loss.

Superposed Epoch Analysis of Ring Current Geoeffectiveness Related to Solar Wind and Plasma Sheet Drivers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liemohm, M. W.; Kozyra, J. U.; Thomsen, M. F.; Borovsky, J. E.; Gahurthakurta, Madulika (Technical Monitor)

2004-01-01

The goal of that proposal was to examine the relationship between solar wind drivers and ring current dynamics through data analysis and numerical simulations. The data analysis study was a statistical examination (via superposed epoch analyses) of a solar cycle's worth of storm data. Solar wind data, geophysical indices, and geosynchronous plasma data were collected for every time period with Dst< -50 nT from 1989 through 2002, and the storm list now exceeds 400 entries. This work was first conducted by a summer undergraduate student, Mr. John Vann (University of Kansas), with funding from the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates program. It was then continued by a University of Michigan graduate student, Mr. Jichun Zhang. Mr. Zhang is now in his fourth year at U-M and is progressing very well toward a PhD in space science. His dissertation will be based on his data analysis and modeling efforts using this geomagnetic storm database. The results of the data analysis study have been the focus of several conference presentations, and the first manuscript has just been published. Two additional papers are presently being prepared, one on average (superposed) solar wind features for various storm subsets (e.g., intense storms at solar maximum), and another on geosynchronous plasma features for these same storm subsets. The latter result was highlighted by the TR&T program director in his presentation at the COSPAR meeting this summer.

Asymmetry of the Martian Current Sheet in a Multi-fluid MHD Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panoncillo, S. G.; Egan, H. L.; Dong, C.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Brain, D. A.; Jakosky, B. M.

2017-12-01

The solar wind carries interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) lines toward Mars, where they drape around the planet's conducting ionosphere, creating a current sheet behind the planet where the magnetic field has opposite polarity on either side. In its simplest form, the current sheet is often thought of as symmetric, extending behind the planet along the Mars-Sun line. Observations and model simulations, however, demonstrate that this idealized representation is only an approximation, and the actual scenario is much more complex. The current sheet can have 3D structure, move back and forth, and be situated dawnward or duskward of the Mars-Sun line. In this project, we utilized a library of global plasma model results for Mars consisting of a collection of multi-fluid MHD simulations where solar max/min, sub-solar longitude, and the orbital position of Mars are varied individually. The model includes Martian crustal fields, and was run for identical steady solar wind conditions. This library was created for the purpose of comparing model results to MAVEN data; we looked at the results of this model library to investigate current sheet asymmetries. By altering one variable at a time we were able to measure how these variables influence the location of the current sheet. We found that the current sheet is typically shifted toward the dusk side of the planet, and that modeled asymmetries are especially prevalent during solar min. Previous model studies that lack crustal fields have found that, for a Parker spiral IMF, the current sheet will shift dawnward, while our results typically show the opposite. This could expose certain limitations in the models used, or it could reveal an interaction between the solar wind and the plasma environment of Mars that has not yet been explored. MAVEN data may be compared to the model results to confirm the sense of the modeled asymmetry. These results help us to probe the physics controlling the Martian magnetotail and atmospheric escape from Mars.

NASA's Solar Observing Fleet Watch Comet ISON's Journey Around the Sun

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-11-22

Comet ISON makes its appearance into the higher-resolution HI-1 camera on the STEREO-A spacecraft. The dark "clouds" coming from the right are density enhancements in the solar wind, causing all the ripples in comet Encke's tail. These kinds of solar wind interactions give us valuable information about solar wind conditions near the sun. Note: the STEREO-A spacecraft is currently located on the other side of the Sun, so it sees a totally different geometry to what we see from Earth. Credit: Karl Battams/NASA/STEREO/CIOC NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Permutation entropy and statistical complexity analysis of turbulence in laboratory plasmas and the solar wind.

PubMed

Weck, P J; Schaffner, D A; Brown, M R; Wicks, R T

2015-02-01

The Bandt-Pompe permutation entropy and the Jensen-Shannon statistical complexity are used to analyze fluctuating time series of three different turbulent plasmas: the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence in the plasma wind tunnel of the Swarthmore Spheromak Experiment (SSX), drift-wave turbulence of ion saturation current fluctuations in the edge of the Large Plasma Device (LAPD), and fully developed turbulent magnetic fluctuations of the solar wind taken from the Wind spacecraft. The entropy and complexity values are presented as coordinates on the CH plane for comparison among the different plasma environments and other fluctuation models. The solar wind is found to have the highest permutation entropy and lowest statistical complexity of the three data sets analyzed. Both laboratory data sets have larger values of statistical complexity, suggesting that these systems have fewer degrees of freedom in their fluctuations, with SSX magnetic fluctuations having slightly less complexity than the LAPD edge I(sat). The CH plane coordinates are compared to the shape and distribution of a spectral decomposition of the wave forms. These results suggest that fully developed turbulence (solar wind) occupies the lower-right region of the CH plane, and that other plasma systems considered to be turbulent have less permutation entropy and more statistical complexity. This paper presents use of this statistical analysis tool on solar wind plasma, as well as on an MHD turbulent experimental plasma.

Inertial-Range Reconnection in Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence and in the Solar Wind.

PubMed

Lalescu, Cristian C; Shi, Yi-Kang; Eyink, Gregory L; Drivas, Theodore D; Vishniac, Ethan T; Lazarian, Alexander

2015-07-10

In situ spacecraft data on the solar wind show events identified as magnetic reconnection with wide outflows and extended "X lines," 10(3)-10(4) times ion scales. To understand the role of turbulence at these scales, we make a case study of an inertial-range reconnection event in a magnetohydrodynamic simulation. We observe stochastic wandering of field lines in space, breakdown of standard magnetic flux freezing due to Richardson dispersion, and a broadened reconnection zone containing many current sheets. The coarse-grain magnetic geometry is like large-scale reconnection in the solar wind, however, with a hyperbolic flux tube or apparent X line extending over integral length scales.

Re-Thinking the Use of the OML Model in Electric-Sail Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Nobie H.

2016-01-01

The Orbit Motion Limited (OML) model commonly forms the basis for calculations made to determine the effect of the long, biased wires of an Electric Sail on solar wind protons and electrons (which determines the thrust generated and the required operating power). A new analysis of the results of previously conducted ground-based experimental studies of spacecraft-space plasma interactions indicate that the expected thrust created by deflected solar wind protons and the current of collected solar wind electrons could be considerably higher than the OML model would suggest. Herein the experimental analysis will be summarized and the assumptions and approximations required to derive the OML equation-and the limitations they impose-will be considered.

Magnetic energy storage and the nightside magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling

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

Horton, W.; Pekker, M.; Doxas, I.

1998-05-01

The change m in the magnetic energy stored m in the Earth`s magnetotail as a function of the solar wind, BIF conditions are investigated using an empirical magnetic field model. The results are used to calculate the two normal modes contained m in the low-dimensional global model called WINDMI for the solar wind driven magnetosphere-ionosphere system. The coupling of the magnetosphere-ionosphere (MI) through the nightside region 1 current loop transfers power to the ionosphere through two modes: a fast (period of minutes) oscillation and a slow (period of one hour) geotail cavity mode. The solar wind drives both modes mmore » in the substorm dynamics.« less

Analysis of Martian ionosphere and solar wind electron gas data from the planar retarding potential analyzer on the Viking spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mantas, G. P.; Hanson, W. B.

1987-01-01

Approximate expressions for the electron current collected by a planar retarding potential analyzer (RPA) mounted on a moving, conducting, charged spacecraft are derived. They are utilized for the analysis of electron current data obtained by the RPAs on the Viking spacecraft in the ionosphere of Mars and in the disturbed and undisturbed solar wind near this planet. It is shown that contamination currents by photoelectrons emitted from the spacecraft can be distinguished and removed from the signal. Parameters deduced from the analysis of RPA electron sampling data are the multicomponent electron temperatures, the number densities, and the spacecraft potential.

Plasma observations at venus with galileo.

PubMed

Frank, L A; Paterson, W R; Ackerson, K L; Coroniti, F V; Vasyliunas, V M

1991-09-27

Plasma measurements were obtained with the Galileo spacecraft during an approximately 3.5-hour interval in the vicinity of Venus on 10 February 1990. Several crossings of the bow shock in the local dawn sector were recorded before the spacecraft passed into the solar wind upstream from this planet. Although observations of ions of the solar wind and the postshock magnetosheath plasmas were not possible owing to the presence of a sunshade for thermal protection of the instrument, solar wind densities and bulk speeds were determined from the electron velocity distributions. A magnetic field-aligned distribution of hotter electrons or ;;strahl'' was also found in the solar wind. Ions streaming into the solar wind from the bow shock were detected. Electron heating at the bow shock,

High Quality Data for Grid Integration Studies

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

Clifton, Andrew; Draxl, Caroline; Sengupta, Manajit

As variable renewable power penetration levels increase in power systems worldwide, renewable integration studies are crucial to ensure continued economic and reliable operation of the power grid. The existing electric grid infrastructure in the US in particular poses significant limitations on wind power expansion. In this presentation we will shed light on requirements for grid integration studies as far as wind and solar energy are concerned. Because wind and solar plants are strongly impacted by weather, high-resolution and high-quality weather data are required to drive power system simulations. Future data sets will have to push limits of numerical weather predictionmore » to yield these high-resolution data sets, and wind data will have to be time-synchronized with solar data. Current wind and solar integration data sets are presented. The Wind Integration National Dataset (WIND) Toolkit is the largest and most complete grid integration data set publicly available to date. A meteorological data set, wind power production time series, and simulated forecasts created using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model run on a 2-km grid over the continental United States at a 5-min resolution is now publicly available for more than 126,000 land-based and offshore wind power production sites. The National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) is a similar high temporal- and spatial resolution database of 18 years of solar resource data for North America and India. The need for high-resolution weather data pushes modeling towards finer scales and closer synchronization. We also present how we anticipate such datasets developing in the future, their benefits, and the challenges with using and disseminating such large amounts of data.« less

Analysis of Surface Charging for a Candidate Solar Sail Mission Using NASCAP-2K

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Linda Neergaard; Minow, Joseph L.; Davis, V. A.; Mandell, Myron; Gardner, Barbara

2005-01-01

The characterization of the electromagnetic interaction for a solar sail in the solar wind environment and identification of viable charging mitigation strategies are critical solar sail mission design tasks. Spacecraft charging has important implications both for science applications and for lifetime and reliability issues of sail propulsion systems. To that end, surface charging calculations of a candidate 150-meter-class solar sail spacecraft for the 0.5 AU solar polar and 1.9 AU LI solar wind environments are performed. A model of the spacecraft with candidate materials having appropriate electrical properties is constructed using Object Toolkit. The spacecraft charging analysis is performed using Nascap-2k. the NASA/AFRL sponsored spacecraft charging analysis tool. Nominal and atypical solar wind environments appropriate for the 0.5 AU and 1.0 AU missions are used to establish current collection of solar wind ions and electrons. Finally, a geostationary orbit environment case is included to demonstrate a bounding example of extreme (negative) charging of a solar sail spacecraft. Results from the charging analyses demonstrate that minimal differential potentials (and resulting threat of electrostatic discharge) occur when the spacecraft is constructed entirely of conducting materials, as anticipated from standard guidelines for mitigation of spacecraft charging issues. Examples with dielectric materials exposed to the space environment exhibit differential potentials ranging from a few volts to extreme potentials in the kilovolt range.

Analysis of Surface Charging for a Candidate Solar Sail Mission Using Nascap-2k

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Linda Neergaard; Minow, Joseph I.; Davis, Victoria; Mandell, Myron; Gardner, Barbara

2005-01-01

The characterization of the electromagnetic interaction for a solar sail in the solar wind environment and identification of viable charging mitigation strategies are critical solar sail mission design task. Spacecraft charging has important implications both for science applications and for lifetime and reliability issues of sail propulsion systems. To that end, surface charging calculations of a candidate 150-meter-class solar sail spacecraft for the 0.5 AU solar polar and 1.0 AU L1 solar wind environments are performed. A model of the spacecraft with candidate materials having appropriate electrical properties is constructed using Object Toolkit. The spacecraft charging analysis is performed using Nascap-2k, the NASA/AFRL sponsored spacecraft charging analysis tool. Nominal and atypical solar wind environments appropriate for the 0.5 AU and 1.0 AU missions are used to establish current collection of solar wind ions and electrons. Finally, a geostationary orbit environment case is included to demonstrate a bounding example of extreme (negative) charging of a solar sail spacecraft. Results from the charging analyses demonstrate that minimal differential potentials (and resulting threat of electrostatic discharge) occur when the spacecraft is constructed entirely of conducting materials, as anticipated from standard guidelines for mitigation of spacecraft charging issues. Examples with dielectric materials exposed to the space environment exhibit differential potentials ranging from a few volts to extreme potentials in the kilovolt range.

Solar Probe Plus: A NASA Mission to Touch the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, N. J.; Bale, S. D.; Decker, R. B.; Howard, R.; Kasper, J. C.; McComas, D. J.; Szabo, A.; Velli, M. M.

2013-12-01

Solar Probe Plus (SPP), currently in Phase B, will be the first mission to fly into the low solar corona, revealing how the corona is heated and the solar wind is accelerated, solving two fundamental mysteries that have been top priority science goals since such a mission was first proposed in 1958. The scale and concept of such a mission has been revised at intervals since that time, yet the core has always been a close encounter with the Sun. The primary science goal of the Solar Probe Plus mission is to determine the structure and dynamics of the Sun's coronal magnetic field, understand how the solar corona and wind are heated and accelerated, and determine what mechanisms accelerate and transport energetic particles. The SPP mission will achieve this by identifying and quantifying the basic plasma physical processes at the heart of the Heliosphere. SPP uses an innovative mission design, significant technology development and a risk-reducing engineering development to meet the SPP science objectives: 1) Trace the flow of energy that heats and accelerates the solar corona and solar wind; 2) Determine the structure and dynamics of the plasma and magnetic fields at the sources of the solar wind; and 3) Explore mechanisms that accelerate and transport energetic particles. In this poster, we present Solar Probe Plus and examine how the mission will address the science questions that have remained unanswered for over 5 decades.

Interaction of the solar wind with comets: a Rosetta perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glassmeier, Karl-Heinz

2017-05-01

The Rosetta mission provides an unprecedented possibility to study the interaction of comets with the solar wind. As the spacecraft accompanies comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from its very low-activity stage through its perihelion phase, the physics of mass loading is witnessed for various activity levels of the nucleus. While observations at other comets provided snapshots of the interaction region and its various plasma boundaries, Rosetta observations allow a detailed study of the temporal evolution of the innermost cometary magnetosphere. Owing to the short passage time of the solar wind through the interaction region, plasma instabilities such as ring-beam and non-gyrotropic instabilities are of less importance during the early life of the magnetosphere. Large-amplitude ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves, the `singing' of the comet, is probably due to a modified ion Weibel instability. This instability drives a cross-field current of implanted cometary ions unstable. The initial pick-up of these ions causes a major deflection of the solar wind protons. Proton deflection, cross-field current and the instability induce a threefold structure of the innermost interaction region with the characteristic Mach cone and Whistler wings as stationary interaction signatures as well as the ULF waves representing the dynamic aspect of the interaction. This article is part of the themed issue 'Cometary science after Rosetta'.

Hall-MHD simulations of the magnetosphere-northward solar wind interface : the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability as an entry mechanism for the solar wind through mixing and reconnections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leroy, Matthieu; Keppens, Rony

2016-04-01

The transfer of matter from the solar-wind to the Earth's magnetosphere during southward solar wind is mostly well understood but the processes governing the same phenomenon during northward solar wind remains to be fully apprehended. Numerous numerical studies have investigated the topic with many interesting results but most of these were considering two-dimensional situations with simplified magnetic configuration and often neglecting the inhomogeneities for the sake of clarity. Given the typical parameters at the magnetosphere-solar wind interface, the situation must be considered in the frame of Hall-MHD, due to the fact that the current layers widths and the gradient lengths can be in the order of the ion inertial length. As a consequence of Hall-MHD creating a third vector component from two planar ones, and also because magnetic perturbations can affect the field configuration at a distance in all directions and not only locally, three-dimensional treatment is necessary. In this spirit three-dimensional simulations of a configuration approaching the conditions leading to the development of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities at the flank of the magnetosphere during northward oriented solar-wind are performed as means to study the entry of solar-wind matter into Earth's magnetic field. In the scope of assessing the effect of the Hall-term in the physical processes, the simulations are also performed in the MHD frame. Furthermore the influence of the density and velocity jump through the shear layer on the rate of mass entering the magnetosphere is explored. Indeed, depending on the exact values of the physical quantities, the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability may have to compete with secondary instabilities and the non-linear phase may exhibit vortex merging and large-scale structures reorganisation, creating very different mixing layers, or generate different reconnection sites, locally and at a distance. These different configurations may have discernible signatures that can be identified by spacecraft diagnostics.

Saturn's magnetosheath transition layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masters, A.; Hasegawa, H.; Phan, T. D.; Badman, S. V.; Fujimoto, M.; Coates, A. J.; Dougherty, M. K.

2012-09-01

The interaction between the solar wind and a magnetised planet produces a cavity around the planet known as a magnetosphere. Although this cavity effectively shields near-planet space from the solar wind, the occurrence of magnetic reconnection at the manetopause boundary of the magnetosphere allows solar wind energy to enter the system. In the case of Earth's magnetosphere a region of reduced plasma pressure and enhanced magnetic pressure can form in the solar wind immediately adjacent to the magnetopause (which also can form around other planetary magnetospheres). This layer is often referred to as the Magnetosheath Transition Layer (MTL), and Earth's MTL responds strongly to magnetopause reconnection. The nature of magnetopause reconnection at Saturn is unclear. We study Saturn's MTL using data taken by the Cassini spacecraft. We examine the reponse of the layer to local magnetised plasma conditions, compare this response to that of Earth's MTL, and assess whether our results are in agreement with current, limited understanding of magnetopause reconnection at Saturn.

Production of sunspots and their effects on the corona and solar wind: Insights from a new 3D flux-transport dynamo model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Rohit; Jouve, Laurène; Pinto, Rui F.; Rouillard, Alexis P.

2018-01-01

We present a three-dimensional numerical model for the generation and evolution of the magnetic field in the solar convection zone, in which sunspots are produced and contribute to the cyclic reversal of the large-scale magnetic field. We then assess the impact of this dynamo-generated field on the structure of the solar corona and solar wind. This model solves the induction equation in which the velocity field is prescribed. This velocity field is a combination of a solar-like differential rotation and meridional circulation. We develop an algorithm that enables the magnetic flux produced in the interior to be buoyantly transported towards the surface to produce bipolar spots. We find that those tilted bipolar magnetic regions contain a sufficient amount of flux to periodically reverse the polar magnetic field and sustain dynamo action. We then track the evolution of these magnetic features at the surface during a few consecutive magnetic cycles and analyze their effects on the topology of the corona and on properties of the solar wind (distribution of streamers and coronal holes, and of slow and fast wind streams) in connection with current observations of the Sun.

The Third Solar Wind Conference: A summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, C. T.

1974-01-01

The Third Solar Wind Conference consisted of nine sessions. The following subjects were discussed: (1) solar abundances; (2) the history and evolution of the solar wind; (3) the structure and dynamics of the solar corona; (4) macroscopic and microscopic properties of the solar wind; (5) cosmic rays as a probe of the solar wind; (6) the structure and dynamics of the solar wind; (7) spatial gradients; (8) stellar winds; and (9) interactions with objects in the solar wind. The invited and contributed talks presented at the conference are summarized.

Influence of upstream solar wind on thermospheric flows at Jupiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yates, J. N.; Achilleos, N.; Guio, P.

2012-02-01

The coupling of Jupiter's magnetosphere and ionosphere plays a vital role in creating its auroral emissions. The strength of these emissions is dependent on the difference in speed of the rotational flows within Jupiter's high-latitude thermosphere and the planet's magnetodisc. Using an azimuthally symmetric global circulation model, we have simulated how upstream solar wind conditions affect the energy and direction of atmospheric flows. In order to simulate the effect of a varying dynamic pressure in the upstream solar wind, we calculated three magnetic field profiles representing compressed, averaged and expanded ‘middle’ magnetospheres. These profiles were then used to solve for the angular velocity of plasma in the magnetosphere. This angular velocity determines the strength of currents flowing between the ionosphere and magnetosphere. We examine the influence of variability in this current system upon the global winds and energy inputs within the Jovian thermosphere. We find that the power dissipated by Joule heating and ion drag increases by ∼190% and ∼185% from our compressed to expanded model respectively. We investigated the effect of exterior boundary conditions on our models and found that by reducing the radial current at the outer edge of the magnetodisc, we also limit the thermosphere's ability to transmit angular momentum to this region.

The solar wind in time: a change in the behaviour of older winds?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Fionnagáin, D.; Vidotto, A. A.

2018-05-01

In this paper, we model the wind of solar analogues at different ages to investigate the evolution of the solar wind. Recently, it has been suggested that winds of solar type stars might undergo a change in properties at old ages, whereby stars older than the Sun would be less efficient in carrying away angular momentum than what was traditionally believed. Adding to this, recent observations suggest that old solar-type stars show a break in coronal properties, with a steeper decay in X-ray luminosities and temperatures at older ages. We use these X-ray observations to constrain the thermal acceleration of winds of solar analogues. Our sample is based on the stars from the `Sun in Time' project with ages between 120 and 7000 Myr. The break in X-ray properties leads to a break in wind mass-loss rates (\\dot{M}) at roughly 2 Gyr, with \\dot{M} (t < 2 Gyr) ∝ t-0.74 and \\dot{M} (t > 2 Gyr) ∝ t-3.9. This steep decay in \\dot{M} at older ages could be the reason why older stars are less efficient at carrying away angular momentum, which would explain the anomalously rapid rotation observed in older stars. We also show that none of the stars in our sample would have winds dense enough to produce thermal emission above 1-2 GHz, explaining why their radio emissions have not yet been detected. Combining our models with dynamo evolution models for the magnetic field of the Earth, we find that, at early ages (≈100 Myr), our Earth had a magnetosphere that was three or more times smaller than its current size.

Identifying and Characterizing Kinetic Instabilities using Solar Wind Observations of Non-Maxwellian Plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, K. G.

2016-12-01

Weakly collisional plasmas, of the type typically observed in the solar wind, are commonly in a state other than local thermodynamic equilibrium. This deviation from a Maxwellian velocity distribution can be characterized by pressure anisotropies, disjoint beams streaming at differing speeds, leptokurtic distributions at large energies, and other non-thermal features. As these features may be artifacts of dynamic processes, including the the acceleration and expansion of the solar wind, and as the free energy contained in these features can drive kinetic micro-instabilities, accurate measurement and modeling of these features is essential for characterizing the solar wind. After a review of these features, a technique is presented for the efficient calculation of kinetic instabilities associated with a general, non-Maxwellian plasma. As a proof of principle, this technique is applied to bi-Maxwellian systems for which kinetic instability thresholds are known, focusing on parameter scans including beams and drifting heavy minor ions. The application of this technique to fits of velocity distribution functions from current, forthcoming, and proposed missions including WIND, DSCOVR, Solar Probe Plus, and THOR, as well as the underlying measured distribution functions, is discussed. Particular attention is paid to the effects of instrument pointing and integration time, as well as potential deviation between instabilities associated with the Maxwellian fits and those associated with the observed, potentially non-Maxwellian, velocity distribution. Such application may further illuminate the role instabilities play in the evolution of the solar wind.

On the properties of energy transfer in solar wind turbulence.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorriso-Valvo, Luca; Marino, Raffaele; Chen, Christopher H. K.; Wicks, Robert; Nigro, Giuseppina

2017-04-01

Spacecraft observations have shown that the solar wind plasma is heated during its expansion in the heliosphere. The necessary energy is made available at small scales by a turbulent cascade, although the nature of the heating processes is still debated. Because of the intermittent nature of turbulence, the small-scale energy is inhomogeneously distributed in space, resulting for example in the formation of highly localized current sheets and eddies. In order to understand the small-scale plasma processes occurring in the solar wind, the global and local properties of such energy distribution must be known. Here we study such properties using a proxy derived from the Von Karman-Howart relation for magnetohydrodynamics. The statistical properties of the energy transfer rate in the fluid range of scales are studied in detail using WIND spacecraft plasma and magnetic field measurements and discussed in the framework of the multifractal turbulent cascade. Dependence of the energy dissipation proxy on the solar wind conditions (speed, type, solar activity...) is analysed, and its evolution during solar wind expansion in the heliosphere is described using Helios II and Ulysses measurements. A comparison with other proxies, such as the PVI, is performed. Finally, the local singularity properties of the energy dissipation proxy are conditionally compared to the corresponding particle velocity distributions. This allows the identification of specific plasma features occurring near turbulent dissipation events, and could be used as enhanced mode trigger in future space missions.

What is the Relationship between the Solar Wind and Storms/Substorms?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fairfield, D. H.; Burlaga, L. F.

1999-01-01

The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) carried past the Earth by the solar wind has long been known to be the principal quantity that controls geomagnetic storms and substorms. Intervals of strong southward IMF with durations of at least a significant fraction of a day produce storms, while more typical, shorter intervals of less-intense southward fields produce substorms. The strong, long-duration southward fields are generally associated with coronal mass ejections and magnetic clouds or else they are produced by interplanetary dynamics initiated by fast solar wind flows that compress preexisting southward fields. Smaller, short-duration southward fields that occur on most days are related to long period waves, turbulence, or random variations in the IMF. Southward IMF enhances dayside reconnection between the IMF and the Earth's dipole with the reconnected field lines supplementing open field lines of the geomagnetic tail and producing an expanded polar cap and increased tail energy. Although the frequent storage of solar wind energy and its release during substorms is the most common mode of solar wind/magnetosphere interaction, under certain circumstances, steady southward IMF seems to produce intervals of relatively steady magnetosphere convection without substorms. During these latter times, the inner magnetosphere remains in a stressed tail-like state while the more distant magnetotail has larger northward field and more dipolar-like field lines. Recent evidence suggests that enhanced magnetosphere particle densities associated with enhanced solar wind densities allow more particles to be accelerated for the ring current, thus creating larger storms.

Solar-wind velocity measurements from near-Sun comets C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy), C/2011 L4 (Pan-STARRS), and C/2012 S1 (ISON)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramanjooloo, Y.; Jones, G. H.; Coates, A.; Owens, M. J.; Battams, K.

2014-07-01

Since the mid-20th century, comets' plasma (type I) tails have been studied as natural probes of the solar wind [1]. Comets have induced magnetotails, formed through the draping of the heliospheric magnetic field by the velocity shear in the mass-loaded solar wind. These can be easily observed remotely as the comets' plasma tails, which generally point away from the Sun. Local solar-wind conditions directly influence the morphology and dynamics of a comet's plasma tail. During ideal observing geometries, the orientation and structure of the plasma tail can reveal large-scale and small-scale variations in the local solar-wind structure. These variations can be manifested as tail condensations, kinks, and disconnection events. Over 50 % of observed catalogued comets are sungrazing comets [2], fragments of three different parent comets. Since 2011, two bright new comets, C/2011 W3 [3] (from hereon comet Lovejoy) and C/2012 S1 [4] (hereon comet ISON) have experienced extreme solar-wind conditions and insolation of their nucleus during their perihelion passages, approaching to within 8.3×10^5 km (1.19 solar radii) and 1.9×10^6 km (2.79 solar radii) of the solar centre. They each displayed a prominent plasma tail, proving to be exceptions amongst the observed group of sungrazing comets. These bright sungrazers provide unprecedented access to study the solar wind in the heretofore unprobed innermost region of the solar corona. The closest spacecraft in-situ sampling of the solar wind by the Helios probes reached 0.29 au. For this study, we define a sungrazing comet as one with its perihelion within the solar Roche limit (3.70 solar radii). We also extend this study to include C/2011 L4 [5] (comet Pan-STARRS), a comet with a much further perihelion distance of 0.302 au. The technique employed in this study was first established by analysing geocentric amateur observations of comets C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) and C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) [7]. These amateur images, obtained with modern equipment and sensors, rival and sometimes arguably exceed the quality of professional images obtained only 2--3 decades ago. Multiple solar-wind velocity estimates were derived from each image and the results compared to observed and modelled near-Earth solar-wind data. Our unique analysis technique [Ramanjooloo et al., in preparation] allows us to determine the latitudinal variations of the solar wind, heliospheric current-sheet sector boundaries and the boundaries of transient features as a comet with an observable plasma tail probes the inner heliosphere. We present solar-wind velocity measurements derived from multiple observing locations of comets Lovejoy from the 14th -- 19th December 2011, comet Pan-STARRS during 11th -- 16th March 2013 and comet ISON from 12th -- 29th November 2013. Observations were gathered from multiple resources, from the SECCHI heliospheric imagers aboard STEREO A and B [8], the LASCO coronagraphs aboard SOHO [9], as well as ground-based amateur and professional observations coordinated by the CIOC. Overlapping observation sessions from the three spacecraft and ground-based efforts provided the perfect opportunity to use these comets as a diagnostic tool to understand solar-wind variability close to the Sun. We plan to compare our observations to results of suitable simulations [10] of plasma conditions in the corona and inner heliosphere during each of the comets' perihelion passage. The correlation of the solar-wind velocity distribution from different observing locations can provide clues towards the morphology and orientation of the plasma tail. We also attempt to determine the difficult-to-determine non-radial components of the measured solar-wind velocities.

Kinetic Properties of Solar Wind Silicon and Iron Ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janitzek, N. P.; Berger, L.; Drews, C.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

2017-12-01

Heavy ions with atomic numbers Z>2 account for less than one percent of the solar wind ions. However, serving as test particles with differing mass and charge, they provide a unique experimental approach to major questions of solar and fundamental plasma physics such as coronal heating, the origin and acceleration of the solar wind and wave-particle interaction in magnetized plasma. Yet the low relative abundances of the heavy ions pose substantial challenges to the instrumentation measuring these species with reliable statistics and sufficient time resolution. As a consequence the numbers of independent measurements and studies are small. The Charge Time-Of-Flight (CTOF) mass spectrometer as part of the Charge, ELement and Isotope Analysis System (CELIAS) onboard the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) is a linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer which was operated at Lagrangian point L1 in 1996 for a few months only, before it suffered an instrument failure. Despite its short operation time, the CTOF sensor measured solar wind heavy ions with excellent charge state separation, an unprecedented cadence of 5 minutes and very high counting statistics, exceeding similar state-of-the-art instruments by a factor of ten. In contrast to earlier CTOF studies which were based on reduced onboard post-processed data, in our current studies we use raw Pulse Height Analysis (PHA) data providing a significantly increased mass, mass-per-charge and velocity resolution. Focussing on silicon and iron ion measurements, we present an overview of our findings on (1) short time behavior of heavy ion 1D radial velocity distribution functions, (2) differential streaming between heavy ions and solar wind bulk protons, (3) kinetic temperatures of heavy ions. Finally, we compare the CTOF results with measurements of the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer (SWICS) instrument onboard the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE).

Heavy noble gases in solar wind delivered by Genesis mission.

PubMed

Meshik, Alex; Hohenberg, Charles; Pravdivtseva, Olga; Burnett, Donald

2014-02-15

One of the major goals of the Genesis Mission was to refine our knowledge of the isotopic composition of the heavy noble gases in solar wind and, by inference, the Sun, which represents the initial composition of the solar system. This has now been achieved with permil precision: 36 Ar/ 38 Ar = 5.5005 ± 0.0040, 86 Kr/ 84 Kr = .3012 ± .0004, 83 Kr/ 84 Kr = .2034 ± .0002, 82 Kr/ 84 Kr = .2054 ± .0002, 80 Kr/ 84 Kr = .0412 ± .0002, 78 Kr/ 84 Kr = .00642 ± .00005, 136 Xe/ 132 Xe = .3001 ± .0006, 134 Xe/ 132 Xe = .3691 ± .0007, 131 Xe/ 132 Xe = .8256 ± .0012, 130 Xe/ 132 Xe = .1650 ± .0004, 129 Xe/ 132 Xe = 1.0405 ± .0010, 128 Xe/ 132 Xe = .0842 ± .0003, 126 Xe/ 132 Xe = .00416 ± .00009, and 124 Xe/ 132 Xe = .00491 ± .00007 (error-weighted averages of all published data). The Kr and Xe ratios measured in the Genesis solar wind collectors generally agree with the less precise values obtained from lunar soils and breccias, which have accumulated solar wind over hundreds of millions of years, suggesting little if any temporal variability of the isotopic composition of solar wind krypton and xenon. The higher precision for the initial composition of the heavy noble gases in the solar system allows (1) to confirm that, exept 136 Xe and 134 Xe, the mathematically derived U-Xe is equivalent to Solar Wind Xe and (2) to provide an opportunity for better understanding the relationship between the starting composition and Xe-Q (and Q-Kr), the dominant current "planetary" component, and its host, the mysterious phase-Q.

Heavy noble gases in solar wind delivered by Genesis mission

PubMed Central

Meshik, Alex; Hohenberg, Charles; Pravdivtseva, Olga; Burnett, Donald

2017-01-01

One of the major goals of the Genesis Mission was to refine our knowledge of the isotopic composition of the heavy noble gases in solar wind and, by inference, the Sun, which represents the initial composition of the solar system. This has now been achieved with permil precision: 36Ar/38Ar = 5.5005 ± 0.0040, 86Kr/84Kr = .3012 ± .0004, 83Kr/84Kr = .2034 ± .0002, 82Kr/84Kr = .2054 ± .0002, 80Kr/84Kr = .0412 ± .0002, 78Kr/84Kr = .00642 ± .00005, 136Xe/132Xe = .3001 ± .0006, 134Xe/132Xe = .3691 ± .0007, 131Xe/132Xe = .8256 ± .0012, 130Xe/132Xe = .1650 ± .0004, 129Xe/132Xe = 1.0405 ± .0010, 128Xe/132Xe = .0842 ± .0003, 126Xe/132Xe = .00416 ± .00009, and 124Xe/132Xe = .00491 ± .00007 (error-weighted averages of all published data). The Kr and Xe ratios measured in the Genesis solar wind collectors generally agree with the less precise values obtained from lunar soils and breccias, which have accumulated solar wind over hundreds of millions of years, suggesting little if any temporal variability of the isotopic composition of solar wind krypton and xenon. The higher precision for the initial composition of the heavy noble gases in the solar system allows (1) to confirm that, exept 136Xe and 134Xe, the mathematically derived U–Xe is equivalent to Solar Wind Xe and (2) to provide an opportunity for better understanding the relationship between the starting composition and Xe-Q (and Q-Kr), the dominant current “planetary” component, and its host, the mysterious phase-Q. PMID:29151613

The Outer Heliosphere: Solar Wind, Cosmic Ray and VLF Radio Emission Variations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McNutt, Ralph L., Jr.

1995-01-01

The Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft now 45 astronomical units (AU) from Earth continue to monitor the outer heliosphere field and particles environment on a daily basis during their journey to the termination shock of the solar wind. Strong transient shocks continue to be detected in the solar wind plasma. The largest of these are associated with Global Merged Interaction Regions (GMIR's) which, in turn, block cosmic ray entry into the inner heliosphere and are apparently responsible for triggering the two major episodes of VLF radio emissions now thought to come from the heliopause. Distance estimates to the termination shock are consistent with those determined from observations of anomalous cosmic rays. Current observations and implications for heliospheric structure are discussed.

Chandra Observations of Pluto's Escaping Atmosphere in Support of the New Horizons Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNutt, Ralph, Jr.

2013-09-01

Current models of Pluto's extended N2+CH4 atmosphere are still very uncertain, causing numerous difficulties in optimizing the New Horizons fast flyby operations plan for the dwarf planet. Applying knowledge gained from studying cometary X-ray emission, Chandra ACIS-S photometric imaging of X-rays produced by CXE between the solar wind and Pluto's atmosphere will address both the run of atmospheric density and the interaction of the solar wind with the extended Plutonian atmosphere. Determining the atmosphere's extent and amount of free molecular escape will aid the atmospheric sounding measurements of the NH ALICE instrument, while determining the x-ray luminosity will help the NH PEPSI instrument characterize the solar wind particle environment.

Designing a sun-pointing Faraday cup for solar probe plus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Case, A. W.; Kasper, J. C.; Daigneau, P. S.; Caldwell, D.; Freeman, M.; Gauron, T.; Maruca, B. A.; Bookbinder, J.; Korreck, K. E.; Cirtain, J. W.; Effinger, M. E.; Halekas, J. S.; Larson, D. E.; Lazarus, A. J.; Stevens, M. L.; Taylor, E. R.; Wright, K. H., Jr.

2013-06-01

The NASA Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission will be the first spacecraft to pass through the sub-Alfvénic solar corona. The objectives of the mission are to trace the flow of energy that heats and accelerates the solar corona and solar wind, to determine the structure and dynamics of the plasma and magnetic fields at the sources of the solar wind, and to explore mechanisms that accelerate and transport energetic particles. The Solar Wind Electrons, Alphas, and Protons (SWEAP) Investigation instrument suite on SPP will measure the bulk solar wind conditions in the inner heliosphere. SWEAP consists of the Solar Probe Cup (SPC), a sun-pointing Faraday Cup, and the Solar Probe ANalyzers (SPAN), a set of 3 electrostatic analyzers that will reside in the penumbra of SPP's thermal protection system and measure solar wind ions and electrons. SPP is scheduled to launch in 2018 into an equatorial solar orbit where a sequence of Venus gravity assists will gradually lower its closest solar approach to within 9.5 solar radii (RS) of the center of the Sun. The photon flux at 9.5 RS is more than 500 times greater than at 1 AU and therefore presents a design challenge for SPC, which will point directly at the Sun. SPC is derived from the Faraday cup instruments successfully flown on spacecraft from the beginning of the space age, but updated with high temperature materials to operate through the solar encounters. Current work includes both instrument design and the development of a testing approach capable of demonstrating adequate performance in encounter conditions. This paper will briefly discuss the suite as a whole, and then focus on the design and capabilities of SPC. We will also present the planned calibration and characterization of the instrument and the testing required to demonstrate the technological readiness of the design.

Formation of Heliospheric Arcs of Slow Solar Wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Higginson, A. K.; Antiochos, S. K.; Devore, C. R.; Wyper, P. F.; Zurbuchen, T. H.

2017-01-01

A major challenge in solar and heliospheric physics is understanding the origin and nature of the so-called slow solar wind. The Sun's atmosphere is divided into magnetically open regions, known as coronal holes, where the plasma streams out freely and fills the solar system, and closed regions, where the plasma is confined to coronal loops. The boundary between these regions extends outward as the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). Measurements of plasma composition strongly imply that much of the slow wind consists of plasma from the closed corona that escapes onto open field lines, presumably by field-line opening or by interchange reconnection. Both of these processes are expected to release closed-field plasma into the solar wind within and immediately adjacent to the HCS. Mysteriously, however, slow wind with closed-field plasma composition is often observed in situ far from the HCS. We use high-resolution, three-dimensional, magnetohydrodynamic simulations to calculate the dynamics of a coronal hole with a geometry that includes a narrow corridor flanked by closed field and is driven by supergranule-like flows at the coronal-hole boundary. These dynamics produce giant arcs of closed-field plasma that originate at the open-closed boundary in the corona, but extend far from the HCS and span tens of degrees in latitude and longitude at Earth. We conclude that such structures can account for the long-puzzling slow-wind observations.

Formation of Heliospheric Arcs of Slow Solar Wind

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

Higginson, A. K.; Zurbuchen, T. H.; Antiochos, S. K.

A major challenge in solar and heliospheric physics is understanding the origin and nature of the so-called slow solar wind. The Sun’s atmosphere is divided into magnetically open regions, known as coronal holes, where the plasma streams out freely and fills the solar system, and closed regions, where the plasma is confined to coronal loops. The boundary between these regions extends outward as the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). Measurements of plasma composition strongly imply that much of the slow wind consists of plasma from the closed corona that escapes onto open field lines, presumably by field-line opening or by interchangemore » reconnection. Both of these processes are expected to release closed-field plasma into the solar wind within and immediately adjacent to the HCS. Mysteriously, however, slow wind with closed-field plasma composition is often observed in situ far from the HCS. We use high-resolution, three-dimensional, magnetohydrodynamic simulations to calculate the dynamics of a coronal hole with a geometry that includes a narrow corridor flanked by closed field and is driven by supergranule-like flows at the coronal-hole boundary. These dynamics produce giant arcs of closed-field plasma that originate at the open-closed boundary in the corona, but extend far from the HCS and span tens of degrees in latitude and longitude at Earth. We conclude that such structures can account for the long-puzzling slow-wind observations.« less

What Can Be Learned from X-Ray Spectroscopy Concerning Hot Gas in the Local Bubble and Charge Exchange Processes?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snowden, S. L.

2008-01-01

Both solar wind charge exchange emission and diffuse thermal emission from the Local Bubble are strongly dominated in the soft X-ray band by lines from highly ionized elements. While both processes share many of the same lines, the spectra should differ significantly due to the different production mechanisms, abundances, and ionization states. Despite their distinct spectral signatures, current and past observatories have lacked the spectral resolution to adequately distinguish between the two sources. High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy instrumentation proposed for future missions has the potential to answer fundamental questions such as whether there is any hot plasma in the Local Hot Bubble, and if so, what are the abundances of the emitting plasma and whether the plasma is in equilibrium. Such instrumentation will provide dynamic information about the solar wind including data on ion species which are currently difficult to track. It will also make possible remote sensing of the solar wind.

Solar Probe Plus: A NASA Mission to Touch the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, N. J.; Velli, M. M. C.; Kasper, J. C.; McComas, D. J.; Howard, R.; Bale, S. D.; Decker, R. B.

2014-12-01

Solar Probe Plus (SPP), currently in Phase C, will be the first mission to fly into the low solar corona, revealing how the corona is heated and the solar wind and energetic particles are accelerated, solving fundamental mysteries that have been top priority science goals since such a mission was first proposed in 1958. The scale and concept of such a mission has been revised at intervals since that time, yet the core has always been a close encounter with the Sun. The primary science goal of the Solar Probe Plus mission is to determine the structure and dynamics of the Sun's coronal magnetic field, understand how the solar corona and wind are heated and accelerated, and determine what mechanisms accelerate and transport energetic particles. The SPP mission will achieve this by identifying and quantifying the basic plasma physical processes at the heart of the Heliosphere. SPP uses an innovative mission design, significant technology development and a risk-reducing engineering development to meet the SPP science objectives: 1) Trace the flow of energy that heats and accelerates the solar corona and solar wind; 2) Determine the structure and dynamics of the plasma and magnetic fields at the sources of the solar wind; and 3) Explore mechanisms that accelerate and transport energetic particles. In this presentation, we present Solar Probe Plus and examine how the mission will address the science questions that have remained unanswered for over 5 decades.

Solar and Heliospheric Data Requirements: Going Further Than L1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Szabo, A.

2011-01-01

Current operational space weather forecasting relies on solar wind observations made by the ACE spacecraft located at the L1 point providing 30-40 minutes warning time. Some use is also made of SOHO and STEREO solar imaging that potentially can give multiple days of warning time. However, our understanding of the propagation and evolution of solar wind transients is still limited resulting in a typical timing uncertainty of approximately 10 hours. In order to improve this critical understanding, a number of NASA missions are being planned. Specifically the Solar Probe Plus and Solar Orbiter missions will investigate the inner Heliospheric evolution of coronal mass ejections and the acceleration and propagation of solar energetic particles. In addition, a number of multi-spacecraft concepts have been studied that have the potential to significantly improve the accuracy of long-term space weather forecasts.

High-latitude Conic Current Sheets in the Solar Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khabarova, Olga V.; Malova, Helmi V.; Kislov, Roman A.; Zelenyi, Lev M.; Obridko, Vladimir N.; Kharshiladze, Alexander F.; Tokumaru, Munetoshi; Sokół, Justyna M.; Grzedzielski, Stan; Fujiki, Ken'ichi

2017-02-01

We provide observational evidence for the existence of large-scale cylindrical (or conic-like) current sheets (CCSs) at high heliolatitudes. Long-lived CCSs were detected by Ulysses during its passages over the South Solar Pole in 1994 and 2007. The characteristic scale of these tornado-like structures is several times less than a typical width of coronal holes within which the CCSs are observed. CCS crossings are characterized by a dramatic decrease in the solar wind speed and plasma beta typical for predicted profiles of CCSs. Ulysses crossed the same CCS at different heliolatitudes at 2-3 au several times in 1994, as the CCS was declined from the rotation axis and corotated with the Sun. In 2007, a CCS was detected directly over the South Pole, and its structure was strongly highlighted by the interaction with comet McNaught. Restorations of solar coronal magnetic field lines reveal the occurrence of conic-like magnetic separators over the solar poles in both 1994 and 2007. Such separators exist only during solar minima. Interplanetary scintillation data analysis confirms the presence of long-lived low-speed regions surrounded by the typical polar high-speed solar wind in solar minima. Energetic particle flux enhancements up to several MeV/nuc are observed at edges of the CCSs. We built simple MHD models of a CCS to illustrate its key features. The CCSs may be formed as a result of nonaxiality of the solar rotation axis and magnetic axis, as predicted by the Fisk-Parker hybrid heliospheric magnetic field model in the modification of Burger and coworkers.

High-latitude Conic Current Sheets in the Solar Wind

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

Khabarova, Olga V.; Obridko, Vladimir N.; Kharshiladze, Alexander F.

We provide observational evidence for the existence of large-scale cylindrical (or conic-like) current sheets (CCSs) at high heliolatitudes. Long-lived CCSs were detected by Ulysses during its passages over the South Solar Pole in 1994 and 2007. The characteristic scale of these tornado-like structures is several times less than a typical width of coronal holes within which the CCSs are observed. CCS crossings are characterized by a dramatic decrease in the solar wind speed and plasma beta typical for predicted profiles of CCSs. Ulysses crossed the same CCS at different heliolatitudes at 2–3 au several times in 1994, as the CCSmore » was declined from the rotation axis and corotated with the Sun. In 2007, a CCS was detected directly over the South Pole, and its structure was strongly highlighted by the interaction with comet McNaught. Restorations of solar coronal magnetic field lines reveal the occurrence of conic-like magnetic separators over the solar poles in both 1994 and 2007. Such separators exist only during solar minima. Interplanetary scintillation data analysis confirms the presence of long-lived low-speed regions surrounded by the typical polar high-speed solar wind in solar minima. Energetic particle flux enhancements up to several MeV/ nuc are observed at edges of the CCSs. We built simple MHD models of a CCS to illustrate its key features. The CCSs may be formed as a result of nonaxiality of the solar rotation axis and magnetic axis, as predicted by the Fisk–Parker hybrid heliospheric magnetic field model in the modification of Burger and coworkers.« less

Paleointensity, solar wind and magnetopause 3.45 billion years ago (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarduno, J. A.; Cottrell, R. D.; Watkeys, M. K.; Hofmann, A.; Doubrovine, P. V.; Nelson, J.; Usui, Y.

2009-12-01

The standoff of the solar wind by the magnetic field produced by a core dynamo defines atmospheric shielding and prevention of volatile loss important for the evolution of a habitable planet. Yet little is known about magnetic field strength for the earliest Earth. Therefore, the potential for intense radiation from the young, rapidly rotating Sun modifying the atmosphere is uncertain. We report Thellier paleointensity results from single silicate crystals bearing magnetic inclusions that indicate the presence of a Paleoarchean geodynamo between 3.40 and 3.45 billion years ago. The field is somewhat weaker than the current field and when combined with the a greater solar wind pressure suggest steady-state Paleoarchean magnetopause standoff distances similar to those observed during recent solar storms. We will discuss efforts to further extend the paleointensity record, using single crystals with magnetic inclusions, such as zircons, eroded from older igneous rocks and now found within Archean sedimentary units.

Double-lunar swingby trajectories for the spacecraft of the International Solar Terrestrial Physics program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunham, David W.; Jen, Shao-Chiang; Lee, Taesul; Swade, D.; Kawaguchi, Jun'ichiro; Farquhar, Robert W.; Broaddus, S.; Engel, Cheryl

1989-01-01

The ISEE-3 satellite carried out the first extensive exploration of the distant geomagnetic tail during 1983. ISEE-3's orbit was altered with four lunar gravity assists that alternately decreased and increased its orbital energy while keeping the apogees aligned in the antisolar direction. Two spacecraft of the International Solar Terrestrial Physics program will use similar double-lunar swingby orbits to study the solar wind and the geomagnetic environment. Geotail will be built in Japan for the Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences; its main purpose will be to explore the earth's geomagnetic tail. Wind is a NASA spacecraft that will monitor the solar wind upstream from the earth and will also study the bowshock region of the magnetosphere. Current plans call for launches of both by NASA with expendable launch vehicles during the second half of 1992.

Solar Coronal Jets: Observations, Theory, and Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raouafi, N. E.; Patsourakos, S.; Pariat, E.; Young, P. R.; Sterling, A. C.; Savcheva, A.; Shimojo, M.; Moreno-Insertis, F.; DeVore, C. R.; Archontis, V.;

Solar Coronal Jets: Observations, Theory, and Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raouafi, N. E.; Patsourakos, S.; Pariat, E.; Young, P. R.; Sterling, A.; Savcheva, A.; Shimojo, M.; Moreno-Insertis, F.; Devore, C. R.; Archontis, V.;

A broad look at solar physics adapted from the solar physics study of August 1975

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, E.; Timothy, A.; Beckers, J.; Hundhausen, A.; Kundu, M. R.; Leith, C. E.; Lin, R.; Linsky, J.; Macdonald, F. B.; Noyes, R.

1979-01-01

The current status of our knowledge of the basic mechanisms involved in fundamental solar phenomena is reviewed. These include mechanisms responsible for heating the corona, the generation of the solar wind, the particle acceleration in flares, and the dissipation of magnetic energy in field reversal regions, known as current sheets. The discussion covers solar flares and high-energy phenomena, solar active regions; solar interior, convection, and activity; the structure and energetics of the quiet solar atmosphere; the structure of the corona; the solar composition; and solar terrestrial interactions. It also covers a program of solar research, including the special observational requirements for spectral and angular resolution, sensitivity, time resolution, and duration of the techniques employed.

The Association of High-Latitude Dayside Aurora With NBZ Field-Aligned Currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, J. A.; Milan, S. E.; Fogg, A. R.; Paxton, L. J.; Anderson, B. J.

2018-05-01

The relationship between auroral emissions in the polar ionosphere and the large-scale flow of current within the Earth's magnetosphere has yet to be comprehensively established. Under northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions, magnetic reconnection occurs at the high-latitude magnetopause, exciting two reverse lobe convection cells in the dayside polar ionosphere and allowing ingress of solar wind plasma to form an auroral "cusp spot" by direct impact on the atmosphere. It has been hypothesized that a second class of NBZ auroras, High-latitude Dayside Aurora, are produced by upward field-aligned currents associated with lobe convection. Here we present data from the Special Sensor Ultraviolet Spectrographic Imager instrument and from the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment, from January 2010 to September 2013, in a large statistical study. We reveal a northward IMF auroral phenomenon that is located adjacent to the cusp spot and that is colocated with a region of upward electrical current in the clockwise-rotating lobe cell. The emission only occurs in the sunlit summer hemisphere, demonstrating the influence of the conductance of the ionosphere on current closure. In addition, fast solar wind speed is required for this emission to be bright. The results show that dayside auroral emission is produced by IMF-magnetosphere electrodynamic coupling, as well as by direct impact of the atmosphere by the solar wind, confirming the association of High-latitude Dayside Aurora with NBZ currents.

77 FR 61597 - Avalon Wind, LLC; Avalon Wind 2, LLC; Catalina Solar, LLC; Catalina Solar 2, LLC; Pacific Wind...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-10

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. EL12-109-000] Avalon Wind, LLC; Avalon Wind 2, LLC; Catalina Solar, LLC; Catalina Solar 2, LLC; Pacific Wind Lessee, LLC; Pacific Wind 2, LLC; Valentine Solar, LLC; EDF Renewable Development, Inc.; Notice of Petition for Declaratory...

Solar Wind Ablation of Terrestrial Planet Atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Thomas Earle; Fok, Mei-Ching H.; Delcourt, Dominique C.

2009-01-01

Internal plasma sources usually arise in planetary magnetospheres as a product of stellar ablation processes. With the ignition of a new star and the onset of its ultraviolet and stellar wind emissions, much of the volatiles in the stellar system undergo a phase transition from gas to plasma. Condensation and accretion into a disk is replaced by radiation and stellar wind ablation of volatile materials from the system- Planets or smaller bodies that harbor intrinsic magnetic fields develop an apparent shield against direct stellar wind impact, but UV radiation still ionizes their gas phases, and the resulting internal plasmas serve to conduct currents to and from the central body along reconnected magnetic field linkages. Photoionization and thermalization of electrons warms the ionospheric topside, enhancing Jeans' escape of super-thermal particles, with ambipolar diffusion and acceleration. Moreover, observations and simulations of auroral processes at Earth indicate that solar wind energy dissipation is concentrated by the geomagnetic field by a factor of 10-100, enhancing heavy species plasma and gas escape from gravity, and providing more current carrying capacity. Thus internal plasmas enable coupling with the plasma, neutral gas and by extension, the entire body. The stellar wind is locally loaded and slowed to develop the required power. The internal source plasma is accelerated and heated, inflating the magnetosphere as it seeks escape, and is ultimately blown away in the stellar wind. Bodies with little sensible atmosphere may still produce an exosphere of sputtered matter when exposed to direct solar wind impact. Bodies with a magnetosphere and internal sources of plasma interact more strongly with the stellar wind owing to the magnetic linkage between the two created by reconnection.

Smart Microgrid Energy Management Controls for Improved Energy Efficiency and Renewables Integration at DoD Installations

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-01

flare gas, wind , solar) and can reduce overall energy price volatility; • Renewable DER such as wind and solar PV cells provide emissions-free energy...infrastructure which uses both Ethernet and Wireless media. Ethernet is easily extendable and supports multiple protocols, accommodating a broad range of...by faults or switching events. Remote resources are also integrated into the microgrid network using wireless network currently existing in the Base

Quasi-exospheric heat flux of solar-wind electrons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eviatar, A.; Schultz, M.

1975-01-01

Density, bulk-velocity, and heat-flow moments are calculated for truncated Maxwellian distributions representing the cool and hot populations of solar-wind electrons, as realized at the base of a hypothetical exosphere. The electrostatic potential is thus calculated by requiring charge quasi-neutrality and the absence of electrical current. Plasma-kinetic coupling of the cool-electron and proton bulk velocities leads to an increase in the electrostatic potential and a decrease in the heat-flow moment.

Methodology for Prioritization of Investments to Support the Army Energy Strategy for Installations

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

kind of energy source onto its own footprint. Whether this is a solar, wind, biomass, geothermal , or any other kind of renewable energy source, it...more common. Right now extortion and disgruntled employers are the attacked and not sophisticated enemies such as China . Our current nation power...users to: • Estimate the NPV cost of energy (COE) and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) from a range of solar, wind and geothermal electricity generation

Interaction of the solar wind with comets: a Rosetta perspective

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The Rosetta mission provides an unprecedented possibility to study the interaction of comets with the solar wind. As the spacecraft accompanies comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko from its very low-activity stage through its perihelion phase, the physics of mass loading is witnessed for various activity levels of the nucleus. While observations at other comets provided snapshots of the interaction region and its various plasma boundaries, Rosetta observations allow a detailed study of the temporal evolution of the innermost cometary magnetosphere. Owing to the short passage time of the solar wind through the interaction region, plasma instabilities such as ring--beam and non-gyrotropic instabilities are of less importance during the early life of the magnetosphere. Large-amplitude ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves, the ‘singing’ of the comet, is probably due to a modified ion Weibel instability. This instability drives a cross-field current of implanted cometary ions unstable. The initial pick-up of these ions causes a major deflection of the solar wind protons. Proton deflection, cross-field current and the instability induce a threefold structure of the innermost interaction region with the characteristic Mach cone and Whistler wings as stationary interaction signatures as well as the ULF waves representing the dynamic aspect of the interaction. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Cometary science after Rosetta’. PMID:28554976

On the Origins of the Intercorrelations Between Solar Wind Variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borovsky, Joseph E.

2018-01-01

It is well known that the time variations of the diverse solar wind variables at 1 AU (e.g., solar wind speed, density, proton temperature, electron temperature, magnetic field strength, specific entropy, heavy-ion charge-state densities, and electron strahl intensity) are highly intercorrelated with each other. In correlation studies of the driving of the Earth's magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system by the solar wind, these solar wind intercorrelations make determining cause and effect very difficult. In this report analyses of solar wind spacecraft measurements and compressible-fluid computer simulations are used to study the origins of the solar wind intercorrelations. Two causes are found: (1) synchronized changes in the values of the solar wind variables as the plasma types of the solar wind are switched by solar rotation and (2) dynamic interactions (compressions and rarefactions) in the solar wind between the Sun and the Earth. These findings provide an incremental increase in the understanding of how the Sun-Earth system operates.

Wind loading on solar concentrators: some general considerations

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

Roschke, E. J.

A survey has been completed to examine the problems and complications arising from wind loading on solar concentrators. Wind loading is site specific and has an important bearing on the design, cost, performance, operation and maintenance, safety, survival, and replacement of solar collecting systems. Emphasis herein is on paraboloidal, two-axis tracking systems. Thermal receiver problems also are discussed. Wind characteristics are discussed from a general point of view; current methods for determining design wind speed are reviewed. Aerodynamic coefficients are defined and illustrative examples are presented. Wind tunnel testing is discussed, and environmental wind tunnels are reviewed; recent results onmore » heliostat arrays are reviewed as well. Aeroelasticity in relation to structural design is discussed briefly. Wind loads, i.e., forces and moments, are proportional to the square of the mean wind velocity. Forces are proportional to the square of concentrator diameter, and moments are proportional to the cube of diameter. Thus, wind loads have an important bearing on size selection from both cost and performance standpoints. It is concluded that sufficient information exists so that reasonably accurate predictions of wind loading are possible for a given paraboloidal concentrator configuration, provided that reliable and relevant wind conditions are specified. Such predictions will be useful to the design engineer and to the systems engineer as well. Information is lacking, however, on wind effects in field arrays of paraboloidal concentrators. Wind tunnel tests have been performed on model heliostat arrays, but there are important aerodynamic differences between heliostats and paraboloidal dishes.« less

Electron temperatures and densities in the venus ionosphere: pioneer venus orbiter electron temperature probe results.

PubMed

Brace, L H; Theis, R F; Krehbiel, J P; Nagy, A F; Donahue, T M; McElroy, M B; Pedersen, A

1979-02-23

Altitude profiles of electron temperature and density in the ionosphere of Venus have been obtained by the Pioneer Venus orbiter electron temperatutre probe. Elevated temperatutres observed at times of low solar wind flux exhibit height profiles that are consistent with a model in which less than 5 percent of the solar wind energy is deposited at the ionopause and is conducted downward through an unmagnetized ionosphere to the region below 200 kilomneters where electron cooling to the neutral atmosphere proceeds rapidly. When solar wind fluxes are higher, the electron temperatures and densities are highly structured and the ionopause moves to lower altitudes. The ionopause height in the late afternoon sector observed thus far varies so widely from day to (day that any height variation with solar zenith angle is not apparent in the observations. In the neighborhood of the ionopause, measuremnents of plasma temperatures and densities and magnetic field strength indicate that an induced magnetic barrier plays an important role in the pressure transfer between the solar wind and the ionosphere. The bow, shock is marked by a distinct increase in electron current collected by the instrument, a featutre that provides a convenient identification of the bow shock location.

Low Energy Electrons in the Mars Plasma Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Link, Richard

2001-01-01

The ionosphere of Mars is rather poorly understood. The only direct measurements were performed by the Viking 1 and 2 landers in 1976, both of which carried a Retarding Potential Analyzer. The RPA was designed to measure ion properties during the descent, although electron fluxes were estimated from changes in the ion currents. Using these derived low-energy electron fluxes, Mantas and Hanson studied the photoelectron and the solar wind electron interactions with the atmosphere and ionosphere of Mars. Unanswered questions remain regarding the origin of the low-energy electron fluxes in the vicinity of the Mars plasma boundary. Crider, in an analysis of Mars Global Surveyor Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer measurements, has attributed the formation of the magnetic pile-up boundary to electron impact ionization of exospheric neutral species by solar wind electrons. However, the role of photoelectrons escaping from the lower ionosphere was not determined. In the proposed work, we will examine the role of solar wind and ionospheric photoelectrons in producing ionization in the upper ionosphere of Mars. Low-energy (< 4 keV) electrons will be modeled using the two-stream electron transport code of Link. The code models both external (solar wind) and internal (photoelectron) sources of ionization, and accounts for Auger electron production. The code will be used to analyze Mars Global Surveyor measurements of solar wind and photoelectrons down to altitudes below 200 km in the Mars ionosphere, in order to determine the relative roles of solar wind and escaping photoelectrons in maintaining plasma densities in the region of the Mars plasma boundary.

Data Assimilation in the Solar Wind: Challenges and First Results.

PubMed

Lang, Matthew; Browne, Philip; van Leeuwen, Peter Jan; Owens, Mathew

2017-11-01

Data assimilation (DA) is used extensively in numerical weather prediction (NWP) to improve forecast skill. Indeed, improvements in forecast skill in NWP models over the past 30 years have directly coincided with improvements in DA schemes. At present, due to data availability and technical challenges, DA is underused in space weather applications, particularly for solar wind prediction. This paper investigates the potential of advanced DA methods currently used in operational NWP centers to improve solar wind prediction. To develop the technical capability, as well as quantify the potential benefit, twin experiments are conducted to assess the performance of the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (LETKF) in the solar wind model ENLIL. Boundary conditions are provided by the Wang-Sheeley-Arge coronal model and synthetic observations of density, temperature, and momentum generated every 4.5 h at 0.6 AU. While in situ spacecraft observations are unlikely to be routinely available at 0.6 AU, these techniques can be applied to remote sensing of the solar wind, such as with Heliospheric Imagers or interplanetary scintillation. The LETKF can be seen to improve the state at the observation location and advect that improvement toward the Earth, leading to an improvement in forecast skill in near-Earth space for both the observed and unobserved variables. However, sharp gradients caused by the analysis of a single observation in space resulted in artificial wavelike structures being advected toward Earth. This paper is the first attempt to apply DA to solar wind prediction and provides the first in-depth analysis of the challenges and potential solutions.

Data Assimilation in the Solar Wind: Challenges and First Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Matthew; Browne, Philip; van Leeuwen, Peter Jan; Owens, Mathew

2017-11-01

Data assimilation (DA) is used extensively in numerical weather prediction (NWP) to improve forecast skill. Indeed, improvements in forecast skill in NWP models over the past 30 years have directly coincided with improvements in DA schemes. At present, due to data availability and technical challenges, DA is underused in space weather applications, particularly for solar wind prediction. This paper investigates the potential of advanced DA methods currently used in operational NWP centers to improve solar wind prediction. To develop the technical capability, as well as quantify the potential benefit, twin experiments are conducted to assess the performance of the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (LETKF) in the solar wind model ENLIL. Boundary conditions are provided by the Wang-Sheeley-Arge coronal model and synthetic observations of density, temperature, and momentum generated every 4.5 h at 0.6 AU. While in situ spacecraft observations are unlikely to be routinely available at 0.6 AU, these techniques can be applied to remote sensing of the solar wind, such as with Heliospheric Imagers or interplanetary scintillation. The LETKF can be seen to improve the state at the observation location and advect that improvement toward the Earth, leading to an improvement in forecast skill in near-Earth space for both the observed and unobserved variables. However, sharp gradients caused by the analysis of a single observation in space resulted in artificial wavelike structures being advected toward Earth. This paper is the first attempt to apply DA to solar wind prediction and provides the first in-depth analysis of the challenges and potential solutions.

Distributed Generation Market Demand Model (dGen): Documentation

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

Sigrin, Benjamin; Gleason, Michael; Preus, Robert

The Distributed Generation Market Demand model (dGen) is a geospatially rich, bottom-up, market-penetration model that simulates the potential adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs) for residential, commercial, and industrial entities in the continental United States through 2050. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed dGen to analyze the key factors that will affect future market demand for distributed solar, wind, storage, and other DER technologies in the United States. The new model builds off, extends, and replaces NREL's SolarDS model (Denholm et al. 2009a), which simulates the market penetration of distributed PV only. Unlike the SolarDS model, dGen can modelmore » various DER technologies under one platform--it currently can simulate the adoption of distributed solar (the dSolar module) and distributed wind (the dWind module) and link with the ReEDS capacity expansion model (Appendix C). The underlying algorithms and datasets in dGen, which improve the representation of customer decision making as well as the spatial resolution of analyses (Figure ES-1), also are improvements over SolarDS.« less

A New Technique using Electron Velocity Data from the Four Cluster Spacecraft to Explore Magnetofluid Turbulence in the Solar Wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, Melvyn L.; Gurgiolo, C.; Fazakerley, A.; Lahiff, A.

2008-01-01

It is now possible in certain circumstances to use velocity moments computed from the Plasma Electron and Current Experiment (PEACE) on the four Cluster spacecraft to determine a number of turbulence properties of the solar wind, including direct measurements of the vorticity and compressibility. Assuming that the four spacecraft are not co-planar and that there is only a linear variation of the plasma variables across the volume defined by the four satellites, one can estimate the curl of the fluid velocity, i.e., the vorticity. From the vorticity it is possible to explore directly intermittent regions in the solar wind where dissipation is likely to be enhanced. In addition, one can estimate directly the Taylor microscale.

Does Solar Wind also Drive Convection in Jupiter's Magnetosphere?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khurana, K. K.

2001-05-01

Using a simple model of magnetic field and plasma velocity, Brice and Ioannidis [1970] showed that the corotation electric field exceeds convection electric field throughout the Jovian magnetosphere. Since that time it has been tacitly assumed that Jupiter's magnetosphere is driven from within. If Brice and Ioannidis conjecture is correct then one would not expect major asymmetries in the field and plasma parameters in the middle magnetosphere of Jupiter. Yet, new field and plasma observations from Galileo and simultaneous auroral observations from HST show that there are large dawn/dusk and day/night asymmetries in many magnetospheric parameters. For example, the magnetic observations show that a partial ring current and an associated Region-2 type field-aligned current system exist in the magnetosphere of Jupiter. In the Earth's magnetosphere it is well known that the region-2 current system is created by the asymmetries imposed by a solar wind driven convection. Thus, we are getting first hints that the solar wind driven convection is important in Jupiter's magnetosphere as well. Other in-situ observations also point to dawn-dusk asymmetries imposed by the solar wind. For example, first order anisotropies in the Energetic Particle Detector show that the plasma is close to corotational on the dawn side but lags behind corotation in the dusk sector. Magnetic field data show that the current sheet is thin and highly organized on the dawn side but thick and disturbed on the dusk side. I will discuss the reasons why Brice and Ioannidis calculation may not be valid. I will show that both the magnetic field and plasma velocity estimates used by Brice and Ioannidis were rather excessive. Using more modern estimates of the field and velocity values I show that the solar wind convection can penetrate as deep as 40 RJ on the dawnside. I will present a new model of convection that invokes in addition to a distant neutral line spanning the whole magnetotail, a near-Jupiter neutral line only on the dawnside. I will discuss how the internal and external drivers together set up a convection system and transport plasma and magnetic flux in Jupiter's magnetosphere. I will explore the consequences of this convection system on the flows, current sheet and the Jovian aurorae.

Is the S-Web the Secret to Observed Heliospheric Particle Distributions?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higginson, A. K.; Antiochos, S. K.; DeVore, C. R.; Daldorff, L. K. S.; Wyper, P. F.; Ukhorskiy, A. Y.; Sorathia, K.

2017-12-01

Particle transport in the heliosphere remains an unsolved problem across energy regimes. Observations of slow solar wind show that plasma escapes from the closed-field corona, but ends up far away from the heliospheric current sheet, even though the release mechanisms are expected to occur at the HCS. Similarly, some impulsive SEP events have extreme longitudinal extents of 100 degrees or more. Recent theoretical and numerical work has shown that interchange reconnection near a coronal-hole corridor can release plasma from originally closed magnetic field lines into a large swath spread across the heliosphere, forming what is known as an S-Web arc. This is a promising mechanism for explaining both the slow solar wind, with its large latitudinal extent, and impulsive SEP particles, with their large longitudinal extent. Here we compute, for the first time, the dynamics of the S-Web when the photospheric driver is applied over a large portion of the solar surface compared to the scale of the driving. We examine the time scales for the interchange reconnection and compute the angular extent of the plasma released, in the context of understanding both the slow solar wind and flare-accelerated SEPs. We will make predictions for Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe and discuss how these new measurements will help to both pinpoint the source of the slow solar wind and illuminate the transport mechanisms of wide-spread impulsive SEP events.

Energy conversion through mass loading of escaping ionospheric ions for different Kp values

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamauchi, Masatoshi; Slapak, Rikard

2018-01-01

By conserving momentum during the mixing of fast solar wind flow and slow planetary ion flow in an inelastic way, mass loading converts kinetic energy to other forms - e.g. first to electrical energy through charge separation and then to thermal energy (randomness) through gyromotion of the newly born cold ions for the comet and Mars cases. Here, we consider the Earth's exterior cusp and plasma mantle, where the ionospheric origin escaping ions with finite temperatures are loaded into the decelerated solar wind flow. Due to direct connectivity to the ionosphere through the geomagnetic field, a large part of this electrical energy is consumed to maintain field-aligned currents (FACs) toward the ionosphere, in a similar manner as the solar wind-driven ionospheric convection in the open geomagnetic field region. We show that the energy extraction rate by the mass loading of escaping ions (ΔK) is sufficient to explain the cusp FACs, and that ΔK depends only on the solar wind velocity accessing the mass-loading region (usw) and the total mass flux of the escaping ions into this region (mloadFload), as ΔK ˜ -mloadFloadu2sw/4. The expected distribution of the separated charges by this process also predicts the observed flowing directions of the cusp FACs for different interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientations if we include the deflection of the solar wind flow directions in the exterior cusp. Using empirical relations of u0 ∝ Kp + 1.2 and Fload ∝ exp(0.45Kp) for Kp = 1-7, where u0 is the solar wind velocity upstream of the bow shock, ΔK becomes a simple function of Kp as log10(ΔK) = 0.2 ṡ Kp + 2 ṡ log10(Kp + 1.2) + constant. The major contribution of this nearly linear increase is the Fload term, i.e. positive feedback between the increase of ion escaping rate Fload through the increased energy consumption in the ionosphere for high Kp, and subsequent extraction of more kinetic energy ΔK from the solar wind to the current system by the increased Fload. Since Fload significantly increases for increased flux of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation, high EUV flux may significantly enhance this positive feedback. Therefore, the ion escape rate and the energy extraction by mass loading during ancient Earth, when the Sun is believed to have emitted much higher EUV flux than at present, could have been even higher than the currently available highest values based on Kp = 9. This raises a possibility that the ion escape has substantially contributed to the evolution of the Earth's atmosphere.

Solar Polar ORbit Telescope (SPORT): A Potential Heliophysics Mission of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ying

We describe a spacecraft mission, named Solar Polar ORbit Telescope (SPORT), which is currently under a scientific and engineering background study in China. SPORT was originally proposed in 2004 by the National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It will carry a suite of remote-sensing and in-situ instruments to observe coronal mass ejections (CMEs), solar high-latitude magnetism, and the fast solar wind from a polar orbit around the Sun. It is intended to be the first mission that carries remote-sensing instruments from a high-latitude orbit around the Sun and the first mission that could measure solar high-latitude magnetism. The first extended view of the polar region of the Sun and the ecliptic plane enabled by SPORT will provide a unique opportunity to study CME propagation through the inner heliosphere and solar high-latitude magnetism giving rise to eruptions and the fast solar wind.

In-situ Plasma Analysis of Ion Kinetics in the Solar Wind and Hermean Magnetosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tracy, Patrick J.

The heating of the solar wind and its interaction with the unique planetary magnetosphere of Mercury is the primary focus of this work. The first aspect of this study focused on the heavy ion population of the solar wind (A > 4 amu), and how well the signature of the heating process responsible for creating the solar wind is preserved in this heavy ion population. We found that this signature in the heavy ion population is primarily erased (thermalized) via Coulomb collisional interactions with solar wind protons. The heavy ions observed in collisionally young solar wind reveal a clear, stable dependence on mass, along with non-thermal heating that is not in agreement with current predictions based on turbulent transport and kinetic dissipation. Due to its weak magnetic dipole, the solar wind can impinge on the surface of Mercury, one of the processes contributing to the desorption of neutrals and, through ionization, ions that make up the planet's exosphere. Differentiating between surface mechanisms and analyzing magnetospheric plasma dynamics requires the quantification of a variety of ion species. A detailed forward model and a robust statistical method were created to identify new ion signatures in the measurement space of the FIPS instrument, formerly orbiting Mercury onboard the MESSENGER spacecraft. The recovery of new heavy ions species, including Al, Ne, Si, and Mg, along with tentative recoveries of S, Ar, K, and C, enable in depth studies of the plasma dynamics in the Hermean magnetosphere. The interaction of the solar wind with the bow shock of the Hermean magnetosphere leads to the creation of a foreshock region. New tools and methods were created to enable the analysis of the diffuse and Field Aligned Beam (FAB) populations in unique parameter regime of the Hermean foreshock. One result suggests that the energization process for the observed FABs can be explained by Shock Drift Acceleration, and not limited by the small spatial size of Mercury's bow shock. Analysis of diffuse populations shows that a connection time limited diffusive shock acceleration is likely responsible for the behavior of the observed energy distributions.

A Study of Fermi Acceleration of Suprathermal Solar Wind Ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freeman, Theodore James

The Wind spacecraft has observed numerous sunward bursts of ~2 MeV ions upstream of the Earth's bow shock. The bursts typically last several minutes at the highest energies, but they can last for tens of minutes at intermediate energies (tens to hundreds of keV). The MeV ions are not protons or alpha particles, and are probably oxygen ions. There are two possible sources of these particles: Fermi acceleration of solar wind ions, and ring current particles which have escaped from the Earth's magnetosphere. In this dissertation, Wind observations and numerical particle simulations of Fermi acceleration are presented which demonstrate that suprathermal solar wind O6+ ions are the most likely source of these bursts. Since the Fermi mechanism accelerates all ions to approximately the same ratio of energy to charge, H+ and He2+ ions are accelerated to much lower energies than O6+ ions. In this model, suprathermal ions are reflected between the bow shock and rotations in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) upstream of the shock, gaining energy due to the relative motion of the reflecting magnetic structures. Each burst either coincides with or is closely followed by a large IMF rotation. By using measured magnetic field data, the timing of the bursts detected by Wind is precisely reproduced in the simulation. The energy spectra observed by Wind are also reproduced by adding H+ , He2+ , and O6+ fluxes together, and assuming that there is an increase of ~2 orders of magnitude in the high energy tail of the solar wind oxygen distribution. An enhancement of this order of magnitude in CNO group ions was measured by the ion composition experiment on Wind in association with these bursts. An examination of the magnetospheric escape model shows that while escaping O+ ions can account for some features of the data, such as the longer bursts of intermediate energy ions, it cannot account for the short duration ~2 MeV bursts themselves, because O+ ions scatter diffusively in the solar wind. This study concludes by predicting that ion composition and charge state measurements will show these bursts to be solar wind O6+ ions.

A Model fot the Sources of the Slow Solar Wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antiochos, S. K.; Mikic, Z.; Titov, V. S.; Lionello, R.; Linker, J. A.

2011-01-01

Models for the origin of the slow solar wind must account for two seemingly contradictory observations: the slow wind has the composition of the closed-field corona, implying that it originates from the continuous opening and closing of flux at the boundary between open and closed field. On the other hand, the slow wind also has large angular width, up to approx.60deg, suggesting that its source extends far from the open-closed boundary. We propose a model that can explain both observations. The key idea is that the source of the slow wind at the Sun is a network of narrow (possibly singular) open-field corridors that map to a web of separatrices and quasi-separatrix layers in the heliosphere. We compute analytically the topology of an open-field corridor and show that it produces a quasi-separatrix layer in the heliosphere that extends to angles far from the heliospheric current sheet. We then use an MHD code and MDI/SOHO observations of the photospheric magnetic field to calculate numerically, with high spatial resolution, the quasi-steady solar wind, and magnetic field for a time period preceding the 2008 August 1 total solar eclipse. Our numerical results imply that, at least for this time period, a web of separatrices (which we term an S-web) forms with sufficient density and extent in the heliosphere to account for the observed properties of the slow wind. We discuss the implications of our S-web model for the structure and dynamics of the corona and heliosphere and propose further tests of the model. Key words: solar wind - Sun: corona - Sun: magnetic topology

Solar wind and extreme ultraviolet modulation of the lunar ionosphere/exosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freeman, J. W.

1976-01-01

The ALSEP/SIDE detectors routinely monitor the dayside lunar ionosphere. Variations in the ionosphere are found to correlate with both the 2800 MHz radio index which can be related to solar EUV and with the solar wind proton flux. For the solar wind, the ionospheric variation is proportionately greater than that of the solar wind. This suggests an amplification effect on the lunar atmosphere due perhaps to sputtering of the surface or, less probably, an inordinate enhancement of noble gases in the solar wind. The surface neutral number density is calculated under the assumption of neon gas. During a quiet solar wind this number agrees with or is slightly above that expected for neon accreted from the solar wind. During an enhanced solar wind the neutral number density is much higher.

The Impact of Discontinuity Front Orientation on the Accuracy of L1 Space Weather Forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szabo, A.

2013-12-01

Current space weather forecasting from the Sun-Earth first Lagrange (L1) point assumes that all observed solar wind discontinuity fronts (interplanetary shocks, ICME boundaries) are perpendicular to the Sun-Earth line and are propagating radially out from eh Sun. In reality, these weather fronts can have significantly tilted orientation. Combined ACE, Wind and Soho observations allow the quantification of this effect. With the launch of the DSCOVR spacecraft in early 2015, dual real-time solar wind measurements will become available (at least at some time). Algorithms and their impact exploiting this unique scenario will be discussed.

Elemental and charge state composition of the fast solar wind observed with SMS instruments on WIND

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gloeckler, G.; Galvin, A. B.; Ipavich, F. M.; Hamilton, D. C.; Bochsler, P.; Geiss, J.; Fisk, L. A.; Wilken, B.

1995-01-01

The elemental composition and charge state distributions of heavy ions of the solar wind provide essential information about: (1) atom-ion separation processes in the solar atmosphere leading to the 'FIP effect' (the overabundance of low First Ionization potential (FIP) elements in the solar wind compared to the photosphere); and (2) coronal temperature profiles, as well as mechanisms which heat the corona and accelerate the solar wind. This information is required for solar wind acceleration models. The SWICS instrument on Ulysses measures for all solar wind flow conditions the relative abundance of about 8 elements and 20 charge states of the solar wind. Furthermore, the Ulysses high-latitude orbit provides an unprecedented look at the solar wind from the polar coronal holes near solar minimum conditions. The MASS instrument on the WIND spacecraft is a high-mass resolution solar wind ion mass spectrometer that will provide routinely not only the abundances and charge state of all elements easily measured with SWICS, but also of N, Mg, S. The MASS sensor was fully operational at the end of 1994 and has sampled the in-ecliptic solar wind composition in both the slow and the corotating fast streams. This unique combination of SWICS on Ulysses and MASS on WIND allows us to view for the first time the solar wind from two regions of the large coronal hole. Observations with SWICS in the coronal hole wind: (1) indicate that the FIP effect is small; and (2) allow us determine the altitude of the maximum in the electron temperature profile, and indicate a maximum temperature of approximately 1.5 MK. New results from the SMS instruments on Wind will be compared with results from SWICS on Ulysses.

Using Photovoltaic (PV) Cells on Enduring DoD Installations in the Middle East: A Feasibility Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

geothermal , and biomass). In FY 2009, 3.6 percent of the DoD’s electrical consumption came from renewable electricity sources, exceeding the EP Act 2005...defined as electrical energy generated from solar, wind, biomass, landfill gas, ocean (including tidal, wave, current, and thermal), geothermal ...involving solar, wind, geothermal and biomass energy. The U.S. Navy accounts for 60 percent of DoD’s renewable energy projects—some 250 in total. The 14

Dependence of Photochemical Escape of Oxygen at Mars on Solar Radiation and Solar Wind Interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cravens, T.; Rahmati, A.; Lillis, R. J.; Fox, J. L.; Bougher, S. W.; Jakosky, B. M.

2016-12-01

The evolution of the atmosphere of Mars and the loss of volatiles over the life of the solar system is a key topic in planetary science. An important loss process in the ionosphere is photochemical escape. In particular, dissociative recombination of O2+ ions (the major ion species) produces fast oxygen atoms, some of which can escape from the planet. Several theoretical models have been constructed over the years to study hot oxygen and its escape from Mars. These model have a number of uncertainties, particularly for the elastic cross sections of O collisions with target neutral species. Recently, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) mission has been rapidly improving our understanding of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere of Mars and its interaction with the external environment (e.g., the solar wind). The purpose of the current paper is to take a simple analytical approach to the oxygen escape problem in order to: (1) study the role that solar flux and solar wind variations have on escape and (2) isolate the effects of uncertainties in oxygen cross sections on the derived oxygen escape rates. Not surprisingly, we find, in agreement with more elaborate numerical models, that the escape flux is directly proportional to the incident solar extreme ultraviolet irradiance and is inversely proportional to the backscatter elastic cross section. The role for atmospheric loss that ion transport plays in the topside ionosphere and how the solar wind interaction drives this will also be discussed.

A study of the solar wind deceleration in the Earth's foreshock region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, T.-L.; Schwingenschuh, K.; Russell, C. T.

1995-01-01

Previous observations have shown that the solar wind is decelerated and deflected in the earth's upstream region populated by long-period waves. This deceleration is corelated with the 'diffuse' but not with the 'reflected' ion population. The speed of the solar wind may decrease tens of km/s in the foreshock region. The solar wind dynamic pressure exerted on the magnetopause may vary due to the fluctuation of the solar wind speed and density in the foreshock region. In this study, we examine this solar wind deceleration and determine how the solar wind deceleration varies in the foreshock region.

Solar Corona/Wind Composition and Origins of the Solar Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lepri, S. T.; Gilbert, J. A.; Landi, E.; Shearer, P.; von Steiger, R.; Zurbuchen, T.

2014-12-01

Measurements from ACE and Ulysses have revealed a multifaceted solar wind, with distinctly different kinetic and compositional properties dependent on the source region of the wind. One of the major outstanding issues in heliophysics concerns the origin and also predictability of quasi-stationary slow solar wind. While the fast solar wind is now proven to originate within large polar coronal holes, the source of the slow solar wind remains particularly elusive and has been the subject of long debate, leading to models that are stationary and also reconnection based - such as interchange or so-called S-web based models. Our talk will focus on observational constraints of solar wind sources and their evolution during the solar cycle. In particular, we will point out long-term variations of wind composition and dynamic properties, particularly focused on the abundance of elements with low First Ionization Potential (FIP), which have been routinely measured on both ACE and Ulysses spacecraft. We will use these in situ observations, and remote sensing data where available, to provide constraints for solar wind origin during the solar cycle, and on their correspondence to predictions for models of the solar wind.

Data Assimilation in the Solar Wind: Challenges and First Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Matthew; Browne, Phil; van Leeuwen, Peter Jan; Owens, Matt

2017-04-01

Data assimilation (DA) is currently underused in the solar wind field to improve the modelled variables using observations. Data assimilation has been used in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models with great success, and it can be seen that the improvement of DA methods in NWP modelling has led to improvements in forecasting skill over the past 20-30 years. The state of the art DA methods developed for NWP modelling have never been applied to space weather models, hence it is important to implement the improvements that can be gained from these methods to improve our understanding of the solar wind and how to model it. The ENLIL solar wind model has been coupled to the EMPIRE data assimilation library in order to apply these advanced data assimilation methods to a space weather model. This coupling allows multiple data assimilation methods to be applied to ENLIL with relative ease. I shall discuss twin experiments that have been undertaken, applying the LETKF to the ENLIL model when a CME occurs in the observation and when it does not. These experiments show that there is potential in the application of advanced data assimilation methods to the solar wind field, however, there is still a long way to go until it can be applied effectively. I shall discuss these issues and suggest potential avenues for future research in this area.

Study on field-aligned electrons with Cluster observation in the Earth's cusp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Jiankui; Torkar, Klaus; Cheng, Zhengwei

2017-04-01

Cusp region is very important to the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling. The solar wind particles, through the cusp, can directly entry into the magnetosphere and ionosphere, and transport the mass, momentum and energy. The gyrating charged particles with field-aligned velocity are significant to perform the transportation. In this study, data from Cluster observation are used to study the characteristics of field-aligned electrons (FAE's) including the downward and the upward FAEs in the cusp. We select FAE event to do analysis. The durations of the FAE event covered a wide range from 6 to 475 seconds. The FAE's were found to occur very commonly in a circumpolar zone in the polar region and the MLT and ILAT distributions showed that most of the FAE events were observed around the cusp (70-80°ILAT, 0900-1500MLT). With the FAE flux the contribution of the electrons to the Field-Aligned Current (FAC) is estimated and the result shows that the FAE was the main carrier to the FAC in the cusp. The physical mechanisms of the FAE are analyzed, namely that the downward electrons were mainly from the solar wind and the upward electrons may originated from accelerated ionospheric up-flowing electrons or mirrored solar wind electrons. The energy transportation into the magnetosphere by the solar wind electrons through the cusp is also investigated.

Efficient Scavenging of Solar and Wind Energies in a Smart City.

PubMed

Wang, Shuhua; Wang, Xue; Wang, Zhong Lin; Yang, Ya

2016-06-28

To realize the sustainable energy supply in a smart city, it is essential to maximize energy scavenging from the city environments for achieving the self-powered functions of some intelligent devices and sensors. Although the solar energy can be well harvested by using existing technologies, the large amounts of wasted wind energy in the city cannot be effectively utilized since conventional wind turbine generators can only be installed in remote areas due to their large volumes and safety issues. Here, we rationally design a hybridized nanogenerator, including a solar cell (SC) and a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), that can individually/simultaneously scavenge solar and wind energies, which can be extensively installed on the roofs of the city buildings. Under the same device area of about 120 mm × 22 mm, the SC can deliver a largest output power of about 8 mW, while the output power of the TENG can be up to 26 mW. Impedance matching between the SC and TENG has been achieved by using a transformer to decrease the impedance of the TENG. The hybridized nanogenerator has a larger output current and a better charging performance than that of the individual SC or TENG. This research presents a feasible approach to maximize solar and wind energies scavenging from the city environments with the aim to realize some self-powered functions in smart city.

Kinetic-Scale Electric and Magnetic Field Fluctuations in the Solar Wind at 1 AU: THEMIS/ARTEMIS Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salem, C. S.; Hanson, E.; Bonnell, J. W.; Chaston, C. C.; Bale, S. D.; Mozer, F.

2017-12-01

We present here an analysis of kinetic-scale electromagnetic fluctuations in the solar wind using data from THEMIS and ARTEMIS spacecraft. We use high-time resolution electric and magnetic field measurements, as well as density fluctuations, up to 128 samples per second, as well as particle burst plasma data during carefully selected solar wind intervals. We focus our analysis on a few such intervals spanning different values of plasma beta and angles between the local magnetic field and the radial Sun-Earth direction. We discuss the careful analysis process of characterizing and removing the different instrumental effects and noise sources affecting the electric and magnetic field data at those scales, above 0.1 Hz or so, above the breakpoint marking the start of the so-called dissipation range of solar wind turbulence. We compute parameters such as the electric to magnetic field ratio, the magnetic compressibility, magnetic helicity, and other relevant quantities in order to diagnose the nature of the fluctuations at those scales between the ion and electron cyclotron frequencies, extracting information on the dominant modes composing the fluctuations. We also discuss the presence and role of coherent structures in the measured fluctuations. The nature of the fluctuations in the dissipation or dispersive scales of solar wind turbulence is still debated. This observational study is also highly relevant to the current Turbulent Dissipation Challenge.

The Thermal Ion Dynamics Experiment and Plasma Source Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, T. E.; Chappell, C. R.; Chandler, M. O.; Fields, S. A.; Pollock, C. J.; Reasoner, D. L.; Young, D. T.; Burch, J. L.; Eaker, N.; Waite, J. H., Jr.;

Solar Drivers of 11-yr and Long-Term Cosmic Ray Modulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cliver, E. W.; Richardson, I. G.; Ling, A. G.

2011-01-01

In the current paradigm for the modulation of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), diffusion is taken to be the dominant process during solar maxima while drift dominates at minima. Observations during the recent solar minimum challenge the pre-eminence of drift: at such times. In 2009, the approx.2 GV GCR intensity measured by the Newark neutron monitor increased by approx.5% relative to its maximum value two cycles earlier even though the average tilt angle in 2009 was slightly larger than that in 1986 (approx.20deg vs. approx.14deg), while solar wind B was significantly lower (approx.3.9 nT vs. approx.5.4 nT). A decomposition of the solar wind into high-speed streams, slow solar wind, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs; including postshock flows) reveals that the Sun transmits its message of changing magnetic field (diffusion coefficient) to the heliosphere primarily through CMEs at solar maximum and high-speed streams at solar minimum. Long-term reconstructions of solar wind B are in general agreement for the approx. 1900-present interval and can be used to reliably estimate GCR intensity over this period. For earlier epochs, however, a recent Be-10-based reconstruction covering the past approx. 10(exp 4) years shows nine abrupt and relatively short-lived drops of B to < or approx.= 0 nT, with the first of these corresponding to the Sporer minimum. Such dips are at variance with the recent suggestion that B has a minimum or floor value of approx.2.8 nT. A floor in solar wind B implies a ceiling in the GCR intensity (a permanent modulation of the local interstellar spectrum) at a given energy/rigidity. The 30-40% increase in the intensity of 2.5 GV electrons observed by Ulysses during the recent solar minimum raises an interesting paradox that will need to be resolved.

Simulations of Solar Wind Plasma Flow Around a Simple Solar Sail

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garrett, Henry B.; Wang, Joseph

2004-01-01

In recent years, a number of solar sail missions of various designs and sizes have been proposed (e.g., Geostorm). Of importance to these missions is the interaction between the ambient solar wind plasma environment and the sail. Assuming a typical 1 AU solar wind environment of 400 km/s velocity, 3.5 cu cm density, ion temperature of approx.10 eV, electron temperature of 40 eV, and an ambient magnetic field strength of 10(exp -4) G, a first order estimate of the plasma interaction with square solar sails on the order of the sizes being considered for a Geostorm mission (50 m x 50 m and 75 m x 75 m corresponding to approx.2 and approx.3 times the Debye length in the plasma) is carried out. First, a crude current balance for the sail surface immersed in the plasma environment and in sunlight was used to estimate the surface potential of the model sails. This gave surface potentials of approx.10 V positive relative to the solar wind plasma. A 3-D, Electrostatic Particle-in-Cell (PIC) code was then used to simulate the solar wind flowing around the solar sail. It is assumed in the code that the solar wind protons can be treated as particles while the electrons follow a Boltzmann distribution. Next, the electric field and particle trajectories are solved self-consistently to give the proton flow field, the electrostatic field around the sail, and the plasma density in 3-D. The model sail was found to be surrounded by a plasma sheath within which the potential is positive compared to the ambient plasma and followed by a separate plasma wake which is negative relative to the plasma. This structure departs dramatically from a negatively charged plate such as might be found in the Earth s ionosphere on the night side where both the plate and its negative wake are contiguous. The implications of these findings are discussed as they apply to the proposed Geostorm solar sail mission.

A solar cycle dependence of nonlinearity in magnetospheric activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Jay R.; Wing, Simon

2005-04-01

The nonlinear dependencies inherent to the historical Kp data stream (1932-2003) are examined using mutual information and cumulant-based cost as discriminating statistics. The discriminating statistics are compared with surrogate data streams that are constructed using the corrected amplitude adjustment Fourier transform (CAAFT) method and capture the linear properties of the original Kp data. Differences are regularly seen in the discriminating statistics a few years prior to solar minima, while no differences are apparent at the time of solar maxima. These results suggest that the dynamics of the magnetosphere tend to be more linear at solar maximum than at solar minimum. The strong nonlinear dependencies tend to peak on a timescale around 40-50 hours and are statistically significant up to 1 week. Because the solar wind driver variables, VBs, and dynamical pressure exhibit a much shorter decorrelation time for nonlinearities, the results seem to indicate that the nonlinearity is related to internal magnetospheric dynamics. Moreover, the timescales for the nonlinearity seem to be on the same order as that for storm/ring current relaxation. We suggest that the strong solar wind driving that occurs around solar maximum dominates the magnetospheric dynamics, suppressing the internal magnetospheric nonlinearity. On the other hand, in the descending phase of the solar cycle just prior to solar minimum, when magnetospheric activity is weaker, the dynamics exhibit a significant nonlinear internal magnetospheric response that may be related to increased solar wind speed.

Solar wind structure out of the ecliptic plane over solar cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokol, J. M.; Bzowski, M.; Tokumaru, M.

2017-12-01

Sun constantly emits a stream of plasma known as solar wind. Ground-based observations of the solar wind speed through the interplanetary scintillations (IPS) of radio flux from distant point sources and in-situ measurements by Ulysses mission revealed that the solar wind flow has different characteristics depending on the latitude. This latitudinal structure evolves with the cycle of solar activity. The knowledge on the evolution of solar wind structure is important for understanding the interaction between the interstellar medium surrounding the Sun and the solar wind, which is responsible for creation of the heliosphere. The solar wind structure must be taken into account in interpretation of most of the observations of heliospheric energetic neutral atoms, interstellar neutral atoms, pickup ions, and heliospheric backscatter glow. The information on the solar wind structure is not any longer available from direct measurements after the termination of Ulysses mission and the only source of the solar wind out of the ecliptic plane is the IPS observations. However, the solar wind structure obtained from this method contains inevitable gaps in the time- and heliolatitude coverage. Sokół et al 2015 used the solar wind speed data out of the ecliptic plane retrieved from the IPS observations performed by Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research (Nagoya University, Japan) and developed a methodology to construct a model of evolution of solar wind speed and density from 1985 to 2013 that fills the data gaps. In this paper we will present a refined model of the solar wind speed and density structure as a function of heliographic latitude updated by the most recent data from IPS observations. And we will discuss methods of extrapolation of the solar wind structure out of the ecliptic plane for the past solar cycles, when the data were not available, as well as forecasting for few years upward.

The interaction of the solar wind with the interstellar medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Axford, W. I.

1972-01-01

The expected characteristics of the solar wind, extrapolated from the vicinity of the earth are described. Several models are examined for the interaction of the solar wind with the interstellar plasma and magnetic field. Various aspects of the penetration of neutral interstellar gas into the solar wind are considered. The dynamic effects of the neutral gas on the solar wind are described. Problems associated with the interaction of cosmic rays with the solar wind are discussed.

Observations of structuring in the downstream region of a large spherical model in a laboratory simulated solar wind plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Intriligator, D. S.; Steele, G. R.

1982-01-01

The effects of inserting a spherical conducting model, large in comparison with the Debye length, into a free streaming high-energy 1 kV) unmagnetized hydrogen plasma are investigated in order to measure energies and compositions directly relevant to solar wind and astrophysical plasma phenomena. Holding the incident plasma parameters constant, transverse profiles of the net Langmuir probe current are plotted at various locations downstream in the model wake and are divided into three regions (the shadow, transition, and boundary). Results attributable to the use of a high-energy plasma show that enhancements in the shadow exist at downstream locations where the Mach ratio is less than one, and turbulence exists in the transition region on the shadow edges and outside in the boundary region. In addition, a small current enhancement is found in the boundary and can be attributed to the plasma/model interaction. It is concluded that many similar features observed by spacecraft downstream from planetary bodies are relatively permanent and are due to the intrinsic nature of the interaction between the solar wind plasma and the obstacle.

Plasma Sheet Circulation Pathways

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Thomas E.; Delcourt, D. C.; Slinker, S. P.; Fedder, J. A.; Damiano, P.; Lotko, W.

2008-01-01

Global simulations of Earth's magnetosphere in the solar wind compute the pathways of plasma circulation through the plasma sheet. We address the pathways that supply and drain the plasma sheet, by coupling single fluid simulations with Global Ion Kinetic simulations of the outer magnetosphere and the Comprehensive Ring Current Model of the inner magnetosphere, including plasmaspheric plasmas. We find that the plasma sheet is supplied with solar wind plasmas via the magnetospheric flanks, and that this supply is most effective for northward IMF. For southward IMF, the innermost plasma sheet and ring current region are directly supplied from the flanks, with an asymmetry of single particle entry favoring the dawn flank. The central plasma sheet (near midnight) is supplied, as expected, from the lobes and polar cusps, but the near-Earth supply consists mainly of slowly moving ionospheric outflows for typical conditions. Work with the recently developed multi-fluid LFM simulation shows transport via plasma "fingers" extending Earthward from the flanks, suggestive of an interchange instability. We investigate this with solar wind ion trajectories, seeking to understand the fingering mechanisms and effects on transport rates.

Simulations of Solar Wind Turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, Melvyn L.; Usmanov, A. V.; Roberts, D. A.

2008-01-01

Recently we have restructured our approach to simulating magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence in the solar wind. Previously, we had defined a 'virtual' heliosphere that contained, for example, a tilted rotating current sheet, microstreams, quasi-two-dimensional fluctuations as well as Alfven waves. In this new version of the code, we use the global, time-stationary, WKB Alfven wave-driven solar wind model developed by Usmanov and described in Usmanov and Goldstein [2003] to define the initial state of the system. Consequently, current sheets, and fast and slow streams are computed self-consistently from an inner, photospheric, boundary. To this steady-state configuration, we add fluctuations close to, but above, the surface where the flow become super-Alfvenic. The time-dependent MHD equations are then solved using a semi-discrete third-order Central Weighted Essentially Non-Oscillatory (CWENO) numerical scheme. The computational domain now includes the entire sphere; the geometrical singularity at the poles is removed using the multiple grid approach described in Usmanov [1996]. Wave packets are introduced at the inner boundary such as to satisfy Faraday's Law [Yeh and Dryer, 1985] and their nonlinear evolution are followed in time.

Solar wind dynamic pressure and electric field as the main factors controlling Saturn's aurorae.

PubMed

Crary, F J; Clarke, J T; Dougherty, M K; Hanlon, P G; Hansen, K C; Steinberg, J T; Barraclough, B L; Coates, A J; Gérard, J-C; Grodent, D; Kurth, W S; Mitchell, D G; Rymer, A M; Young, D T

2005-02-17

The interaction of the solar wind with Earth's magnetosphere gives rise to the bright polar aurorae and to geomagnetic storms, but the relation between the solar wind and the dynamics of the outer planets' magnetospheres is poorly understood. Jupiter's magnetospheric dynamics and aurorae are dominated by processes internal to the jovian system, whereas Saturn's magnetosphere has generally been considered to have both internal and solar-wind-driven processes. This hypothesis, however, is tentative because of limited simultaneous solar wind and magnetospheric measurements. Here we report solar wind measurements, immediately upstream of Saturn, over a one-month period. When combined with simultaneous ultraviolet imaging we find that, unlike Jupiter, Saturn's aurorae respond strongly to solar wind conditions. But in contrast to Earth, the main controlling factor appears to be solar wind dynamic pressure and electric field, with the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field playing a much more limited role. Saturn's magnetosphere is, therefore, strongly driven by the solar wind, but the solar wind conditions that drive it differ from those that drive the Earth's magnetosphere.

Variation of cosmic rays and solar wind properties with respect to the heliospheric current sheet. II - Rigidity dependence of the latitudinal gradient of cosmic rays at 1 AU

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newkirk, G., Jr.; Asbridge, J.; Lockwood, J. A.; Garcia-Munoz, M.; Simpson, J. A.

1986-01-01

The role which empirical determinations of the latitudinal variation of cosmic rays with respect to the current sheet may have in illuminating the importance of the cross-field drift of particles in the large-scale heliospheric magnetic field is discussed. Using K coronameter observations and measured solar wind speeds, the latitudinal gradients have been determined with respect to the current sheet for cosmic rays in four rigidity ranges. Gradients vary between approximately -2 and -50 pct/AU. The rigidity dependence of the decrease of cosmic ray flux with distance from the current sheet lies between the -0.72 to -0.86 power of the rigidity, with the exact dependence being determined by the definition used for the median rigidity of each monitor.

Mini Solar and Sea Current Power Generation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almenhali, Abdulrahman; Alshamsi, Hatem; Aljunaibi, Yaser; Almussabi, Dheyab; Alshehhi, Ahmed; Hilal, Hassan Bu

2017-07-01

The power demand in United Arab Emirates is increased so that there is a consistent power cut in our region. This is because of high power consumption by factories and also due to less availability of conventional energy resources. Electricity is most needed facility for the human being. All the conventional energy resources are depleting day by day. So we have to shift from conventional to non-conventional energy resources. In this the combination of two energy resources is takes place i.e. wind and solar energy. This process reviles the sustainable energy resources without damaging the nature. We can give uninterrupted power by using hybrid energy system. Basically this system involves the integration of two energy system that will give continuous power. Solar panels are used for converting solar energy and wind turbines are used for converting wind energy into electricity. This electrical power can utilize for various purpose. Generation of electricity will be takes place at affordable cost. This paper deals with the generation of electricity by using two sources combine which leads to generate electricity with affordable cost without damaging the nature balance. The purpose of this project was to design a portable and low cost power system that combines both sea current electric turbine and solar electric technologies. This system will be designed in efforts to develop a power solution for remote locations or use it as another source of green power.

Relation of field-aligned currents measured by AMPERE project to solar wind and substorms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McPherron, R. L.; Anderson, B. J.; Chu, X.

2016-12-01

Magnetic perturbations measured in the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE) by the Iridium constellation of spacecraft have been processed to obtain the time history of field-aligned currents (FAC) connecting the magnetosphere to the ionosphere. We find that the strength of these currents is closely related to the strength of the solar wind driver defined as a running average of the previous three hours of the optimum AL (auroral lower) coupling function. The relation is well represented by a saturation model I = A*S*Ss/(S+Ss) with I the current strength in mega Amps, S the driver strength in mV/m, Ss the saturation value of 7.78 mV/m, and A = 2.55 scales the relation to units of current. We also find that in general the upward current on the nightside increases with each substorm expansion onset defined by a combination of the SuperMag SML (SuperMag AL) and midlatitude positive bay (MPB) onset lists. A superposed epoch analysis using 700 onsets in 2010 shows the following: solar wind coupling peaks at expansion onset; dayside outward current starts to increase one hour before onset while nightside outward current starts suddenly at onset; nightside outward current reaches a peak at 28 minutes as do SML and MPB indices; FAC, SML, and MPB respectively take 1, 2, and 3 hours to decay to background. The data indicate that the substorm current wedge is superposed on a pre-existing field-aligned current system and that the location and properties of the current wedge can be studied with the AMPERE data.

Oblique Alfvén instabilities driven by compensated currents

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

Malovichko, P.; Voitenko, Y.; De Keyser, J., E-mail: voitenko@oma.be

2014-01-10

Compensated-current systems created by energetic ion beams are widespread in space and astrophysical plasmas. The well-known examples are foreshock regions in the solar wind and around supernova remnants. We found a new oblique Alfvénic instability driven by compensated currents flowing along the background magnetic field. Because of the vastly different electron and ion gyroradii, oblique Alfvénic perturbations react differently on the currents carried by the hot ion beams and the return electron currents. Ultimately, this difference leads to a non-resonant aperiodic instability at perpendicular wavelengths close to the beam ion gyroradius. The instability growth rate increases with increasing beam currentmore » and temperature. In the solar wind upstream of Earth's bow shock, the instability growth time can drop below 10 proton cyclotron periods. Our results suggest that this instability can contribute to the turbulence and ion acceleration in space and astrophysical foreshocks.« less

Ensemble downscaling in coupled solar wind-magnetosphere modeling for space weather forecasting.

PubMed

Owens, M J; Horbury, T S; Wicks, R T; McGregor, S L; Savani, N P; Xiong, M

2014-06-01

Advanced forecasting of space weather requires simulation of the whole Sun-to-Earth system, which necessitates driving magnetospheric models with the outputs from solar wind models. This presents a fundamental difficulty, as the magnetosphere is sensitive to both large-scale solar wind structures, which can be captured by solar wind models, and small-scale solar wind "noise," which is far below typical solar wind model resolution and results primarily from stochastic processes. Following similar approaches in terrestrial climate modeling, we propose statistical "downscaling" of solar wind model results prior to their use as input to a magnetospheric model. As magnetospheric response can be highly nonlinear, this is preferable to downscaling the results of magnetospheric modeling. To demonstrate the benefit of this approach, we first approximate solar wind model output by smoothing solar wind observations with an 8 h filter, then add small-scale structure back in through the addition of random noise with the observed spectral characteristics. Here we use a very simple parameterization of noise based upon the observed probability distribution functions of solar wind parameters, but more sophisticated methods will be developed in the future. An ensemble of results from the simple downscaling scheme are tested using a model-independent method and shown to add value to the magnetospheric forecast, both improving the best estimate and quantifying the uncertainty. We suggest a number of features desirable in an operational solar wind downscaling scheme. Solar wind models must be downscaled in order to drive magnetospheric models Ensemble downscaling is more effective than deterministic downscaling The magnetosphere responds nonlinearly to small-scale solar wind fluctuations.

Nature of Kinetic Scale Fluctuations in Solar Wind Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salem, C. S.; Chen, C. H.; Sundkvist, D. J.; Chaston, C. C.; Bale, S. D.; Mozer, F.

2012-12-01

We present an investigation of the nature of small-scale turbulent fluctuations in the solar wind. The nature of the dissipation range fluctuations of solar wind turbulence remains a major open question in heliospheric physics. The steepening of the observed (magnetic field) spectra at ion scales was originally attributed to ion cyclotron damping, but it was later suggested that it could well be due to the dispersive nature of fluctuations at these scales. The nature of the dispersive cascade at and below the ion scales is still debated, two leading hypothesis being that these fluctuations have characteristics of Kinetic Alfven Waves (KAW) or whistler waves. Other possible contributions from current sheets and/or kinetic instabilities have been suggested. There is mounting evidence that the fluctuations at these scales are KAW-like. In this study, we analyze several carefully selected unperturbed solar wind intervals, using magnetic field, electric field as well as density measurements from the Cluster spacecraft in order to identify the nature of the wave modes present, how frequent they are and try to determine whether one or more wave modes at different times. We examine the electric to magnetic field fluctuation ratio (δ E/δd B), the magnetic compressibility (δ B∥ /δ B) as well as density fluctuations using newly developed diagnostic techniques by Salem et al (2012) and Chen et al (2012). We look for variations of the nature and properties of these kinetic scale fluctuations with solar wind conditions, such as the plasma beta and the angle between the magnetic field and the flow velocity which controls the measured (spacecraft frame) frequency of the fluctuations. We discuss how these results would impact how the solar wind plasma is heated.

The statistical analysis of the Geomagnetically Induced Current events occurred in Guangdong, China during the declining phase of solar cycle 23 (2003–2006)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Y. Y.

2018-03-01

We study the interplanetary causes of intense geomagnetic storms (Dst ≤ -100 nT) and the corresponding Geomagnetically Induced Current (GIC) events occurred in Ling’ao nuclear power station, Guangdong during the declining phase of solar cycle 23 (2003–2006). The result shows that sMC (a magnetic cloud with a shock), SH (sheath) and SH+MC (a sheath followed by a magnetic cloud) are the three most common interplanetary structures responsible for the storms which will cause GIC events in this period. As an interplanetary structure, CIR (corotating interaction regions) also plays an important role, however, the CIR-driven storms have a relatively minor effect to the GIC. Among the interplanetary parameters, the solar wind velocity and the southward component of the IMF (interplanetary magnetic field) are more important than solar wind density and the temperature to a geomagnetic storm and GIC.

Features of solar wind streams on June 21-28, 2015 as a result of interactions between coronal mass ejections and recurrent streams from coronal holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shugay, Yu. S.; Slemzin, V. A.; Rod'kin, D. G.

2017-11-01

Coronal sources and parameters of solar wind streams during a strong and prolonged geomagnetic disturbance in June 2015 have been considered. Correspondence between coronal sources and solar wind streams at 1 AU has been determined using an analysis of solar images, catalogs of flares and coronal mass ejections, solar wind parameters including the ionic composition. The sources of disturbances in the considered period were a sequence of five coronal mass ejections that propagated along the recurrent solar wind streams from coronal holes. The observed differences from typical in magnetic and kinetic parameters of solar wind streams have been associated with the interactions of different types of solar wind. The ionic composition has proved to be a good additional marker for highlighting components in a mixture of solar wind streams, which can be associated with different coronal sources.

Effects of Electrostatic Environment on Charged Particle Transport near Lunar Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyake, Y.; Nishino, M. N.

2017-12-01

The Moon has neither dense atmosphere nor intrinsic magnetic field, and solar wind interactions with lunar surfaces are one of major plasma processes. The near-surface, dayside electrostatic environment is governed mainly by volume charges of solar wind plasma and photoelectrons as well as charged lunar surfaces. In fact, the electric environment strongly depends on surface topologies, as it will produce a shaded region, the electric environment of which can be very different from that in a sunlit condition. As one of high-profile terrains on the Moon, we have been focusing on the lunar vertical holes (or lunar pits), identified by the KAGUYA satellite and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. In order to model the distinctive electric and dust environments near the holes, we have started three-dimensional particle simulation analysis. The present study addresses the plasma environment of a lunar hole that is accompanied with a subsurface cavern. Besides the topographical effect of having a cavern, an investigation is focused on the following points. The first point is how deeply the solar wind protons are accessible into the hole and cavern. This point is relevant not only to an electric environment but also to possible existence of volatiles at permanently shaded regions of the hole. In order to examine the possibility, we implemented a proton scattering process at lunar surfaces into the simulation model. The other is the role of some minor current components such as secondary electrons, scattered protons, and charged dust grains at the lunar surface. Such minor currents become important for the charging of shaded surfaces, as major current components (solar wind plasma and photoelectrons) are not accessible there. We address these points based on kinetic model descriptions.

76 FR 76153 - Notice of Effectiveness of Exempt Wholesale Generator Status; Caney River Wind Project, LLC...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-06

...] Notice of Effectiveness of Exempt Wholesale Generator Status; Caney River Wind Project, LLC, Mesquite Solar 1, LLC, Copper Crossing Solar LLC, Copper Mountain Solar 1, LLC, Pinnacle Wind, LLC, Bellevue Solar, LLC, Yamhill Solar, LLC, Osage Wind, LLC, Minco Wind II, LLC Take notice that during the month of...

The ion population of the magnetotail during the 17 April 2002 magnetic storm: Large-scale kinetic simulations and IMAGE/HENA observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peroomian, Vahé; El-Alaoui, Mostafa; Brandt, Pontus C.:son

2011-05-01

The contribution of solar wind and ionospheric ions to the ion population of the magnetotail during the 17 April 2002 geomagnetic storm was investigated by using large-scale kinetic (LSK) particle tracing calculations. We began our investigation by carrying out a global magnetohydrodynamic simulation of the storm event by using upstream solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field data from the ACE spacecraft. We launched solar wind H+ ions and ionospheric O+ ions beginning at 0900 UT, ˜2 h prior to the sudden storm commencement (SSC), until 2000 UT. We found that during this Dst ˜ -98 nT storm, solar wind ions carried the bulk of the density and energy density in the nightside ring current and plasma sheet, with the notable exception of the 90 min immediately after the SSC when O+ densities in the ring current exceeded those of H+ ions. The LSK simulation did a very good job of reproducing ion densities observed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory spacecraft at geosynchronous orbit and reproduced the changes in the inner magnetosphere and the injection of ions observed by the IMAGE spacecraft during a substorm that occurred at 1900 UT. These comparisons with observations serve to validate our results throughout the magnetotail and allow us to obtain time-dependent maps of H+ and O+ density and energy density where IMAGE cannot make measurements. In essence, this work extends the viewing window of the IMAGE spacecraft far downtail.

Relative Heating of Heavy Ions Observed at 1 AU with ACE/SWICS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tracy, P.; Kasper, J. C.; Zurbuchen, T.; Raines, J. M.; Gilbert, J. A.

2015-12-01

Heavy ions (Z>4) observed near 1 AU, especially in fast solar wind, tend to have thermal speeds that are approximately equal, indicative of a mass proportional temperature. The fact that these heavy ions have similar thermal speeds implies that they have very different temperatures, and furthermore, that they are far from thermal equilibrium. By comparing the observed heavy ion temperatures amongst species with different mass and charge values we can critically evaluate heating theories for the solar wind. Utilizing improved data processing techniques, results from the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer (SWICS) onboard the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) are used to analyze the thermal properties of the heavy ion population at 1 AU. We have shown in previous work that Coulomb Collisional relaxation has a significant effect on these heavy ion populations, and now we investigate how Coulomb Collisions effect the observed temperature ratios of different heavy ion species. We observe that the heavy ion to proton temperature ratio scales with the mass and charge values of species analyzed. These dependencies are compared to current heating theories to determine which best explains the observations. The results of this work are valuable for comparison with coronal spectroscopic observations of ion temperatures, existing solar wind observations at different distances from the Sun, and for predictions of the environment to be encountered by Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter.

The Interplanetary and Magnetospheric Causes of Extreme DB/dt at Equatorial Locations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adebesin, Babatunde O.; Pulkkinen, Antti; Ngwira, Chigomezyo M.

2016-01-01

The 1 min resolution solar wind and geomagnetic data obtained from seven equatorial low-latitude stations during four extreme geomagnetic activities are used to investigate the extreme dB/dt perturbations. Simulations of the magnetospheric-ionospheric environment were also performed for varying amplitudes of the solar proton density. Simulations were carried out using the Space Weather Modeling Framework BATS-R-US + RCM model. Both the observations and simulations demonstrated that the appearance time of the extreme dB/dt perturbations at equatorial stations during disturbed conditions is instantaneous and equitable to those experienced at auroral regions yielding time lags of the order of a few seconds. We find that the rapid dB/dt enhancements are caused by the electric field of magnetospheric current origin, which is being enhanced by solar wind density and ram pressure variations and boosted by the equatorial electro jet. Our results indicate that the solar wind proton density variations could be used as a predictor of extreme dB/dt enhancement at equatorial latitudes.

The interplanetary and magnetospheric causes of extreme dB/dt at equatorial locations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adebesin, Babatunde O.; Pulkkinen, Antti; Ngwira, Chigomezyo M.

2016-11-01

The 1 min resolution solar wind and geomagnetic data obtained from seven equatorial/low-latitude stations during four extreme geomagnetic activities are used to investigate the extreme dB/dt perturbations. Simulations of the magnetospheric-ionospheric environment were also performed for varying amplitudes of the solar proton density. Simulations were carried out using the Space Weather Modeling Framework/BATS-R-US + RCM model. Both the observations and simulations demonstrated that the appearance time of the extreme dB/dt perturbations at equatorial stations during disturbed conditions is instantaneous and equitable to those experienced at auroral regions yielding time lags of the order of a few seconds. We find that the rapid dB/dt enhancements are caused by the electric field of magnetospheric current origin, which is being enhanced by solar wind density and ram pressure variations and boosted by the equatorial electrojet. Our results indicate that the solar wind proton density variations could be used as a predictor of extreme dB/dt enhancement at equatorial latitudes.

The Importance of Reconnection at Sector Boundaries: Another Space Weather Hazard?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Y.; Lai, H.; Russell, C. T.

2017-12-01

Sector Boundaries are interfaces between nearly oppositely directed magnetic flux in the solar wind. When the leading solar wind stream is moving more slowly than the following stream a high-pressure ridge appears at the interface, that compresses the plasma sometimes leading to a forward and reverse shock pair that slows the fast stream and accelerate the slow stream. If reconnection at the interface between the streams occurs part of the magnetic flux will be annihilated but the plasma once associated with that magnetic flux remains near the interface causing a sometimes significant short-lived dynamic pressure increase. The declining phase of solar cycle 24 exhibits several examples of the phenomenon with densities reaching over 80 protons cm-3 at speed of about 400 km sec-1. We examine the solar wind context of the phenomenon and the consequences at the magnetosphere using space-based and ground-based observations and comment on their possible generation of geomagnetically-induced currents.

Flow downstream of the heliospheric terminal shock: Magnetic field line topology and solar cycle imprint

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nerney, Steven; Suess, S. T.; Schmahl, E. J.

1995-01-01

The topology of the magnetic field in the heliosheath is illustrated using plots of the field lines. It is shown that the Archimedean spiral inside the terminal shock is rotated back in the heliosheath into nested spirals that are advected in the direction of the interstellar wind. The 22-year solar magnetic cycle is imprinted onto these field lines in the form of unipolar magnetic envelopes surrounded by volumes of strongly mixed polarity. Each envelope is defined by the changing tilt of the heliospheric current sheet, which is in turn defined by the boundary of unipolar high-latitude regions on the Sun that shrink to the pole at solar maximum and expand to the equator at solar minimum. The detailed shape of the envelopes is regulated by the solar wind velocity structure in the heliosheath.

Tracing the Solar Wind to its Origin: New Insights from ACE/SWICS Data and SO/HIS Performance Predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stakhiv, Mark

The solar wind is a hot tenuous plasma that continuously streams off of the Sun into the heliosphere. The solar wind is the medium through which coronal mass ejections (CMEs) travel from the Sun to the Earth, where they can disrupt vital space-based technologies and wreak havoc on terrestrial infrastructure. Understanding the solar wind can lead to improved predications of CME arrival time as well as their geoeffectiveness. The solar wind is studied in this thesis through in situ measurements of heavy ions. Several outstanding questions about the solar wind are addressed in this thesis: What is the origin of the solar wind? How is the solar wind heated and accelerated? The charge state distribution and abundance of heavy ions in the solar wind record information about their source location and heating mechanism. This information is largely unchanged from the Sun to the Earth, where it is collected in situ with spacecraft. In this thesis we use data from the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer (SWICS) that flew on two spacecraft: Ulysses (1990 - 2009) and ACE (1998 - present). We analyze the kinetic and compositional properties of the solar wind with heavy ion data and lay out a unified wind scenario, which states that the solar wind originates from two different sources and regardless of its release mechanism the solar wind is then accelerated by waves. The data from these instruments are the best available to date but still lack the measurement cadence and distribution resolution to fully answer all of the solar wind questions. To address these issues a new heavy ion sensor is being developed to be the next generation of in situ heavy ion measurements. This thesis supports the development of this instrument through the analysis of the sensors measurement properties and the characterization of its geometric factor and efficiencies.

Global ICME-Mars Interaction and Induced Atmospheric Loss

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, X.; Ma, Y.; Manchester, W.

2013-12-01

Without the shielding of a strong intrinsic magnetic field, the present-day Mars atmosphere is more vulnerable to external solar wind forcing than the Earth's atmosphere. Therefore interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) are expected to drive disturbances in the Mars environment in a profoundly different way, which, however, is poorly understood due to the lack of coordinated solar wind and Mars observations. In this study, three sophisticated models work in concert to simulate the physical domain extending from the solar corona to near-Mars space for the 13 May 2005 ICME event. The Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) will be used to investigate the interaction of the ICME with the ambient solar wind and monitor its propagation from the Sun to the planet. A 3-D MHD model for Mars will be applied to assess the planetary atmospheric/ionospheric responses during the ICME passage of Mars. In the Mars weak magnetic field environment, the ion kinetic effects are important and will be included through the use of a 3-D Monte Carlo pickup ion transport model. These physics-based modeling efforts enable us to provide a global and time series view of the Mars response to transient solar wind disturbances and induced atmospheric loss, which is currently not possible due to the limitation of observations.

Recent Advances in Atmospheric, Solar-Terrestrial Physics and Space Weather From a North-South network of scientists [2006-2016] PART A: TUTORIAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amory-Mazaudier, C.; Menvielle, M.; Curto, J-J.; Le Huy, M.

2017-12-01

This paper reviews scientific advances achieved by a North-South network between 2006 and 2016. These scientific advances concern Solar Terrestrial Physics, Atmospheric Physics and Space Weather. In this part A, we introduce knowledge on the Sun-Earth system. We consider the physical process of the dynamo which is present in the Sun, in the core of the Earth and also in the regions between the Sun and the Earth, the solar wind-magnetosphere and the ionosphere. Equations of plasma physics and Maxwell's equations will be recalled. In the Sun-Earth system there are permanent dynamos (Sun, Earth's core, solar wind - magnetosphere, neutral wind - ionosphere) and non-permanent dynamos that are activated during magnetic storms in the magnetosphere and in the ionosphere. All these dynamos have associated electric currents that affect the variations of the Earth's magnetic field which are easily measurable. That is why a part of the tutorial is also devoted to the magnetic indices which are indicators of the electric currents in the Sun-Earth system. In order to understand some results of the part B, we present some characteristics of the Equatorial region and of the electrodynamics coupling the Auroral and Equatorial regions.

Radiation belt electron dynamics at low L (<4): Van Allen Probes era versus previous two solar cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Baker, D. N.; Zhao, H.; Zhang, K.; Jaynes, A. N.; Schiller, Q.; Kanekal, S. G.; Blake, J. B.; Temerin, M.

2017-05-01

Long-term (>2 solar cycles) measurements reveal that MeV electron fluxes, solar wind speed, and geomagnetic activity have been extremely low during this current solar cycle, including years before and during the Van Allen Probes era. This study examines solar wind speed, the geomagnetic storm index (Dst), >2 MeV electrons at geostationary orbit, and 2 MeV electrons across various L shells measured by Solar Anomalous Magnetospheric Particle Explorer in low Earth orbit (LEO) and by the Van Allen Probes/Relativistic Electron and Proton Telescope (REPT) in a geotransfer-like orbit; the latter measurements are normalized to LEO based on comparison with Colorado Student Space Weather Experiment/Relativistic Electron and Proton Telescope integrated little experiment (REPTile) measurements in LEO. The average ratio of REPTile/REPT varies in a systematic manner with L, 16% at L = 2.7, decreasing with L and reaching 0.7% at L = 4.7, and increasing again with L though with greater uncertainty. We show that there have been no 2 MeV electron enhancements inside L 2.6 since 2006, prior to which numerous penetrations of 2 MeV electrons into L < 2.5 were measured during periods of stronger solar wind conditions (in terms of high-speed solar wind, magnitude of interplanetary magnetic field, B, and a sustained southward Bz) and thus stronger geomagnetic activity. We conclude that results from the Van Allen Probes, which have been providing the finest measurements but in operation during a quiet solar activity period, may not be representative of radiation belt dynamics, particularly for the inner edge of the outer belt, during other solar cycle phases.

Sustainability Logistics Basing - Science and Technology Objective - Demonstration; Demonstration #1 - 50 Person Camp Demo

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-17

sources: solar panels, two wind turbines , JP8/diesel genset, and alternating current (AC) shore power. The system can be towed by a High Mobility...energy. The project office shipped two REDUCE units to the demonstration, one with wind turbines and one without. For the demonstration, the team...operated and collected data from the system without wind turbines due to the greater reliability of its integrated genset. The system with wind

Western Wind and Solar Integration Study | Grid Modernization | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Western Wind and Solar Integration Study Western Wind and Solar Integration Study Can we integrate large amounts of wind and solar energy into the electric power system of the West? That's the question explored by the Western Wind and Solar Integration Study, one of the largest such regional studies to date

Global Response to Local Ionospheric Mass Ejection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, T. E.; Fok, M.-C.; Delcourt, D. C.; Slinker, S. P.; Fedder, J. A.

2010-01-01

We revisit a reported "Ionospheric Mass Ejection" using prior event observations to guide a global simulation of local ionospheric outflows, global magnetospheric circulation, and plasma sheet pressurization, and comparing our results with the observed global response. Our simulation framework is based on test particle motions in the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry (LFM) global circulation model electromagnetic fields. The inner magnetosphere is simulated with the Comprehensive Ring Current Model (CRCM) of Fok and Wolf, driven by the transpolar potential developed by the LFM magnetosphere, and includes an embedded plasmaspheric simulation. Global circulation is stimulated using the observed solar wind conditions for the period 24-25 Sept 1998. This period begins with the arrival of a Coronal Mass Ejection, initially with northward, but later with southward interplanetary magnetic field. Test particles are launched from the ionosphere with fluxes specified by local empirical relationships of outflow to electrodynamic and particle precipitation imposed by the MIlD simulation. Particles are tracked until they are lost from the system downstream or into the atmosphere, using the full equations of motion. Results are compared with the observed ring current and a simulation of polar and auroral wind outflows driven globally by solar wind dynamic pressure. We find good quantitative agreement with the observed ring current, and reasonable qualitative agreement with earlier simulation results, suggesting that the solar wind driven global simulation generates realistic energy dissipation in the ionosphere and that the Strangeway relations provide a realistic local outflow description.

Ensemble downscaling in coupled solar wind-magnetosphere modeling for space weather forecasting

PubMed Central

Owens, M J; Horbury, T S; Wicks, R T; McGregor, S L; Savani, N P; Xiong, M

2014-01-01

Advanced forecasting of space weather requires simulation of the whole Sun-to-Earth system, which necessitates driving magnetospheric models with the outputs from solar wind models. This presents a fundamental difficulty, as the magnetosphere is sensitive to both large-scale solar wind structures, which can be captured by solar wind models, and small-scale solar wind “noise,” which is far below typical solar wind model resolution and results primarily from stochastic processes. Following similar approaches in terrestrial climate modeling, we propose statistical “downscaling” of solar wind model results prior to their use as input to a magnetospheric model. As magnetospheric response can be highly nonlinear, this is preferable to downscaling the results of magnetospheric modeling. To demonstrate the benefit of this approach, we first approximate solar wind model output by smoothing solar wind observations with an 8 h filter, then add small-scale structure back in through the addition of random noise with the observed spectral characteristics. Here we use a very simple parameterization of noise based upon the observed probability distribution functions of solar wind parameters, but more sophisticated methods will be developed in the future. An ensemble of results from the simple downscaling scheme are tested using a model-independent method and shown to add value to the magnetospheric forecast, both improving the best estimate and quantifying the uncertainty. We suggest a number of features desirable in an operational solar wind downscaling scheme. Key Points Solar wind models must be downscaled in order to drive magnetospheric models Ensemble downscaling is more effective than deterministic downscaling The magnetosphere responds nonlinearly to small-scale solar wind fluctuations PMID:26213518

78 FR 76609 - Genesis Solar, LLC; NRG Delta LLC; Mountain View Solar, LLC; Pheasant Run Wind, LLC; Pheasant Run...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-18

... Delta LLC; Mountain View Solar, LLC; Pheasant Run Wind, LLC; Pheasant Run Wind II, LLC; Tuscola Wind II, LLC; Mountain Wind Power, LLC; Mountain Wind Power II, LLC; Summerhaven Wind, LP; Notice of...

Ionospheric traveling convection vortices observed near the polar cleft - A triggered response to sudden changes in the solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friis-Christensen, E.; Vennerstrom, S.; Mchenry, M. A.; Clauer, C. R.

1988-01-01

Analysis of 20-second resolution magnetometer data from an array of temporary stations operated around Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland, during the summer of 1986 shows the signatures of localized ionospheric traveling convection vortices. An example of an isolated event of this kind observed near 08 local time is presented in detail. This event consists of a twin vortex pattern of convection consistent with the presence of two field-aligned current filaments separated by about 600 km in the east-west direction. This system of currents is observed to move westward (tailward) past the array of stations at about 4 km/sec. The event is associated with relative quiet time ionospheric convection and occurs during an interval of northward IMF. It is, however, associated with a large fluctuation in both the Z and Y components of the IMF and with a large sudden decrease in the solar wind number density. The propagation of the system is inconsistent with existing models of FTE current systems, but nevertheless appears to be related to a readjustment of the magnetopause boundary to a sudden change in the solar wind dynamic pressure and/or to a change in reconnection brought about by a sudden reorientation of the IMF.

Gas-dynamic model and experimental study of the plasma properties in the Earth's magnetosheath

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobreva, Polya; Zastenker, Georgy; Kartalev, Monio; Borodkova, Natalia

2016-07-01

This paper uses numerical self-consistent model to investigate the boundaries and structures in the Earth's magnetosheath. The model is developed to represent the interaction between the regions of the magnetosheath and magnetosphere. In the magnetosheath, the gas-dynamic approach is used for the description of the solar wind flow. The magnetosphere module is based on the modified Tsyganenko magnetic field model, where the magnetopause currents are calculated self-consistently. The magnetosheath boundaries are determined from the boundary conditions. WIND and ACE data are used as a solar wind monitor. The model calculations are compared with real satellite measurements of the boundary positions. The plasma parameters behavior in the magnetosheath is also discussed.

It's Indisputable: Five Facts About Planning and Operating Modern Power Systems

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

Bloom, Aaron; Helman, Udi; Holttinen, Hannele

An indisputable fact cannot be rebutted. It is supported by theory and experience. Over the past 25 years, wind and solar generation has undergone dramatic growth, resulting in a variety of experiences that model the integration of wind and solar into the planning and operation of modern electric power systems. In this article, we bring together examples from Europe, North America, and Australia to identify five indisputable facts about planning and operating modern power systems. Taken together, we hope these experiences can help build consensus among the engineering and public policy communities about the current state of wind and solarmore » integration and also facilitate conversations about evolving future challenges.« less

Mass-loading of the solar wind at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Observations and modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behar, E.; Lindkvist, J.; Nilsson, H.; Holmström, M.; Stenberg-Wieser, G.; Ramstad, R.; Götz, C.

2016-11-01

Context. The first long-term in-situ observation of the plasma environment in the vicinity of a comet, as provided by the European Rosetta spacecraft. Aims: Here we offer characterisation of the solar wind flow near 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) and its long term evolution during low nucleus activity. We also aim to quantify and interpret the deflection and deceleration of the flow expected from ionization of neutral cometary particles within the undisturbed solar wind. Methods: We have analysed in situ ion and magnetic field data and combined this with hybrid modeling of the interaction between the solar wind and the comet atmosphere. Results: The solar wind deflection is increasing with decreasing heliocentric distances, and exhibits very little deceleration. This is seen both in observations and in modeled solar wind protons. According to our model, energy and momentum are transferred from the solar wind to the coma in a single region, centered on the nucleus, with a size in the order of 1000 km. This interaction affects, over larger scales, the downstream modeled solar wind flow. The energy gained by the cometary ions is a small fraction of the energy available in the solar wind. Conclusions: The deflection of the solar wind is the strongest and clearest signature of the mass-loading for a small, low-activity comet, whereas there is little deceleration of the solar wind.

Lunar Swirls: Plasma Magnetic Field Interaction and Dust Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dropmann, Michael; Laufer, Rene; Herdrich, Georg; Matthews, Lorin; Hyde, Truell

2013-10-01

In close collaboration between the Center for Astrophysics, Space Physics and Engineering Research (CASPER) at Baylor University, Texas, and the Institute of Space Systems (IRS) at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, two plasma facilities have been established using the Inductively heated Plasma Generator 6 (IPG6), based on proven IRS designs. A wide range of applications is currently under consideration for both test and research facilities. Basic investigations in the area of plasma radiation and catalysis, simulation of certain parameters of fusion divertors and space applications are planned. In this paper, the facility at Baylor University (IPG6-B) will be used for simulation of mini-magnetospheres on the Moon. The interaction of the solar wind with magnetic fields leads to the formation of electric fields, which can influence the incoming solar wind ion flux and affect dust transport processes on the lunar surface. Both effects may be partially responsible for the occurrence of lunar swirls. Interactions of the solar wind with such mini-magnetospheres will be simulated in the IPG6-B by observing the interaction between a plasma jet and a permanent magnet. The resulting data should lead to better models of dust transport processes and solar wind deflection on the moon.

The DSCOVR Solar Wind Mission and Future Space Weather Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cash, M. D.; Biesecker, D. A.; Reinard, A. A.

2012-12-01

The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) mission, scheduled for launch in mid-2014, will provide real-time solar wind thermal plasma and magnetic measurements to ensure continuous monitoring for space weather forecasting. DSCOVR will orbit L1 and will serve as a follow-on mission to NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), which was launched in 1997. DSCOVR will have a total of six instruments, two of which will provide real-time data necessary for space weather forecasting: a Faraday cup to measure the proton and alpha components of the solar wind, and a triaxial fluxgate magnetometer to measure the magnetic field in three dimensions. Real-time data provided by DSCOVR will include Vx, Vy, Vz, n, T, Bx, By, and Bz. Such real-time L1 data is used in generating space weather applications and products that have been demonstrated to be highly accurate and provide actionable information for customers. We evaluate current space weather products driven by ACE and discuss future products under development for DSCOVR. New space weather products under consideration include: automated shock detection, more accurate L1 to Earth delay time, and prediction of rotations in solar wind Bz within magnetic clouds. Suggestions from the community on product ideas are welcome.

Numerical simulation of wind loads on solar panels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Kao-Chun; Chung, Kung-Ming; Hsu, Shu-Tsung

2018-05-01

Solar panels mounted on the roof of a building or ground are often vulnerable to strong wind loads. This study aims to investigate wind loads on solar panels using computational fluid dynamic (CFD). The results show good agreement with wind tunnel data, e.g. the streamwise distribution of mean surface pressure coefficient of a solar panel. Wind uplift for solar panels with four aspect ratios is evaluated. The effect of inclined angle and clearance (or height) of a solar panel is addressed. It is found that wind uplift of a solar panel increases when there is an increase in inclined angle and the clearance above ground shows an opposite effect.

Tsallis non-extensive statistics and solar wind plasma complexity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlos, G. P.; Iliopoulos, A. C.; Zastenker, G. N.; Zelenyi, L. M.; Karakatsanis, L. P.; Riazantseva, M. O.; Xenakis, M. N.; Pavlos, E. G.

2015-03-01

This article presents novel results revealing non-equilibrium phase transition processes in the solar wind plasma during a strong shock event, which took place on 26th September 2011. Solar wind plasma is a typical case of stochastic spatiotemporal distribution of physical state variables such as force fields (B → , E →) and matter fields (particle and current densities or bulk plasma distributions). This study shows clearly the non-extensive and non-Gaussian character of the solar wind plasma and the existence of multi-scale strong correlations from the microscopic to the macroscopic level. It also underlines the inefficiency of classical magneto-hydro-dynamic (MHD) or plasma statistical theories, based on the classical central limit theorem (CLT), to explain the complexity of the solar wind dynamics, since these theories include smooth and differentiable spatial-temporal functions (MHD theory) or Gaussian statistics (Boltzmann-Maxwell statistical mechanics). On the contrary, the results of this study indicate the presence of non-Gaussian non-extensive statistics with heavy tails probability distribution functions, which are related to the q-extension of CLT. Finally, the results of this study can be understood in the framework of modern theoretical concepts such as non-extensive statistical mechanics (Tsallis, 2009), fractal topology (Zelenyi and Milovanov, 2004), turbulence theory (Frisch, 1996), strange dynamics (Zaslavsky, 2002), percolation theory (Milovanov, 1997), anomalous diffusion theory and anomalous transport theory (Milovanov, 2001), fractional dynamics (Tarasov, 2013) and non-equilibrium phase transition theory (Chang, 1992).

Improvement of background solar wind predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dálya, Zsuzsanna; Opitz, Andrea

2016-04-01

In order to estimate the solar wind properties at any heliospheric positions propagation tools use solar measurements as input data. The ballistic method extrapolates in-situ solar wind observations to the target position. This works well for undisturbed solar wind, while solar wind disturbances such as Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) need more consideration. We are working on dedicated ICME lists to clean these signatures from the input data in order to improve our prediction accuracy. These ICME lists are created from several heliospheric spacecraft measurements: ACE, WIND, STEREO, SOHO, MEX and VEX. As a result, we are able to filter out these events from the time series. Our corrected predictions contribute to the investigation of the quiet solar wind and space weather studies.

Microphysics of Waves and Instabilities in the Solar Wind and Their Macro Manifestations in the Corona and Interplanetary Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Habbal, Shadia Rifai

2005-01-01

Investigations of the physical processes responsible for coronal heating and the acceleration of the solar wind were pursued with the use of our recently developed 2D MHD solar wind code and our 1D multifluid code. In particular, we explored: (1) the role of proton temperature anisotropy in the expansion of the solar (2) the role of plasma parameters at the coronal base in the formation of high (3) a three-fluid model of the slow solar wind (4) the heating of coronal loops (5) a newly developed hybrid code for the study of ion cyclotron resonance in wind, speed solar wind streams at mid-latitudes, the solar wind.

11- and 22-year variations of the cosmic ray density and of the solar wind speed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chirkov, N. P.

1985-01-01

Cosmic ray density variations for 17-21 solar activity cycles and the solar wind speed for 20-21 events are investigated. The 22-year solar wind speed recurrence was found in even and odd cycles. The 22-year variations of cosmic ray density were found to be opposite that of solar wind speed and solar activity. The account of solar wind speed in 11-year variations significantly decreases the modulation region of cosmic rays when E = 10-20 GeV.

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

Elliott, Heather A.; McComas, David J.; DeForest, Craig E.

We examine the long-term time evolution (1965–2015) of the relationships between solar wind proton temperature ( T {sub p}) and speed ( V {sub p}) and between the proton density ( n {sub p}) and speed using OMNI solar wind observations taken near Earth. We find a long-term decrease in the proton temperature–speed ( T {sub p}– V {sub p}) slope that lasted from 1972 to 2010, but has been trending upward since 2010. Since the solar wind proton density–speed ( n {sub p}– V {sub p}) relationship is not linear like the T {sub p}– V {sub p} relationship,more » we perform power-law fits for n {sub p}– V {sub p}. The exponent (steepness in the n {sub p}– V {sub p} relationship) is correlated with the solar cycle. This exponent has a stronger correlation with current sheet tilt angle than with sunspot number because the sunspot number maxima vary considerably from cycle to cycle and the tilt angle maxima do not. To understand this finding, we examined the average n {sub p} for different speed ranges, and found that for the slow wind n {sub p} is highly correlated with the sunspot number, with a lag of approximately four years. The fast wind n {sub p} variation was less, but in phase with the cycle. This phase difference may contribute to the n {sub p}– V {sub p} exponent correlation with the solar cycle. These long-term trends are important since empirical formulas based on fits to T {sub p} and V {sub p} data are commonly used to identify interplanetary coronal mass ejections, but these formulas do not include any time dependence. Changes in the solar wind density over a solar cycle will create corresponding changes in the near-Earth space environment and the overall extent of the heliosphere.« less

Correlations between solar wind parameters and auroral kilometric radiation intensity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallagher, D. L.; Dangelo, N.

1981-01-01

The relationship between solar wind properties and the influx of energy into the nightside auroral region as indicated by the intensity of auroral kilometric radiation is investigated. Smoothed Hawkeye satellite observations of auroral radiation at 178, 100 and 56.2 kHz for days 160 through 365 of 1974 are compared with solar wind data from the composite Solar Wind Plasma Data Set, most of which was supplied by the IMP-8 spacecraft. Correlations are made between smoothed daily averages of solar wind ion density, bulk flow speed, total IMF strength, electric field, solar wind speed in the southward direction, solar wind speed multiplied by total IMF strength, the substorm parameter epsilon and the Kp index. The greatest correlation is found between solar wind bulk flow speed and auroral radiation intensity, with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.78 for the 203 daily averages examined. A possible mechanism for the relationship may be related to the propagation into the nightside magnetosphere of low-frequency long-wavelength electrostatic waves produced in the magnetosheath by the solar wind.

Study of Velocity and Magnetic Field Fluctuations at Kinetic Scale with the DSCOVR Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vech, D.; Kasper, J. C.; Klein, K. G.; Hegedus, A. M.; Stevens, M. L.; Case, A. W.; Szabo, A.; Koval, A.

2016-12-01

The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), launched in 2015, performs high resolution measurements of the solar wind at the L1 vantage point. The Faraday cup onboard DSCOVR is capable of sampling solar wind velocity distribution functions at cadences up to 1 Hz, which is complemented by the 50 samples/sec magnetic field experiment. The combined usage of these data makes it possible to study kinetic scale physics, in particular turbulent fluctuations and the associated dissipation processes with unprecedented resolution. In this work we investigate recently obtained data sets and analyze correlations between the magnetic field and the measured currents in different energy/charge windows. The goal of the study is to search for active wave-particle interactions at specific locations in phase space. We estimate the significance of these correlations and discuss the implications for our understanding of kinetic scale physics of the solar wind.

Solar-wind/magnetospheric dynamos: MHD-scale collective entry of the solar wind energy, momentum and mass into the magnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Song, Yan; Lysak, Robert L.

1992-01-01

A quasi open MHD (Magnetohydrodynamic) scale anomalous transport controlled boundary layer model is proposed, where the MHD collective behavior of magnetofluids (direct dynamo effect, anomalous viscous interaction and anomalous diffusion of the mass and the magnetic field) plays the main role in the conversion of the Solar Wind (SW) kinetic and magnetic energy into electromagnetic energy in the Magnetosphere (MSp). The so called direct and indirect dynamo effects are based on inductive and purely dissipative energy conversion, respectively. The self organization ability of vector fields in turbulent magnetofluids implies an inductive response of the plasma, which leads to the direct dynamo effect. The direct dynamo effect describes the direct formation of localized field aligned currents and the transverse Alfven waves and provides a source for MHD scale anomalous diffusivity and viscosity. The SW/MSp coupling depends on the dynamo efficiency.

An electric noise component with density 1/f identified on ISEE 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoang, S.; Steinberg, J. L.; Couturier, P.; Feldman, W. C.

1982-01-01

The properties of the 1/f noise detected at the terminals of ISEE 3 antennas are described and related to the solar wind parameters. The 1/f noise was observed with the radio receivers of the three-dimensional radio mapping experiment using the S and Z dipole antennas. The noise spectra contained a negative spectral index component at frequencies lower than 0.7 of the plasma frequency, and 5-10 times the predicted thermal noise for the Z antenna. S-antenna measurements of the 1/f component revealed it to be deeply spin modulated with a minimum electric field in the direction of the solar wind. Modulation increases with increasing frequency, becomes negligible when the 1/f intensity is negligible with respect to the thermal noise, and increases with solar wind velocity. The possibilities that the noise is due either to waves or currents are discussed.

Forecasting intense geomagnetic activity using interplanetary magnetic field data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saiz, E.; Cid, C.; Cerrato, Y.

2008-12-01

Southward interplanetary magnetic fields are considered traces of geoeffectiveness since they are a main agent of magnetic reconnection of solar wind and magnetosphere. The first part of this work revises the ability to forecast intense geomagnetic activity using different procedures available in the literature. The study shows that current methods do not succeed in making confident predictions. This fact led us to develop a new forecasting procedure, which provides trustworthy results in predicting large variations of Dst index over a sample of 10 years of observations and is based on the value Bz only. The proposed forecasting method appears as a worthy tool for space weather purposes because it is not affected by the lack of solar wind plasma data, which usually occurs during severe geomagnetic activity. Moreover, the results obtained guide us to provide a new interpretation of the physical mechanisms involved in the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere using Faraday's law.

Solar Probe Plus: A NASA Mission to Touch the SunMission Status Update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, N. J.

2016-12-01

Solar Probe Plus (SPP), currently in Phase D, will be the first mission to fly into the low solar corona, revealing how the corona is heated and the solar wind and energetic particles are accelerated, solving fundamental mysteries that have been top priority science goals since such a mission was first proposed in 1958. The scale and concept of such a mission has been revised at intervals since that time, yet the core has always been a close encounter with the Sun. The primary science goal of the Solar Probe Plus mission is to determine the structure and dynamics of the Sun's coronal magnetic field, understand how the solar corona and wind are heated and accelerated, and determine what mechanisms accelerate and transport energetic particles. SPP uses an innovative mission design, significant technology development and a risk-reducing engineering development to meet the SPP science objectives. In this presentation, we provide an update on the progress of the Solar Probe Plus mission as we prepare for the July 2018 launch.

Comparison of dayside current layers in Venus' ionosphere and earth's equatorial electrojet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cole, Keith D.

1993-01-01

The major physical aspects of the equatorial electrojet of Earth and the dayside ionospheric current layers of Venus are compared, viz., the electric current intensity and total current, roles of electric field, pressure and gravity, diffusion time scales, and the Bernouille effect. The largest potential differences, of the order of 10 volts, horizontally across the dayside ionosphere of Venus, have important implications for possible dynamo action in the Venus ionosphere and the application of an electric field from the lower atmosphere or from the solar wind. An upper limit to the horizontal scale of vertical magnetic fields in the Venus ionosphere is estimated thereby for the first time. New upper limits on the velocity in, and thickness of, a possible S layer at Venus are presented. If an S layer exists, it is only for extreme conditions of the solar wind. A mechanism for formation of magnetic ropes in the Venus ionosphere is also proposed.

Relation between Pressure Balance Structures and Polar Plumes from Ulysses High Latitude Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yamauchi, Yohei; Suess, Steven T.; Sakurai, Takashi

2002-01-01

Ulysses observations have shown that pressure balance structures (PBSs) are a common feature in high-latitude, fast solar wind near solar minimum. Previous studies of Ulysses/SWOOPS plasma data suggest these PBSs may be remnants of coronal polar plumes. Here we find support for this suggestion in an analysis of PBS magnetic structure. We used Ulysses magnetometer data and applied a minimum variance analysis to magnetic discontinuities in PBSs. We found that PBSs preferentially contain tangential discontinuities, as opposed to rotational discontinuities and to non-PBS regions in the solar wind. This suggests that PBSs contain structures like current sheets or plasmoids that may be associated with network activity at the base of plumes.

Relation Between Pressure Balance Structures and Polar Plumes from Ulysses High Latitude Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yamauchi, Y.; Suess, Steven T.; Sakurai, T.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Ulysses observations have shown that pressure balance structures (PBSs) are a common feature in high-latitude, fast solar wind near solar minimum. Previous studies of Ulysses/SWOOPS plasma data suggest these PBSs may be remnants of coronal polar plumes. Here we find support for this suggestion in an analysis of PBS magnetic structure. We used Ulysses magnetometer data and applied a minimum variance analysis to discontinuities. We found that PBSs preferentially contain tangential discontinuities, as opposed to rotational discontinuities and to non-PBS regions in the solar wind. This suggests that PBSs contain structures like current sheets or plasmoids that may be associated with network activity at the base of plumes.

Solving the Meteorological Challenges of Creating a Sustainable Energy System (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marquis, M.

2010-12-01

Global energy demand is projected to double from 13 TW at the start of this century to 28 TW by the middle of the century. This translates into obtaining 1000 MW (1 GW, the amount produced by an average nuclear or coal power plant) of new energy every single day for the next 40 years. The U.S. Department of Energy has conducted three feasibility studies in the last two years identifying the costs, challenges, impacts, and benefits of generating large portions of the nation’s electricity from wind and solar energy, in the new two decades. The 20% Wind by 2030 report found that the nation could meet one-fifth of its electricity demand from wind energy by 2030. The second report, the Eastern Wind Integration and Transmission Study, considered similar costs, challenges, and benefits, but considered 20% wind energy in the Eastern Interconnect only, with a target date of 2024. The third report, the Western Wind and Solar Integration Study, considered the operational impact of up to 35% penetration of wind, photovoltaics (PVs) and, concentrating solar power (CSP) on the power system operated by the WestConnect group, with a target date of 2017. All three studies concluded that it is technically feasible to obtain these high penetration levels of renewable energy, but that increases in the balancing area cooperation or coordination, increased utilization of transmission and building of transmission in some cases, and improved weather forecasts are needed. Current energy systems were designed for dispatchable fuels, such as coal, natural gas and nuclear energy. Fitting weather-driven renewable energy into today's energy system is like fitting a square peg into a round hole. If society chooses to meet a significant portion of new energy demand from weather-driven renewable energy, such as wind and solar energy, a number of obstacles must be overcome. Some of these obstacles are meteorological and climatological issues that are amenable to scientific research. For variable renewable energy sources to reach high penetration levels, electric system operators and utilities need better atmo¬spheric observations, models, and forecasts. Current numerical weather prediction models have not been optimized to help the nation use renewable energy. Improved meteorological observations (e.g., wind turbine hub-height wind speeds, surface direct and diffuse solar radiation), as well as observations through a deeper layer of the atmosphere for assimilation into NWP models, are needed. Particularly urgent is the need for improved forecasts of ramp events. Longer-term predictions of renewable resources, on the seasonal to decadal scale, are also needed. Improved understanding of the variability and co-variability of wind and solar energy, as well as their correlations with large-scale climate drivers, would assist decision-makers in long-term planning. This talk with discuss the feasibility and benefits of developing enhanced weather forecasts and climate information specific to the needs of a growing renewable energy infrastructure.

Coronal holes as sources of solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nolte, J. T.; Krieger, A. S.; Timothy, A. F.; Gold, R. E.; Roelof, E. C.; Vaiana, G.; Lazarus, A. J.; Sullivan, J. D.; Mcintosh, P. S.

1976-01-01

We investigate the association of high-speed solar wind with coronal holes during the Skylab mission by: (1) direct comparison of solar wind and coronal X-ray data; (2) comparison of near-equatorial coronal hole area with maximum solar wind velocity in the associated streams; and (3) examination of the correlation between solar and interplanetary magnetic polarities. We find that all large near-equatorial coronal holes seen during the Skylab period were associated with high-velocity solar wind streams observed at 1 AU.

Analysis of the solar/wind resources in Southern Spain for optimal sizing of hybrid solar-wind power generation systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quesada-Ruiz, S.; Pozo-Vazquez, D.; Santos-Alamillos, F. J.; Lara-Fanego, V.; Ruiz-Arias, J. A.; Tovar-Pescador, J.

2010-09-01

A drawback common to the solar and wind energy systems is their unpredictable nature and dependence on weather and climate on a wide range of time scales. In addition, the variation of the energy output may not match with the time distribution of the load demand. This can partially be solved by the use of batteries for energy storage in stand-alone systems. The problem caused by the variable nature of the solar and wind resources can be partially overcome by the use of energy systems that uses both renewable resources in a combined manner, that is, hybrid wind-solar systems. Since both resources can show complementary characteristics in certain location, the independent use of solar or wind systems results in considerable over sizing of the batteries system compared to the use of hybrid solar-wind systems. Nevertheless, to the day, there is no single recognized method for properly sizing these hybrid wind-solar systems. In this work, we present a method for sizing wind-solar hybrid systems in southern Spain. The method is based on the analysis of the wind and solar resources on daily scale, particularly, its temporal complementary characteristics. The method aims to minimize the size of the energy storage systems, trying to provide the most reliable supply.

Depth profiling analysis of solar wind helium collected in diamond-like carbon film from Genesis

DOE PAGES

Bajo, Ken-ichi; Olinger, Chad T.; Jurewicz, Amy J.G.; ...

2015-01-01

The distribution of solar-wind ions in Genesis mission collectors, as determined by depth profiling analysis, constrains the physics of ion solid interactions involving the solar wind. Thus, they provide an experimental basis for revealing ancient solar activities represented by solar-wind implants in natural samples. We measured the first depth profile of ⁴He in a collector; the shallow implantation (peaking at <20 nm) required us to use sputtered neutral mass spectrometry with post-photoionization by a strong field. The solar wind He fluence calculated using depth profiling is ~8.5 x 10¹⁴ cm⁻². The shape of the solar wind ⁴He depth profile ismore » consistent with TRIM simulations using the observed ⁴He velocity distribution during the Genesis mission. It is therefore likely that all solar-wind elements heavier than H are completely intact in this Genesis collector and, consequently, the solar particle energy distributions for each element can be calculated from their depth profiles. Ancient solar activities and space weathering of solar system objects could be quantitatively reproduced by solar particle implantation profiles.« less

Anisotropic Behaviour of Magnetic Power Spectra in Solar Wind Turbulence.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, S.; Saur, J.; Gerick, F.; von Papen, M.

2017-12-01

Introduction:High altitude fast solar wind turbulence (SWT) shows different spectral properties as a function of the angle between the flow direction and the scale dependent mean magnetic field (Horbury et al., PRL, 2008). The average magnetic power contained in the near perpendicular direction (80º-90º) was found to be approximately 5 times larger than the average power in the parallel direction (0º- 10º). In addition, the parallel power spectra was found to give a steeper (-2) power law than the perpendicular power spectral density (PSD) which followed a near Kolmogorov slope (-5/3). Similar anisotropic behaviour has also been observed (Chen et al., MNRAS, 2011) for slow solar wind (SSW), but using a different method exploiting multi-spacecraft data of Cluster. Purpose:In the current study, using Ulysses data, we investigate (i) the anisotropic behaviour of near ecliptic slow solar wind using the same methodology (described below) as that of Horbury et al. (2008) and (ii) the dependence of the anisotropic behaviour of SWT as a function of the heliospheric latitude.Method:We apply the wavelet method to calculate the turbulent power spectra of the magnetic field fluctuations parallel and perpendicular to the local mean magnetic field (LMF). According to Horbury et al., LMF for a given scale (or size) is obtained using an envelope of the envelope of that size. Results:(i) SSW intervals always show near -5/3 perpendicular spectra. Unlike the fast solar wind (FSW) intervals, for SSW, we often find intervals where power parallel to the mean field is not observed. For a few intervals with sufficient power in parallel direction, slow wind turbulence also exhibit -2 parallel spectra similar to FSW.(ii) The behaviours of parallel and perpendicular power spectra are found to be independent of the heliospheric latitude. Conclusion:In the current study we do not find significant influence of the heliospheric latitude on the spectral slopes of parallel and perpendicular magnetic spectra. This indicates that the spectral anisotropy in parallel and perpendicular direction is governed by intrinsic properties of SWT.

The Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gloeckler, G.; Geiss, J.; Balsiger, H.; Bedini, P.; Cain, J. C.; Fisher, J.; Fisk, L. A.; Galvin, A. B.; Gliem, F.; Hamilton, D. C.

1992-01-01

The Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer (SWICS) on Ulysses is designed to determine uniquely the elemental and ionic-charge composition, and the temperatures and mean speeds of all major solar-wind ions, from H through Fe, at solar wind speeds ranging from 175 km/s (protons) to 1280 km/s (Fe(8+)). The instrument, which covers an energy per charge range from 0.16 to 59.6 keV/e in about 13 min, combines an electrostatic analyzer with postacceleration, followed by a time-of-flight and energy measurement. The measurements made by SWICS will have an impact on many areas of solar and heliospheric physics, in particular providing essential and unique information on: (1) conditions and processes in the region of the corona where the solar wind is accelerated; (2) the location of the source regions of the solar wind in the corona; (3) coronal heating processes; (4) the extent and causes of variations in the composition of the solar atmosphere; (5) plasma processes in the solar wind; (6) the acceleration of energetic particles in the solar wind; (7) the thermalization and acceleration of interstellar ions in the solar wind, and their composition; and (8) the composition, charge states, and behavior of the plasma in various regions of the Jovian magnetosphere.

Mars atmospheric loss to space: Observations of present-day loss and implications for long-term volatile evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakosky, Bruce; Brain, David; Luhmann, Janet; Grebowsky, Joe

2017-04-01

MAVEN completed its first Mars year of science mapping in October 2016. Results show loss of gas to space by multiple processes, including solar-wind pick-up, sputtering, photochemical loss, and thermal escape, along with their responses to changing solar and solar-wind boundary conditions and to discrete solar events. By understanding the current loss rates and the processes controlling them, we are able to examine the long-term loss to space, including the effects of different solar conditions early in history; in addition, we are able to use stable-isotope ratios to derive the integrated loss to space through time. Preliminary results suggest that loss to space was a dominant, if not the dominant, mechanism that drove the changing climate through time. We will present a framework for analyzing and interpreting the results, along with preliminary results on the extrapolation to long timescales.

A Model for the Sources of the Slow Solar Wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antiochos, Spiro K.; Mikic, Z.; Titov, V. S.; Lionello, R.; Linker, J. A.

2010-01-01

Models for the origin of the slow solar wind must account for two seemingly contradictory observations: The slow wind has the composition of the closed-field corona, implying that it originates from the continuous opening and closing of flux at the boundary between open and closed field. On the other hand, the slow wind has large angular width, up to approximately 60 degrees, suggesting that its source extends far from the open-closed boundary. We propose a model that can explain both observations. The key idea is that the source of the slow wind at the Sun is a network of narrow (possibly singular) open-field corridors that map to a web of separatrices and quasi-separatrix layers in the heliosphere. We compute analytically the topology of an open-field corridor and show that it produces a quasi-separatrix layer in the heliosphere that extends to angles far front the heliospheric current sheet. We then use an MHD code and MIDI/SOHO observations of the photospheric magnetic field to calculate numerically, with high spatial resolution, the quasi-steady solar wind and magnetic field for a time period preceding the August 1, 2008 total solar eclipse. Our numerical results imply that, at least for this time period, a web of separatrices (which we term an S-web) forms with sufficient density and extent in the heliosphere to account for the observed properties of the slow wind. We discuss the implications of our S-web model for the structure and dynamics of the corona and heliosphere, and propose further tests of the model.

A Model for the Sources of the Slow Solar Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antiochos, S. K.; Mikić, Z.; Titov, V. S.; Lionello, R.; Linker, J. A.

2011-04-01

Models for the origin of the slow solar wind must account for two seemingly contradictory observations: the slow wind has the composition of the closed-field corona, implying that it originates from the continuous opening and closing of flux at the boundary between open and closed field. On the other hand, the slow wind also has large angular width, up to ~60°, suggesting that its source extends far from the open-closed boundary. We propose a model that can explain both observations. The key idea is that the source of the slow wind at the Sun is a network of narrow (possibly singular) open-field corridors that map to a web of separatrices and quasi-separatrix layers in the heliosphere. We compute analytically the topology of an open-field corridor and show that it produces a quasi-separatrix layer in the heliosphere that extends to angles far from the heliospheric current sheet. We then use an MHD code and MDI/SOHO observations of the photospheric magnetic field to calculate numerically, with high spatial resolution, the quasi-steady solar wind, and magnetic field for a time period preceding the 2008 August 1 total solar eclipse. Our numerical results imply that, at least for this time period, a web of separatrices (which we term an S-web) forms with sufficient density and extent in the heliosphere to account for the observed properties of the slow wind. We discuss the implications of our S-web model for the structure and dynamics of the corona and heliosphere and propose further tests of the model.

Heliospheric current sheet and effects of its interaction with solar cosmic rays

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

Malova, H. V., E-mail: hmalova@yandex.ru; Popov, V. Yu.; Grigorenko, E. E.

2016-08-15

The effects of interaction of solar cosmic rays (SCRs) with the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) in the solar wind are analyzed. A self-consistent kinetic model of the HCS is developed in which ions with quasiadiabatic dynamics can present. The HCS is considered an equilibrium embedded current structure in which two main plasma species with different temperatures (the low-energy background plasma of the solar wind and the higher energy SCR component) contribute to the current. The obtained results are verified by comparing with the results of numerical simulations based on solving equations of motion by the particle tracing method in themore » given HCS magnetic field with allowance for SCR particles. It is shown that the HCS is a relatively thin multiscale current configuration embedded in a thicker plasma layer. In this case, as a rule, the shear (tangential to the sheet current) component of the magnetic field is present in the HCS. Taking into account high-energy SCR particles in the HCS can lead to a change of its configuration and the formation of a multiscale embedded structure. Parametric family of solutions is considered in which the current balance in the HCS is provided at different SCR temperatures and different densities of the high-energy plasma. The SCR densities are determined at which an appreciable (detectable by satellites) HCS thickening can occur. Possible applications of this modeling to explain experimental observations are discussed.« less

Properties of Minor Ions in the Solar Wind and Implications for the Background Solar Wind Plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esser, Ruth; Ling, James (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Ion charge states measured in situ in interplanetary space carry information on the properties of the solar wind plasma in the inner corona where these ion charge states are formed. The goal of the proposed research was to determine solar wind models and coronal observations that are necessary tools for the interpretation of the ion charge state observations made in situ in the solar wind.

A Solar Cycle Dependence of Nonlinearity in Magnetospheric Activity

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

Johnson, Jay R; Wing, Simon

2005-03-08

The nonlinear dependencies inherent to the historical K(sub)p data stream (1932-2003) are examined using mutual information and cumulant based cost as discriminating statistics. The discriminating statistics are compared with surrogate data streams that are constructed using the corrected amplitude adjustment Fourier transform (CAAFT) method and capture the linear properties of the original K(sub)p data. Differences are regularly seen in the discriminating statistics a few years prior to solar minima, while no differences are apparent at the time of solar maximum. These results suggest that the dynamics of the magnetosphere tend to be more linear at solar maximum than at solarmore » minimum. The strong nonlinear dependencies tend to peak on a timescale around 40-50 hours and are statistically significant up to one week. Because the solar wind driver variables, VB(sub)s and dynamical pressure exhibit a much shorter decorrelation time for nonlinearities, the results seem to indicate that the nonlinearity is related to internal magnetospheric dynamics. Moreover, the timescales for the nonlinearity seem to be on the same order as that for storm/ring current relaxation. We suggest that the strong solar wind driving that occurs around solar maximum dominates the magnetospheric dynamics suppressing the internal magnetospheric nonlinearity. On the other hand, in the descending phase of the solar cycle just prior to solar minimum, when magnetospheric activity is weaker, the dynamics exhibit a significant nonlinear internal magnetospheric response that may be related to increased solar wind speed.« less

Solar Atmosphere to Earth's Surface: Long Lead Time dB/dt Predictions with the Space Weather Modeling Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welling, D. T.; Manchester, W.; Savani, N.; Sokolov, I.; van der Holst, B.; Jin, M.; Toth, G.; Liemohn, M. W.; Gombosi, T. I.

2017-12-01

The future of space weather prediction depends on the community's ability to predict L1 values from observations of the solar atmosphere, which can yield hours of lead time. While both empirical and physics-based L1 forecast methods exist, it is not yet known if this nascent capability can translate to skilled dB/dt forecasts at the Earth's surface. This paper shows results for the first forecast-quality, solar-atmosphere-to-Earth's-surface dB/dt predictions. Two methods are used to predict solar wind and IMF conditions at L1 for several real-world coronal mass ejection events. The first method is an empirical and observationally based system to estimate the plasma characteristics. The magnetic field predictions are based on the Bz4Cast system which assumes that the CME has a cylindrical flux rope geometry locally around Earth's trajectory. The remaining plasma parameters of density, temperature and velocity are estimated from white-light coronagraphs via a variety of triangulation methods and forward based modelling. The second is a first-principles-based approach that combines the Eruptive Event Generator using Gibson-Low configuration (EEGGL) model with the Alfven Wave Solar Model (AWSoM). EEGGL specifies parameters for the Gibson-Low flux rope such that it erupts, driving a CME in the coronal model that reproduces coronagraph observations and propagates to 1AU. The resulting solar wind predictions are used to drive the operational Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) for geospace. Following the configuration used by NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, this setup couples the BATS-R-US global magnetohydromagnetic model to the Rice Convection Model (RCM) ring current model and a height-integrated ionosphere electrodynamics model. The long lead time predictions of dB/dt are compared to model results that are driven by L1 solar wind observations. Both are compared to real-world observations from surface magnetometers at a variety of geomagnetic latitudes. Metrics are calculated to examine how the simulated solar wind drivers impact forecast skill. These results illustrate the current state of long-lead-time forecasting and the promise of this technology for operational use.

Solar Probe Plus: A mission to touch the sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinnison, J.; Lockwood, M. K.; Fox, N.; Conde, R.; Driesman, A.

Solar Probe Plus (SPP), currently in Phase B, will be the first mission to fly into the low solar corona, revealing how the corona is heated and the solar wind is accelerated, solving two fundamental mysteries that have been top priority science goals since such a mission was first proposed in 1958. The scale and concept of such a mission has been revised at intervals since that time, yet the core has always been a close encounter with the Sun. SPP uses an innovative mission design, significant technology development and a risk-reducing engineering development to meet the SPP science objectives: 1) determine the structure and dynamics of the magnetic fields at the sources of the fast and slow solar wind, 2) trace the flow of energy that heats the corona and accelerates the solar wind. and 3) determine what mechanisms accelerate and transport energetic particles. In this paper, we present the Solar Probe Plus mission along with a brief comparison with some previous concepts for such a mission, and discuss the trade studies that led to the SPP implementation. We present a summary of the challenges associated with operation in the solar encounter environment and discuss the technology development and engineering trade studies to compose a mission that will not only survive this environment, but will provide the data needed to answer the science questions that have remained unanswered to date.

Interpretation of the 12 May 2012 ground level enhancement event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, C. C.; Dryer, Ph D., M.; Liou, K.; Wu, S. T.

2015-12-01

The 12 May 2012 solar event is associated with a moderate flare (M5.1) and, surprisingly, a ground level enhancement (GLE) event. It is the first GLE of the solar cycle 24 (or since December 2006). Because GLEs are considered as the highest energy tail in the solar energetic particle (SEP) spectrum, it is generally believed that GLEs must be generated at very strong shocks. Here, we conduct a simulation study of a number of major (> M5.0) flare events that occurred in the current solar cycle up to 2013, using the H3DMHD simulation code. The H3DMHD (Wu et al. 2007, JGR) combines the kinematic solar wind model (HAF) for regions near the solar surface (2.5-18 Rs) and a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics model (Han et al. 1988), which takes output from HAF at 18 Rs and propagates outward up to 1.7 AU. The H3DMHD code has been fully tested and is suitable for simulating not only the quiet solar wind, but also disturbances propagating in the solar wind. Our preliminary study result suggests that the 12 May 2012 was magnetically well connected, whereas others were not. We will present the detailed result, including the shock structure and intensity driven by the 12 May 2012 CME event, and discuss the result implication.

Global Solar Magnetic Field Organization in the Outer Corona: Influence on the Solar Wind Speed and Mass Flux Over the Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Réville, Victor; Brun, Allan Sacha

2017-11-01

The dynamics of the solar wind depends intrinsically on the structure of the global solar magnetic field, which undergoes fundamental changes over the 11-year solar cycle. For instance, the wind terminal velocity is thought to be anti-correlated with the expansion factor, a measure of how the magnetic field varies with height in the solar corona, usually computed at a fixed height (≈ 2.5 {R}⊙ , the source surface radius that approximates the distance at which all magnetic field lines become open). However, the magnetic field expansion affects the solar wind in a more detailed way, its influence on the solar wind properties remaining significant well beyond the source surface. We demonstrate this using 3D global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the solar corona, constrained by surface magnetograms over half a solar cycle (1989-2001). A self-consistent expansion beyond the solar wind critical point (even up to 10 {R}⊙ ) makes our model comply with observed characteristics of the solar wind, namely, that the radial magnetic field intensity becomes latitude independent at some distance from the Sun, and that the mass flux is mostly independent of the terminal wind speed. We also show that near activity minimum, the expansion in the higher corona has more influence on the wind speed than the expansion below 2.5 {R}⊙ .

The Genesis Mission Solar Wind Collection: Solar-Wind Statistics over the Period of Collection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barraclough, B. L.; Wiens, R. C.; Steinberg, J. E.; Reisenfeld, D. B.; Neugebauer, M.; Burnett, D. S.; Gosling, J.; Bremmer, R. R.

2004-01-01

The NASA Genesis spacecraft was launched August 8, 2001 on a mission to collect samples of solar wind for 2 years and return them to earth September 8, 2004. Detailed analyses of the solar wind ions implanted into high-purity collection substrates will be carried out using various mass spectrometry techniques. These analyses are expected to determine key isotopic ratios and elemental abundances in the solar wind, and by extension, in the solar photosphere. Further, the photospheric composition is thought to be representative of the solar nebula with a few exceptions, so that the Genesis mission will provide a baseline for the average solar nebula composition with which to compare present-day compositions of planets, meteorites, and asteroids. The collection of solar wind samples is almost complete. Collection began for most substrates in early December, 2001, and is scheduled to be complete on April 2 of this year. It is critical to understand the solar-wind conditions during the collection phase of the mission. For this reason, plasma ion and electron spectrometers are continuously monitoring the solar wind proton density, velocity, temperature, the alpha/proton ratio, and angular distribution of suprathermal electrons. Here we report on the solar-wind conditions as observed by these in-situ instruments during the first half of the collection phase of the mission, from December, 2001 to present.

Response of the coupled M-I-T system to the March 17, 2015 solar wind dynamic pressure enhancement event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozturk, D. S.; Zou, S.; Slavin, J. A.; Ridley, A. J.

2017-12-01

When the solar wind dynamic pressure is enhanced, it could perturb the global magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere (M-I-T) system. The most notable indicators of such disruptions are changes in Field-Aligned Currents (FACs), ionospheric convection patterns and magnetic perturbations observed by ground magnetometers. The link between dynamic pressure enhancements and FACs has been well established, but studies on how these FACs affect the ionosphere-thermosphere system are very limited. In order to understand the large-scale dynamic processes in the M-I-T system due to the solar wind dynamic pressure enhancement, we study the 17 March 2015 event in detail. This is one of the most geoeffective events of the solar cycle 24 with Dst minimum of -222 nT. The Wind spacecraft recorded a two-step increment in the solar wind dynamic pressure, from 2 nPa to 12 nPa within 3 minutes, while the IMF Bz stayed northward. We used the University of Michigan Block Adaptive Tree Solarwind Roe Upwind Scheme (BATS'R'US), global MHD code to study the generation and propagation of perturbations associated with the compression of the magnetosphere. To effectively represent the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere system, we included the Global Magnetosphere (GM), Inner Magnetosphere (IM) and Ionospheric electrodynamic (IE) modules. 600 uniformly distributed virtual magnetometers are included in the simulation to identify the magnetic perturbations associated with the FAC pairs as well as their temporal and spatial variations. In addition, we used the IE module output to drive the University of Michigan Global Ionosphere Thermosphere Model (GITM) to study how the I-T system responds to dynamic pressure enhancement. We show that as a result of the solar wind dynamic pressure enhancement, two pair of perturbation FACs develop in addition to the NBZ current system. These FACs significantly alter the ionospheric convection profile and create elongated vortices that propagate from dayside to nightside. The ion temperature at the location of these vortices is significantly and immediately enhanced. We analyzed the altitude profiles of plasma temperature, electron density and joule heating to quantitatively understand energy deposition during this process, and compare them with observations from ground-based incoherent scatter radar.

Anisotropic Solar Wind Sputtering of the Lunar Surface Induced by Crustal Magnetic Anomalies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poppe, A. R.; Sarantos, M.; Halekas, J. S.; Delory, G. T.; Saito, Y.; Nishino, M.

2014-01-01

The lunar exosphere is generated by several processes each of which generates neutral distributions with different spatial and temporal variability. Solar wind sputtering of the lunar surface is a major process for many regolith-derived species and typically generates neutral distributions with a cosine dependence on solar zenith angle. Complicating this picture are remanent crustal magnetic anomalies on the lunar surface, which decelerate and partially reflect the solar wind before it strikes the surface. We use Kaguya maps of solar wind reflection efficiencies, Lunar Prospector maps of crustal field strengths, and published neutral sputtering yields to calculate anisotropic solar wind sputtering maps. We feed these maps to a Monte Carlo neutral exospheric model to explore three-dimensional exospheric anisotropies and find that significant anisotropies should be present in the neutral exosphere depending on selenographic location and solar wind conditions. Better understanding of solar wind/crustal anomaly interactions could potentially improve our results.

Observations of micro-turbulence in the solar wind near the sun with interplanetary scintillation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yamauchi, Y.; Misawa, H.; Kojima, M.; Mori, H.; Tanaka, T.; Takaba, H.; Kondo, T.; Tokumaru, M.; Manoharan, P. K.

1995-01-01

Velocity and density turbulence of solar wind were inferred from interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observations at 2.3 GHz and 8.5 GHz using a single-antenna. The observations were made during September and October in 1992 - 1994. They covered the distance range between 5 and 76 solar radii (Rs). We applied the spectrum fitting method to obtain a velocity, an axial ratio, an inner scale and a power-law spectrum index. We examined the difference of the turbulence properties near the Sun between low-speed solar wind and high-speed solar wind. Both of solar winds showed acceleration at the distance range of 10 - 30 Rs. The radial dependence of anisotropy and spectrum index did not have significant difference between low-speed and high-speed solar winds. Near the sun, the radial dependence of the inner scale showed the separation from the linear relation as reported by previous works. We found that the inner scale of high-speed solar wind is larger than that of low-speed wind.

Solar-wind predictions for the Parker Solar Probe orbit. Near-Sun extrapolations derived from an empirical solar-wind model based on Helios and OMNI observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venzmer, M. S.; Bothmer, V.

2018-03-01

Context. The Parker Solar Probe (PSP; formerly Solar Probe Plus) mission will be humanitys first in situ exploration of the solar corona with closest perihelia at 9.86 solar radii (R⊙) distance to the Sun. It will help answer hitherto unresolved questions on the heating of the solar corona and the source and acceleration of the solar wind and solar energetic particles. The scope of this study is to model the solar-wind environment for PSPs unprecedented distances in its prime mission phase during the years 2018 to 2025. The study is performed within the Coronagraphic German And US SolarProbePlus Survey (CGAUSS) which is the German contribution to the PSP mission as part of the Wide-field Imager for Solar PRobe. Aim. We present an empirical solar-wind model for the inner heliosphere which is derived from OMNI and Helios data. The German-US space probes Helios 1 and Helios 2 flew in the 1970s and observed solar wind in the ecliptic within heliocentric distances of 0.29 au to 0.98 au. The OMNI database consists of multi-spacecraft intercalibrated in situ data obtained near 1 au over more than five solar cycles. The international sunspot number (SSN) and its predictions are used to derive dependencies of the major solar-wind parameters on solar activity and to forecast their properties for the PSP mission. Methods: The frequency distributions for the solar-wind key parameters, magnetic field strength, proton velocity, density, and temperature, are represented by lognormal functions. In addition, we consider the velocity distributions bi-componental shape, consisting of a slower and a faster part. Functional relations to solar activity are compiled with use of the OMNI data by correlating and fitting the frequency distributions with the SSN. Further, based on the combined data set from both Helios probes, the parameters frequency distributions are fitted with respect to solar distance to obtain power law dependencies. Thus an empirical solar-wind model for the inner heliosphere confined to the ecliptic region is derived, accounting for solar activity and for solar distance through adequate shifts of the lognormal distributions. Finally, the inclusion of SSN predictions and the extrapolation down to PSPs perihelion region enables us to estimate the solar-wind environment for PSPs planned trajectory during its mission duration. Results: The CGAUSS empirical solar-wind model for PSP yields dependencies on solar activity and solar distance for the solar-wind parameters' frequency distributions. The estimated solar-wind median values for PSPs first perihelion in 2018 at a solar distance of 0.16 au are 87 nT, 340 km s-1, 214 cm-3, and 503 000 K. The estimates for PSPs first closest perihelion, occurring in 2024 at 0.046 au (9.86 R⊙), are 943 nT, 290 km s-1, 2951 cm-3, and 1 930 000 K. Since the modeled velocity and temperature values below approximately 20 R⊙appear overestimated in comparison with existing observations, this suggests that PSP will directly measure solar-wind acceleration and heating processes below 20 R⊙ as planned.

HEMISPHERIC ASYMMETRIES IN THE POLAR SOLAR WIND OBSERVED BY ULYSSES NEAR THE MINIMA OF SOLAR CYCLES 22 AND 23

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

Ebert, R. W.; Dayeh, M. A.; Desai, M. I.

2013-05-10

We examined solar wind plasma and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) observations from Ulysses' first and third orbits to study hemispheric differences in the properties of the solar wind and IMF originating from the Sun's large polar coronal holes (PCHs) during the declining and minimum phase of solar cycles 22 and 23. We identified hemispheric asymmetries in several parameters, most notably {approx}15%-30% south-to-north differences in averages for the solar wind density, mass flux, dynamic pressure, and energy flux and the radial and total IMF magnitudes. These differences were driven by relatively larger, more variable solar wind density and radial IMF betweenmore » {approx}36 Degree-Sign S-60 Degree-Sign S during the declining phase of solar cycles 22 and 23. These observations indicate either a hemispheric asymmetry in the PCH output during the declining and minimum phase of solar cycles 22 and 23 with the southern hemisphere being more active than its northern counterpart, or a solar cycle effect where the PCH output in both hemispheres is enhanced during periods of higher solar activity. We also report a strong linear correlation between these solar wind and IMF parameters, including the periods of enhanced PCH output, that highlight the connection between the solar wind mass and energy output and the Sun's magnetic field. That these enhancements were not matched by similar sized variations in solar wind speed points to the mass and energy responsible for these increases being added to the solar wind while its flow was subsonic.« less

Polar solar wind and interstellar wind properties from interplanetary Lyman-alpha radiation measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witt, N.; Blum, P. W.; Ajello, J. M.

1981-01-01

The analysis of Mariner 10 observations of Lyman-alpha resonance radiation shows an increase of interplanetary neutral hydrogen densities above the solar poles. This increase is caused by a latitudinal variation of the solar wind velocity and/or flux. Using both the Mariner 10 results and other solar wind observations, the values of the solar wind flux and velocity with latitude are determined for several cases of interest. The latitudinal variation of interplanetary hydrogen gas, arising from the solar wind latitudinal variation, is shown to be most pronounced in the inner solar system. From this result it is shown that spacecraft Lyman-alpha observations are more sensitive to the latitudinal anisotropy for a spacecraft location in the inner solar system near the downwind axis.

The role of MEXART in the National Space Weather Laboratory of Mexico: Detection of solar wind, CMEs, ionosphere, active regions and flares.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mejia-Ambriz, J.; Gonzalez-Esparza, A.; De la Luz, V.; Villanueva-Hernandez, P.; Andrade, E.; Aguilar-Rodriguez, E.; Chang, O.; Romero Hernandez, E.; Sergeeva, M. A.; Perez Alanis, C. A.; Reyes-Marin, P. A.

2017-12-01

The National Space Weather Laboratory - Laboratorio Nacional de Clima Espacial (LANCE) - of Mexico has different ground based instruments to study and monitor the space weather. One of these instruments is the Mexican Array Radio Telescope (MEXART) which is principally dedicated to remote sensing the solar wind and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) at 140 MHz, the instrument can detect solar wind densities and speeds from about 0.4 to 1 AU by modeling observations of interplanetary scintillation (IPS). MEXART is also able to detect ionospheric disturbances associated with transient space weather events by the analysis of ionospheric scintillation (IONS) . Additionally, MEXART has followed the Sun since the beginning of the current Solar Cycle 24 with records of 8 minutes per day, and occasionally, has partially detected the process of strong solar flares. Here we show the contributions of MEXART to the LANCE by reporting recent detections of CMEs by IPS, the arrive of transient events at Earth by IONS, the influence of active regions in the flux of the Sun at 140 MHz and the detection of a M6.5 class flare. Furthermore we report the status of a near real time analysis of IPS data for forecast purposes and the potential contribution to the Worldwide IPS Stations network (WIPSS), which is an effort to achieve a better coverage of the solar wind observations in the inner heliosphere.

Investigation of Characteristics of Large dB/dt for Geomagnetically Induced Currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munoz, D.; Ngwira, C.; Damas, M. C.

2016-12-01

When geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) flow through electrical networks, they become a potential threat for electrical power systems. Changes in the geomagnetic field (dB/dt) during severe geomagnetic disturbances are the main sources of GICs. These dB/dt phenomena were studied by selecting 24 strong geomagnetic storms with Dst ≤ - 150 nT. ACE spacecraft solar wind data: flow speed, proton density, By and Bz IMF components of the solar wind were correlated with measurements of the magnetic field detected on ground stations at different latitudes. This article reports characteristics of the solar wind during time intervals of large changes in the horizontal geomagnetic field with a threshold of dB/dt ≥ ± 20 nT/min for the 24 geomagnetic storms. The results of this investigation can help scientists to understand the mechanisms responsible for causing large magnetic field variations in order to predict and mitigate possible large events in the future, which is critical for our society that relies constantly on electricity for livelihood and security. In addition, this ongoing project will continue to investigate electron flux response before, during, and after large changes in geomagnetic field.

On Multiple Reconnection X-lines and Tripolar Perturbations of Strong Guide Magnetic Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eriksson, S.; Lapenta, G.; Newman, D. L.; Phan, T. D.; Gosling, J. T.; Lavraud, B.; Khotyaintsev, Yu. V.; Carr, C. M.; Markidis, S.; Goldman, M. V.

2015-05-01

We report new multi-spacecraft Cluster observations of tripolar guide magnetic field perturbations at a solar wind reconnection exhaust in the presence of a guide field BM which is almost four times as strong as the reversing field BL. The novel tripolar field consists of two narrow regions of depressed BM, with an observed 7%-14% ΔBM magnitude relative to the external field, which are found adjacent to a wide region of enhanced BM within the exhaust. A stronger reversing field is associated with each BM depression. A kinetic reconnection simulation for realistic solar wind conditions and the observed strong guide field reveals that tripolar magnetic fields preferentially form across current sheets in the presence of multiple X-lines as magnetic islands approach one another and merge into fewer and larger islands. The simulated ΔBM/ΔXN over the normal width ΔXN between a BM minimum and the edge of the external region agree with the normalized values observed by Cluster. We propose that a tripolar guide field perturbation may be used to identify candidate regions containing multiple X-lines and interacting magnetic islands at individual solar wind current sheets with a strong guide field.

Correlating Solar Wind Modulation with Ionospheric Variability at Mars from MEX and MAVEN Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopf, A. J.; Morgan, D. D.; Halekas, J. S.; Ruhunusiri, S.; Gurnett, D. A.; Connerney, J. E. P.

2017-12-01

The synthesis of observations by the Mars Express and Mars Atmosphere and Volatiles Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft allows for a unique opportunity to study variability in the Martian ionosphere from multiple perspectives. One major source for this variability is the solar wind. Due to its elliptical orbit which precesses over time, MAVEN periodically spends part of its orbit outside the Martian bow shock, allowing for direct measurements of the solar wind impacting the Martian plasma environment. When the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) instrument aboard Mars Express is simultaneously sounding the ionosphere, the influence from changes in the solar wind can be observed. Previous studies have suggested a positive correlation, connecting ionospheric density to the solar wind proton flux, but depended on Earth-based measurements for solar wind conditions. More recently, research has indicated that observations of ionospheric variability from these two spacecraft can be connected in special cases, such as shock wave impacts or specific solar wind magnetic field orientations. Here we extend this to more general solar wind conditions and examine how changes in the solar wind properties measured by MAVEN instruments correlate with ionospheric structure and dynamics observed simultaneously in MARSIS remote and local measurements.

Does the magnetic expansion factor play a role in solar wind acceleration?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, S.; Arge, C. N.; Pihlstrom, Y.

2017-12-01

For the past 25+ years, the magnetic expansion factor (fs) has been a parameter used in the calculation of terminal solar wind speed (vsw) in the Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) coronal and solar wind model. The magnetic expansion factor measures the rate of flux tube expansion in cross section between the photosphere out to 2.5 solar radii (i.e., source surface), and is inversely related to vsw (Wang & Sheeley, 1990). Since the discovery of this inverse relationship, the physical role that fs plays in solar wind acceleration has been debated. In this study, we investigate whether fs plays a causal role in determining terminal solar wind speed or merely serves as proxy. To do so, we study pseudostreamers, which occur when coronal holes of the same polarity are near enough to one another to limit field line expansion. Pseudostreamers are of particular interest because despite having low fs, spacecraft observations show that solar wind emerging from these regions have slow to intermediate speeds of 350-550 km/s (Wang et al., 2012). In this work, we develop a methodology to identify pseudostreamers that are magnetically connected to satellites using WSA output produced with ADAPT input maps. We utilize this methodology to obtain the spacecraft-observed solar wind speed from the exact parcel of solar wind that left the pseudostreamer. We then compare the pseudostreamer's magnetic expansion factor with the observed solar wind speed from multiple spacecraft (i.e., ACE, STEREO-A & B, Ulysses) magnetically connected to the region. We will use this methodology to identify several cases ( 20) where spacecraft are magnetically connected to pseudostreamers, and perform a statistical analysis to determine the correlation of fs within pseudostreamers and the terminal speed of the solar wind emerging from them. This work will help determine if fs plays a physical role in the speed of solar wind originating from regions that typically produce slow wind. This work compliments previous case studies of solar wind originating from pseudostreamers (Riley et al., 2015, Riley & Luhmann 2012) and will contribute to identifying the physical properties of solar wind from these regions. Future work will explore the role of fs in modulating the fast solar wind and will involve a similar analysis for cases where spacecraft are deep within coronal holes.

Solar wind structure suggested by bimodal correlations of solar wind speed and density between the spacecraft SOHO and Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogilvie, K. W.; Coplan, M. A.; Roberts, D. A.; Ipavich, F.

2007-08-01

We calculate the cross-spacecraft maximum lagged-cross-correlation coefficients for 2-hour intervals of solar wind speed and density measurements made by the plasma instruments on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Wind spacecraft over the period from 1996, the minimum of solar cycle 23, through the end of 2005. During this period, SOHO was located at L1, about 200 R E upstream from the Earth, while Wind spent most of the time in the interplanetary medium at distances of more than 100 R E from the Earth. Yearly histograms of the maximum, time-lagged correlation coefficients for both the speed and density are bimodal in shape, suggesting the existence of two distinct solar wind regimes. The larger correlation coefficients we suggest are due to structured solar wind, including discontinuities and shocks, while the smaller are likely due to Alfvénic turbulence. While further work will be required to firmly establish the physical nature of the two populations, the results of the analysis are consistent with a solar wind that consists of turbulence from quiet regions of the Sun interspersed with highly filamentary structures largely convected from regions in the inner solar corona. The bimodal appearance of the distributions is less evident in the solar wind speed than in the density correlations, consistent with the observation that the filamentary structures are convected with nearly constant speed by the time they reach 1 AU. We also find that at solar minimum the fits for the density correlations have smaller high-correlation components than at solar maximum. We interpret this as due to the presence of more relatively uniform Alfvénic regions at solar minimum than at solar maximum.

Sources of Geomagnetic Activity during Nearly Three Solar Cycles (1972-2000)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, I. G.; Cane, H. V.; Cliver, E. W.; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

We examine the contributions of the principal solar wind components (corotating highspeed streams, slow solar wind, and transient structures, i.e., interplanetary coronal mass ejections (CMEs), shocks, and postshock flows) to averages of the aa geomagnetic index and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength in 1972-2000 during nearly three solar cycles. A prime motivation is to understand the influence of solar cycle variations in solar wind structure on long-term (e.g., approximately annual) averages of these parameters. We show that high-speed streams account for approximately two-thirds of long-term aa averages at solar minimum, while at solar maximum, structures associated with transients make the largest contribution (approx. 50%), though contributions from streams and slow solar wind continue to be present. Similarly, high-speed streams are the principal contributor (approx. 55%) to solar minimum averages of the IMF, while transient-related structures are the leading contributor (approx. 40%) at solar maximum. These differences between solar maximum and minimum reflect the changing structure of the near-ecliptic solar wind during the solar cycle. For minimum periods, the Earth is embedded in high-speed streams approx. 55% of the time versus approx. 35% for slow solar wind and approx. 10% for CME-associated structures, while at solar maximum, typical percentages are as follows: high-speed streams approx. 35%, slow solar wind approx. 30%, and CME-associated approx. 35%. These compositions show little cycle-to-cycle variation, at least for the interval considered in this paper. Despite the change in the occurrences of different types of solar wind over the solar cycle (and less significant changes from cycle to cycle), overall, variations in the averages of the aa index and IMF closely follow those in corotating streams. Considering solar cycle averages, we show that high-speed streams account for approx. 44%, approx. 48%, and approx. 40% of the solar wind composition, aa, and the IMF strength, respectively, with corresponding figures of approx. 22%, approx. 32%, and approx. 25% for CME-related structures, and approx. 33%, approx. 19%, and approx. 33% for slow solar wind.

Transport of solar wind into Earth's magnetosphere through rolled-up Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices.

PubMed

Hasegawa, H; Fujimoto, M; Phan, T-D; Rème, H; Balogh, A; Dunlop, M W; Hashimoto, C; Tandokoro, R

2004-08-12

Establishing the mechanisms by which the solar wind enters Earth's magnetosphere is one of the biggest goals of magnetospheric physics, as it forms the basis of space weather phenomena such as magnetic storms and aurorae. It is generally believed that magnetic reconnection is the dominant process, especially during southward solar-wind magnetic field conditions when the solar-wind and geomagnetic fields are antiparallel at the low-latitude magnetopause. But the plasma content in the outer magnetosphere increases during northward solar-wind magnetic field conditions, contrary to expectation if reconnection is dominant. Here we show that during northward solar-wind magnetic field conditions-in the absence of active reconnection at low latitudes-there is a solar-wind transport mechanism associated with the nonlinear phase of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. This can supply plasma sources for various space weather phenomena.

On the Role of Interchange Reconnection in the Generation of the Slow Solar Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edmondson, J. K.

2012-11-01

The heating of the solar corona and therefore the generation of the solar wind, remain an active area of solar and heliophysics research. Several decades of in situ solar wind plasma observations have revealed a rich bimodal solar wind structure, well correlated with coronal magnetic field activity. Therefore, the reconnection processes associated with the large-scale dynamics of the corona likely play a major role in the generation of the slow solar wind flow regime. In order to elucidate the relationship between reconnection-driven coronal magnetic field structure and dynamics and the generation of the slow solar wind, this paper reviews the observations and phenomenology of the solar wind and coronal magnetic field structure. The geometry and topology of nested flux systems, and the (interchange) reconnection process, in the context of coronal physics is then explained. Once these foundations are laid out, the paper summarizes several fully dynamic, 3D MHD calculations of the global coronal system. Finally, the results of these calculations justify a number of important implications and conclusions on the role of reconnection in the structural dynamics of the coronal magnetic field and the generation of the solar wind.

Polar conic current sheets as sources and channels of energetic particles in the high-latitude heliosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khabarova, Olga; Malova, Helmi; Kislov, Roman; Zelenyi, Lev; Obridko, Vladimir; Kharshiladze, Alexander; Tokumaru, Munetoshi; Sokół, Justyna; Grzedzielski, Stan; Fujiki, Ken'ichi; Malandraki, Olga

2017-04-01

The existence of a large-scale magnetically separated conic region inside the polar coronal hole has been predicted by the Fisk-Parker hybrid heliospheric magnetic field model in the modification of Burger and co-workers (Burger et al., ApJ, 2008). Recently, long-lived conic (or cylindrical) current sheets (CCSs) have been found from Ulysses observations at high heliolatitudes (Khabarova et al., ApJ, 2017). The characteristic scale of these structures is several times lesser than the typical width of coronal holes, and the CCSs can be observed at 2-3 AU for several months. CCS crossings in 1994 and 2007 are characterized by sharp decreases in the solar wind speed and plasma beta typical for predicted profiles of CCSs. In 2007, a CCS was detected directly over the South Pole and strongly highlighted by the interaction with comet McNaught. The finding is confirmed by restorations of solar coronal magnetic field lines that reveal the occurrence of conic-like magnetic separators over the solar poles both in 1994 and 2007. Interplanetary scintillation data analysis also confirms the existence of long-lived low-speed regions surrounded by the typical polar high-speed solar wind in solar minima. The occurrence of long-lived CCSs in the high-latitude solar wind could shed light on how energetic particles reach high latitudes. Energetic particle enhancements up to tens MeV were observed by Ulysses at edges of CCSs both in 1994 and 2007. In 1994 this effect was clearer, probably due to technical reasons. Accelerated particles could be produced either by magnetic reconnection at the edges of a CCS in the solar corona or in the solar wind. We discuss the role of high-latitude CCSs in propagation of energetic particles in the heliosphere and revisit previous studies of energetic particle enhancements at high heliolatitudes. We also suggest that the existence of a CCS can modify the distribution of the solar wind as a function of heliolatitude and consequently impact ionization rates of heliospheric particles such as neutral interstellar gas atoms, pick-up ions or energetic neutral atoms This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 637324 and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research under grant agreements No 17-02-00300 & No 17-02-01328. O. Khabarova, H. Malova, R. Kislov, L. Zelenyi, V. Obridko, A. Kharshiladze, M. Tokumaru , J. Sokół, S. Grzedzielski, K. Fujiki, 2017, the Astrophysical Journal, under review

The radiation-belt electron phase-space-density response to stream-interaction regions: A study combining multi-point observations, data-assimilation, and physics-based modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kellerman, A. C.; Shprits, Y.; McPherron, R. L.; Kondrashov, D. A.; Weygand, J. M.; Zhu, H.; Drozdov, A.

2017-12-01

Presented is an analysis of the phase-space density (PSD) response to the stream-interaction region (SIR), which utilizes a reanalysis dataset principally comprised of the data-assimilative Versatile Electron Radiation Belt (VERB) code, Van Allen Probe and GOES observations. The dataset spans the period 2012-2017, and includes several SIR (and CIR) storms. The PSD is examined for evidence of injections, transport, acceleration, and loss by considering the instantaneous and time-averaged change at adiabatic invariant values that correspond to ring-current, relativistic, and ultra-relativistic energies. In the solar wind, the following variables in the slow and fast wind on either side of the stream interface (SI) are considered in each case: the coronal hole polarity, IMF, solar wind speed, density, pressure, and SI tilt angle. In the magnetosphere, the Dst, AE, and past PSD state are considered. Presented is an analysis of the dominant mechanisms, both external and internal to the magnetosphere, that cause radiation-belt electron non-adiabatic changes during the passage of these fascinating solar wind structures.

Study of Magnetospheric Currents and Resultant Surface Magnetic Variations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-04-17

compressed as indicated by solar -wind data, automatically injected a ring current with a strength consistent with the observed Dst. The computed inner...Fig!ire 2?; bottoim panal of Figure 5_. Agreement is very acceptahle. The model overestimated the maximum depression of RX, but by a factor that is well...Contributed Papers Presented at the Solar -Terrestrial Physics Symposium, Innsbruck, 1978. Harel, M., R. A. Wolf, P. H. Reiff and M. Siiddy, Computer

Implications of L1 Observations for Slow Solar Wind Formation by Solar Reconnection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kepko, L.; Viall, N. M.; Antiochos, S. K.; Lepri, S. T.; Kasper, J. C.; Weberg, M.

2016-01-01

While the source of the fast solar wind is known to be coronal holes, the source of the slow solar wind has remained a mystery. Long time scale trends in the composition and charge states show strong correlations between solar wind velocity and plasma parameters, yet these correlations have proved ineffective in determining the slow wind source. We take advantage of new high time resolution (12 min) measurements of solar wind composition and charge state abundances at L1 and previously identified 90 min quasi periodic structures to probe the fundamental timescales of slow wind variability. The combination of new high temporal resolution composition measurements and the clearly identified boundaries of the periodic structures allows us to utilize these distinct solar wind parcels as tracers of slowwind origin and acceleration. We find that each 90 min (2000 Mm) parcel of slow wind has near-constant speed yet exhibits repeatable, systematic charge state and composition variations that span the entire range of statistically determined slow solar wind values. The classic composition-velocity correlations do not hold on short, approximately hour long, time scales. Furthermore, the data demonstrate that these structures were created by magnetic reconnection. Our results impose severe new constraints on slow solar wind origin and provide new, compelling evidence that the slow wind results from the sporadic release of closed field plasma via magnetic reconnection at the boundary between open and closed flux in the Sun's atmosphere.

Solar and Wind Forecasting | Grid Modernization | NREL

Science.gov Websites

and Wind Forecasting Solar and Wind Forecasting As solar and wind power become more common system operators. An aerial photo of the National Wind Technology Center's PV arrays. Capabilities value of accurate forecasting Wind power visualization to direct questions and feedback during industry

Variability of Power from Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Scenarios in the State of Gujarat: Preprint

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

Parsons, B.; Hummon, M.; Cochran, J.

2014-04-01

India has ambitious goals for high utilization of variable renewable power from wind and solar, and deployment has been proceeding at a rapid pace. The western state of Gujarat currently has the largest amount of solar generation of any Indian state, with over 855 Megawatts direct current (MWDC). Combined with over 3,240 MW of wind, variable generation renewables comprise nearly 18% of the electric-generating capacity in the state. A new historic 10-kilometer (km) gridded solar radiation data set capturing hourly insolation values for 2002-2011 is available for India. We apply an established method for downscaling hourly irradiance data to one-minutemore » irradiance data at potential PV power production locations for one year, 2006. The objective of this report is to characterize the intra-hour variability of existing and planned photovoltaic solar power generation in the state of Gujarat (a total of 1.9 gigawatts direct current (GWDC)), and of five possible expansion scenarios of solar generation that reflect a range of geographic diversity (each scenario totals 500-1,000 MW of additional solar capacity). The report statistically analyzes one year's worth of power variability data, applied to both the baseline and expansion scenarios, to evaluate diurnal and seasonal power fluctuations, different timescales of variability (e.g., from one to 15 minutes), the magnitude of variability (both total megawatts and relative to installed solar capacity), and the extent to which the variability can be anticipated in advance. The paper also examines how Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation (GETCO) and the Gujarat State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) could make use of the solar variability profiles in grid operations and planning.« less

Challenges in Measuring External Currents Driven by the Solar Wind-Magnetosphere Interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Le, Guan; Slavin, James A.; Pfaff, Robert F.

2014-01-01

In studying the Earth's geomagnetism, it has always been a challenge to separate magnetic fields from external currents originating from the ionosphere and magnetosphere. While the internal magnetic field changes very slowly in time scales of years and more, the ionospheric and magnetospheric current systems driven by the solar wind -magnetosphere interaction are very dynamic. They are intimately controlled by the ionospheric electrodynamics and ionospheremagnetosphere coupling. Single spacecraft observations are not able to separate their spatial and temporal variations, and thus to accurately describe their configurations. To characterize and understand the external currents, satellite observations require both good spatial and temporal resolutions. This paper reviews our observations of the external currents from two recent LEO satellite missions: Space Technology 5 (ST-5), NASA's first three-satellite constellation mission in LEO polar orbit, and Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS), an equatorial satellite developed by US Air Force Research Laboratory. We present recommendations for future geomagnetism missions based on these observations.

Relationship of the interplanetary electric field to the high-latitude ionospheric electric field and currents Observations and model simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clauer, C. R.; Banks, P. M.

1986-01-01

The electrical coupling between the solar wind, magnetosphere, and ionosphere is studied. The coupling is analyzed using observations of high-latitude ion convection measured by the Sondre Stromfjord radar in Greenland and a computer simulation. The computer simulation calculates the ionospheric electric potential distribution for a given configuration of field-aligned currents and conductivity distribution. The technique for measuring F-region in velocities at high time resolution over a large range of latitudes is described. Variations in the currents on ionospheric plasma convection are examined using a model of field-aligned currents linking the solar wind with the dayside, high-latitude ionosphere. The data reveal that high-latitude ionospheric convection patterns, electric fields, and field-aligned currents are dependent on IMF orientation; it is observed that the electric field, which drives the F-region plasma curve, responds within about 14 minutes to IMF variations in the magnetopause. Comparisons of the simulated plasma convection with the ion velocity measurements reveal good correlation between the data.

A new method of presentation the large-scale magnetic field structure on the Sun and solar corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponyavin, D. I.

1995-01-01

The large-scale photospheric magnetic field, measured at Stanford, has been analyzed in terms of surface harmonics. Changes of the photospheric field which occur within whole solar rotation period can be resolved by this analysis. For this reason we used daily magnetograms of the line-of-sight magnetic field component observed from Earth over solar disc. We have estimated the period during which day-to-day full disc magnetograms must be collected. An original algorithm was applied to resolve time variations of spherical harmonics that reflect time evolution of large-scale magnetic field within solar rotation period. This method of magnetic field presentation can be useful enough in lack of direct magnetograph observations due to sometimes bad weather conditions. We have used the calculated surface harmonics to reconstruct the large-scale magnetic field structure on the source surface near the sun - the origin of heliospheric current sheet and solar wind streams. The obtained results have been compared with spacecraft in situ observations and geomagnetic activity. We tried to show that proposed technique can trace shon-time variations of heliospheric current sheet and short-lived solar wind streams. We have compared also our results with those obtained traditionally from potential field approximation and extrapolation using synoptic charts as initial boundary conditions.

Solar updraft power generator with radial and curved vanes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafizh, Hadyan; Hamsan, Raziff; Zamri, Aidil Azlan Ahmad; Keprawi, Mohamad Fairuz Mohamad; Shirato, Hiromichi

2018-02-01

Solar radiation is the largest source of energy available on earth and the solar updraft power generator (SUPG) is a renewable energy facility capable of harnessing its abundant power. Unlike the conventional wind turbines that harness natural wind in the atmosphere and often encounter with the intermittent issue or even complete cut-off from airflow, the SUPG creates artificial wind as a result of solar-induced convective flows. However, the SUPG has an inherent low total efficiency due to the conversion of thermal energy into pressure energy. Acknowledging the low efficiency and considering its potential as a renewable energy facility, the current work aims to increase the total efficiency by installing a series of guide walls inside the collector. Two types of guide walls were used i.e. radial and curved vanes. The result with curved vanes showed that the updraft velocity is higher compare to those without vanes. About 18% and 64% improvement of updraft velocity and mechanical power were attained respectively. Furthermore, it was observed that the role of radial vanes configuration was more to produce a smooth updraft velocity profile rather than increasing the total efficiency.

Global solar magetic field organization in the extended corona: influence on the solar wind speed and density over the cycle.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Réville, V.; Velli, M.; Brun, S.

2017-12-01

The dynamics of the solar wind depends intrinsically on the structure of the global solar magnetic field, which undergoes fundamental changes over the 11yr solar cycle. For instance, the wind terminal velocity is thought to be anti-correlated with the expansion factor, a measure of how the magnetic field varies with height in the solar corona, usually computed at a fixed height (≈ 2.5 Rȯ, the source surface radius which approximates the distance at which all magnetic field lines become open). However, the magnetic field expansion affects the solar wind in a more detailed way, its influence on the solar wind properties remaining significant well beyond the source surface: we demonstrate this using 3D global MHD simulations of the solar corona, constrained by surface magnetograms over half a solar cycle (1989-2001). For models to comply with the constraints provided by observed characteristics of the solar wind, namely, that the radial magnetic field intensity becomes latitude independent at some distance from the Sun (Ulysses observations beyond 1 AU), and that the terminal wind speed is anti-correlated with the mass flux, they must accurately describe expansion beyond the solar wind critical point (even up to 10Rȯ and higher in our model). We also show that near activity minimum, expansion in the higher corona beyond 2.5 Rȯ is actually the dominant process affecting the wind speed. We discuss the consequences of this result on the necessary acceleration profile of the solar wind, the location of the sonic point and of the energy deposition by Alfvén waves.

Nonlinear Evolution of Observed Fast Streams in the Solar Wind - Micro-instabilities and Energy Exchange between Protons and Alpha Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maneva, Y. G.; Poedts, S.

2017-12-01

Non-thermal kinetic components such as deformed velocity distributions, temperature anisotropies and relative drifts between the multiple ion populations are frequently observed features in the collisionless fast solar wind streams near the Earth whose origin is still to be better understood. Some of the traditional models consider the formation of the temperature anisotropies through the effect of the solar wind expansion, while others assume in situ heating and particle acceleration by local fluctuations, such as plasma waves, or by spacial structures, such as advected or locally generated current sheets. In this study we consider the evolution of initial ion temperature anisotropies and relative drifts in the presence of plasma oscillations, such as ion-cyclotron and kinetic Alfven waves. We perform 2.5D hybrid simulations to study the evolution of observed fast solar wind plasma parcels, including the development of the plasma micro-instabilities, the field-particle correlations and the energy transfer between the multiple ion species. We consider two distinct cases of highly anisotropic and quickly drifting protons which excite ion-cyclotron waves and of moderately anisotropic slower protons, which co-exist with kinetic Alfven waves. The alpha particles for both cases are slightly anisotropic in the beginning and remain anisotropic throughout the simulation time. Both the imposed magnetic fluctuations and the initial differential streaming decrease in time for both cases, while the minor ions are getting heated. Finally we study the effects of the solar wind expansion and discuss its implications for the nonlinear evolution of the system.

Phase-dependent space weathering effects and spectroscopic identification of retained helium in a lunar soil grain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgess, K. D.; Stroud, R. M.

2018-03-01

The solar wind is an important driver of space weathering on airless bodies. Over time, solar wind exposure alters the physical, chemical, and optical properties of exposed materials and can also impart a significant amount of helium into the surfaces of these bodies. However, common materials on the surface of the Moon, such as glass, crystalline silicates, and oxides, have highly variable responses to solar wind irradiation. We used scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) to examine the morphology and chemistry of a single grain of lunar soil that includes silicate glass, chromite and ilmenite, all present and exposed along the same surface. The exposure of the silicate glass and oxides to the same space weathering conditions allows for direct comparisons of the responses of natural materials to the complex lunar surface environment. The silicate glass shows minimal effects of solar wind irradiation, whereas both the chromite and ilmenite exhibit defect-rich rims that currently contain trapped helium. Only the weathered rim in ilmenite is rich in nanophase metallic iron (npFe0) and larger vesicles that retain helium at a range of internal pressures. The multiple exposed surfaces of the single grain of ilmenite demonstrate strong crystallographic controls of planar defects and non-spherical npFe0. The direct spectroscopic identification of helium in the vesicles and planar defects in the oxides provides additional evidence of the central role of solar wind irradiation in the formation of some common space weathering features.

Variations of Strahl Properties with Fast and Slow Solar Wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Figueroa-Vinas, Adolfo; Goldstein, Melvyn L.; Gurgiolo, Chris

2008-01-01

The interplanetary solar wind electron velocity distribution function generally shows three different populations. Two of the components, the core and halo, have been the most intensively analyzed and modeled populations using different theoretical models. The third component, the strahl, is usually seen at higher energies, is confined in pitch-angle, is highly field-aligned and skew. This population has been more difficult to identify and to model in the solar wind. In this work we make use of the high angular, energy and time resolution and three-dimensional data of the Cluster/PEACE electron spectrometer to identify and analyze this component in the ambient solar wind during high and slow speed solar wind. The moment density and fluid velocity have been computed by a semi-numerical integration method. The variations of solar wind density and drift velocity with the general build solar wind speed could provide some insight into the source, origin, and evolution of the strahl.

Investigation of Solar Wind Correlations and Solar Wind Modifications Near Earth by Multi-Spacecraft Observations: IMP 8, WIND and INTERBALL-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paularena, Karolen I.; Richardson, John D.; Zastenker, Georgy N.

2002-01-01

The foundation of this Project is use of the opportunity available during the ISTP (International Solar-Terrestrial Physics) era to compare solar wind measurements obtained simultaneously by three spacecraft - IMP 8, WIND and INTERBALL-1 at wide-separated points. Using these data allows us to study three important topics: (1) the size and dynamics of near-Earth mid-scale (with dimension about 1-10 million km) and small-scale (with dimension about 10-100 thousand km) solar wind structures; (2) the reliability of the common assumption that solar wind conditions at the upstream Lagrangian (L1) point accurately predict the conditions affecting Earth's magnetosphere; (3) modification of the solar wind plasma and magnetic field in the regions near the Earth magnetosphere, the foreshock and the magnetosheath. Our Project was dedicated to these problems. Our research has made substantial contributions to the field and has lead others to undertake similar work.

Ionospheric Scintillation Induced by Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure Enhancements in the Southern Hemisphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coppeans, T.; Zou, S.; Weatherwax, A. T.; Coster, A. J.

2017-12-01

Ionospheric scintillation is the random fluctuation in GPS signal radio waves passing through the ionosphere, a phenomenon that can result in the loss of GPS tracking, but can also reveal information about plasma structures in the ionosphere. Sudden compression of the Earth's magnetosphere by a solar wind dynamic pressure enhancement can cause dramatic changes in the E and F region ionospheric plasma. In this study, we investigate the possible ionospheric scintillation induced by solar wind pressure enhancements using ground-based scintillation receivers located at the McMurdo station and the South Pole station in Antarctica. Various studies of scintillation effects have been carried out, mainly in the northern hemisphere, while the southern hemisphere remains less studied. A pool of storm sudden commencements occurring between Jan. 2011 and Dec. 2014 were sorted based on solar wind dynamic pressure enhancement, background conditions, availability of data, and magnitude of scintillation response. Among the 89 events examined, 14 of them exhibited enhanced scintillation and were selected for detailed examination. Besides the scintillation receivers, other datasets have also been used to carry out the above study, including field-aligned currents from AMPERE, and global GPS TEC. Effects of FACs and TEC/TEC gradients on the generation of these scintillations are studied.

Studying aerodynamic drag for modeling the kinematical behavior of CMEs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Temmer, M.; Vrsnak, B.; Moestl, C.; Zic, T.; Veronig, A. M.; Rollett, T.

2013-12-01

With the SECCHI instrument suite aboard STEREO, coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can be observed from multiple vantage points during their entire propagation all the way from the Sun to 1 AU. The propagation behavior of CMEs in interplanetary space is mainly influenced by the ambient solar wind flow. CMEs that are faster than the ambient solar wind get decelerated, whereas slower ones are accelerated until the CME speed is finally adjusted to the solar wind speed. On a statistical basis, empirical models taking into account the drag force acting on CMEs, are able to describe the observed kinematical behaviors. For several well observed CME events we derive the kinematical evolution by combining remote sensing and in situ data. The observed kinematical behavior is compared to results from current empirical and numerical propagation models. For this we mainly use the drag based model DBM as well as the MHD model ENLIL. We aim to obtain the distance regime at which the solar wind drag force is dominating the CME propagation and quantify differences between different model results. This work has received funding from the FWF: V195-N16, and the European Commission FP7 Projects eHEROES (284461, www.eheroes.eu) and COMESEP (263252, www.comesep.eu).

Inner Structure of CME Shock Fronts Revealed by the Electromotive Force and Turbulent Transport Coefficients in Helios-2 Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourdin, Philippe-A.; Hofer, Bernhard; Narita, Yasuhito

2018-03-01

Electromotive force is an essential quantity in dynamo theory. During a coronal mass ejection (CME), magnetic helicity gets decoupled from the Sun and advected into the heliosphere with the solar wind. Eventually, a heliospheric magnetic transient event might pass by a spacecraft, such as the Helios space observatories. Our aim is to investigate the electromotive force, the kinetic helicity effect (α term), the turbulent diffusion (β term), and the cross-helicity effect (γ term) in the inner heliosphere below 1 au. We set up a one-dimensional model of the solar wind velocity and magnetic field for a hypothetic interplanetary CME. Because turbulent structures within the solar wind evolve much slower than this structure needs to pass by the spacecraft, we use a reduced curl operator to compute the current density and vorticity. We test our CME shock-front model against an observed magnetic transient that passes by the Helios-2 spacecraft. At the peak of the fluctuations in this event we find strongly enhanced α, β, and γ terms, as well as a strong peak in the total electromotive force. Our method allows us to automatically identify magnetic transient events from any in situ spacecraft observations that contain magnetic field and plasma velocity data of the solar wind.

Nonlinear development of shocklike structure in the solar wind.

PubMed

Lee, E; Parks, G K; Wilber, M; Lin, N

2009-07-17

We report first in situ multispacecraft observations of nonlinear steepening of compressional pulses in the solar wind upstream of Earth's bow shock. The magnetic field of a compressional pulse formed at the upstream edge of density holes is shown to suddenly break and steepen into a shocklike structure. During the early phase of development thermalization of ions is insignificant. Substantial thermalization of ions occurs as gyrating ions are observed at the steepened edge. These observations indicate that the mechanisms causing the dissipation of magnetic fields (currents) and ions are different in the early phase of shock development.

Dependence of Lunar Surface Charging on Solar Wind Plasma Conditions and Solar Irradiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stubbs, T. J.; Farrell, W. M.; Halekas, J. S.; Burchill, J. K.; Collier, M. R.; Zimmerman, M. I.; Vondrak, R. R.; Delory, G. T.; Pfaff, R. F.

2014-01-01

The surface of the Moon is electrically charged by exposure to solar radiation on its dayside, as well as by the continuous flux of charged particles from the various plasma environments that surround it. An electric potential develops between the lunar surface and ambient plasma, which manifests itself in a near-surface plasma sheath with a scale height of order the Debye length. This study investigates surface charging on the lunar dayside and near-terminator regions in the solar wind, for which the dominant current sources are usually from the pohotoemission of electrons, J(sub p), and the collection of plasma electrons J(sub e) and ions J(sub i). These currents are dependent on the following six parameters: plasma concentration n(sub 0), electron temperature T(sub e), ion temperature T(sub i), bulk flow velocity V, photoemission current at normal incidence J(sub P0), and photo electron temperature T(sub p). Using a numerical model, derived from a set of eleven basic assumptions, the influence of these six parameters on surface charging - characterized by the equilibrium surface potential, Debye length, and surface electric field - is investigated as a function of solar zenith angle. Overall, T(sub e) is the most important parameter, especially near the terminator, while J(sub P0) and T(sub p) dominate over most of the dayside.

Comparison of the Effects of Wave-Particle Interactions and the Kinetic Suprathermal Electron Population on the Acceleration of the Solar Wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tam, S. W. Y.; Chang, T.

2002-01-01

Kinetic effects due to wave-particle interactions and suprathermal electrons have been suggested in the literature as possible solar wind acceleration mechanisms. Ion cyclotron resonant heating, in particular, has been associated with some qualitative features observed in the solar wind. In terms of solar wind acceleration, however, it is interesting to compare the kinetic effects of suprathermal electrons with those due to the wave-particle interactions. The combined effects of the two acceleration mechanisms on the fast solar wind have been studied by Tam and Chang (1999a,b). In this study. we investigate the role of the suprathermal electron population in the acceleration of the solar wind. Our model follows the global kinetic evolution of the fast solar wind under the influence of ion cyclotron resonant heating, while taking into account Coulomb collisions, and the ambipolar electric field that is consistent with the particle distributions themselves. The kinetic effects due to the suprathermal electrons, which we define to be the tail of the electron distributions, can be included in the model as an option. By comparing the results with and without the inclusion of the suprathermal electron effects, we determine the relative importance of suprathermal electrons and wave-particle interactions in driving the solar wind. We find that although suprathermal electrons enhance the ambipolar electric potential in the solar wind considerably, their overall influence as an acceleration mechanism is relatively insignificant in a wave-driven solar wind.

Cusp/cleft auroral activity in relation to solar wind dynamic pressure, interplanetary magnetic field B(sub z) and B(sub y)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandholt, P. E.; Farrugia, C. J.; Burlaga, L. F.; Holtet, J. A.; Moen, J.; Lybekk, B.; Jacobsen, B.; Opsvik, D.; Egeland, A.; Lepping, R.

1994-01-01

Continuous optical observations of cusp/cleft auroral activities within approximately equal to 09-15 MLT and 70-76 deg magnetic latitude are studied in relation to changes in solar wind dynamic pressure and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) variability. The observed latitudinal movements of the cusp/cleft aurora in response to IMF B(sub z) changes may be explained as an effect of a variable magnetic field intensity in the outer dayside magnetosphere associated with the changing intensity of region 1 field-aligned currents and associated closure currents. Ground magnetic signatures related to such currents were observed in the present case (January 10, 1993). Strong, isolated enhancements in solar wind dynamic pressure (Delta p/p is greater than or equal to 0.5) gave rise to equatorward shifts of the cusp/cleft aurora, characteristic auroral transients, and distinct ground magnetic signatures of enhanced convection at cleft latitudes. A sequence of auroral events of approximately equal to 5-10 min recurrence time, moving eastward along the poleward boundary of the persistent cusp/cleft aurora in the approximately equal to 10-14 MLT sector, during negative IMF B(sub z) and B(sub y) conditions, were found to be correlated with brief pulses in solar wind dynamic pressure (0.1 is less than Delta p/p is less than 0.5). Simultaneous photometer observations from Ny Alesund, Svalbard, and Danmarkshavn, Greenland, show that the events often appeared on the prenoon side (approximately equal to 10-12 MLT), before moving into the postnoon sector in the case we study here, when IMF B(sub y) is less than 0. In other cases, similar auroral event sequences have been observed to move westward in the prenoon sector, during intervals of positive B(sub y). Thus a strong prenoon/postnoon asymmetry of event occurence and motion pattern related to the IMF B(sub y) polarity is observed. We find that this category of auroral event sequence is stimulated bursts of electron precipitation that originate from magnetosheath plasma that has accessed that dayside magnetosphere in the noon or near-noon sector, possibly at high latitudes, partly governed by the IMF orientation as well as by solar wind dynamic pressure pulses.

Exploration of Solar Wind Acceleration Region Using Interplanetary Scintillation of Water Vapor Maser Source and Quasars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tokumaru, Munetoshi; Yamauchi, Yohei; Kondo, Tetsuro

2001-01-01

Single-station observations of interplanetary scintillation UPS) at three microwave frequencies 2, 8, and 22GHz, were carried out between 1989 and 1998 using a large (34-micro farad) radio telescope at the Kashima Space Research Center of the Communications Research Laboratory. The aim of these observations was to explore the near-sun solar wind, which is the key region for the study of the solar wind acceleration mechanism. Strong quasars, 3C279 and 3C273B, were used for the Kashima IPS observations at 2 and 8GHz, and a water-vapor maser source, IRC20431, was used for the IPS observations at 22GHz. Solar wind speeds derived from Kashima IPS data suggest that the solar wind acceleration takes place at radial distances between 10 and 30 solar radii (Rs) from the sun. The properties of the turbulence spectrum (e.g. anisotropy, spectral index, inner scale) inferred from the Kashima data were found to change systematically in the solar wind acceleration region. While the solar wind in the maximum phase appears to be dominated by the slow wind, fast and rarefied winds associated with the coronal holes were found to develop significantly at high latitudes as the solar activity declined. Nevertheless, the Kashima data suggests that the location of the acceleration region is stable throughout the solar cycle.

Exploration of Solar Wind Acceleration Region Using Interplanetary Scintillation of Water Vapor Maser Source and Quasars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tokumaru, Munetoshi; Yamauchi, Yohei; Kondo, Tetsuro

2001-01-01

Single-station observations of interplanetary scintillation (IPS) at three microwave frequencies; 2 GHz, 8 GHz and 22 GHz have been carried out between 1989 and 1998 using a large (34 m farad) radio telescope at the Kashima Space Research Center of the Communications Research Laboratory. The aim of these observations is to explore the near-sun solar wind, which is the key region for the study of the solar wind acceleration mechanism. Strong quasars; 3C279 and 3C273B were used for Kashima IPS observations at 2 GHz and 8 GHz, and a water vapor maser source, IRC20431 was used for the IPS observations at 22 GHz. Solar wind velocities derived from Kashima IPS data suggest that the solar wind acceleration takes place at radial distances between 10 and 30 solar radii (R(sub s)) from the sun. Properties of the turbulence spectrum (e.g. anisotropy, spectral index, inner scale) inferred from Kashima data are found to change systematically in the solar wind acceleration region. While the solar wind in the maximum phase appears to be dominated by the slow wind, fast and rarefied winds associated with coronal holes are found to develop significantly at high latitudes as the solar activity declines. Nevertheless, Kashima data suggests that the location of the acceleration region is stable throughout the solar cycle.

The solar wind neon abundance observed with ACE/SWICS and ULYSSES/SWICS

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

Shearer, Paul; Raines, Jim M.; Lepri, Susan T.

Using in situ ion spectrometry data from ACE/SWICS, we determine the solar wind Ne/O elemental abundance ratio and examine its dependence on wind speed and evolution with the solar cycle. We find that Ne/O is inversely correlated with wind speed, is nearly constant in the fast wind, and correlates strongly with solar activity in the slow wind. In fast wind streams with speeds above 600 km s{sup –1}, we find Ne/O = 0.10 ± 0.02, in good agreement with the extensive polar observations by Ulysses/SWICS. In slow wind streams with speeds below 400 km s{sup –1}, Ne/O ranges from amore » low of 0.12 ± 0.02 at solar maximum to a high of 0.17 ± 0.03 at solar minimum. These measurements place new and significant empirical constraints on the fractionation mechanisms governing solar wind composition and have implications for the coronal and photospheric abundances of neon and oxygen. The results are made possible by a new data analysis method that robustly identifies rare elements in the measured ion spectra. The method is also applied to Ulysses/SWICS data, which confirms the ACE observations and extends our view of solar wind neon into the three-dimensional heliosphere.« less

Anomalously low C6+/C5+ ratio in solar wind: ACE/SWICS observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, L.; Landi, E.; Kocher, M.; Lepri, S. T.; Fisk, L. A.; Zurbuchen, T. H.

2016-03-01

The Carbon and Oxygen ionization states in the solar wind plasma freeze-in within 2 solar radii (Rs) from the solar surface, and then they do not change as they propagate with the solar wind into the heliosphere. Therefore, the O7+/O6+ and C6+/C5+ charge state ratios measured in situ maintain a record of the thermal properties (electron temperature and density) of the inner corona where the solar wind originates. Since these two ratios freeze-in at very similar height, they are expected to be correlated. However, an investigation of the correlation between these two ratios as measured by ACE/SWICS instrument from 1998 to 201l shows that there is a subset of "Outliers" departing from the expected correlation. We find about 49.4% of these Outliers is related to the Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs), while 49.6% of them is slow speed wind (Vp < 500 km/s) and about 1.0% of them is fast solar wind (Vp > 500 km/s). We compare the outlier-slow-speed wind with the normal slow wind (defined as Vp < 500 km/s and O7+/O6+ > 0.2) and find that the reason that causes the Outliers to depart from the correlation is their extremely depleted C6+/C5+ ratio which is decreased by 80% compared to the normal slow wind. We discuss the implication of the Outlier solar wind for the solar wind acceleration mechanism.

Space-based measurements of elemental abundances and their relation to solar abundances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coplan, M. A.; Ogilvie, K. W.; Bochsler, P.; Geiss, J.

1990-01-01

The Ion Composition Instrument (ICI) aboard the ISEE-3/ICE spacecraft was in the solar wind continuously from August 1978 to December 1982. The results made it possible to establish long-term average solar wind abundance values for helium, oxygen, neon, silicon, and iron. The Charge-Energy-Mass instrument aboard the CCE spacecraft of the AMPTE mission has measured the abundance of these elements in the magnetosheath and has also added carbon, nitrogen, magnesium, and sulfur to the list. There is strong evidence that these magnetosheath abundances are representative of the solar wind. Other sources of solar wind abundances are Solar Energetic Particle experiments and Apollo lunar foils. When comparing the abundances from all of these sources with photospheric abundances, it is clear that helium is depleted in the solar wind while silicon and iron are enhanced. Solar wind abundances for carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and neon correlate well with the photospheric values. The incorporation of minor ions into the solar wind appears to depend upon both the ionization times for the elements and the Coulomb drag exerted by the outflowing proton flux.

The structure of the inner heliosphere from Pioneer Venus and IMP observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gazis, P. R.; Barnes, A.; Mihalov, J. D.; Lazarus, A. J.

1992-01-01

The IMP 8 and Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) spacecraft explore the region of heliographic latitudes between 8 deg N and 8 deg S. Solar wind observations from these spacecraft are used to construct synoptic maps of solar wind parameters in this region. These maps provide an explicit picture of the structure of high speed streams near 1 AU and how that structure varies with time. From 1982 until early 1985, solar wind parameters varied little with latitude. During the last solar minimum, the solar wind developed strong latitudinal structure; high speed streams were excluded from the vicinity of the solar equator. Synoptic maps of solar wind speed are compared with maps of the coronal source surface magnetic field. This comparison reveals the expected correlation between solar wind speed near 1 AU, the strength of the coronal magnetic field, and distance from the coronal neutral line.

Elemental abundances in corotating events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonrosenvinge, T. T.; Mcguire, R. E.

1985-01-01

Large, persistent solar-wind streams in 1973 and 1974 produced corotating interaction regions which accelerated particles to energies of a few MeV/nucleon. The proton to helium ratio (H/He) was remarkably constant at a value (22 + or 5) equal to that in the solar wind (21 + or - 3), suggesting that particles were being accelerated directly out of the solar wind. Preliminary results were presented from a similar study approximately 11 years (i.e., one solar cycle) later. Corotating events have been identified by surveying the solar wind data, energetic particle time-histories and anisotropies. This data was all obtained from the ISEE-3/ICE spacecraft. These events also show H/He ratios similar to that in the solar wind. It is flund that in these cases there is evidence for H/He ratios which are significantly different from that of the solar wind but which are consistent with the range of values found in solar flare events.

Solar wind and the motion of dust grains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klačka, J.; Petržala, J.; Pástor, P.; Kómar, L.

2012-04-01

In this paper, we investigate the action of solar wind on an arbitrarily shaped interplanetary dust particle. The final relativistically covariant equation of motion of the particle also contains the change of the particle's mass. The non-radial solar wind velocity vector is also included. The covariant equation of motion reduces to the Poynting-Robertson effect in the limiting case when a spherical particle is treated, when the speed of the incident solar wind corpuscles tends to the speed of light and when the corpuscles spread radially from the Sun. The results of quantum mechanics have to be incorporated into the physical considerations, in order to obtain the limiting case. If the solar wind affects the motion of a spherical interplanetary dust particle, then ?. Here, p'in and p'out are the incoming and outgoing radiation momenta (per unit time), respectively, measured in the proper frame of reference of the particle, and ? and ? are the solar wind pressure and the total scattering cross-sections, respectively. An analytical solution of the derived equation of motion yields a qualitative behaviour consistent with numerical calculations. This also holds if we consider a decrease of the particle's mass. Using numerical integration of the derived equation of motion, we confirm our analytical result that the non-radial solar wind (with a constant value of angle between the radial direction and the direction of the solar wind velocity) causes outspiralling of the dust particle from the Sun for large values of the particle's semimajor axis. The non-radial solar wind also increases the time the particle spirals towards the Sun. If we consider the periodical variability of the solar wind with the solar cycle, then there are resonances between the particle's orbital period and the period of the solar cycle.

Statistical validation of a solar wind propagation model from 1 to 10 AU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zieger, Bertalan; Hansen, Kenneth C.

2008-08-01

A one-dimensional (1-D) numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code is applied to propagate the solar wind from 1 AU through 10 AU, i.e., beyond the heliocentric distance of Saturn's orbit, in a non-rotating frame of reference. The time-varying boundary conditions at 1 AU are obtained from hourly solar wind data observed near the Earth. Although similar MHD simulations have been carried out and used by several authors, very little work has been done to validate the statistical accuracy of such solar wind predictions. In this paper, we present an extensive analysis of the prediction efficiency, using 12 selected years of solar wind data from the major heliospheric missions Pioneer, Voyager, and Ulysses. We map the numerical solution to each spacecraft in space and time, and validate the simulation, comparing the propagated solar wind parameters with in-situ observations. We do not restrict our statistical analysis to the times of spacecraft alignment, as most of the earlier case studies do. Our superposed epoch analysis suggests that the prediction efficiency is significantly higher during periods with high recurrence index of solar wind speed, typically in the late declining phase of the solar cycle. Among the solar wind variables, the solar wind speed can be predicted to the highest accuracy, with a linear correlation of 0.75 on average close to the time of opposition. We estimate the accuracy of shock arrival times to be as high as 10-15 hours within ±75 d from apparent opposition during years with high recurrence index. During solar activity maximum, there is a clear bias for the model to predicted shocks arriving later than observed in the data, suggesting that during these periods, there is an additional acceleration mechanism in the solar wind that is not included in the model.

Solar wind and magnetosphere interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, C. T.; Allen, J. H.; Cauffman, D. P.; Feynman, J.; Greenstadt, E. W.; Holzer, R. E.; Kaye, S. M.; Slavin, J. A.; Manka, R. H.; Rostoker, G.

1979-01-01

The relationship between the magnetosphere and the solar wind is addressed. It is noted that this interface determines how much of the solar plasma and field energy is transferred to the Earth's environment, and that this coupling not only varies in time, responding to major solar disturbances, but also to small changes in solar wind conditions and interplanetary field directions. It is recommended that the conditions of the solar wind and interplanetary medium be continuously monitored, as well as the state of the magnetosphere. Other recommendations include further study of the geomagnetic tail, tests of Pc 3,4 magnetic pulsations as diagnostics of the solar wind, and tests of kilometric radiation as a remote monitor of the auroral electrojet.

Conceptual Design of an Electric Sail Technology Demonstration Mission Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiegmann, Bruce M.

2017-01-01

There is great interest in examining the outer planets of our solar system and Heliopause region (edge of Solar System) and beyond regions of interstellar space by both the Planetary and Heliophysics communities. These needs are well docu-mented in the recent National Academy of Sciences Decadal Surveys. There is significant interest in developing revolutionary propulsion techniques that will enable such Heliopause scientific missions to be completed within 10 to15 years of the launch date. One such enabling propulsion technique commonly known as Electric Sail (E-Sail) propulsion employs positively charged bare wire tethers that extend radially outward from a rotating spacecraft spinning at a rate of one revolution per hour. Around the positively charged bare-wire tethers, a Debye Sheath is created once positive voltage is applied. This sheath stands off of the bare wire tether at a sheath diameter that is proportional to the voltage in the wire coupled with the flux density of solar wind ions within the solar system (or the location of spacecraft in the solar system. The protons that are expended from the sun (solar wind) at 400 to 800 km/sec are electrostatically repelled away from these positively charged Debye sheaths and propulsive thrust is produced via the resulting momentum transfer. The amount of thrust produced is directly proportional to the total wire length. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Electric Sail team is currently funded via a two year Phase II NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) awarded in July 2015. The team's current activities are: 1) Developing a Particle in Cell (PIC) numeric engineering model from the experimental data collected at MSFC's Solar Wind Facility on the interaction between simulated solar wind interaction with a charged bare wire that can be applied to a variety of missions, 2) The development of the necessary tether deployers and tethers to enable successful de-ployment of multiple, multi km length bare tethers, 3) Controllability of the space-craft via a voltage bias to steer itself through the solar system to destinations of discovery. These activities once demonstrated analytically, will require a technology demonstration mission (TDM) around the year2020 to demonstrate that all systems work together seamlessly before a Heliophysics Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS) mission could be initiated. A notional TDM spacecraft that meets the requirements of such a mission will be showcased in this paper.

The role of distinct parameters of interplanetary shocks in their propagation into and within the Earth's dayside magnetosphere, and their impact on magnetospheric particle populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colpitts, C. A.; Cattell, C. A.

2016-12-01

Interplanetary (IP) shocks are abrupt changes in the solar wind velocity and/or magnetic field. When an IP shock impacts the Earth's magnetosphere, it can trigger a number of responses including geomagnetic storms and substorms that affect radiation to satellites and aircraft, and ground currents that disrupt the power grid. There are a wide variety of IP shocks, and they interact with the magnetosphere in different ways depending on their orientation, speed and other factors. The distinct individual characteristics of IP shocks can have a dramatic effect on their impact on the near-earth environment. While some research has been done on the impact of shock parameters on their geo-effectiveness, these studies primarily utilized ground magnetometer derived indices such as Dst, AE and SME or signals at geosynchronous satellites. The current unprecedented satellite coverage of the magnetosphere, particularly on the dayside, presents an opportunity to directly measure how different shocks propagate into and within the magnetosphere, and how they affect the various particle populations therein. Initial case studies reveal that smaller shocks can have unexpected impacts in the dayside magnetosphere, including unusual particle and electric field signatures, depending on shock parameters. We have recently compiled a database of sudden impulses from 2012-2016, and the location of satellites in the dayside magnetosphere at the impulse times. We are currently combining and comparing this with existing databases compiled at UNH, Harvard and others, as well as solar wind data from ACE, Wind and other solar wind monitors, to generate a complete and accurate list of IP shocks, cataloguing parameters such as the type of shock (CME, CIR etc.), strength (Mach number, solar wind velocity etc.) and shock normal angle. We are investigating the magnetospheric response to these shocks using GOES, ARTEMIS and Cluster data, augmented with RBSP and MMS data where available, to determine what effect the various shock parameters have on their propagation through and impact on the magnetosphere. We will present several case studies from our database that show how different parameters affect how shocks propagate in the dayside and how they affect the particles therein.

Turbulent Transport in a Three-dimensional Solar Wind

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

Shiota, D.; Zank, G. P.; Adhikari, L.

2017-03-01

Turbulence in the solar wind can play essential roles in the heating of coronal and solar wind plasma and the acceleration of the solar wind and energetic particles. Turbulence sources are not well understood and thought to be partly enhanced by interaction with the large-scale inhomogeneity of the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field and/or transported from the solar corona. To investigate the interaction with background inhomogeneity and the turbulence sources, we have developed a new 3D MHD model that includes the transport and dissipation of turbulence using the theoretical model of Zank et al. We solve for themore » temporal and spatial evolution of three moments or variables, the energy in the forward and backward fluctuating modes and the residual energy and their three corresponding correlation lengths. The transport model is coupled to our 3D model of the inhomogeneous solar wind. We present results of the coupled solar wind-turbulence model assuming a simple tilted dipole magnetic configuration that mimics solar minimum conditions, together with several comparative intermediate cases. By considering eight possible solar wind and turbulence source configurations, we show that the large-scale solar wind and IMF inhomogeneity and the strength of the turbulence sources significantly affect the distribution of turbulence in the heliosphere within 6 au. We compare the predicted turbulence distribution results from a complete solar minimum model with in situ measurements made by the Helios and Ulysses spacecraft, finding that the synthetic profiles of the turbulence intensities show reasonable agreement with observations.« less

Deflection and Distortion of CME internal magnetic flux rope due to the interaction with a structured solar wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiota, D.; Iju, T.; Hayashi, K.; Fujiki, K.; Tokumaru, M.; Kusano, K.

2016-12-01

CMEs are the most violent driver of geospace disturbances, and therefore their arrival to the Earth position is an important factor in space weather forecast. The dynamics of CME propagation is strongly affected by the interaction with background solar wind. To understand the interaction between a CME and background solar wind, we performed three-dimensional MHD simulations of the propagation of a CME with internal twisted magnetic flux rope into a structured bimodal solar wind. We compared three different cases in which an identical CME is launched into an identical bimodal solar wind but the launch dates of the CME are different. Each position relative to the boundary between slow and fast solar winds becomes almost in the slow wind stream region, almost in the fast wind stream region, or in vicinity of the boundary of the fast and slow solar wind stream (that grows to CIR). It is found that the CME is most distorted and deflected eastward in the case near the CIR, in contrast to the other two cases. The maximum strength of southward magnetic field at the Earth position is also highest in the case near CIR. The results are interpreted that the dynamic pressure gradient due to the back reaction from pushing the ahead slow wind stream and due to the collision behind fast wind stream hinders the expansion of the CME internal flux rope into the direction of the solar wind velocity gradient. As a result, the expansion into the direction to the velocity gradient is slightly enhanced and results in the enhanced deflection and distortion of the CME and its internal flux rope. These results support the pileup accident hypothesis proposed by Kataoka et al. (2015) to form unexpectedly geoeffective solar wind structure.

Mapping the Solar Wind from its Source Region into the Outer Corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esser, Ruth

1997-01-01

Knowledge of the radial variation of the plasma conditions in the coronal source region of the solar wind is essential to exploring coronal heating and solar wind acceleration mechanisms. The goal of the proposal was to determine as many plasma parameters in the solar wind acceleration region and beyond as possible by coordinating different observational techniques, such as Interplanetary Scintillation Observations, spectral line intensity observations, polarization brightness measurements and X-ray observations. The inferred plasma parameters were then used to constrain solar wind models.

Microphysics of Waves and Instabilities in the Solar Wind and their Macro Manifestations in the Corona and Interplanetary Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurman, Joseph (Technical Monitor); Habbal, Shadia Rifai

2004-01-01

Investigations of the physical processes responsible for coronal heating and the acceleration of the solar wind were pursued with the use of our recently developed 2D MHD solar wind code and our 1D multifluid code. In particular, we explored (1) the role of proton temperature anisotropy in the expansion of the solar wind, (2) the role of plasma parameters at the coronal base in the formation of high speed solar wind streams at mid-latitudes, and (3) the heating of coronal loops.

Cosmic ray modulation with a Fisk-type heliospheric magnetic field and a latitude-dependent solar wind speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hitge, M.; Burger, R. A.

2010-01-01

The effect of a latitude-dependent solar wind speed on a Fisk heliospheric magnetic field [Fisk, L. A. Motion of the footpoints of heliospheric magnetic field lines at the Sun: implications for recurrent energetic particle events at high heliographic latitudes. J. Geophys. Res. 101, 15547-15553, 1996] was first discussed by Schwadron and Schwadron and McComas [Schwadron, N.A. An explanation for strongly underwound magnetic field in co-rotating rarefaction regions and its relationship to footpoint motion on the the sun. Geophys. Res. Lett. 29, 1-8, 2002. and Schwadron, N.A., McComas, D.J. Heliospheric “FALTS”: favored acceleration locations at the termination shock. Geophys. Res. Lett. 30, 41-1, 2003]. Burger and Sello [Burger, R.A., Sello, P.C. The effect on cosmic ray modulation of a Parker field modified by a latitudinal-dependent solar wind speed. Adv. Space Res. 35, 643-646, 2005] found a significant effect for a simplified 2D version of a latitude-dependent Fisk-type field while Miyake and Yanagita [Miyake, S., Yanagita, S. The effect of a modified Parker field on the modulation of the galactic cosmic rays. In: Proceedings of 30th International Cosmic Ray Conference. Merida, Mexico, vol. 1, 445-448, 2007] found a smaller effect. The current report improves on a previous attempt Hitge and Burger [Hitge, M., Burger, R.A. The effect of a latitude-dependent solar wind speed on cosmic-ray modulation in a Fisk-type heliospheric magnetic field. In: Proceedings of 30th International Cosmic Ray Conference. Merida, Mexico, vol. 1, pp. 449-450, 2007] where the global change in the solar wind speed and not the local speed gradient was emphasized. The sheared Fisk field of Schwadron and McComas [Schwadron, N.A., McComas, D.J. Heliospheric “FALTS”: Favored acceleration locations at the termination shock. Geophys. Res. Lett. 30, 41-1, 2003.) is similar to the current Schwadron-Parker hybrid field. Little difference is found between the effects of a Parker field and a Schwadron-Parker hybrid field on cosmic-ray modulation, in contrast to the results of Burger and Sello and Miyake and Yanagita [Burger, R.A., Sello, P.C. The effect on cosmic ray modulation of a Parker field modified by a latitudinal-dependent solar wind speed. Adv. Space Res. 35, 643-646, 2005 and Miyake, S., Yanagita, S. The effect of a modified Parker field on the modulation of the galactic cosmic rays. In: Proceedings of 30th International Cosmic Ray Conference. Merida, Mexico, vol. 1, pp. 445-448, 2007]. The two-dimensional approximation used by these authors is therefore inadequate to model the complexities of the actual three-dimensional field. We also show that a Fisk-type field with a latitude-dependent solar wind speed (Schwadron-Parker hybrid field) decreases both the relative amplitude of recurrent cosmic ray intensity variations and latitude gradients and yields similar constants of proportionality for these quantities as for the constant solar wind speed case.

Near-Earth Solar Wind Flows and Related Geomagnetic Activity During more than Four Solar Cycles (1963-2011)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, Ian G.; Cane, Hilary V.

2012-01-01

In past studies, we classified the near-Earth solar wind into three basic flow types based on inspection of solar wind plasma and magnetic field parameters in the OMNI database and additional data (e.g., geomagnetic indices, energetic particle, and cosmic ray observations). These flow types are: (1) High-speed streams associated with coronal holes at the Sun, (2) Slow, interstream solar wind, and (3) Transient flows originating with coronal mass ejections at the Sun, including interplanetary coronal mass ejections and the associated upstream shocks and post-shock regions. The solar wind classification in these previous studies commenced with observations in 1972. In the present study, as well as updating this classification to the end of 2011, we have extended the classification back to 1963, the beginning of near-Earth solar wind observations, thereby encompassing the complete solar cycles 20 to 23 and the ascending phase of cycle 24. We discuss the cycle-to-cycle variations in near-Earth solar wind structures and l1e related geomagnetic activity over more than four solar cycles, updating some of the results of our earlier studies.

Three-dimensional exploration of the solar wind using observations of interplanetary scintillation

PubMed Central

TOKUMARU, Munetoshi

2013-01-01

The solar wind, a supersonic plasma flow continuously emanating from the Sun, governs the space environment in a vast region extending to the boundary of the heliosphere (∼100 AU). Precise understanding of the solar wind is of importance not only because it will satisfy scientific interest in an enigmatic astrophysical phenomenon, but because it has broad impacts on relevant fields. Interplanetary scintillation (IPS) of compact radio sources at meter to centimeter wavelengths serves as a useful ground-based method for investigating the solar wind. IPS measurements of the solar wind at a frequency of 327 MHz have been carried out regularly since the 1980s using the multi-station system of the Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory (STEL) of Nagoya University. This paper reviews new aspects of the solar wind revealed from our IPS observations. PMID:23391604

Forecast of solar wind parameters according to STOP magnetograph observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tlatov, A. G.; Pashchenko, M. P.; Ponyavin, D. I.; Svidskii, P. M.; Peshcherov, V. S.; Demidov, M. L.

2016-12-01

The paper discusses the results of the forecast of solar wind parameters at a distance of 1 AU made according to observations made by the STOP telescope magnetograph during 2014-2015. The Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) empirical model is used to reconstruct the magnetic field topology in the solar corona and estimate the solar wind speed in the interplanetary medium. The proposed model is adapted to STOP magnetograph observations. The results of the calculation of solar wind parameters are compared with ACE satellite measurements. It is shown that the use of STOP observations provides a significant correlation of predicted solar wind speed values with the observed ones.

Effect of coherent structures on energetic particle intensity in the solar wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tessein, Jeffrey A.

Solar energetic particles in the solar wind are accelerated in both solar flares and shocks assocated with fast coronal mass ejections. They follow the interplanetary magnetic field and, upon reaching Earth, have implications for space weather. Space weather affects astronaut health and orbiting equipment through radiation hazard and electrical infrastructure on the ground with ground induced currents. Economic im- pacts include disruption of GPS and redirection of commercial polar flights due to a dangerous radiation environment over the poles. By studying how these particles interact with the magnetic fields we can better predict onset times and diffusion of these events. We find, using superposed epoch analysis and conditional statisitics from spacecraft observations that there is a strong association between energetic particles in the solar wind and magnetic discontinuities. This may be related to turbulent dissipa- tion mechanisms in which coherent structures in the solar wind seem to be preferred sites of heating, plasma instabilites and dissipation. In the case of energetic particles, magnetic reconnection and transport in flux tubes are likely to play a role. Though we focus on data away from large shocks, trapping can occur in the downstream region of shocks due to the preponderance of compressive turbulence in these areas. This thesis lays the ground work for the results described above with an intro- duction to solar wind and heliospheric physics in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 is an intro- duction to the acceleration mechanisms that give rise to observed energetic particle events. Chapter 3 describes various data analysis techniques and statistics that are bread and butter when analyzing spacecraft data for turbulence and energetic particle studies. Chapter 4 is a digression that covers preliminary studies that were done on the side; scale dependent kurtosis, ergodic studies and initial conditions for simulations. Chapter 5 contains that central published results of this thesis, that there is a strong association between energetic particle intensity and magnetic discontinuties and that the correlation is can be attributed to transport and local acceleration.

Global Magnetohydrodynamic Modeling of the Solar Corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linker, Jon A.

1998-01-01

The coronal magnetic field defines the structure of the solar corona, the position of the heliospheric current sheet, the regions of fast and slow solar wind, and the most likely sites of coronal mass ejections. There are few measurements of the magnetic fields in the corona, but the line-of-sight component of the global magnetic fields in the photosphere have been routinely measured for many years (for example, at Stanford's Wilcox Solar Observatory, and at the National Solar Observatory at Kitt Peak). The SOI/MDI instrument is now providing high-resolution full-disk magnetograms several times a day. Understanding the large-scale structure of the solar corona and inner heliosphere requires accurately mapping the measured photospheric magnetic field into the corona and outward. Ideally, a model should not only extrapolate the magnetic field, but should self-consistently reconstruct both the plasma and magnetic fields in the corona and solar wind. Support from our NASA SR&T contract has allowed us to develop three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) computations of the solar corona that incorporate observed photospheric magnetic fields into the boundary conditions. These calculations not only describe the magnetic field in the corona and interplanetary spice, but also predict the plasma properties as well. Our computations thus far have been successful in reproducing many aspects of both coronal and interplanetary data, including the structure of the streamer belt, the location of coronal hole boundaries, and the position and shape of the heliospheric current sheet. The most widely used technique for extrapolating the photospheric magnetic field into the corona and heliosphere are potential field models, such as the potential field source-surface model (PFSS),and the potential field current-sheet (PFCS) model

THE DYNAMICAL GENERATION OF CURRENT SHEETS IN ASTROPHYSICAL PLASMA TURBULENCE

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

Howes, Gregory G.

2016-08-20

Turbulence profoundly affects particle transport and plasma heating in many astrophysical plasma environments, from galaxy clusters to the solar corona and solar wind to Earth's magnetosphere. Both fluid and kinetic simulations of plasma turbulence ubiquitously generate coherent structures, in the form of current sheets, at small scales, and the locations of these current sheets appear to be associated with enhanced rates of dissipation of the turbulent energy. Therefore, illuminating the origin and nature of these current sheets is critical to identifying the dominant physical mechanisms of dissipation, a primary aim at the forefront of plasma turbulence research. Here, we presentmore » evidence from nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations that strong nonlinear interactions between counterpropagating Alfvén waves, or strong Alfvén wave collisions, are a natural mechanism for the generation of current sheets in plasma turbulence. Furthermore, we conceptually explain this current sheet development in terms of the nonlinear dynamics of Alfvén wave collisions, showing that these current sheets arise through constructive interference among the initial Alfvén waves and nonlinearly generated modes. The properties of current sheets generated by strong Alfvén wave collisions are compared to published observations of current sheets in the Earth's magnetosheath and the solar wind, and the nature of these current sheets leads to the expectation that Landau damping of the constituent Alfvén waves plays a dominant role in the damping of turbulently generated current sheets.« less

A multi-timescale view on the slow solar wind with MTOF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heidrich-Meisner, Verena; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F.; Wurz, Peter; Bochsler, Peter; Ipavich, Fred M.; Paquette, John A.; Klecker, Bernard

2013-04-01

The solar wind is known to be composed of several different types of wind. Their respective differences in speed gives rise to the somewhat crude categories slow and fast wind. However, slow and fast winds also differ in their composition and plasma properties. While coronal holes are accepted as the origin of the fast wind (e.g. [Tu2005]), slow wind is hypothesized to emanate from different regions and to be caused by different mechanisms, although the average properties of slow wind are remarkably uniform. Models for the origin of the slow solar wind fall in three categories. In the first category, slow wind originates from the edges of coronal holes and is driven by reconnection of open field lines from the coronal hole with closed loops [Schwadron2005]. The second category relies on reconnection as well but places the source regions of the slow solar wind at the boundaries of active regions [Sakao2007]. A topological argument underlies the third group which requires that all coronal holes are connected by the so-called "S-web" as the driver of the slow solar wind [Antiochos2011]. Solar wind composition has been continuously measured by for example SOHO/CELIAS and ACE/SWICS. In this work we focus on the mass time-of-flight instrument of SOHO/CELIAS/MTOF [Hovestadt1995], which has been collecting data from 1996 to the present day. Whereas much attention in previous years has been focused on spectacular features of the solar wind like (interplanetary) coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) our main interest lies in understanding the slow solar wind. Although it is remarkably homogeneous in its average properties (e.g. [vonSteiger2000]) it contains many short term variations. This motivates us to investigate the slow solar wind on multiple timescales with a special focus on identifying individual stream with unusual compositions. A first step in this is to identify individual streams. A useful tool to do this reliably is specific entropy [Pagel2004]. Consequently, this leads to an extensive picture of individual streams from MTOF, which can be combined with observations from other spacecraft in the future. In particular, identifying and understanding short-term variations of the slow solar wind has the potential to help distinguishing between different possible source regions and mechanisms. Further, with the long term goal of identifying possible different source mechanisms or regions, we analyze and compare the properties of individual streams on short time scales to focus on significant deviations from the average properties of slow solar wind. References [Antiochos2011] SK Antiochos, Z. Mikic, VS Titov, R. Lionello, and JA Linker. A model for the sources of the slow solar wind. The Astrophysical Journal, 731(2):112, 2011. [Hovestadt1995] D. Hovestadt, M. Hilchenbach, A. Bürgi, B. Klecker, P. Laeverenz, M. Scholer, H. Grünwaldt, WI Axford, S. Livi, E. Marsch, et al. Celias-charge, element and isotope analysis system for soho. Solar Physics, 162(1):441-481, 1995. [Pagel2004] AC Pagel, NU Crooker, TH Zurbuchen, and JT Gosling. Correlation of solar wind entropy and oxygen ion charge state ratio. Journal of geophysical research, 109(A1):A01113, 2004. [Sakao2007] T. Sakao, R. Kano, N. Narukage, J. Kotoku, T. Bando, E.E. DeLuca, L.L. Lundquist, S. Tsuneta, L.K. Harra, Y. Katsukawa, et al. Continuous plasma outflows from the edge of a solar active region as a possible source of solar wind. Science, 318(5856):1585-1588, 2007. [Schwadron2005] NA Schwadron, DJ McComas, HA Elliott, G. Gloeckler, J. Geiss, and R. Von Steiger. Solar wind from the coronal hole boundaries. Journal of geophysical research, 110(A4):A04104, 2005. [Tu2005] C.Y. Tu, C. Zhou, E. Marsch, L.D. Xia, L. Zhao, J.X. Wang, and K. Wilhelm. Solar wind origin in coronal funnels. Science, 308(5721):519-523, 2005. [vonSteiger2000] R. Von Steiger, N. Schwadron, LA Fisk, J. Geiss, G. Gloeckler, S. Hefti, B. Wilken, RF Wimmer-Schweingruber, and TH Zurbuchen. Composition of quasi-stationary solar wind flows from ulysses/solar wind ion composition spectrometer. Journal of geophysical research, 105:27, 2000.

Climatology of the relationship of cusp-related density anomaly with zonal wind and large-scale FAC based on CHAMP observations: IMF By and solar cycle dependence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kervalishvili, Guram; Lühr, Hermann

2014-05-01

We present climatology of the relationship of cusp-related density enhancement with the neutral zonal wind velocity, large-scale field-aligned current (FAC), small-scale FAC, and electron temperature using the superposed epoch analysis (SEA) method. The dependence of these variables on the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) By component orientation and solar cycle are of particular interest. In addition, the obtained results of relative density enhancement (ρrel), zonal wind, electron temperature and FAC are subdivided into three local seasons of 130 days each: local winter (1 January ±65 days), combined equinoxes (1 April ±32 days and 1 October ±32 days), and local summer (1 July ±65 days). Our investigation is based on CHAMP satellite observations and NASA/GSFC's OMNI online data set for solar maximum (Mar/2002-2007) and minimum (Mar/2004-2009) conditions in the Northern Hemisphere. The SEA technique uses the time and location of the thermospheric mass density anomaly peaks as reference parameters. The relative amplitude of cusp-related density enhancement does on average not depend on the IMF By orientation, solar cycle phase, and local season. Also, it is apparent that the IMF By amplitude does not have a big influence on the relative amplitude of the density anomaly. Conversely, there exists a good correlation between ρrel and the negative amplitude of IMF Bz prevailing about half an hour earlier. In the cusp region, both large-scale FAC distribution and thermospheric zonal wind velocity exhibit a clear dependence on the IMF By orientation. In the case of positive (negative) IMF By there is a systematic imbalance between downward (upward) and upward (downward) FACs peaks equatorward and poleward of the reference point, respectively. The zonal wind velocity is directed towards west i.e. towards dawn in a geomagnetic latitude-magnetic local time (MLat-MLT) frame. This is true for all local seasons and solar conditions. The thermospheric density enhancements appear half way between Region 1 (R1) and Region 0 (R0) field-aligned currents, in closer proximity to the upward FAC region. In our case R0 currents are systematically weaker than R1 ones. Also, around the cusp region we find no sign of Region 2 field-aligned currents. We can conclude that there is a close spatial relationship between FACs and cusp-related density enhancements, but we cannot offer any simple functional relation between field-aligned current strength and density anomaly amplitude. There seem to be other quantities (e.g. precipitating electrons) controlling this relation. All the conclusions drawn above are true for the Northern Hemisphere. There may be differences in the Southern Hemisphere.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Solar wind 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulation (Chhiber+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chhiber, R.; Subedi, P.; Usmanov, A. V.; Matthaeus, W. H.; Ruffolo, D.; Goldstein, M. L.; Parashar, T. N.

2017-08-01

We use a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulation of the solar wind to calculate cosmic-ray diffusion coefficients throughout the inner heliosphere (2Rȯ-3au). The simulation resolves large-scale solar wind flow, which is coupled to small-scale fluctuations through a turbulence model. Simulation results specify background solar wind fields and turbulence parameters, which are used to compute diffusion coefficients and study their behavior in the inner heliosphere. The parallel mean free path (mfp) is evaluated using quasi-linear theory, while the perpendicular mfp is determined from nonlinear guiding center theory with the random ballistic interpretation. Several runs examine varying turbulent energy and different solar source dipole tilts. We find that for most of the inner heliosphere, the radial mfp is dominated by diffusion parallel to the mean magnetic field; the parallel mfp remains at least an order of magnitude larger than the perpendicular mfp, except in the heliospheric current sheet, where the perpendicular mfp may be a few times larger than the parallel mfp. In the ecliptic region, the perpendicular mfp may influence the radial mfp at heliocentric distances larger than 1.5au; our estimations of the parallel mfp in the ecliptic region at 1 au agree well with the Palmer "consensus" range of 0.08-0.3au. Solar activity increases perpendicular diffusion and reduces parallel diffusion. The parallel mfp mostly varies with rigidity (P) as P.33, and the perpendicular mfp is weakly dependent on P. The mfps are weakly influenced by the choice of long-wavelength power spectra. (2 data files).

Ionizing Electrons on the Martian Nightside: Structure and Variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lillis, Robert J.; Mitchell, David L.; Steckiewicz, Morgane; Brain, David; Xu, Shaosui; Weber, Tristan; Halekas, Jasper; Connerney, Jack; Espley, Jared; Benna, Mehdi; Elrod, Meredith; Thiemann, Edward; Eparvier, Frank

2018-05-01

The precipitation of suprathermal electrons is the dominant external source of energy deposition and ionization in the Martian nightside upper atmosphere and ionosphere. We investigate the spatial patterns and variability of ionizing electrons from 115 to 600 km altitude on the Martian nightside, using CO2 electron impact ionization frequency (EIIF) as our metric, examining more than 3 years of data collected in situ by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft. We characterize the behavior of EIIF with respect to altitude, solar zenith angle, solar wind pressure, and the geometry and strength of crustal magnetic fields. EIIF has a complex and correlated dependence on these factors, but we find that it generally increases with altitude and solar wind pressure, decreases with crustal magnetic field strength and does not depend detectably on solar zenith angle past 115°. The dependence is governed by (a) energy degradation and backscatter by collisions with atmospheric neutrals below 220 km and (b) magnetic field topology that permits or retards electron access to certain regions. This field topology is dynamic and varies with solar wind conditions, allowing greater electron access at higher altitudes where crustal fields are weaker and also for higher solar wind pressures, which result in stronger draped magnetic fields that push closed crustal magnetic field loops to lower altitudes. This multidimensional electron flux behavior can in the future be parameterized in an empirical model for use as input to global simulations of the nightside upper atmosphere, which currently do not account for this important source of energy.

Imaging the Top of the Solar Corona and the Young Solar Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeForest, C. E.; Matthaeus, W. H.; Viall, N. M.; Cranmer, S. R.

2016-12-01

We present the first direct visual evidence of the quasi-stationary breakup of solar coronal structure and the rise of turbulence in the young solar wind, directly in the future flight path of Solar Probe. Although the corona and, more recently, the solar wind have both been observed directly with Thomson scattered light, the transition from the corona to the solar wind has remained a mystery. The corona itself is highly structured by the magnetic field and the outflowing solar wind, giving rise to radial "striae" - which comprise the familiar streamers, pseudostreamers, and rays. These striae are not visible in wide-field heliospheric images, nor are they clearly delineated with in-situ measurements of the solar wind. Using careful photometric analysis of the images from STEREO/HI-1, we have, for the first time, directly observed the breakup of radial coronal structure and the rise of nearly-isotropic turbulent structure in the outflowing slow solar wind plasma between 10° (40 Rs) and 20° (80 Rs) from the Sun. These observations are important not only for their direct science value, but for predicting and understanding the conditions expected near SPP as it flies through - and beyond - this final frontier of the heliosphere, the outer limits of the solar corona.

A survey of solar wind conditions at 5 AU: A tool for interpreting solar wind-magnetosphere interactions at Jupiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebert, Robert; Bagenal, Fran; McComas, David; Fowler, Christopher

2014-09-01

We examine Ulysses solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) observations at 5 AU for two ~13 month intervals during the rising and declining phases of solar cycle 23 and the predicted response of the Jovian magnetosphere during these times. The declining phase solar wind, composed primarily of corotating interaction regions and high-speed streams, was, on average, faster, hotter, less dense, and more Alfvénic relative to the rising phase solar wind, composed mainly of slow wind and interplanetary coronal mass ejections. Interestingly, none of solar wind and IMF distributions reported here were bimodal, a feature used to explain the bimodal distribution of bow shock and magnetopause standoff distances observed at Jupiter. Instead, many of these distributions had extended, non-Gaussian tails that resulted in large standard deviations and much larger mean over median values. The distribution of predicted Jupiter bow shock and magnetopause standoff distances during these intervals were also not bimodal, the mean/median values being larger during the declining phase by ~1 - 4%. These results provide data-derived solar wind and IMF boundary conditions at 5 AU for models aimed at studying solar wind-magnetosphere interactions at Jupiter and can support the science investigations of upcoming Jupiter system missions. Here, we provide expectations for Juno, which is scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in July 2016. Accounting for the long-term decline in solar wind dynamic pressure reported by McComas et al. (2013), Jupiter’s bow shock and magnetopause is expected to be at least 8 - 12% further from Jupiter, if these trends continue.

Were chondrites magnetized by the early solar wind?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oran, Rona; Weiss, Benjamin P.; Cohen, Ofer

2018-06-01

Chondritic meteorites have been traditionally thought to be samples of undifferentiated bodies that never experienced large-scale melting. This view has been challenged by the existence of post-accretional, unidirectional natural remanent magnetization (NRM) in CV carbonaceous chondrites. The relatively young inferred NRM age [∼10 million years (My) after solar system formation] and long duration of NRM acquisition (1-106 y) have been interpreted as evidence that the magnetizing field was that of a core dynamo within the CV parent body. This would imply that CV chondrites represent the primitive crust of a partially differentiated body. However, an alternative hypothesis is that the NRM was imparted by the early solar wind. Here we demonstrate that the solar wind scenario is unlikely due to three main factors: 1) the magnitude of the early solar wind magnetic field is estimated to be <0.1 μT in the terrestrial planet-forming region, 2) the resistivity of chondritic bodies limits field amplification due to pile-up of the solar wind to less than a factor of 3.5 times that of the instantaneous solar wind field, and 3) the solar wind field likely changed over timescales orders of magnitude shorter than the timescale of NRM acquisition. Using analytical arguments, numerical simulations and astronomical observations of the present-day solar wind and magnetic fields of young stars, we show that the maximum mean field the ancient solar wind could have imparted on an undifferentiated CV parent body is <3.5 nT, which is 3-4 and 3 orders of magnitude weaker than the paleointensities recorded by the CV chondrites Allende and Kaba, respectively. Therefore, the solar wind is highly unlikely to be the source of the NRM in CV chondrites. Nevertheless, future high sensitivity paleomagnetic studies of rapidly-cooled meteorites with high magnetic recording fidelity could potentially trace the evolution of the solar wind field in time.

The development and stability of non-thermal plasma in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasper, Justin

2017-10-01

This talk will review our understanding of non-thermal ion and electron velocity distribution functions (VDFs) in space plasma, with a focus on pressure anisotropy and unequal temperatures in the solar wind and corona. Under typical solar wind plasma conditions, which are common for a range of astrophysical plasmas, relaxation processes such as Coulomb collisions are sufficiently slow compared to interactions between particles and electromagnetic fluctuations that ion and electron VDFs can depart significantly from the classical Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution and maintain these non-thermal features for times greater than the dynamical scales of the system. These non-thermal properties of the plasma are very important as they can significantly modify aspects of the plasma such as heat flux, susceptibility to kinetic instabilities, and interaction with waves and turbulence. Major open questions in the field will be reviewed, along with current and planned observational capabilities of instruments on spacecraft such as Wind and the upcoming Parker Solar Probe, with an eye to potential crossover with laboratory plasma experiments.

TURBULENCE IN THE SOLAR WIND MEASURED WITH COMET TAIL TEST PARTICLES

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

DeForest, C. E.; Howard, T. A.; Matthaeus, W. H.

2015-10-20

By analyzing the motions of test particles observed remotely in the tail of Comet Encke, we demonstrate that the solar wind undergoes turbulent processing enroute from the Sun to the Earth and that the kinetic energy entrained in the large-scale turbulence is sufficient to explain the well-known anomalous heating of the solar wind. Using the heliospheric imaging (HI-1) camera on board NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft, we have observed an ensemble of compact features in the comet tail as they became entrained in the solar wind near 0.4 AU. We find that the features are useful as test particles, via mean-motion analysismore » and a forward model of pickup dynamics. Using population analysis of the ensemble's relative motion, we find a regime of random-walk diffusion in the solar wind, followed, on larger scales, by a surprising regime of semiconfinement that we attribute to turbulent eddies in the solar wind. The entrained kinetic energy of the turbulent motions represents a sufficient energy reservoir to heat the solar wind to observed temperatures at 1 AU. We determine the Lagrangian-frame diffusion coefficient in the diffusive regime, derive upper limits for the small scale coherence length of solar wind turbulence, compare our results to existing Eulerian-frame measurements, and compare the turbulent velocity with the size of the observed eddies extrapolated to 1 AU. We conclude that the slow solar wind is fully mixed by turbulence on scales corresponding to a 1–2 hr crossing time at Earth; and that solar wind variability on timescales shorter than 1–2 hr is therefore dominated by turbulent processing rather than by direct solar effects.« less

ULF Wave Activity in the Magnetosphere: Resolving Solar Wind Interdependencies to Identify Driving Mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bentley, S. N.; Watt, C. E. J.; Owens, M. J.; Rae, I. J.

2018-04-01

Ultralow frequency (ULF) waves in the magnetosphere are involved in the energization and transport of radiation belt particles and are strongly driven by the external solar wind. However, the interdependency of solar wind parameters and the variety of solar wind-magnetosphere coupling processes make it difficult to distinguish the effect of individual processes and to predict magnetospheric wave power using solar wind properties. We examine 15 years of dayside ground-based measurements at a single representative frequency (2.5 mHz) and a single magnetic latitude (corresponding to L ˜ 6.6RE). We determine the relative contribution to ULF wave power from instantaneous nonderived solar wind parameters, accounting for their interdependencies. The most influential parameters for ground-based ULF wave power are solar wind speed vsw, southward interplanetary magnetic field component Bz<0, and summed power in number density perturbations δNp. Together, the subordinate parameters Bz and δNp still account for significant amounts of power. We suggest that these three parameters correspond to driving by the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, formation, and/or propagation of flux transfer events and density perturbations from solar wind structures sweeping past the Earth. We anticipate that this new parameter reduction will aid comparisons of ULF generation mechanisms between magnetospheric sectors and will enable more sophisticated empirical models predicting magnetospheric ULF power using external solar wind driving parameters.

NOAA Activities and Plans for New Operational Space Weather Platforms and Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biesecker, D. A.; Mulligan, P.; Cash, M. D.; Reinard, A.; Simpson, M.; Diedrich, B.; Socker, D. G.

2013-12-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is vigorously pursuing several space weather platforms that have been demonstrated as requiring replacement. In this time of limited budgets, this has led to the need for creative and innovative solutions. Just as importantly, NOAA is only 13 months away from the launch of its first L1 solar wind monitor, the DSCOVR mission. At the same time, a private company, L'Garde Inc. will be launching a solar sail mission with NOAA as a partner. Recognizing the importance of solar wind monitoring and the need for continuity, the planning process is already underway for the DSCOVR follow-on mission and scenarios for that include commercial data purchases and solar sails. Finally, NOAA planning for an operational coronagraph is moving forward, with continuing development of the Naval Research Laboratory's Compact Coronagraph (CCOR). We will provide details on the current NOAA plans for each of these missions.

Integrating Wind and Solar on the Grid-NREL Analysis Leads the Way -

Science.gov Websites

shown in color, but not including pink/IESO area.) Map provided by NREL Integrating Wind and Solar on the Grid-NREL Analysis Leads the Way NREL studies confirm big wind, solar potential for grid integration To fully harvest the nation's bountiful wind and solar resources, it is critical to know how much

The DYNAMO Orbiter Project: High Resolution Mapping of Gravity/Magnetic Fields and In Situ Investigation of Mars Atmospheric Escape

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smrekar, S.; Chassefiere, E.; Forget, F.; Reme, H.; Mazelle, C.; Blelly, P. -L.; Acuna, M.; Connerney, J.; Purucker, M.; Lin, R.

2000-01-01

Dynamo is a small Mars orbiter planned to be launched in 2005 or 2007, in the frame of the NASA/CNES Mars exploration program. It is aimed at improving gravity and magnetic field resolution, in order to better understand the magnetic, geologic and thermal history of Mars, and at characterizing current atmospheric escape, which is still poorly constrained. These objectives are achieved by using a low periapsis orbit, similar to the one used by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft during its aerobraking phases. The proposed periapsis altitude for Dynamo of 120-130 km, coupled with the global distribution of periapses to be obtained during one Martian year of operation, through about 5000 low passes, will produce a magnetic/gravity field data set with approximately five times the spatial resolution of MGS. Low periapsis provides a unique opportunity to investigate the chemical and dynamical properties of the deep ionosphere, thermosphere, and the interaction between the atmosphere and the solar wind, therefore atmospheric escape, which may have played a crucial role in removing atmosphere, and water, from the planet. There is much room for debate on the importance of current atmosphere escape processes in the evolution of the Martian atmosphere, as early "exotic" processes including hydrodynamic escape and impact erosion are traditionally invoked to explain the apparent sparse inventory of present-day volatiles. Yet, the combination of low surface gravity and the absence of a substantial internally generated magnetic field have undeniable effects on what we observe today. In addition to the current losses in the forms of Jeans and photochemical escape of neutrals, there are solar wind interaction-related erosion mechanisms because the upper atmosphere is directly exposed to the solar wind. The solar wind related loss rates, while now comparable to those of a modest comet, nonetheless occur continuously, with the intriguing possibility of important cumulative and/or enhanced effects over the several billion years of the solar system's life. If the detailed history of the Martian internal field could be traced back, and the current escape processes could be understood well enough to model the expected stronger losses under early Sun conditions, one could go a long way toward constraining this part of the mysterious history of Mars' atmosphere.

Hawaii Solar and Wind Integration Studies | Grid Modernization | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Solar Integration Study and Oahu Wind Integration and Transmission Study investigated the effects of high penetrations of renewables on island grids. Hawaii Solar Integration Study The Hawaii Solar Integration Study was a detailed technical examination of the effects of high penetrations of solar and wind

The average solar wind in the inner heliosphere: Structures and slow variations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwenn, R.

1983-01-01

Measurements from the HELIOS solar probes indicated that apart from solar activity related disturbances there exist two states of the solar wind which might result from basic differences in the acceleration process: the fast solar wind (v 600 kms(-)1) emanating from magnetically open regions in the solar corona and the "slow" solar wind (v 400 kms(-)1) correlated with the more active regions and its mainly closed magnetic structures. In a comprehensive study using all HELIOS data taken between 1974 and 1982 the average behavior of the basic plasma parameters were analyzed as functions of the solar wind speed. The long term variations of the solar wind parameters along the solar cycle were also determined and numerical estimates given. These modulations appear to be distinct though only minor. In agreement with earlier studies it was concluded that the major modulations are in the number and size of high speed streams and in the number of interplanetary shock waves caused by coronal transients. The latter ones usually cause huge deviations from the averages of all parameters.

Statistical Methods for Quantifying the Variability of Solar Wind Transients of All Sizes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tindale, E.; Chapman, S. C.

2016-12-01

The solar wind is inherently variable across a wide range of timescales, from small-scale turbulent fluctuations to the 11-year periodicity induced by the solar cycle. Each solar cycle is unique, and this change in overall cycle activity is coupled from the Sun to Earth via the solar wind, leading to long-term trends in space weather. Our work [Tindale & Chapman, 2016] applies novel statistical methods to solar wind transients of all sizes, to quantify the variability of the solar wind associated with the solar cycle. We use the same methods to link solar wind observations with those on the Sun and Earth. We use Wind data to construct quantile-quantile (QQ) plots comparing the statistical distributions of multiple commonly used solar wind-magnetosphere coupling parameters between the minima and maxima of solar cycles 23 and 24. We find that in each case the distribution is multicomponent, ranging from small fluctuations to extreme values, with the same functional form at all phases of the solar cycle. The change in PDF is captured by a simple change of variables, which is independent of the PDF model. Using this method we can quantify the quietness of the cycle 24 maximum, identify which variable drives the changing distribution of composite parameters such as ɛ, and we show that the distribution of ɛ is less sensitive to changes in its extreme values than that of its constituents. After demonstrating the QQ method on solar wind data, we extend the analysis to include solar and magnetospheric data spanning the same time period. We focus on GOES X-ray flux and WDC AE index data. Finally, having studied the statistics of transients across the full distribution, we apply the same method to time series of extreme bursts in each variable. Using these statistical tools, we aim to track the solar cycle-driven variability from the Sun through the solar wind and into the Earth's magnetosphere. Tindale, E. and S.C. Chapman (2016), Geophys. Res. Lett., 43(11), doi: 10.1002/2016GL068920.

Substorm occurrence rates, substorm recurrence times, and solar wind structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borovsky, Joseph E.; Yakymenko, Kateryna

2017-03-01

Two collections of substorms are created: 28,464 substorms identified with jumps in the SuperMAG AL index in the years 1979-2015 and 16,025 substorms identified with electron injections into geosynchronous orbit in the years 1989-2007. Substorm occurrence rates and substorm recurrence-time distributions are examined as functions of the phase of the solar cycle, the season of the year, the Russell-McPherron favorability, the type of solar wind plasma at Earth, the geomagnetic-activity level, and as functions of various solar and solar wind properties. Three populations of substorm occurrences are seen: (1) quasiperiodically occurring substorms with recurrence times (waiting times) of 2-4 h, (2) randomly occurring substorms with recurrence times of about 6-15 h, and (3) long intervals wherein no substorms occur. A working model is suggested wherein (1) the period of periodic substorms is set by the magnetosphere with variations in the actual recurrence times caused by the need for a solar wind driving interval to occur, (2) the mesoscale structure of the solar wind magnetic field triggers the occurrence of the random substorms, and (3) the large-scale structure of the solar wind plasma is responsible for the long intervals wherein no substorms occur. Statistically, the recurrence period of periodically occurring substorms is slightly shorter when the ram pressure of the solar wind is high, when the magnetic field strength of the solar wind is strong, when the Mach number of the solar wind is low, and when the polar-cap potential saturation parameter is high.

Termination of the solar wind in the hot, partially ionized interstellar medium. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lombard, C. K.

1974-01-01

Theoretical foundations for understanding the problem of the termination of the solar wind are reexamined in the light of most recent findings concerning the states of the solar wind and the local interstellar medium. The investigation suggests that a simple extention of Parker's (1961) analytical model provides a useful approximate description of the combined solar wind, interstellar wind plasma flowfield under conditions presently thought to occur. A linear perturbation solution exhibiting both the effects of photoionization and charge exchange is obtained for the supersonic solar wind. A numerical algorithm is described for computing moments of the non-equilibrium hydrogen distribution function and associated source terms for the MHD equations. Computed using the algorithm in conjunction with the extended Parker solution to approximate the plasma flowfield, profiles of hydrogen number density are given in the solar wind along the upstream and downstream axes of flow with respect to the direction of the interstellar wind. Predictions of solar Lyman-alpha backscatter intensities to be observed at 1 a.u. have been computed, in turn, from a set of such hydrogen number density profiles varied over assumed conditions of the interstellar wind.

The coherent relation between the solar wind proton speed and O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} ratio and its coronal sources

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

Zhao, L., E-mail: lzh@umich.edu; Landi, E.; Fisk, L. A.

We analyze the two-hour resolution solar wind proton speed (V{sub p}) and charge state ratio of O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} measured by ACE (SWICS and SWEPAM) from 1998 to 2011 at 1 AU. By applying a two-step mapping method, we link the solar wind in-situ observations to the corona images captured by SOHO and STEREO, in which we identify the different plasma structures, such as active regions (ARs), coronal holes (CHs) and quiet Sun regions (QS), using a classification scheme based on pixel brightness. Then we determine from which region in the corona the solar wind originates. We examine the in-situmore » properties of the solar wind streams associated with CHs, ARs and QS regions. We find that more than half of CH associated wind is actually slow wind, and O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} ratio has a strong coherent correlation with the location of the solar wind coronal sources. Therefore, we conclude that O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} ratio can be used as a much more effective discriminator to identify solar wind coronal sources region than V{sub p}.« less

A Deeper Understanding of Stability in the Solar Wind: Applying Nyquist's Instability Criterion to Wind Faraday Cup Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alterman, B. L.; Klein, K. G.; Verscharen, D.; Stevens, M. L.; Kasper, J. C.

2017-12-01

Long duration, in situ data sets enable large-scale statistical analysis of free-energy-driven instabilities in the solar wind. The plasma beta and temperature anisotropy plane provides a well-defined parameter space in which a single-fluid plasma's stability can be represented. Because this reduced parameter space can only represent instability thresholds due to the free energy of one ion species - typically the bulk protons - the true impact of instabilities on the solar wind is under estimated. Nyquist's instability criterion allows us to systematically account for other sources of free energy including beams, drifts, and additional temperature anisotropies. Utilizing over 20 years of Wind Faraday cup and magnetic field observations, we have resolved the bulk parameters for three ion populations: the bulk protons, beam protons, and alpha particles. Applying Nyquist's criterion, we calculate the number of linearly growing modes supported by each spectrum and provide a more nuanced consideration of solar wind stability. Using collisional age measurements, we predict the stability of the solar wind close to the sun. Accounting for the free-energy from the three most common ion populations in the solar wind, our approach provides a more complete characterization of solar wind stability.

Solar wind control of auroral zone geomagnetic activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clauer, C. R.; Mcpherron, R. L.; Searls, C.; Kivelson, M. G.

1981-01-01

Solar wind magnetosphere energy coupling functions are analyzed using linear prediction filtering with 2.5 minute data. The relationship of auroral zone geomagnetic activity to solar wind power input functions are examined, and a least squares prediction filter, or impulse response function is designed from the data. Computed impulse response functions are observed to have characteristics of a low pass filter with time delay. The AL index is found well related to solar wind energy functions, although the AU index shows a poor relationship. High frequency variations of auroral indices and substorm expansions are not predictable with solar wind information alone, suggesting influence by internal magnetospheric processes. Finally, the epsilon parameter shows a poorer relationship with auroral geomagnetic activity than a power parameter, having a VBs solar wind dependency.

Conversion of magnetic field energy into kinetic energy in the solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whang, Y. C.

1972-01-01

The outflow of the solar magnetic field energy (the radial component of the Poynting vector) per steradian is inversely proportional to the solar wind velocity. It is a decreasing function of the heliocentric distance. When the magnetic field effect is included in the one-fluid model of the solar wind, the transformation of magnetic field energy into kinetic energy during the expansion process increases the solar wind velocity at 1 AU by 17 percent.

The solar wind in the third dimension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neugebauer, M.

1995-01-01

For many years, solar-wind physicists have been using plasma and field data acquired near the ecliptic plane together with data on the scintillation of radio sources and remote sensing of structures in the solar corona to estimate the properties of the high-latitude solar wind, Because of the highly successful Ulysses mission, the moment of truth is now here. This talk summarizes the principal differences between the high and low latitude solar winds at the declining phase of the solar-activity cycle and between the Ulysses observations and expectations.

Potential for a Danish power system using wind energy generators, solar cells and storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blegaa, S.; Christiansen, G.

1981-10-01

Performance characteristics of a combined solar/wind power system equipped with storage and an unspecified back-up power source are studied on the basis of meteorological data in Denmark from 1959-1972. A model for annual production and storage from wind/solar installations is presented, assuming 12% efficiency for the solar cells and various power coefficients of the windmills, in addition to long and short-term storage. Noting that no correlation between wind and solar energy availability was found, and a constant ratio of 60% wind/40% solar was determined to be the optimum mix for large scale power production without taking into consideration the variations among years. It is concluded that 80-90% of the total Danish electrical load can be covered by solar/wind systems, and 100% may be possible with the addition of pumped hydroelectric storage.

30 CFR 585.112 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... person or entity lawfully designated by or under State law to exercise the powers granted to a Governor... not limited to, wind, solar, and ocean waves, tides, and current. Revenues mean bonuses, rents...

30 CFR 585.112 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... person or entity lawfully designated by or under State law to exercise the powers granted to a Governor... not limited to, wind, solar, and ocean waves, tides, and current. Revenues mean bonuses, rents...

30 CFR 585.112 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... person or entity lawfully designated by or under State law to exercise the powers granted to a Governor... not limited to, wind, solar, and ocean waves, tides, and current. Revenues mean bonuses, rents...

Constraining Solar Wind Heating Processes by Kinetic Properties of Heavy Ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tracy, Patrick J.; Kasper, Justin C.; Raines, Jim M.; Shearer, Paul; Gilbert, Jason A.; Zurbuchen, Thomas H.

2016-06-01

We analyze the heavy ion components (A >4 amu ) in collisionally young solar wind plasma and show that there is a clear, stable dependence of temperature on mass, probably reflecting the conditions in the solar corona. We consider both linear and power law forms for the dependence and find that a simple linear fit of the form Ti/Tp=(1.35 ±.02 )mi/mp describes the observations twice as well as the equivalent best fit power law of the form Ti/Tp=(mi/mp) 1.07 ±.01 . Most importantly we find that current model predictions based on turbulent transport and kinetic dissipation are in agreement with observed nonthermal heating in intermediate collisional age plasma for m /q <3.5 , but are not in quantitative or qualitative agreement with the lowest collisional age results. These dependencies provide new constraints on the physics of ion heating in multispecies plasmas, along with predictions to be tested by the upcoming Solar Probe Plus and Solar Orbiter missions to the near-Sun environment.

Remote Sensing of the Solar Wind Density, Speed, and Temperature in the Region between the Sun and Parker Solar Probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davila, J. M.; Reginald, N. L.

2017-12-01

A coronagraph is the tool of choice to understand and observe the structure of the corona from space. The novel coronagraph concept presented her provides a new scientific capability that will allow the measurement of density, temperature, and flow velocity in the solar atmosphere. This instrument will provide the first remote sensing measurement of the global solar wind temperature, density, and flow speed in the regions between 3 and 8 Rsun. It is in this region that the manority of the solar wind acceleration takes place, and where the ion compsition of the solar wind is "frozen in". This is also the region of the corona that links the surface of the Sun to the Parker Solar Probe and to Solar Orbiter. The observations suggested here would dramatically improve our understanding of solar wind formation and evolution in this critical region.

Erosion of carbon/carbon by solar wind charged particle radiation during a solar probe mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sokolowski, Witold; O'Donnell, Tim; Millard, Jerry

1991-01-01

The possible erosion of a carbon/carbon thermal shield by solar wind-charged particle radiation is reviewed. The present knowledge of erosion data for carbon and/or graphite is surveyed, and an explanation of erosion mechanisms under different charged particle environments is discussed. The highest erosion is expected at four solar radii. Erosion rates are analytically estimated under several conservative assumptions for a normal quiet and worst case solar wind storm conditions. Mass loss analyses and comparison studies surprisingly indicate that the predicted erosion rate by solar wind could be greater than by nominal free sublimation during solar wind storm conditions at four solar radii. The predicted overall mass loss of a carbon/carbon shield material during the critical four solar radii flyby can still meet the mass loss mission requirement of less than 0.0025 g/sec.

Missing pressure in the dayside ionosphere of Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cloutier, P. A.; Stewart, B. K.; Taylor, H. A., Jr.

1992-01-01

Data obtained by various instruments on the Pioneer-Venus spacecraft were used to study the conservation of momentum flux from the solar wind through the dayside ionopause into the thermal Venus ionosphere. A consistent pressure deficit was found below the ionopause, with a strong dependence on solar wind pressure. Independent of solar wind pressure, the pressure deficit was found to decrease with decreasing altitude below the ionopause. Measurements of this pressure deficit (missing pressure) are presented as a function of altitude for various solar wind conditions. The identity of the missing pressure component and the correlation with solar wind pressure are discussed.

Collisionless solar wind protons: A comparison of kinetic and hydrodynamic descriptions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leer, E.; Holzer, T. E.

1971-01-01

Kinetic and hydrodynamic descriptions of a collisionless solar wind proton gas are compared. Heat conduction and viscosity are neglected in the hydrodynamic formulation but automatically included in the kinetic formulation. The results of the two models are very nearly the same, indicating that heat conduction and viscosity are not important in the solar wind proton gas beyond about 0.1 AU. It is concluded that the hydrodynamic equations provide a valid description of the collisionless solar wind protons, and hence that future models of the quiet solar wind should be based on a hydrodynamic formulation.

IPS analysis on relationship among velocity, density and temperature of the solar wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, K.; Tokumaru, M.; Fujiki, K.

2015-12-01

The IPS(Interplanetary Scintillation)-MHD(magnetohydrodynamics) tomography is a method we have developed to determine three-dimensional MHD solution of the solar wind that best matches the line-of-sight IPS solar-wind speed data (Hayashi et al., 2003). The tomographic approach is an iteration method in which IPS observations are simulated in MHD steady-state solution, then differences between the simulated observation and the actual IPS observation is reduced by modifying solar-wind boundary map at 50 solar radii. This forward model needs to assume solar wind density and temperature as function of speed. We use empirical functions, N(V) and T(V), derived from Helios in-situ measurement data within 0.5 AU in 1970s. For recent years, especially after 2006, these functions yield higher densities and lower temperatures than in-situ measurements indicate. To characterize the differences between the simulated and actual solar wind plasma, we tune parameters in the functions so that agreements with in-situ data (near the Earth and at Ulysses) will be optimized. This optimization approach can help better simulations of the solar corona and heliosphere, and will help our understandings on roles of magnetic field in solar wind heating and acceleration.

Solar Wind Five

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neugebauer, M. (Editor)

1983-01-01

Topics of discussion were: solar corona, MHD waves and turbulence, acceleration of the solar wind, stellar coronae and winds, long term variations, energetic particles, plasma distribution functions and waves, spatial dependences, and minor ions.

3D ELECTRON DENSITY DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE SOLAR CORONA DURING SOLAR MINIMA: ASSESSMENT FOR MORE REALISTIC SOLAR WIND MODELING

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

Patoul, Judith de; Foullon, Claire; Riley, Pete, E-mail: j.depatoul@exeter.ac.uk, E-mail: c.foullon@exeter.ac.uk, E-mail: rileype@saic.com

Knowledge of the electron density distribution in the solar corona put constraints on the magnetic field configurations for coronal modeling and on initial conditions for solar wind modeling. We work with polarized SOHO/LASCO-C2 images from the last two recent minima of solar activity (1996–1997 and 2008–2010), devoid of coronal mass ejections. The goals are to derive the 4D electron density distributions in the corona by applying a newly developed time-dependent tomographic reconstruction method and to compare the results between the two solar minima and with two magnetohydrodynamic models. First, we confirm that the values of the density distribution in thermodynamic models aremore » more realistic than in polytropic ones. The tomography provides more accurate distributions in the polar regions, and we find that the density in tomographic and thermodynamic solutions varies with the solar cycle in both polar and equatorial regions. Second, we find that the highest-density structures do not always correspond to the predicted large-scale heliospheric current sheet or its helmet streamer but can follow the locations of pseudo-streamers. We deduce that tomography offers reliable density distributions in the corona, reproducing the slow time evolution of coronal structures, without prior knowledge of the coronal magnetic field over a full rotation. Finally, we suggest that the highest-density structures show a differential rotation well above the surface depending on how they are magnetically connected to the surface. Such valuable information on the rotation of large-scale structures could help to connect the sources of the solar wind to their in situ counterparts in future missions such as Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus.« less

Paradigm transition in cosmic plasma physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alfven, H.

1982-01-01

New discoveries in cosmic plasma physics are described, and their applications to solar, interstellar, galactic, and cosmological problems are discussed. The new discoveries include the existence of double layers in magnetized plasmas and in the low magnetosphere, and energy transfer by electric current in the auroral circuit. It is argued that solar flares and the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction should not be interpreted in terms of magnetic merging theories, and that electric current needs to be explicitly taken account of in understanding these phenomena. The filamentary structure of cosmic plasmas may be caused by electric currents in space, and the pinch effect may have a central role to play in the evolutionary history of interstellar clouds, stars, and solar systems. Space may have a cellular structure, with the cell walls formed by thin electric current layers. Annihilation may be the source of energy for quasars and the Hubble expansion, and the big bang cosmology may well be wrong.

Gradients and anisotropies of high energy cosmic rays in the outer heliosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fillius, W.; Roelof, E. C.; Smith, E. J.; Wood, D.; Ip, W. H.

1985-01-01

Previous studies at lower energies have shown that the cosmic ray density gradients vary in space and time, and many authors currently are suggesting that the radial gradient associated with solar cycle modulation is supported largely by narrow barriers which encircle the Sun and propagate outward with the solar wind. If so, the anisotropy is a desirable way to detect spatial gradients, because it can be associated with the local solar wind and magnetic field conditions. With this in mind, the anisotropy measurements made by the UCSD Cerenkov detectors on Pioneers 10 and 11 are studied. It is shown that the local anisotropy varies greatly, but that the long term average is consistent with the global radial gradient measured between two spacecraft over a baseline of many AU.

Summary of NASA-Lewis Research Center solar heating and cooling and wind energy programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vernon, R. W.

1975-01-01

NASA is planning to construct and operate a solar heating and cooling system in conjunction with a new office building being constructed at Langley Research Center. The technology support for this project will be provided by a solar energy program underway at NASA's Lewis Research Center. The solar program at Lewis includes: testing of solar collectors with a solar simulator, outdoor testing of collectors, property measurements of selective and nonselective coatings for solar collectors, and a solar model-systems test loop. NASA-Lewis has been assisting the National Science Foundation and now the Energy Research and Development Administration in planning and executing a national wind energy program. The areas of the wind energy program that are being conducted by Lewis include: design and operation of a 100 kW experimental wind generator, industry-designed and user-operated wind generators in the range of 50 to 3000 kW, and supporting research and technology for large wind energy systems. An overview of these activities is provided.

Three-Dimensional Evolution of Flux-Rope CMEs and Its Relation to the Local Orientation of the Heliospheric Current Sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isavnin, A.; Vourlidas, A.; Kilpua, E. K. J.

2014-06-01

Flux ropes ejected from the Sun may change their geometrical orientation during their evolution, which directly affects their geoeffectiveness. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how solar flux ropes evolve in the heliosphere to improve our space-weather forecasting tools. We present a follow-up study of the concepts described by Isavnin, Vourlidas, and Kilpua ( Solar Phys. 284, 203, 2013). We analyze 14 coronal mass ejections (CMEs), with clear flux-rope signatures, observed during the decay of Solar Cycle 23 and rise of Solar Cycle 24. First, we estimate initial orientations of the flux ropes at the origin using extreme-ultraviolet observations of post-eruption arcades and/or eruptive prominences. Then we reconstruct multi-viewpoint coronagraph observations of the CMEs from ≈ 2 to 30 R⊙ with a three-dimensional geometric representation of a flux rope to determine their geometrical parameters. Finally, we propagate the flux ropes from ≈ 30 R⊙ to 1 AU through MHD-simulated background solar wind while using in-situ measurements at 1 AU of the associated magnetic cloud as a constraint for the propagation technique. This methodology allows us to estimate the flux-rope orientation all the way from the Sun to 1 AU. We find that while the flux-ropes' deflection occurs predominantly below 30 R⊙, a significant amount of deflection and rotation happens between 30 R⊙ and 1 AU. We compare the flux-rope orientation to the local orientation of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). We find that slow flux ropes tend to align with the streams of slow solar wind in the inner heliosphere. During the solar-cycle minimum the slow solar-wind channel as well as the HCS usually occupy the area in the vicinity of the solar equatorial plane, which in the past led researchers to the hypothesis that flux ropes align with the HCS. Our results show that exceptions from this rule are explained by interaction with the Parker-spiraled background magnetic field, which dominates over the magnetic interaction with the HCS in the inner heliosphere at least during solar-minimum conditions.

Solar wind composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ogilvie, K. W.; Coplan, M. A.

1995-01-01

Advances in instrumentation have resulted in the determination of the average abundances of He, C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Si, S, and Fe in the solar wind to approximately 10%. Comparisons with solar energetic particle (SEP) abundances and galactic cosmic ray abundances have revealed many similarities, especially when compared with solar photospheric abundances. It is now well established that fractionation in the corona results in an overabundance (with respect to the photosphere) of elements with first ionization potentials less than 10 eV. These observations have in turn led to the development of fractionation models that are reasonably successful in reproducing the first ionization (FIP) effect. Under some circumstances it has been possible to relate solar wind observations to particular source regions in the corona. The magnetic topologies of the source regions appear to have a strong influence on the fractionation of elements. Comparisons with spectroscopic data are particularly useful in classifying the different topologies. Ions produced from interstellar neutral atoms are also found in the solar wind. These ions are picked up by the solar wind after ionization by solar radiation or charge exchange and can be identified by their velocity in the solar wind. The pick-up ions provide most of the pressure in the interplanetary medium at large distances. Interstellar abundances can be derived from the observed fluxes of solar wind pick-up ions.

The impacts of climate changes in the renewable energy resources in the Caribbean region

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

Erickson III, David J

2010-02-01

Assessment of renewable energy resources such as surface solar radiation and wind current has great relevance in the development of local and regional energy policies. This paper examines the variability and availability of these resources as a function of possible climate changes for the Caribbean region. Global climate changes have been reported in the last decades, causing changes in the atmospheric dynamics, which affects the net solar radiation balance at the surface and the wind strength and direction. For this investigation, the future climate changes for the Caribbean are predicted using the parallel climate model (PCM) and it is coupledmore » with the numerical model regional atmospheric modeling system (RAMS) to simulate the solar and wind energy spatial patterns changes for the specific case of the island of Puerto Rico. Numerical results from PCM indicate that the Caribbean basin from 2041 to 2055 will experience a slight decrease in the net surface solar radiation (with respect to the years 1996-2010), which is more pronounced in the western Caribbean sea. Results also indicate that the easterly winds have a tendency to increase in its magnitude, especially from the years 2070 to 2098. The regional model showed that important areas to collect solar energy are located in the eastern side of Puerto Rico, while the more intense wind speed is placed around the coast. A future climate change is expected in the Caribbean that will result in higher energy demands, but both renewable energy sources will have enough intensity to be used in the future as alternative energy resources to mitigate future climate changes.« less

Grid-Free 2D Plasma Simulations of the Complex Interaction Between the Solar Wind and Small, Near-Earth Asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, M. I.; Farrell, W. M.; Poppe, A. R.

2014-01-01

We present results from a new grid-free 2D plasma simulation code applied to a small, unmagnetized body immersed in the streaming solar wind plasma. The body was purposely modeled as an irregular shape in order to examine photoemission and solar wind plasma flow in high detail on the dayside, night-side, terminator and surface-depressed 'pocket' regions. Our objective is to examine the overall morphology of the various plasma interaction regions that form around a small body like a small near-Earth asteroid (NEA). We find that the object obstructs the solar wind flow and creates a trailing wake region downstream, which involves the interplay between surface charging and ambipolar plasma expansion. Photoemission is modeled as a steady outflow of electrons from illuminated portions of the surface, and under direct illumination the surface forms a non-monotonic or ''double-sheath'' electric potential upstream of the body, which is important for understanding trajectories and equilibria of lofted dust grains in the presence of a complex asteroid geometry. The largest electric fields are found at the terminators, where ambipolar plasma expansion in the body-sized night-side wake merges seamlessly with the thin photoelectric sheath on the dayside. The pocket regions are found to be especially complex, with nearby sunlit regions of positive potential electrically connected to unlit negative potentials and forming adjacent natural electric dipoles. For objects near the surface, we find electrical dissipation times (through collection of local environmental solar wind currents) that vary over at least 5 orders of magnitude: from 39 Micro(s) inside the near-surface photoelectron cloud under direct sunlight to less than 1 s inside the particle-depleted night-side wake and shadowed pocket regions

Direct evidence for magnetic reconnection in the solar wind near 1 AU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gosling, J. T.; Skoug, R. M.; McComas, D. J.; Smith, C. W.

2005-01-01

We have obtained direct evidence for local magnetic reconnection in the solar wind using solar wind plasma and magnetic field data obtained by the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE). The prime evidence consists of accelerated ion flow observed within magnetic field reversal regions in the solar wind. Here we report such observations obtained in the interior of an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) or at the interface between two ICMEs on 23 November 1997 at a time when the magnetic field was stronger than usual. The observed plasma acceleration was consistent with the Walen relationship, which relates changes in flow velocity to density-weighted changes in the magnetic field vector. Pairs of proton beams having comparable densities and counterstreaming relative to one another along the magnetic field at a speed of ˜1.4VA, where VA was the local Alfven speed, were observed near the center of the accelerated flow event. We infer from the observations that quasi-stationary reconnection occurred sunward of the spacecraft and that the accelerated flow occurred within a Petschek-type reconnection exhaust region bounded by Alfven waves and having a cross section width of ˜4 × 105 km as it swept over ACE. The counterstreaming ion beams resulted from solar wind plasma entering the exhaust region from opposite directions along the reconnected magnetic field lines. We have identified a limited number (five) of other accelerated flow events in the ACE data that are remarkably similar to the 23 November 1997 event. All such events identified occurred at thin current sheets associated with moderate to large changes in magnetic field orientation (98°-162°) in plasmas characterized by low proton beta (0.01-0.15) and high Alfven speed (51-204 km/s). They also were all associated with ICMEs.

Identifying "Carrington Events" in Solar, Solar Wind, and Magnetospheric Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, C. T.; Riley, P.; Luhmann, J. G.; Lai, H.

2016-12-01

Extreme space weather begins when extraordinary levels of stored magnetic energy in the photosphere rapidly destabilizes. This destabilization generally releases a rapidly expelled plasma and magnetic flux rope. Large fluxes of highly relativistic particles signal the event and at Earth precede the expelled flux rope. The most recent such solar event did not encounter the Earth, but was recorded by STEREO A on July 23, 2012. The energy density in the relativistic particles that preceded the rapidly expanding magnetic cloud was so intense that the compression front expanded with a sub fast mode speed (i.e. `subsonically') and the compression front became a slow mode wave. The peak magnetic field in the rope was 109 nT, larger than any previously reported field at 1 AU in the solar wind. An equally fast disturbance left the Sun on September 1, 1859, and caused intense induced currents when it reached the Earth. It is likely that at least some of the magnetospheric currents were caused by the accompanying magnetic cloud, but magnetospheric diagnostics were scarce during this event. This first space weather event became the defining occurrence of extreme space weather. A second modern event not generally recognized as "Carrington" class, but arguably super-Carrington, arrived on August 4, 1972. Between the Apollo 16 and 17 missions. It was a strong producer of geomagnetic induced currents, but produced only a weak ring current, possibly because the part of the magnetic cloud in contact with the Earth had a polarity that did not couple the solar wind momentum flux to the magnetosphere. The pressure wave reached 1 AU in the shortest time of any recorded solar event and brought an energetic particle flux that would have harmed the astronauts had they been in space. To identify which solar events are capable of producing the most extreme space weather events, we must identify those that are expelled toward the Earth at the highest speeds. How these events manifest their extreme behavior at Earth depends on the magnetic configuration of the rope that interacts with the Earth's magnetosphere. Thus, predicting the magnetic structure of the rope is also important. In this talk, we compare these three Carrington class events to understand both how they might affect modern society, and how their effects might be predicted and mitigated.

Self consistent MHD modeling of the solar wind from coronal holes with distinct geometries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, G. A.; Bravo, S.

1995-01-01

Utilizing an iterative scheme, a self-consistent axisymmetric MHD model for the solar wind has been developed. We use this model to evaluate the properties of the solar wind issuing from the open polar coronal hole regions of the Sun, during solar minimum. We explore the variation of solar wind parameters across the extent of the hole and we investigate how these variations are affected by the geometry of the hole and the strength of the field at the coronal base.

Books on Energy: A Current Checklist.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryles, Daisy; Dahlin, Robert

1980-01-01

This checklist of books related to energy is divided into categories dealing with the topics of oil, nuclear energy, alternative sources (general, solar, wood, and wind), conservation, energy for homes, and architecture. (SA)

Validating a magnetic reconnection model for the magnetopause

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Colin

2012-01-01

Originating in the Sun's million-degree corona, the solar wind flows at supersonic speeds into interplanetary space, carrying with it the solar magnetic field. As the solar wind reaches Earth's orbit, its interaction with the geomagnetic field forms the magnetosphere, a bubble-like structure within the solar wind flow that shields Earth from direct exposure to the solar wind as well as to the highly energetic charged particles produced during solar storms. Under certain orientations, the magnetic field entrained in the solar wind, known as the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), merges with the geomagnetic field, transferring mass, momentum, and energy to the magnetosphere. The merging of these two distinct magnetic fields occurs through magnetic reconnection, a fundamental plasma-physical process that converts magnetic energy into kinetic energy and heat.

A Possible Cause of the Diminished Solar Wind During the Solar Cycle 23 - 24 Minimum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liou, Kan; Wu, Chin-Chun

2016-12-01

Interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind plasma density observed at 1 AU during Solar Cycle 23 - 24 (SC-23/24) minimum were significantly smaller than those during its previous solar cycle (SC-22/23) minimum. Because the Earth's orbit is embedded in the slow wind during solar minimum, changes in the geometry and/or content of the slow wind region (SWR) can have a direct influence on the solar wind parameters near the Earth. In this study, we analyze solar wind plasma and magnetic field data of hourly values acquired by Ulysses. It is found that the solar wind, when averaging over the first (1995.6 - 1995.8) and third (2006.9 - 2008.2) Ulysses' perihelion ({˜} 1.4 AU) crossings, was about the same speed, but significantly less dense ({˜} 34 %) and cooler ({˜} 20 %), and the total magnetic field was {˜} 30 % weaker during the third compared to the first crossing. It is also found that the SWR was {˜} 50 % wider in the third ({˜} 68.5^deg; in heliographic latitude) than in the first ({˜} 44.8°) solar orbit. The observed latitudinal increase in the SWR is sufficient to explain the excessive decline in the near-Earth solar wind density during the recent solar minimum without speculating that the total solar output may have been decreasing. The observed SWR inflation is also consistent with a cooler solar wind in the SC-23/24 than in the SC-22/23 minimum. Furthermore, the ratio of the high-to-low latitude photospheric magnetic field (or equatorward magnetic pressure force), as observed by the Mountain Wilson Observatory, is smaller during the third than the first Ulysses' perihelion orbit. These findings suggest that the smaller equatorward magnetic pressure at the Sun may have led to the latitudinally-wider SRW observed by Ulysses in SC-23/24 minimum.

Dynamics of the solar wind and its interaction with bodies in the solar system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spreiter, J. R.

1971-01-01

A discussion of the solar wind and its interaction with bodies of the solar system is presented. An overall unified account of the role of shock waves in the heating of the solar corona, the transmission of solar disturbances to the solar system, the flow fields of planets and natural satellites, and biological effects are provided. An analysis of magnetometer data from Explorer 33 and Vela 3A satellites to identify characteristics of solar wind shock waves is included.

Elemental abundances in corotating events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonrosenvinge, T. T.; Mcguire, R. E.

1986-01-01

Large, persistent solar-wind streams in 1973 and 1974 produced corotating interaction regions which accelerated particles to energies of a few MeV/nucleon. The proton to helium ratio (H/He) reported was remarkably constant at a value (22 + or - 5) equal to that in the solar wind (32 + or - 3), suggesting that particles were being accelerated directly out of the solar wind. Preliminary results from a similar study approximately 11 years (i.e., one solar cycle) later are reported. Corotating events were identified by surveying the solar wind data, energetic particle time-histories and anisotropies. This data was all obtained from the ISEE-3/ICE spacecraft. These events also show H/He ratios similar to that in the solar wind. In addition, other corotating events were examined at times when solar flare events could have injected particles into the corresponding corotating interaction regions. It was found that in these cases there is evidence for H/He ratios which are significantly different from that of the solar wind but which are consistent with the range of values found in solar flare events.

Solar Wind Helium Abundance as a Function of Speed and Heliographic Latitude: Variation through a Solar Cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kasper, J. C.; Stenens, M. L.; Stevens, M. L.; Lazarus, A. J.; Steinberg, J. T.; Ogilvie, Keith W.

2006-01-01

We present a study of the variation of the relative abundance of helium to hydrogen in the solar wind as a function of solar wind speed and heliographic latitude over the previous solar cycle. The average values of A(sub He), the ratio of helium to hydrogen number densities, are calculated in 25 speed intervals over 27-day Carrington rotations using Faraday Cup observations from the Wind spacecraft between 1995 and 2005. The higher speed and time resolution of this study compared to an earlier work with the Wind observations has led to the discovery of three new aspects of A(sub He), modulation during solar minimum from mid-1995 to mid-1997. First, we find that for solar wind speeds between 350 and 415 km/s, A(sub He), varies with a clear six-month periodicity, with a minimum value at the heliographic equatorial plane and a typical gradient of 0.01 per degree in latitude. For the slow wind this is a 30% effect. We suggest that the latitudinal gradient may be due to an additional dependence of coronal proton flux on coronal field strength or the stability of coronal loops. Second, once the gradient is subtracted, we find that A(sub He), is a remarkably linear function of solar wind speed. Finally, we identify a vanishing speed, at which A(sub He), is zero, is 259 km/s and note that this speed corresponds to the minimum solar wind speed observed at one AU. The vanishing speed may be related to previous theoretical work in which enhancements of coronal helium lead to stagnation of the escaping proton flux. During solar maximum the A(sub He), dependences on speed and latitude disappear, and we interpret this as evidence of two source regions for slow solar wind in the ecliptic plane, one being the solar minimum streamer belt and the other likely being active regions.

Anomalously low C{sup 6+}/C{sup 5+} ratio in solar wind: ACE/SWICS observation

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

Zhao, L., E-mail: lzh@umich.edu; Landi, E.; Kocher, M.

The Carbon and Oxygen ionization states in the solar wind plasma freeze-in within 2 solar radii (R{sub s}) from the solar surface, and then they do not change as they propagate with the solar wind into the heliosphere. Therefore, the O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} and C{sup 6+}/C{sup 5+} charge state ratios measured in situ maintain a record of the thermal properties (electron temperature and density) of the inner corona where the solar wind originates. Since these two ratios freeze-in at very similar height, they are expected to be correlated. However, an investigation of the correlation between these two ratios as measuredmore » by ACE/SWICS instrument from 1998 to 201l shows that there is a subset of “Outliers” departing from the expected correlation. We find about 49.4% of these Outliers is related to the Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs), while 49.6% of them is slow speed wind (V{sub p} < 500 km/s) and about 1.0% of them is fast solar wind (V{sub p} > 500 km/s). We compare the outlier-slow-speed wind with the normal slow wind (defined as V{sub p} < 500 km/s and O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} > 0.2) and find that the reason that causes the Outliers to depart from the correlation is their extremely depleted C{sup 6+}/C{sup 5+} ratio which is decreased by 80% compared to the normal slow wind. We discuss the implication of the Outlier solar wind for the solar wind acceleration mechanism.« less

The solar wind - Moon interaction discovered by MAP-PACE on KAGUYA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Y.; Yokota, S.; Tanaka, T.; Asamura, K.; Nishino, M. N.; Yamamoto, T.; Tsunakawa, H.; Shibuya, H.; Shimizu, H.; Takahashi, F.

2009-12-01

Magnetic field And Plasma experiment - Plasma energy Angle and Composition Experiment (MAP-PACE) on KAGUYA (SELENE) completed its ˜1.5-year observation of the low energy charged particles around the Moon. SELENE was successfully launched on 14 September 2007 by H2A launch vehicle from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. SELENE was inserted into a circular lunar polar orbit of 100km altitude and continued observation for nearly 1.5 years till it impacted the Moon on 10 June 2009. During the last 5 months, the orbit was lowered to ˜50km-altitude between January 2009 and April 2009, and some orbits had further lower perilune altitude of ˜10km after April 2009. The newly observed data showed characteristic ion distributions around the Moon. Besides the solar wind, one of the MAP-PACE sensors MAP-PACE-IMA (Ion Mass Analyzer) discovered four clearly distinguishable ion distributions on the dayside of the Moon: 1) Solar wind ions backscattered at the lunar surface, 2) Solar wind ions reflected by magnetic anomalies on the lunar surface, 3) Ions that are originating from the reflected / backscattered solar wind ions and are pick-up accelerated by the solar wind convection electric field, and 4) Ions originating from the lunar surface / lunar atmosphere. One of the most important discoveries of the ion mass spectrometer (MAP-PACE-IMA) is the first in-situ measurements of the alkali ions originating from the Moon surface / atmosphere. The ions generated on the lunar surface by solar wind sputtering, solar photon stimulated desorption, or micro-meteorite vaporization are accelerated by the solar wind convection electric field and detected by IMA. The mass profiles of these ions show ions including He+, C+, O+, Na+, and K+/Ar+. The heavy ions were also observed when the Moon was in the Earth’s magnetotail where no solar wind ions impinged on the lunar surface. This discovery strongly restricts the possible generation mechanisms of the ionized alkali atmosphere around the Moon. When KAGUYA flew over South Pole Aitken region, where strong magnetic anomalies exist, solar wind ions reflected by magnetic anomalies were observed. These reflected ions had nearly the same energy as the incident solar wind ions, and their flux was more than 10% of the incident solar wind ions. At 100km altitude, when the reflected ions were observed, the simultaneously measured electrons were often heated and the incident solar wind ions were sometimes slightly decelerated. At ~50km altitude, when the reflected ions were observed, proton scattering at the lunar surface clearly disappeared. At ~10km altitude, the interaction between the solar wind ions and the lunar magnetic anomalies was remarkable with clear deceleration of the incident solar wind ions and heating of the reflected ions as well as significant heating of the electrons. These newly discovered plasma signatures around the Moon are the evidences of the smallest magnetosphere ever observed.

An empirical polytrope law for solar wind thermal electrons between 0.45 and 4.76 AU: Voyager 2 and Mariner 10

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sittler, E. C., Jr.; Scudder, J. D.

1979-01-01

Empirical evidence is presented that solar wind thermal electrons obey a polytrope law with polytrope index gamma = 1.175 plus or minus 0.03. The Voyager 2 and Mariner 10 data used as evidence are compared and discussed. The theoretical predictions that solar wind thermal electrons in the asymptotic solar wind should obey a polytrope law with polytrope index gamma = 1.16 plus or minus. The widespread impressions in the literature that solar wind electrons behave more like an isothermal than adiabatic gas, and the arguments that Coulomb collisions are the dominant stochastic process shaping observed electron distribution functions in the solar wind are reexamined, reviewed and evaluated. The assignment of the interplanetary potential as equal to approximately seven times the temperature of the thermal electrons is discussed.

Three-Dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Modeling of the Solar Wind Including Pickup Protons and Turbulence Transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Usmanov, Arcadi V.; Goldstein, Melvyn L.; Matthaeus, William H.

2012-01-01

To study the effects of interstellar pickup protons and turbulence on the structure and dynamics of the solar wind, we have developed a fully three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic solar wind model that treats interstellar pickup protons as a separate fluid and incorporates the transport of turbulence and turbulent heating. The governing system of equations combines the mean-field equations for the solar wind plasma, magnetic field, and pickup protons and the turbulence transport equations for the turbulent energy, normalized cross-helicity, and correlation length. The model equations account for photoionization of interstellar hydrogen atoms and their charge exchange with solar wind protons, energy transfer from pickup protons to solar wind protons, and plasma heating by turbulent dissipation. Separate mass and energy equations are used for the solar wind and pickup protons, though a single momentum equation is employed under the assumption that the pickup protons are comoving with the solar wind protons.We compute the global structure of the solar wind plasma, magnetic field, and turbulence in the region from 0.3 to 100 AU for a source magnetic dipole on the Sun tilted by 0 deg - .90 deg and compare our results with Voyager 2 observations. The results computed with and without pickup protons are superposed to evaluate quantitatively the deceleration and heating effects of pickup protons, the overall compression of the magnetic field in the outer heliosphere caused by deceleration, and the weakening of corotating interaction regions by the thermal pressure of pickup protons.

Microgrid Control Strategy Utlizing Thermal Energy Storage With Renewable Solar And Wind Power Generation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

13 Figure 6. Vertical Axis Wind Turbines and Photovoltaic Solar Panels ....................15 Figure 7. Solar Sunny Boy Inverter...16 Figure 8. Wind Turbine Inverters...1. Comparison of Energy Storage. Adapted from [16], [18], [19]. ................10 Table 2. DC Operating Voltage of Wind Turbine Inverters

Analysis of off-grid hybrid wind turbine/solar PV water pumping systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

While many remote water pumping systems exist (e.g. mechanical windmills, solar photovoltaic , wind-electric, diesel powered), very few combine both the wind and solar energy resources to possibly improve the reliability and the performance of the system. In this paper, off-grid wind turbine (WT) a...

Solar Drivers for Space Weather Operations (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, S. M.

2013-12-01

Most space weather effects can be tied back to the Sun, and major research efforts are devoted to understanding the physics of the relevant phenomena with a long-term view of predicting their occurrence. This talk will focus on the current state of knowledge regarding the solar drivers of space weather, and in particular the connection between the science and operational needs. Topics covered will include the effects of solar ionizing flux on communications and navigation, radio interference, flare forecasting, the solar wind and the arrival of coronal mass ejections at Earth.

DXL: A Sounding Rocket Mission for the Study of Solar Wind Charge Exchange and Local Hot Bubble X-Ray Emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Galeazzi, M.; Prasai, K.; Uprety, Y.; Chiao, M.; Collier, M. R.; Koutroumpa, D.; Porter, F. S.; Snowden, S.; Cravens, T.; Robertson, I.;

Oxygen Pickup Ions Measured by MAVEN Outside the Martian Bow Shock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmati, A.; Cravens, T.; Larson, D. E.; Lillis, R. J.; Dunn, P.; Halekas, J. S.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Eparvier, F. G.; Thiemann, E.; Mitchell, D. L.; Jakosky, B. M.

2015-12-01

The MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) spacecraft entered orbit around Mars on September 21, 2014 and has since been detecting energetic oxygen pickup ions by its SEP (Solar Energetic Particles) and SWIA (Solar Wind Ion Analyzer) instruments. The oxygen pickup ions detected outside the Martian bowshock and in the upstream solar wind are associated with the extended hot oxygen exosphere of Mars, which is created mainly by the dissociative recombination of molecular oxygen ions with electrons in the ionosphere. We use analytic solutions to the equations of motion of pickup ions moving in the undisturbed upstream solar wind magnetic and motional electric fields and calculate the flux of oxygen pickup ions at the location of MAVEN. Our model calculates the ionization rate of oxygen atoms in the exosphere based on the hot oxygen densities predicted by Rahmati et al. (2014), and the sources of ionization include photo-ionization, charge exchange, and electron impact ionization. The photo-ionization frequency is calculated using the FISM (Flare Irradiance Spectral Model) solar flux model, based on MAVEN EUVM (Extreme Ultra-Violet Monitor) measurements. The frequency of charge exchange between a solar wind proton and an oxygen atom is calculated using MAVEN SWIA solar wind proton flux measurements, and the electron impact ionization frequency is calculated based on MAVEN SWEA (Solar Wind Electron Analyzer) solar wind electron flux measurements. The solar wind magnetic field used in the model is from the measurements taken by MAVEN MAG (magnetometer) in the upstream solar wind. The good agreement between our predicted pickup oxygen fluxes and the MAVEN SEP and SWIA measured ones confirms detection of oxygen pickup ions and these model-data comparisons can be used to constrain models of hot oxygen densities and photochemical escape flux.

Understanding non-equilibrium collisional and expansion effects in the solar wind with Parker Solar Probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korreck, K. E.; Klein, K. G.; Maruca, B.; Alterman, B. L.

2017-12-01

The evolution of the solar wind from the corona to the Earth and throughout the heliosphere is a complex interplay between local micro kinetics and large scale expansion effects. These processes in the solar wind need to be separated in order to understand and distinguish the dominant mechanism for heating and acceleration of the solar wind. With the upcoming launch in 2018 of Parker Solar Probe and the launch of Solar Orbiter after, addressing the local and global phenomena will be enabled with in situ measurements. Parker Solar Probe will go closer to the Sun than any previous mission enabling the ability to examine the solar wind at an early expansion age. This work examines the predictions for what will be seen inside of the 0.25 AU (54 solar radii) where Parker Solar Probe will take measurements and lays the groundwork for disentangling the expansion and collisional effects. In addition, methods of thermal plasma data analysis to determine the stability of the plasma in the Parker Solar Probe measurements will be discussed.

SOLAR WIND HEAVY IONS OVER SOLAR CYCLE 23: ACE/SWICS MEASUREMENTS

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

Lepri, S. T.; Landi, E.; Zurbuchen, T. H.

2013-05-01

Solar wind plasma and compositional properties reflect the physical properties of the corona and its evolution over time. Studies comparing the previous solar minimum with the most recent, unusual solar minimum indicate that significant environmental changes are occurring globally on the Sun. For example, the magnetic field decreased 30% between the last two solar minima, and the ionic charge states of O have been reported to change toward lower values in the fast wind. In this work, we systematically and comprehensively analyze the compositional changes of the solar wind during cycle 23 from 2000 to 2010 while the Sun movedmore » from solar maximum to solar minimum. We find a systematic change of C, O, Si, and Fe ionic charge states toward lower ionization distributions. We also discuss long-term changes in elemental abundances and show that there is a {approx}50% decrease of heavy ion abundances (He, C, O, Si, and Fe) relative to H as the Sun went from solar maximum to solar minimum. During this time, the relative abundances in the slow wind remain organized by their first ionization potential. We discuss these results and their implications for models of the evolution of the solar atmosphere, and for the identification of the fast and slow wind themselves.« less

Cutting-edge Kinetic Physics with Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter: The Arbitrary Linear Plasma Solver (ALPS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verscharen, D.; Klein, K. G.; Chandran, B. D. G.; Stevens, M. L.; Salem, C. S.; Bale, S. D.

2017-12-01

The Arbitrary Linear Plasma Solver (ALPS) is a parallelized numerical code that solves the dispersion relation in a hot (even relativistic) magnetized plasma with an arbitrary number of particle species with arbitrary gyrotropic equilibrium distribution functions for any direction of wave propagation with respect to the background field. In this way, ALPS retains generality and overcomes the shortcomings of previous (bi-)Maxwellian solvers for the plasma dispersion relations. The unprecedented high-resolution particle and field data products from Parker Solar Probe (PSP) and Solar Orbiter (SO) will require novel theoretical tools. ALPS is one such tool, and its use will make possible new investigations into the role of non-Maxwellian distributions in the near-Sun solar wind. It can be applied to numerous high-velocity-resolution systems, ranging from current space missions to numerical simulations. We will briefly discuss the ALPS algorithm and demonstrate its functionality based on previous solar-wind measurements. We will then highlight our plans for future applications of ALPS to PSP and SO observations.

Models of Solar Wind Structures and Their Interaction with the Earth's Space Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watermann, J.; Wintoft, P.; Sanahuja, B.; Saiz, E.; Poedts, S.; Palmroth, M.; Milillo, A.; Metallinou, F.-A.; Jacobs, C.; Ganushkina, N. Y.; Daglis, I. A.; Cid, C.; Cerrato, Y.; Balasis, G.; Aylward, A. D.; Aran, A.

2009-11-01

The discipline of “Space Weather” is built on the scientific foundation of solar-terrestrial physics but with a strong orientation toward applied research. Models describing the solar-terrestrial environment are therefore at the heart of this discipline, for both physical understanding of the processes involved and establishing predictive capabilities of the consequences of these processes. Depending on the requirements, purely physical models, semi-empirical or empirical models are considered to be the most appropriate. This review focuses on the interaction of solar wind disturbances with geospace. We cover interplanetary space, the Earth’s magnetosphere (with the exception of radiation belt physics), the ionosphere (with the exception of radio science), the neutral atmosphere and the ground (via electromagnetic induction fields). Space weather relevant state-of-the-art physical and semi-empirical models of the various regions are reviewed. They include models for interplanetary space, its quiet state and the evolution of recurrent and transient solar perturbations (corotating interaction regions, coronal mass ejections, their interplanetary remnants, and solar energetic particle fluxes). Models of coupled large-scale solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere processes (global magnetohydrodynamic descriptions) and of inner magnetosphere processes (ring current dynamics) are discussed. Achievements in modeling the coupling between magnetospheric processes and the neutral and ionized upper and middle atmospheres are described. Finally we mention efforts to compile comprehensive and flexible models from selections of existing modules applicable to particular regions and conditions in interplanetary space and geospace.

MAVEN - Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grebowsky, Joseph M.; Jakosky, Bruce M.

2011-01-01

NASA's MAVEN mission (to be launched in late 2013) is the first mission to Mars devoted to sampling all of the upper atmosphere neutral and plasma environments, including the well-mixed atmosphere, the exosphere, ionosphere, outer magnetosphere and near-Mars solar wind. It will fill in some measurement gaps remaining from the successful Mars Global Surveyor and the on-going Mars Express missions. The primary science objectives of MAVEN are: 1. Provide a comprehensive picture of the present state of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere of Mars; 2. Understand the processes controlling the present state; and 3. Determine how loss of volatiles to outer space in the present epoch varies with changing solar condition - EUY, solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field measurements will provide the varying solar energy inputs into the system. Knowing how these processes respond to the Sun's energy inputs in the current epoch will provide a framework for projecting atmospheric processes back in time to profile MARS' atmospheric evolution and to explore "where the water went", A description will be given of the science objectives, the instruments, and the current status of the project, emphasizing the value of having collaborations between the MAVEN project and the Mars upper atmosphere science community.

Properties of Minor Ions In the Solar Wind and Implications for the Background Solar Wind Plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esser, Ruth; Wagner, William (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Ion charge states measured in situ in interplanetary space carry information on the properties of the solar wind plasma in the inner corona. The goal of the proposal is to determine coronal plasma conditions that produce the in situ observed charge states. This study is carried out using solar wind models, coronal observations, ion fraction calculations and in situ observations.

Asteroid surface processes: Experimental studies of the solar wind on reflectance and optical properties of asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcfadden, Lucy-Ann

1991-01-01

The effect of the solar wind on the optical properties of meteorites was studied to determine whether the solar wind can alter the properties of ordinary chondrite parent bodies resulting in the spectral properties of S-type asteroids. The existing database of optical properties of asteroids was analyzed to determine the effect of solar wind in altering asteroid surface properties.

The Genesis Mission: Contamination Control and Curation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stansbery, E. K.

2002-01-01

The Genesis mission, launched in August 2001, is collecting samples of the solar wind and will return to Earth in 2004. Genesis can be viewed as the most fundamental of NASA's sample return missions because it is expected to provide insight into the initial elemental and isotopic composition of the solar nebula from which all other planetary objects formed. The data from this mission will have a large impact on understanding the origins and diversity of planetary materials. The collectors consist of clean, pure materials into which the solar wind will imbed. Science and engineering issues such as bulk purity, cleanliness, retention of solar wind, and ability to withstand launch and entry drove material choices. Most of the collector materials are installed on array frames that are deployed from a clean science canister. Two of the arrays are continuously exposed for collecting the bulk solar wind; the other three are only exposed during specific solar wind regimes as measured by ion and electron monitors. Other materials are housed as targets at the focal point of an electrostatic mirror, or "concentrator", designed to enhance the flux of specific solar wind species. Johnson Space Center (JSC) has two principal responsibilities for the Genesis mission: contamination control and curation. Precise and accurate measurements of the composition of the solar atoms require that the collector materials be extremely clean and well characterized before launch and during the mission. Early involvement of JSC curation personnel in concept development resulted in a mission designed to minimize contaminants from the spacecraft and operations. A major goal of the Genesis mission is to provide a reservoir of materials for the 21 51 century. When the collector materials are returned to Earth, they must be handled in a clean manner and their condition well documented. Information gained in preliminary examination of the arrays and detailed surveys of each collector will be used to guide sample allocations to the scientific community. Samples allocated for analysis are likely to be small sections of individual collectors, therefore subdividing the materials must take place in a clean, well characterized way. A major focus of current research at JSC includes identifying and characterizing the contamination, waste, and alteration of the sample when using different subdividing, transport, and storage techniques and developing protocols for reducing their impact on the scientific integrity of the mission.

Molecular Substrate Alteration by Solar Wind Radiation Documented on Flown Genesis Mission Array Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calaway, Michael J.; Stansbery, Eileen K.

2006-01-01

The Genesis spacecraft sampling arrays were exposed to various regimes of solar wind during flight that included: 313.01 days of high-speed wind from coronal holes, 335.19 days of low-speed inter-stream wind, 191.79 days of coronal mass ejections, and 852.83 days of bulk solar wind at Lagrange 1 orbit. Ellipsometry measurements taken at NASA s Johnson Space Center show that all nine flown array materials from the four Genesis regimes have been altered by solar wind exposure during flight. These measurements show significant changes in the optical constant for all nine ultra-pure materials that flew on Genesis when compared with their non-flight material standard. This change in the optical constant (n and k) of the material suggests that the molecular structure of the all nine ultra-pure materials have been altered by solar radiation. In addition, 50 samples of float-zone and czochralski silicon bulk array ellipsometry results were modeled with an effective medium approximation layer (EMA substrate layer) revealing a solar radiation molecular damage zone depth below the SiO2 native oxide layer ranging from 392 to 613 . This bulk solar wind radiation penetration depth is comparable to the depth of solar wind implantation depth of Mg measured by SIMS and SARISA.

Microphysics of Waves and Instabilities in the Solar Wind and their Macro Manifestations in the Corona and Interplanetary Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Habbal, Shadia R.; Gurman, Joseph (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

Investigations of the physical processes responsible for the acceleration of the solar wind were pursued with the development of two new solar wind codes: a hybrid code and a 2-D MHD code. Hybrid simulations were performed to investigate the interaction between ions and parallel propagating low frequency ion cyclotron waves in a homogeneous plasma. In a low-beta plasma such as the solar wind plasma in the inner corona, the proton thermal speed is much smaller than the Alfven speed. Vlasov linear theory predicts that protons are not in resonance with low frequency ion cyclotron waves. However, non-linear effect makes it possible that these waves can strongly heat and accelerate protons. This study has important implications for study of the corona and the solar wind. Low frequency ion cyclotron waves or Alfven waves are commonly observed in the solar wind. Until now, it is believed that these waves are not able to heat the solar wind plasma unless some cascading processes transfer the energy of these waves to high frequency part. However, this study shows that these waves may directly heat and accelerate protons non-linearly. This process may play an important role in the coronal heating and the solar wind acceleration, at least in some parameter space.

Wind and solar resource data sets: Wind and solar resource data sets

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

Clifton, Andrew; Hodge, Bri-Mathias; Draxl, Caroline

The range of resource data sets spans from static cartography showing the mean annual wind speed or solar irradiance across a region to high temporal and high spatial resolution products that provide detailed information at a potential wind or solar energy facility. These data sets are used to support continental-scale, national, or regional renewable energy development; facilitate prospecting by developers; and enable grid integration studies. This review first provides an introduction to the wind and solar resource data sets, then provides an overview of the common methods used for their creation and validation. A brief history of wind and solarmore » resource data sets is then presented, followed by areas for future research.« less

Interplanetary gas. XX - Does the radial solar wind speed increase with latitude

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandt, J. C.; Harrington, R. S.; Roosen, R. G.

1975-01-01

The astrometric technique used to derive solar wind speeds from ionic comet-tail orientations has been used to test the suggestion that the radial solar wind speed is higher near the solar poles than near the equator. We find no evidence for the suggested latitude variation.

75 FR 59291 - In the Matter of: Certain Wind and Solar-Powered Light Posts and Street Lamps; Notice of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-27

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Inv. No. 337-TA-736] In the Matter of: Certain Wind and Solar... solar-powered light posts and street lamps by reason of infringement of the claimed design of U.S... certain wind and solar- [[Page 59292

Taking Venus models to new dimensions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murawski, K.

1997-11-01

Space plasma physicists in Poland and Japan have gained new insights into the interaction between the solar wind and Venus. Computer simulations of this 3D global interaction between the solar wind and nonmagnetized bodies have enabled greater understanding of the large-scale processes involved in such phenomena. A model that offers improved understanding of the solar wind interaction with Venus (as well as other nonmagnetized bodies impacted by the solar wind) has been developed. In this model, the interaction of the solar wind with the ionosphere of Venus is studied by calculating numerical solutions of the 3D MHD equations for two-component, chemically reactive plasma. The author describes the innovative model.

Ion Isotropy and Ion Resonant Waves in the Solar Wind: Cassini Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kellogg, Paul J.; Gurnett, Donald A.; Hospodarsky, George B.; Kurth, William S.

2001-01-01

Electric fields in the solar wind, in the range of one Hertz, are reported for the first time from a 3-axis stabilized spacecraft. The measurements are made with the Radio and Plasma Wave System (RPWS) experiment on the Cassini spacecraft. Kellogg suggested that such waves could be important in maintaining the near-isotropy of solar wind ions and the validity of MHD for the description of the solar wind. The amplitudes found are larger than those estimated by Kellogg from other measurements, and are due to quasi-electrostatic waves. These amplitudes are quite sufficient to maintain isotropy of the solar wind ions.

Summary of NASA Lewis Research Center solar heating and cooling and wind energy programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vernon, R. W.

1975-01-01

Plans for the construction and operation of a solar heating and cooling system in conjunction with a office building being constructed at Langley Research Center, are discussed. Supporting research and technology includes: testing of solar collectors with a solar simulator, outdoor testing of collectors, property measurements of selective and nonselective coatings for solar collectors, and a solar model-systems test loop. The areas of a wind energy program that are being conducted include: design and operation of a 100-kW experimental wind generator, industry-designed and user-operated wind generators in the range of 50 to 3000 kW, and supporting research and technology for large wind energy systems. An overview of these activities is provided.

Modeling solar wind with boundary conditions from interplanetary scintillations

DOE PAGES

Manoharan, P.; Kim, T.; Pogorelov, N. V.; ...

2015-09-30

Interplanetary scintillations make it possible to create three-dimensional, time- dependent distributions of the solar wind velocity. Combined with the magnetic field observations in the solar photosphere, they help perform solar wind simulations in a genuinely time-dependent way. Interplanetary scintillation measurements from the Ooty Radio Astronomical Observatory in India provide directions to multiple stars and may assure better resolution of transient processes in the solar wind. In this paper, we present velocity distributions derived from Ooty observations and compare them with those obtained with the Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) model. We also present our simulations of the solar wind flow from 0.1 AUmore » to 1 AU with the boundary conditions based on both Ooty and WSA data.« less

Solar wind velocity and temperature in the outer heliosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gazis, P. R.; Barnes, A.; Mihalov, J. D.; Lazarus, A. J.

1994-01-01

At the end of 1992, the Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, and Voyager 2 spacecraft were at heliocentric distances of 56.0, 37.3, and 39.0 AU and heliographic latitudes of 3.3 deg N, 17.4 deg N, and 8.6 deg S, respectively. Pioneer 11 and Voyager 2 are at similar celestial longitudes, while Pioneer 10 is on the opposite side of the Sun. All three spacecraft have working plasma analyzers, so intercomparison of data from these spacecraft provides important information about the global character of the solar wind in the outer heliosphere. The averaged solar wind speed continued to exhibit its well-known variation with solar cycle: Even at heliocentric distances greater than 50 AU, the average speed is highest during the declining phase of the solar cycle and lowest near solar minimum. There was a strong latitudinal gradient in solar wind speed between 3 deg and 17 deg N during the last solar minimum, but this gradient has since disappeared. The solar wind temperature declined with increasing heliocentric distance out to a heliocentric distance of at least 20 AU; this decline appeared to continue at larger heliocentric distances, but temperatures in the outer heliosphere were suprisingly high. While Pioneer 10 and Voyager 2 observed comparable solar wind temperatures, the temperature at Pioneer 11 was significantly higher, which suggests the existence of a large-scale variation of temperature with heliographic longitude. There was also some suggestion that solar wind temperatures were higher near solar minimum.

3D electron density distributions in the solar corona during solar minima: assessment for more realistic solar wind modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Patoul, J.; Foullon, C.; Riley, P.

2015-12-01

Knowledge of the electron density distribution in the solar corona put constraints on the magnetic field configurations for coronal modeling, and on initial conditions for solar wind modeling. We work with polarized SOHO/LASCO-C2 images from the last two recent minima of solar activity (1996-1997 and 2008-2010), devoid of coronal mass ejections. We derive the 4D electron density distributions in the corona by applying a newly developed time-dependent tomographic reconstruction method. First we compare the density distributions obtained from tomography with magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) solutions. The tomography provides more accurate distributions of electron densities in the polar regions, and we find that the observed density varies with the solar cycle in both polar and equatorial regions. Second, we find that the highest-density structures do not always correspond to the predicted large-scale heliospheric current sheet or its helmet streamer but can follow the locations of pseudo-streamers. We conclude that tomography offers reliable density distribution in the corona, reproducing the slow time evolution of coronal structures, without prior knowledge of the coronal magnetic field over a full rotation. Finally, we suggest that the highest-density structures show a differential rotation well above the surface depending on how it is magnetically connected to the surface. Such valuable information on the rotation of large-scale structures could help to connect the sources of the solar wind to their in-situ counterparts in future missions such as Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus. This research combined with the MHD coronal modeling efforts has the potential to increase the reliability for future space weather forecasting.

Ions with low charges in the solar wind as measured by SWICS on board Ulysses. [Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geiss, J.; Ogilvie, K. W.; Von Steiger, R.; Mall, U.; Gloeckler, G.; Galvin, A. B.; Ipavich, F.; Wilken, B.; Gliem, F.

1992-01-01

We present new data on rare ions in the solar wind. Using the Ulysses-SWICS instrument with its very low background we have searched for low-charge ions during a 6-d period of low-speed solar wind and established sensitive upper limits for many species. In the solar wind, we found He(1+)/He(2+) of less than 5 x 10 exp -4. This result and the charge state distributions of heavier elements indicate that all components of the investigated ion population went through a regular coronal expansion and experienced the typical electron temperatures of 1 to 2 million Kelvin. We argue that the virtual absence of low-charge ions demonstrates a very low level of nonsolar contamination in the source region of the solar wind sample we studied. Since this sample showed the FlP effect typical for low-speed solar wind, i.e., an enhancement in the abundances of elements with low first ionization potential, we conclude that this enhancement was caused by an ion-atom separation mechanism operating near the solar surface and not by foreign material in the corona.

Dynamics of Magnetopause Reconnection in Response to Variable Solar Wind Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berchem, J.; Richard, R. L.; Escoubet, C. P.; Pitout, F.

2017-12-01

Quantifying the dynamics of magnetopause reconnection in response to variable solar wind driving is essential to advancing our predictive understanding of the interaction of the solar wind/IMF with the magnetosphere. To this end we have carried out numerical studies that combine global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and Large-Scale Kinetic (LSK) simulations to identify and understand the effects of solar wind/IMF variations. The use of the low dissipation, high resolution UCLA MHD code incorporating a non-linear local resistivity allows the representation of the global configuration of the dayside magnetosphere while the use of LSK ion test particle codes with distributed particle detectors allows us to compare the simulation results with spacecraft observations such as ion dispersion signatures observed by the Cluster spacecraft. We present the results of simulations that focus on the impacts of relatively simple solar wind discontinuities on the magnetopause and examine how the recent history of the interaction of the magnetospheric boundary with solar wind discontinuities can modify the dynamics of magnetopause reconnection in response to the solar wind input.

Sputtering by the Solar Wind: Effects of Variable Composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Killen, R. M.; Arrell, W. M.; Sarantos, M.; Delory, G. T.

2011-01-01

It has long been recognized that solar wind bombardment onto exposed surfaces in the solar system will produce an energetic component to the exospheres about those bodies. Laboratory experiments have shown that there is no increase in the sputtering yield caused by highly charged heavy ions for metallic and for semiconducting surfaces, but the sputter yield can be noticeably increased in the case of a good insulating surface. Recently measurements of the solar wind composition have become available. It is now known that the solar wind composition is highly dependent on the origin of the particular plasma. Using the measured composition of the slow wind, fast wind, solar energetic particle (SEP) population, and coronal mass ejection (CME), broken down into its various components, we have estimated the total sputter yield for each type of solar wind. Whereas many previous calculations of sputtering were limited to the effects of proton bombardment. we show that the heavy ion component. especially the He++ component. can greatly enhance the total sputter yield during times when the heavy ion population is enhanced. We will discuss sputtering of both neutrals and ions.

The temperature of quiescent streamers during solar cycles 23 and 24

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

Landi, E.; Testa, P.

2014-05-20

Recent in-situ determinations of the temporal evolution of the charge state distribution in the fast and slow solar wind have shown a general decrease in the degree of ionization of all the elements in the solar wind along solar cycles 23 and 24. Such a decrease has been interpreted as a cooling of the solar corona which occurred during the decline and minimum phase of solar cycle 23 from 2000 to 2010. In the present work, we investigate whether spectroscopic determinations of the temperature of the quiescent streamers show signatures of coronal plasma cooling during cycles 23 and 24. Wemore » measure the coronal electron density and thermal structure at the base of 60 quiescent streamers observed from 1996 to 2013 by SOHO/SUMER and Hinode/EIS and find that both quantities do now show any significant dependence on the solar cycle. We argue that if the slow solar wind is accelerated from the solar photosphere or chromosphere, the measured decrease in the in-situ wind charge state distribution might be due to an increased efficiency in the wind acceleration mechanism at low altitudes. If the slow wind originates from the corona, a combination of density and wind acceleration changes may be responsible for the in-situ results.« less

POWER/SSE

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-06-15

... The Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resource (POWER) project was initiated to improve upon the current SSE ... continue to be focussed on the solar and wind Renewable Energy industry. New data sets will target Sustainable Buildings ... The Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resource (POWER) project was initiated to improve upon the current SSE ...

Contribution of wind energy to the energy balance of a combined solar and wind energy system. Part 1: System description, data acquisition and system performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferger, R.; Machens, U.

1985-05-01

A one-family house was equipped with a combined solar and wind energy system plus a night storage heater to measure the seasonal complementary contribution of wind and solar energy to energy demand. Project implementation, problems encountered and modifications to the initial system are described. Meteorological and operational data and house consumption data were recorded on computer-based measuring system. Data on the combined effects of and interdependence between solar collector and wind energy converter are discussed.

The effect of the solar field reversal on the modulation of galactic cosmic rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, B. T.; Goldstein, B. E.

1983-01-01

There is now a growing awareness that solar cycle related changes in the large-scale structure of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) may play an important role in the modulation of galactic cosmic rays. To date, attention focussed on two aspects of the magnetic field structure: large scale compression regions produced by fast solar wind streams and solar flares, both of which are known to vary in intensity and number over the solar cycle, and the variable warp of the heliospheric current sheet. It is suggested that another feature of the solar cycle is worthy of consideration: the field reversal itself. If the Sun reverses its polarity by simply overturning the heliospheric current sheet (northern fields migrating southward and vice-versa) then there may well be an effect on cosmic ray intensity. However, such a simple picture of solar reversal seems improbable. Observations of the solar corona suggest the existence of not one but several current sheets in the heliosphere at solar maximum. The results of a simple calculation to demonstrate that the variation in cosmic ray intensities that will result can be as large as is actually observed over the solar cycle are given.

On the day-to-day variation of the equatorial electrojet during quiet periods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamazaki, Y.; Richmond, A. D.; Maute, A.; Liu, H.-L.; Pedatella, N.; Sassi, F.

2014-08-01

It has been known for a long time that the equatorial electrojet varies from day to day even when solar and geomagnetic activities are very low. The quiet time day-to-day variation is considered to be due to irregular variability of the neutral wind, but little is known about how variable winds drive the electrojet variability. We employ a numerical model introduced by Liu et al. (2013), which takes into account weather changes in the lower atmosphere and thus can reproduce ionospheric variability due to forcing from below. The simulation is run for May and June 2009. Constant solar and magnetospheric energy inputs are used so that day-to-day changes will arise only from lower atmospheric forcing. The simulated electrojet current shows day-to-day variability of ±25%, which produces day-to-day variations in ground level geomagnetic perturbations near the magnetic equator. The current system associated with the day-to-day variation of the equatorial electrojet is traced based on a covariance analysis. The current pattern reveals return flow at both sides of the electrojet, in agreement with those inferred from ground-based magnetometer data in previous studies. The day-to-day variation in the electrojet current is compared with those in the neutral wind at various altitudes, latitudes, and longitudes. It is found that the electrojet variability is dominated by the zonal wind at 100-120 km altitudes near the magnetic equator. These results suggest that the response of the zonal polarization electric field to variable zonal winds is the main source of the day-to-day variation of the equatorial electrojet during quiet periods.

77 FR 72439 - Residential, Business, and Wind and Solar Resource Leases on Indian Land

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-05

... Affairs 25 CFR Part 162 Residential, Business, and Wind and Solar Resource Leases on Indian Land; Final...-2011-0001] RIN 1076-AE73 Residential, Business, and Wind and Solar Resource Leases on Indian Land... adds new regulations to address residential leases, business leases, wind energy evaluation leases, and...

On Solar Wind Origin and Acceleration: Measurements from ACE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stakhiv, Mark; Lepri, Susan T.; Landi, Enrico; Tracy, Patrick; Zurbuchen, Thomas H.

2016-10-01

The origin and acceleration of the solar wind are still debated. In this paper, we search for signatures of the source region and acceleration mechanism of the solar wind in the plasma properties measured in situ by the Advanced Composition Explorer spacecraft. Using the elemental abundances as a proxy for the source region and the differential velocity and ion temperature ratios as a proxy for the acceleration mechanism, we are able to identify signatures pointing toward possible source regions and acceleration mechanisms. We find that the fast solar wind in the ecliptic plane is the same as that observed from the polar regions and is consistent with wave acceleration and coronal-hole origin. We also find that the slow wind is composed of two components: one similar to the fast solar wind (with slower velocity) and the other likely originating from closed magnetic loops. Both components of the slow solar wind show signatures of wave acceleration. From these findings, we draw a scenario that envisions two types of wind, with different source regions and release mechanisms, but the same wave acceleration mechanism.

ON SOLAR WIND ORIGIN AND ACCELERATION: MEASUREMENTS FROM ACE

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

Stakhiv, Mark; Lepri, Susan T.; Landi, Enrico

The origin and acceleration of the solar wind are still debated. In this paper, we search for signatures of the source region and acceleration mechanism of the solar wind in the plasma properties measured in situ by the Advanced Composition Explorer spacecraft. Using the elemental abundances as a proxy for the source region and the differential velocity and ion temperature ratios as a proxy for the acceleration mechanism, we are able to identify signatures pointing toward possible source regions and acceleration mechanisms. We find that the fast solar wind in the ecliptic plane is the same as that observed frommore » the polar regions and is consistent with wave acceleration and coronal-hole origin. We also find that the slow wind is composed of two components: one similar to the fast solar wind (with slower velocity) and the other likely originating from closed magnetic loops. Both components of the slow solar wind show signatures of wave acceleration. From these findings, we draw a scenario that envisions two types of wind, with different source regions and release mechanisms, but the same wave acceleration mechanism.« less

Survey of the spectral properties of turbulence in the solar wind, the magnetospheres of Venus and Earth, at solar minimum and maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Echim, Marius M.

2014-05-01

In the framework of the European FP7 project STORM ("Solar system plasma Turbulence: Observations, inteRmittency and Multifractals") we analyze the properties of turbulence in various regions of the solar system, for the minimum and respectively maximum of the solar activity. The main scientific objective of STORM is to advance the understanding of the turbulent energy transfer, intermittency and multifractals in space plasmas. Specific analysis methods are applied on magnetic field and plasma data provided by Ulysses, Venus Express and Cluster, as well as other solar system missions (e.g. Giotto, Cassini). In this paper we provide an overview of the spectral properties of turbulence derived from Power Spectral Densities (PSD) computed in the solar wind (from Ulysses, Cluster, Venus Express) and at the interface of planetary magnetospheres with the solar wind (from Venus Express, Cluster). Ulysses provides data in the solar wind between 1992 and 2008, out of the ecliptic, at radial distances ranging between 1.3 and 5.4 AU. We selected only those Ulysses data that satisfy a consolidated set of selection criteria able to identify "pure" fast and slow wind. We analyzed Venus Express data close to the orbital apogee, in the solar wind, at 0.72 AU, and in the Venus magnetosheath. We investigated Cluster data in the solar wind (for time intervals not affected by planetary ions effects), the magnetosheath and few crossings of other key magnetospheric regions (cusp, plasma sheet). We organize our PSD results in three solar wind data bases (one for the solar maximum, 1999-2001, two for the solar minimum, 1997-1998 and respectively, 2007-2008), and two planetary databases (one for the solar maximum, 2000-2001, that includes PSD obtained in the terrestrial magnetosphere, and one for the solar minimum, 2007-2008, that includes PSD obtained in the terrestrial and Venus magnetospheres and magnetosheaths). In addition to investigating the properties of turbulence for the minimum and maximum of the solar cycle we also analyze the spectral similarities and differences between fast and slow wind turbulence. We emphasize the importance of our data survey and analysis in the context of understanding the solar wind turbulence, the exploitation of data bases and as a first step towards developing a (virtual) laboratory for studying solar system plasma turbulence. Research supported by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 313038/STORM, and a grant of the Romanian Ministry of National Education, CNCS - UEFISCDI, project number PN-II-ID-PCE-2012-4-0418.

78 FR 67138 - Combined Notice of Filings #1

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-08

... Solar 1, LLC, Copper Mountain Solar 2, LLC, Energia Sierra Juarez U.S., LLC, Flat Ridge 2 Wind Energy LLC, Fowler Ridge II Wind Farm LLC, Mehoopany Wind Energy LLC, Mesquite Power, LLC, Mesquite Solar 1...

Multifluid Simulations of the Global Solar Wind Including Pickup Ions and Turbulence Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, Melvyn L.; Usmanov, A. V.

2011-01-01

I will describe a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic model of the solar wind that takes into account turbulent heating of the wind by velocity and magnetic fluctuations as well as a variety of effects produced by interstellar pickup protons. The interstellar pickup protons are treated in the model as one fluid and the protons and electrons are treated together as a second fluid. The model equations include a Reynolds decomposition of the plasma velocity and magnetic field into mean and fluctuating quantities, as well as energy transfer from interstellar pickup protons to solar wind protons that results in the deceleration of the solar wind. The model is used to simulate the global steady-state structure of the solar wind in the region from 0.3 to 100 AU. The simulation assumes that the background magnetic field on the Sun is either a dipole (aligned or tilted with respect to the solar rotation axis) or one that is deduced from solar magnetograms.

High coronal structure of high velocity solar wind stream sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nolte, J. T.; Krieger, A. S.; Roelof, E. C.; Gold, R. E.

1977-01-01

It is shown analytically that the transition from a high-speed stream source to the ambient coronal conditions is quite rapid in longitude in the high corona. This sharp eastern coronal boundary for the solar wind stream sources is strongly suggested by the solar wind 'dwells' which appear in plots of solar wind velocity against constant-radial-velocity-approximation source longitudes. The possibility of a systematic velocity-dependent effect in the constant-radial-velocity approximation, which would cause this boundary to appear sharper than it is, is investigated. A velocity-dependent interplanetary propagation effect or a velocity-dependent 'source altitude' are two possible sources of such a systematic effect. It is shown that, for at least some dwells, significant interplanetary effects are not likely. The variation of the Alfvenic critical radius in solar wind dwells is calculated, showing that the high-velocity stream originates from a significantly lower altitude than the ambient solar wind.

Contribution of strong discontinuities to the power spectrum of the solar wind.

PubMed

Borovsky, Joseph E

2010-09-10

Eight and a half years of magnetic field measurements (2(22) samples) from the ACE spacecraft in the solar wind at 1 A.U. are analyzed. Strong (large-rotation-angle) discontinuities in the solar wind are collected and measured. An artificial time series is created that preserves the timing and amplitudes of the discontinuities. The power spectral density of the discontinuity series is calculated and compared with the power spectral density of the solar-wind magnetic field. The strong discontinuities produce a power-law spectrum in the "inertial subrange" with a spectral index near the Kolmogorov -5/3 index. The discontinuity spectrum contains about half of the power of the full solar-wind magnetic field over this "inertial subrange." Warnings are issued about the significant contribution of discontinuities to the spectrum of the solar wind, complicating interpretation of spectral power and spectral indices.

Elsaesser variable analysis of fluctuations in the ion foreshock and undisturbed solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Labelle, James; Treumann, Rudolf A.; Marsch, Eckart

1994-01-01

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) fluctuations in the solar wind have been investigated previously by use of Elsaesser variables. In this paper, we present a comparison of the spectra of Elsaesser variables in the undisturbed solar wind at 1 AU and in the ion foreshock in front of the Earth. Both observations take place under relatively strong solar wind flow speed conditions (approximately equal 600 km/s). In the undisturbed solar wind we find that outward propagating Alfven waves dominate, as reported by other observers. In the ion foreshock the situation is more complex, with neither outward nor inward propagation dominating over the entire range investigated (1-10 mHz). Measurements of the Poynting vectors associated with the fluctuations are consistent with the Elsaesser variable analysis. These results generally support interpretations of the Elsaesser variables which have been made based strictly on solar wind data and provide additional insight into the nature of the ion foreshock turbulence.

A comparison of empirical and experimental O7+, O8+, and O/H values, with applications to terrestrial solar wind charge exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whittaker, Ian C.; Sembay, Steve

2016-07-01

Solar wind charge exchange occurs at Earth between the neutral planetary exosphere and highly charged ions of the solar wind. The main challenge in predicting the resultant photon flux in the X-ray energy bands is due to the interaction efficiency, known as the α value. This study produces experimental α values at the Earth, for oxygen emission in the range of 0.5-0.7 keV. Thirteen years of data from the Advanced Composition Explorer are examined, comparing O7+ and O8+ abundances, as well as O/H to other solar wind parameters allowing all parameters in the αO7,8+ calculation to be estimated based on solar wind velocity. Finally, a table is produced for a range of solar wind speeds giving average O7+ and O8+ abundances, O/H, and αO7,8+ values.

Costs of solar and wind power variability for reducing CO2 emissions.

PubMed

Lueken, Colleen; Cohen, Gilbert E; Apt, Jay

2012-09-04

We compare the power output from a year of electricity generation data from one solar thermal plant, two solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays, and twenty Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) wind farms. The analysis shows that solar PV electricity generation is approximately one hundred times more variable at frequencies on the order of 10(-3) Hz than solar thermal electricity generation, and the variability of wind generation lies between that of solar PV and solar thermal. We calculate the cost of variability of the different solar power sources and wind by using the costs of ancillary services and the energy required to compensate for its variability and intermittency, and the cost of variability per unit of displaced CO(2) emissions. We show the costs of variability are highly dependent on both technology type and capacity factor. California emissions data were used to calculate the cost of variability per unit of displaced CO(2) emissions. Variability cost is greatest for solar PV generation at $8-11 per MWh. The cost of variability for solar thermal generation is $5 per MWh, while that of wind generation in ERCOT was found to be on average $4 per MWh. Variability adds ~$15/tonne CO(2) to the cost of abatement for solar thermal power, $25 for wind, and $33-$40 for PV.

Acceleration of the Fast Solar Wind by Solitary Waves in Coronal Holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ofman, Leon

2001-01-01

The purpose of this investigation is to develop a new model for the acceleration of the fast solar wind by nonlinear. time-dependent multidimensional MHD simulations of waves in solar coronal holes. Preliminary computational studies indicate that nonlinear waves are generated in coronal holes by torsional Alfv\\'{e}n waves. These waves in addition to thermal conduction may contribute considerably to the accelerate the solar wind. Specific goals of this proposal are to investigate the generation of nonlinear solitary-like waves and their effect on solar wind acceleration by numerical 2.5D MHD simulation of coronal holes with a broad range of plasma and wave parameters; to study the effect of random disturbances at the base of a solar coronal hole on the fast solar wind acceleration with a more advanced 2.5D MHD model and to compare the results with the available observations; to extend the study to a full 3D MHD simulation of fast solar wind acceleration with a more realistic model of a coronal hole and solar boundary conditions. The ultimate goal of the three year study is to model the, fast solar wind in a coronal hole, based on realistic boundary conditions in a coronal hole near the Sun, and the coronal hole structure (i.e., density, temperature. and magnetic field geometry,) that will become available from the recently launched SOHO spacecraft.

Acceleration of the Fast Solar Wind by Solitary Waves in Coronal Holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ofman, Leon

2000-01-01

The purpose of this investigation is to develop a new model for the acceleration of the fast solar wind by nonlinear, time-dependent multidimensional MHD simulations of waves in solar coronal holes. Preliminary computational studies indicate that solitary-like waves are generated in coronal holes nonlinearly by torsional Alfven waves. These waves in addition to thermal conduction may contribute considerably to the accelerate the solar wind. Specific goals of this proposal are to investigate the generation of nonlinear solitary-like waves and their effect on solar wind acceleration by numerical 2.5D MHD simulation of coronal holes with a broad range of plasma and wave parameters; to study the effect of random disturbances at the base of a solar coronal hole on the fast solar wind acceleration with a more advanced 2.5D MHD model and to compare the results with the available observations; to extend the study to a full 3D MHD simulation of fast solar wind acceleration with a more realistic model of a coronal hole and solar boundary conditions. The ultimate goal of the three year study is to model the fast solar wind in a coronal hole, based on realistic boundary conditions in a coronal hole near the Sun, and the coronal hole structure (i.e., density, temperature, and magnetic field geometry) that will become available from the recently launched SOHO spacecraft.

Global solar wind variations over the last four centuries.

PubMed

Owens, M J; Lockwood, M; Riley, P

2017-01-31

The most recent "grand minimum" of solar activity, the Maunder minimum (MM, 1650-1710), is of great interest both for understanding the solar dynamo and providing insight into possible future heliospheric conditions. Here, we use nearly 30 years of output from a data-constrained magnetohydrodynamic model of the solar corona to calibrate heliospheric reconstructions based solely on sunspot observations. Using these empirical relations, we produce the first quantitative estimate of global solar wind variations over the last 400 years. Relative to the modern era, the MM shows a factor 2 reduction in near-Earth heliospheric magnetic field strength and solar wind speed, and up to a factor 4 increase in solar wind Mach number. Thus solar wind energy input into the Earth's magnetosphere was reduced, resulting in a more Jupiter-like system, in agreement with the dearth of auroral reports from the time. The global heliosphere was both smaller and more symmetric under MM conditions, which has implications for the interpretation of cosmogenic radionuclide data and resulting total solar irradiance estimates during grand minima.

The Distribution of Solar Wind Speeds During Solar Minimum: Calibration for Numerical Solar Wind Modeling Constraints on the Source of the Slow Solar Wind (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-05

subsonic corona below the critical point, resulting in an increased scale height and mass flux, while keeping the kinetic energy of the flow fairly...Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. tubes with small expansion factors the heating occurs in the supersonic corona, where the energy ...goes into the kinetic energy of the solar wind, increasing the flow speed [Leer and Holzer, 1980; Pneuman, 1980]. Using this model and a sim- plified

Inertial Range Turbulence of Fast and Slow Solar Wind at 0.72 AU and Solar Minimum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorescu, Eliza; Echim, Marius; Munteanu, Costel; Zhang, Tielong; Bruno, Roberto; Kovacs, Peter

2015-05-01

We investigate Venus Express observations of magnetic field fluctuations performed systematically in the solar wind at 0.72 Astronomical Units (AU), between 2007 and 2009, during the deep minimum of solar cycle 24. The power spectral densities (PSDs) of the magnetic field components have been computed for time intervals that satisfy the data integrity criteria and have been grouped according to the type of wind, fast and slow, defined for speeds larger and smaller, respectively, than 450 km s-1. The PSDs show higher levels of power for the fast wind than for the slow. The spectral slopes estimated for all PSDs in the frequency range 0.005-0.1 Hz exhibit a normal distribution. The average value of the trace of the spectral matrix is -1.60 for fast solar wind and -1.65 for slow wind. Compared to the corresponding average slopes at 1 AU, the PSDs are shallower at 0.72 AU for slow wind conditions suggesting a steepening of the solar wind spectra between Venus and Earth. No significant time variation trend is observed for the spectral behavior of both the slow and fast wind.

76 FR 73783 - Residential, Business, and Wind and Solar Resource Leases on Indian Land

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-29

... Affairs 25 CFR Part 162 Residential, Business, and Wind and Solar Resource Leases on Indian Land; Proposed...-0001] RIN 1076-AE73 Residential, Business, and Wind and Solar Resource Leases on Indian Land AGENCY... leases, and solar resource development leases on Indian land, and would therefore remove the existing...

Solar wind temperature observations in the outer heliosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gazis, P. R.; Barnes, A.; Mihalov, J. D.; Lazarus, A. J.

1992-01-01

The Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, and Voyager 2 spacecraft are now at heliocentric distances of 50, 32 and 33 AU, and heliographic latitudes of 3.5 deg N, 17 deg N, and 0 deg N, respectively. Pioneer 11 and Voyager 2 are at similar celestial longitudes, while Pioneer l0 is on the opposite side of the sun. The baselines defined by these spacecraft make it possible to resolve radial, longitudinal, and latitudinal variations of solar wind parameters. The solar wind temperature decreases with increasing heliocentric distance out to a distance of 10-15 AU. At larger heliocentric distances, this gradient disappears. These high solar wind temperatures in the outer heliosphere have persisted for at least 10 years, which suggests that they are not a solar cycle effect. The solar wind temperature varied with heliographic latitude during the most recent solar minimum. The solar wind temperature at Pioneer 11 and Voyager 2 was higher than that seen at Pioneer 10 for an extended period of time, which suggests the existence of a large-scale variation of temperature with celestial longitude, but the contribution of transient phenomena is yet to be clarified.

Hubble Captures Vivid Auroras in Jupiter’s Atmosphere

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Astronomers are using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to study auroras — stunning light shows in a planet’s atmosphere — on the poles of the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter. This observation program is supported by measurements made by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, currently on its way to Jupiter. Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is best known for its colorful storms, the most famous being the Great Red Spot. Now astronomers have focused on another beautiful feature of the planet, using Hubble's ultraviolet capabilities. The extraordinary vivid glows shown in the new observations are known as auroras. They are created when high-energy particles enter a planet’s atmosphere near its magnetic poles and collide with atoms of gas. As well as producing beautiful images, this program aims to determine how various components of Jupiter’s auroras respond to different conditions in the solar wind, a stream of charged particles ejected from the sun. This observation program is perfectly timed as NASA’s Juno spacecraft is currently in the solar wind near Jupiter and will enter the orbit of the planet in early July 2016. While Hubble is observing and measuring the auroras on Jupiter, Juno is measuring the properties of the solar wind itself; a perfect collaboration between a telescope and a space probe. “These auroras are very dramatic and among the most active I have ever seen”, said Jonathan Nichols from the University of Leicester, U.K., and principal investigator of the study. “It almost seems as if Jupiter is throwing a firework party for the imminent arrival of Juno.” Read more: go.nasa.gov/294QswK Credits: NASA, ESA, and J. Nichols (University of Leicester)

Solar Polar Jets Driven by Magnetic Reconnection, Gravity, and Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeVore, C. Richard; Karpen, Judith T.; Antiochos, Spiro K.

2014-06-01

Polar jets are dynamic, narrow, radially extended structures observed in solar EUV emission near the limb. They originate within the open field of coronal holes in “anemone” regions, which are intrusions of opposite magnetic polarity. The key topological feature is a magnetic null point atop a dome-shaped fan surface of field lines. Applied stresses readily distort the null into a current patch, eventually inducing interchange reconnection between the closed and open fields inside and outside the fan surface (Antiochos 1996). Previously, we demonstrated that magnetic free energy stored on twisted closed field lines inside the fan surface is released explosively by the onset of fast reconnection across the current patch (Pariat et al. 2009, 2010). A dense jet comprised of a nonlinear, torsional Alfvén wave is ejected into the outer corona along the newly reconnected open field lines. Now we are extending those exploratory simulations by including the effects of solar gravity, solar wind, and expanding spherical geometry. We find that the model remains robust in the resulting more complex setting, with explosive energy release and dense jet formation occurring in the low corona due to the onset of a kink-like instability, as found in the earlier Cartesian, gravity-free, static-atmosphere cases. The spherical-geometry jet including gravity and wind propagates far more rapidly into the outer corona and inner heliosphere than a comparison jet simulation that excludes those effects. We report detailed analyses of our new results, compare them with previous work, and discuss the implications for understanding remote and in-situ observations of solar polar jets.This work was supported by NASA’s LWS TR&T program.

Hubble Captures Vivid Auroras in Jupiter’s Atmosphere

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-06-30

Astronomers are using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to study auroras — stunning light shows in a planet’s atmosphere — on the poles of the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter. This observation program is supported by measurements made by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, currently on its way to Jupiter. Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is best known for its colorful storms, the most famous being the Great Red Spot. Now astronomers have focused on another beautiful feature of the planet, using Hubble's ultraviolet capabilities. The extraordinary vivid glows shown in the new observations are known as auroras. They are created when high-energy particles enter a planet’s atmosphere near its magnetic poles and collide with atoms of gas. As well as producing beautiful images, this program aims to determine how various components of Jupiter’s auroras respond to different conditions in the solar wind, a stream of charged particles ejected from the sun. This observation program is perfectly timed as NASA’s Juno spacecraft is currently in the solar wind near Jupiter and will enter the orbit of the planet in early July 2016. While Hubble is observing and measuring the auroras on Jupiter, Juno is measuring the properties of the solar wind itself; a perfect collaboration between a telescope and a space probe. “These auroras are very dramatic and among the most active I have ever seen”, said Jonathan Nichols from the University of Leicester, U.K., and principal investigator of the study. “It almost seems as if Jupiter is throwing a firework party for the imminent arrival of Juno.” Credits: NASA, ESA, and J. Nichols (University of Leicester)

Overview of MAVEN Particle and Fields Package (PFP) Measurements During Observations of Discrete Aurora at Mars by the MAVEN Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soobiah, Y. I. J.; Espley, J. R.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Gruesbeck, J.; DiBraccio, G. A.; Schneider, N.; Jain, S.; Brain, D.; Andersson, L.; Halekas, J. S.; Lillis, R. J.; McFadden, J. P.; Mitchell, D. L.; Mazelle, C. X.; Deighan, J.; McClintock, W. E.; Ergun, R.; Jakosky, B. M.

2016-12-01

NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft has observed a variety of aurora at Mars and related processes that impact the escape of the Martian atmosphere. So far MAVEN's Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) instrument has observed 1) Diffuse aurora over widespread regions of Mars' northern hemisphere; 2) Discrete aurora that is spatially confined to localized patches around regions of crustal magnetic field; and 3) Proton aurora from the limb brightening of Lyman-α emission. MAVEN's Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) instrument has shown the diffuse aurora to be coincident with outbursts of solar energetic particles and disturbed solar wind and magnetospheric conditions. MAVEN Particle and Fields Package (PFP) Solar Wind Ion Analyzer (SWIA) has shown the limb brightening of Lyman-α to correlate with increased upstream solar wind dynamic pressure as associated with increased penetrating protons. So far a conclusive explanation for the discrete aurora has yet to be determined. This study aims to explore the plasma processes related to discrete Martian aurora in greater detail by presenting an overview of PFP measurements during orbits when IUVS observed discrete aurora at Mars. Initial observations from orbit 1600 of MAVEN has shown the almost side-by-side occurrence of a crustal magnetic field associated current sheet measured by MAVEN's Magnetometer Investigation (MAG) near the Mars terminator and IUVS limb observations of discrete aurora in Mars shadow (similar co-latitudes but separated by nearly 1800 km across longitude). This study includes further analysis of magnetic field current sheets and the particle acceleration/energization to investigate the space plasma processes involved in discrete aurora at Mars.

Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Response to Quasi-periodic Oscillations in Solar Wind Driving Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J.; Wang, W.; Zhang, B.; Huang, C.

2017-12-01

Periodical oscillations with periods of several tens of minutes to several hours are commonly seen in the Alfven wave embedded in the solar wind. It is yet to be known how the solar wind oscillation frequency modulates the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupled system. Utilizing the Coupled Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (CMIT), we analyzed the magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system response to IMF Bz oscillation with periods of 10, 30, and 60 minutes from the perspective of energy budget and electrodynamic coupling processes. Our results indicate that solar wind energy coupling efficiency depends on IMF Bz oscillation frequency; energy coupling efficiency, represented by the ratio between globally integrated Joule heating and Epsilon function, is higher for lower frequency IMF Bz oscillation. Ionospheric Joule heating dissipation not only depends on the direct solar wind driven process but also is affected by the intrinsic nature of magnetosphere (i.e. loading-unloading process). In addition, ionosphere acts as a low-pass filter and tends to filter out very high-frequency solar wind oscillation (i.e. shorter than 10 minutes). Ionosphere vertical ion drift is most sensitive to IMF Bz oscillation compared to hmF2, and NmF2, while NmF2 is less sensitive. This can account for not synchronized NmF2 and hmF2 response to penetration electric fields in association with fast solar wind changes. This research highlights the critical role of IMF Bz oscillation frequency in constructing energy coupling function and understanding electrodynamic processes in the coupled solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere system.

THREE-DIMENSIONAL MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC MODELING OF THE SOLAR WIND INCLUDING PICKUP PROTONS AND TURBULENCE TRANSPORT

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

Usmanov, Arcadi V.; Matthaeus, William H.; Goldstein, Melvyn L., E-mail: arcadi.usmanov@nasa.gov

2012-07-20

To study the effects of interstellar pickup protons and turbulence on the structure and dynamics of the solar wind, we have developed a fully three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic solar wind model that treats interstellar pickup protons as a separate fluid and incorporates the transport of turbulence and turbulent heating. The governing system of equations combines the mean-field equations for the solar wind plasma, magnetic field, and pickup protons and the turbulence transport equations for the turbulent energy, normalized cross-helicity, and correlation length. The model equations account for photoionization of interstellar hydrogen atoms and their charge exchange with solar wind protons, energy transfermore » from pickup protons to solar wind protons, and plasma heating by turbulent dissipation. Separate mass and energy equations are used for the solar wind and pickup protons, though a single momentum equation is employed under the assumption that the pickup protons are comoving with the solar wind protons. We compute the global structure of the solar wind plasma, magnetic field, and turbulence in the region from 0.3 to 100 AU for a source magnetic dipole on the Sun tilted by 0 Degree-Sign -90 Degree-Sign and compare our results with Voyager 2 observations. The results computed with and without pickup protons are superposed to evaluate quantitatively the deceleration and heating effects of pickup protons, the overall compression of the magnetic field in the outer heliosphere caused by deceleration, and the weakening of corotating interaction regions by the thermal pressure of pickup protons.« less

Analysis of Wind Forces on Roof-Top Solar Panel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panta, Yogendra; Kudav, Ganesh

2011-03-01

Structural loads on solar panels include forces due to high wind, gravity, thermal expansion, and earthquakes. International Building Code (IBC) and the American Society of Civil Engineers are two commonly used approaches in solar industries to address wind loads. Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7-02) can be used to calculate wind uplift loads on roof-mounted solar panels. The present study is primarily focused on 2D and 3D modeling with steady, and turbulent flow over an inclined solar panel on the flat based roof to predict the wind forces for designing wind management system. For the numerical simulation, 3-D incompressible flow with the standard k- ɛ was adopted and commercial CFD software ANSYS FLUENT was used. Results were then validated with wind tunnel experiments with a good agreement. Solar panels with various aspect ratios for various high wind speeds and angle of attacks were modeled and simulated in order to predict the wind loads in various scenarios. The present study concluded to reduce the strong wind uplift by designing a guide plate or a deflector before the panel. Acknowledgments to Northern States Metal Inc., OH (GK & YP) and School of Graduate Studies of YSU for RP & URC 2009-2010 (YP).

Analysis of Solar Wind Samples Returned by Genesis Using Laser Post Ionization Secondary Neutral Mass Spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veryovkin, I. V.; Calaway, W. F.; Tripa, C. E.; Pellin, M. J.; Burnett, D. S.

2005-12-01

A new secondary neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS) instrument implementing laser post ionization (LPI) of ion sputtered and laser desorbed neutral species has been developed and constructed for the specific purpose of quantitative analysis of metallic elements at ultra trace levels in solar wind collector samples returned to Earth by the Genesis Discovery mission. The first LPI SNMS measurements are focusing on determining Al, Ca, Cr, and Mg in these samples. These measurements provide the first concentration and isotopic abundances determinations for several key metallic elements and also elucidate possible fractionation effects between the photosphere and the solar wind compositions. It is now documented that Genesis samples suffered surface contamination both during flight and during the breach of the Sample Return Capsule when it crashed. Since accurate quantitative analysis is compromised by sample contamination, several features have been built into the new LPI SNMS instrument to mitigate this difficulty. A normally-incident, low-energy (<500 eV) ion beam combined with a keV energy ion beam and a desorbing laser beam (both microfocused) enables dual beam analyses. The low-energy ion beam can be used to remove surface contaminant by sputtering with minimum ion beam mixing. This low-energy beam also will be used to perform ion beam milling, while either the microfocused ion or laser beam probes the solar wind elemental compositions as a function of sample depth. Because of the high depth resolution of dual beam analyses, such depth profiles clearly distinguish between surface contaminants and solar wind implanted atoms. In addition, in-situ optical and electron beam imaging for observing and avoiding particulates and scratches on solar wind sample surfaces is incorporated in the new LPI SNMS instrument to further reduce quantification problems. The current status of instrument tests and analyses will be presented. This work is supported by the U. S. Department of Energy, BES-Materials Sciences, under Contract W-31-109-ENG-38, and by NASA under Work Orders W-19,895 and W-10,091.

Analysis of Solar Wind Precipitation on Mars Using MAVEN/SWIA Observations of Spacecraft-Scattered Ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lue, C.; Halekas, J. S.

2017-12-01

Particle sensors on the MAVEN spacecraft (SWIA, SWEA, STATIC) observe precipitating solar wind ions during MAVEN's periapsis passes in the Martian atmosphere (at 120-250 km altitude). The signature is observed as positive and negative particles at the solar wind energy, traveling away from the Sun. The observations can be explained by the solar wind penetrating the Martian magnetic barrier in the form of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) due to charge-exchange with the Martian hydrogen corona, and then being reionized in positive or negative form upon impact with the atmosphere (1). These findings have elucidated solar wind precipitation dynamics at Mars, and can also be used to monitor the solar wind even when MAVEN is at periapsis (2). In the present study, we focus on a SWIA instrument background signal that has been interpreted as spacecraft/instrument-scattered ions (2). We aim to model and subtract the scattered ion signal from the observations including those of reionized solar wind. We also aim to use the scattered ion signal to track hydrogen ENAs impacting the spacecraft above the reionization altitude. We characterize the energy spectrum and directional scattering function for solar wind scattering off the SWIA aperture structure, the radome and the spacecraft body. We find a broad scattered-ion energy spectrum up to the solar wind energy, displaying increased energy loss and reduced flux with increasing scattering angle, allowing correlations with the solar wind direction, energy, and flux. We develop models that can be used to predict the scattered signal based on the direct solar wind observations or to infer the solar wind properties based on the observed scattered signal. We then investigate deviations to the models when the spacecraft is in the Martian atmosphere and evaluate the plausibility of that these are caused by ENAs. We also perform SIMION modeling of the scattering process and the resulting signal detection by SWIA, to study the results from an instrument point-of-view and evaluate the instrument sensitivity to ENAs. 1. Halekas, J. S., et al. (2015), Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, doi:10.1002/2015GL064693 2. Halekas, J. S., et al. (2017), J. Geophys. Res., 122, doi:10.1002/2016JA023167

A study of the relationship between micropulsations and solar wind properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yedidia, B. A.; Lazarus, A. J.; Vellante, M.; Villante, U.

1991-01-01

A year-long comparison between daily averages of solar wind parameters obtained from the MIT experiment on IMP-8 and micropulsation measurements made by the Universita dell'Aquila has shown a correlation between solar wind speed and micropulsation power with peaks of the correlation coefficient greater than 0.8 in the period range from 20 to 40 s. Different behavior observed for different period bands suggests that the shorter period activity tends to precede the highest values of the solar wind speed while the longer period activity tends to persist for longer intervals within high velocity solar wind streams. A comparison with simultaneous interplanetary magnetic field measurements supports the upstream origin of the observed ground pulsations.

Long-term changes in solar wind elemental and isotopic ratios - A comparison of two lunar ilmenites of different antiquities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Becker, Richard H.; Pepin, Robert O.

1989-01-01

The solar wind components in two lunar ilmenites are examined. The noble gas and nitrogen elemental and isotopic abundances of lunar regolith breccia sample 79035, assumed to have been exposed to solar winds more than 2 Ga ago, are analyzed using stepwise oxidation and pyrolysis. This sample is compared with the data of Frick et al. (1988) for soil sample 71501, recently exposed to solar winds. It is observed that the two elements differ in terms of xenon abundance, helium and neon isotopic rates, and He/Ar elemental ratios. It is concluded that there have been isotopic and elemental abundance changes in solar wind composition over time.

Interaction between Solar Wind and Lunar Magnetic Anomalies observed by Kaguya MAP-PACE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Yoshifumi; Yokota, Shoichiro; Tanaka, Takaaki; Asamura, Kazushi; Nishino, Masaki; Yamamoto, Tadateru; Uemura, Kota; Tsunakawa, Hideo

2010-05-01

It is known that Moon has neither global intrinsic magnetic field nor thick atmosphere. Different from the Earth's case where the intrinsic global magnetic field prevents the solar wind from penetrating into the magnetosphere, solar wind directly impacts the lunar surface. Since the discovery of the lunar crustal magnetic field in 1960s, several papers have been published concerning the interaction between the solar wind and the lunar magnetic anomalies. MAG/ER on Lunar Prospector found heating of the solar wind electrons presumably due to the interaction between the solar wind and the lunar magnetic anomalies and the existence of the mini-magnetosphere was suggested. However, the detailed mechanism of the interaction has been unclear mainly due to the lack of the in-situ observed data of low energy ions. MAgnetic field and Plasma experiment - Plasma energy Angle and Composition Experiment (MAP-PACE) on Kaguya (SELENE) completed its ˜1.5-year observation of the low energy charged particles around the Moon on 10 June, 2009. Kaguya was launched on 14 September 2007 by H2A launch vehicle from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Kaguya was inserted into a circular lunar polar orbit of 100km altitude and continued observation for nearly 1.5 years till it impacted the Moon on 10 June 2009. During the last 5 months, the orbit was lowered to ˜50km-altitude between January 2009 and April 2009, and some orbits had further lower perilune altitude of ˜10km after April 2009. MAP-PACE consisted of 4 sensors: ESA (Electron Spectrum Analyzer)-S1, ESA-S2, IMA (Ion Mass Analyzer), and IEA (Ion Energy Analyzer). All the sensors performed quite well as expected from the laboratory experiment carried out before launch. Since each sensor had hemispherical field of view, two electron sensors and two ion sensors that were installed on the spacecraft panels opposite to each other could cover full 3-dimensional phase space of low energy electrons and ions. One of the ion sensors IMA was an energy mass spectrometer. IMA measured mass identified ion energy spectra that had never been obtained at 100km altitude polar orbit around the Moon. When Kaguya flew over South Pole Aitken region, where strong magnetic anomalies exist, solar wind ions reflected by magnetic anomalies were observed. These ions had much higher flux than the solar wind protons scattered at the lunar surface. The magnetically reflected ions had nearly the same energy as the incident solar wind ions while the solar wind protons scattered at the lunar surface had slightly lower energy than the incident solar wind ions. At 100km altitude, when the reflected ions were observed, the simultaneously measured electrons were often heated and the incident solar wind ions were sometimes slightly decelerated. At ~50km altitude, when the reflected ions were observed, proton scattering at the lunar surface clearly disappeared. It suggests that there exists an area on the lunar surface where solar wind does not impact. At ~10km altitude, the interaction between the solar wind ions and the lunar magnetic anomalies was remarkable with clear deceleration of the incident solar wind ions and heating of the reflected ions as well as significant heating of the electrons. Calculating velocity moments including density, velocity, temperature of the ions and electrons, we have found that there exists 100km scale regions over strong magnetic anomalies where plasma parameters are quite different from the outside. Solar wind ions observed at 10km altitude show several different behaviors such as deceleration without heating and heating in a limited region inside the magnetic anomalies that may be caused by the magnetic field structure. The deceleration of the solar wind has the same ΔE/q (ΔE : deceleration energy, q: charge) for different species, which constraints the possible mechanisms of the interaction between solar wind and magnetic anomalies.

Wind and solar energy resources on the 'Roof of the World'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zandler, Harald; Morche, Thomas; Samimi, Cyrus

2015-04-01

The Eastern Pamirs of Tajikistan, often referred to as 'Roof of the World', are an arid high mountain plateau characterized by severe energy poverty that may have great potential for renewable energy resources due to the prevailing natural conditions. The lack of energetic infrastructure makes the region a prime target for decentralized integration of wind and solar power. However, up to date no scientific attempt to assess the regional potential of these resources has been carried out. In this context, it is particularly important to evaluate if wind and solar energy are able to provide enough power to generate thermal energy, as other thermal energy carriers are scarce or unavailable and the existing alternative, local harvest of dwarf shrubs, is unsustainable due to the slow regeneration in this environment. Therefore, this study examines the feasibility of using wind and solar energy as thermal energy sources. Financial frame conditions were set on a maximum amount of five million Euros. This sum provides a realistic scenario as it is based on the current budget of the KfW development bank to finance the modernization of the local hydropower plant in the regions only city, Murghab, with about 1500 households. The basis for resource assessment is data of four climate stations, erected for this purpose in 2012, where wind speed, wind direction, global radiation and temperature are measured at a half hourly interval. These measurements confirm the expectation of a large photovoltaic potential and high panel efficiency with up to 84 percent of extraterrestrial radiation reaching the surface and only 16 hours of temperatures above 25°C were measured in two years at the village stations on average. As these observations are only point measurements, radiation data and the ASTER GDEM was used to train a GIS based solar radiation model to spatially extrapolate incoming radiation. With mean validation errors ranging from 5% in July (minimum) to 15% in December (maximum) the extrapolation showed sufficient modeling performance to create the first solar atlas of the Eastern Pamirs. This solar atlas, adapted to optimal panel inclination using 5000 random points, was used to compute expected electricity amounts for two scenarios: one for decentralized small scale implementation and one for a larger scale photovoltaic (PV) power plant. Based on the month with the minimum incoming radiation and the expected energy demand for cooking, the cost for the required infrastructure was assessed. The results showed that an implementation of a PV power plant in Murghab would generate enough power for basic cooking within the estimated budget in winter. In summer the power plant would deliver at least as much energy as the planned hydropower plant if latter would continuously deliver its anticipated peak power. The decentralized scenario for a village with 210 households without existing energy grid resulted in higher investment costs of about 8,000 € per household to meet basic cooking demands in winter. Wind energy potential was assessed based on local wind measurements and an assumed installation of small scale wind turbines. Short time scale comparison of wind and solar resources showed that they mainly occur simultaneously and positive synergy effects are negligible. Furthermore, the financial analysis resulted in significantly higher cost for wind energy even in favorable locations making this resource less important for the region. Our results suggest that solar energy could make a substantial contribution to sustainable energy supply and to alleviate energy poverty and environmental degradation in the Eastern Pamirs of Tajikistan.

The Solar Wind Depletion (SWD) event of 26 April 1999: Triggering of an auroral pseudobreakup event

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, X.; Tsurutani, B.; Gonzalez, W.

2000-01-01

The interplanetary solar wind depletion (SWD) event of 26 April 1999 and its magnetospheric consequences are examined. The SWD event is characterized by a solar wind density decrease from [similar to] 3.0 to 0.7 cm(sup -3) leading to a solar wind ram pressure decrease from [similar to] 2.0 to 0.2 nPa. This SWD onset is followed by a dipolarization of nightside magnetospheric fields.

Solar Wind Earth Exchange Project (SWEEP)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-28

AFRL-AFOSR-UK-TR-2016-0035 Solar Wind Earth Exchange Project 140200 Steven Sembay UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER Final Report 10/28/2016 DISTRIBUTION A...To) 01 Sep 2014 to 31 Aug 2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Solar Wind Earth Exchange Project (SWEEP) 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b.  GRANT NUMBER FA9550-14-1...SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT The grant received from AFRL/AOFSR/EOARD funded the Solar Wind Earth Exchange Project (SWEEP) at Leicester University. The goal

Signatures of Slow Solar Wind Streams from Active Regions in the Inner Corona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slemzin, V.; Harra, L.; Urnov, A.; Kuzin, S.; Goryaev, F.; Berghmans, D.

2013-08-01

The identification of solar-wind sources is an important question in solar physics. The existing solar-wind models ( e.g., the Wang-Sheeley-Arge model) provide the approximate locations of the solar wind sources based on magnetic field extrapolations. It has been suggested recently that plasma outflows observed at the edges of active regions may be a source of the slow solar wind. To explore this we analyze an isolated active region (AR) adjacent to small coronal hole (CH) in July/August 2009. On 1 August, Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer observations showed two compact outflow regions in the corona. Coronal rays were observed above the active-region coronal hole (ARCH) region on the eastern limb on 31 July by STEREO-A/EUVI and at the western limb on 7 August by CORONAS- Photon/TESIS telescopes. In both cases the coronal rays were co-aligned with open magnetic-field lines given by the potential field source surface model, which expanded into the streamer. The solar-wind parameters measured by STEREO-B, ACE, Wind, and STEREO-A confirmed the identification of the ARCH as a source region of the slow solar wind. The results of the study support the suggestion that coronal rays can represent signatures of outflows from ARs propagating in the inner corona along open field lines into the heliosphere.

Fundamental Physics of the Slow Solar Wind - What do we Know?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ofman, L.; Abbo, L.; Antiochos, S. K.; Hansteen, V. H.; Harra, L.; Ko, Y. K.; Lapenta, G.; Li, B.; Riley, P.; Strachan, L.; von Steiger, R.; Wang, Y. M.

2016-12-01

Fundamental physical properties of the slow solar wind (SSW), such as density, temperature, outflow speed, heavy ion abundances and charges states were obtained from in-situ measurements at 1AU in the past from WIND, ACE, and other spacecraft. Plasma and magnetic field measurement are available as close as 0.3 AU from Helios data, Spektr-R, and MESSENGER spacecraft. Remote sensing spectroscopic measurements are available in the corona and below from SOHO/UVCS, Hinode, and other missions. One of the major objectives of the Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus missions is to study the sources of the SSW close to the Sun. The present state of understanding of the physics of the SSW is based on the combination of the existing observations, theoretical and numerical 3D MHD and multi-fluid models, that connect between the SSW sources in the corona and the heliosphere. Recently, hybrid models that combine fluid electrons and kinetic ions of the expanding solar wind were developed, and provide further insights of the local SSW plasma heating processes that related to turbulent magnetic fluctuations spectra and kinetic ion instabilities observed in the SSW plasma. These models produce the velocity distribution functions (VDFs) of the protons and heavier ions as well as the ion anisotropic temperatures. I will discuss the results of the above observations and models, and review the current status of our understanding of the fundamental physics of the SSW. I will review the open questions, and discuss how they could be addressed with near future observations and models.

The effects of seasonal and diurnal variations in the Earth's magnetic dipole orientation on solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cnossen, Ingrid; Wiltberger, Michael; Ouellette, Jeremy E.

2012-11-01

The angle μ between the geomagnetic dipole axis and the geocentric solar magnetospheric (GSM) z axis, sometimes called the “dipole tilt,” varies as a function of UT and season. Observations have shown that the cross-polar cap potential tends to maximize near the equinoxes, when on average μ = 0, with smaller values observed near the solstices. This is similar to the well-known semiannual variation in geomagnetic activity. We use numerical model simulations to investigate the role of two possible mechanisms that may be responsible for the influence of μ on the magnetosphere-ionosphere system: variations in the coupling efficiency between the solar wind and the magnetosphere and variations in the ionospheric conductance over the polar caps. Under southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions, variations in ionospheric conductance at high magnetic latitudes are responsible for 10-30% of the variations in the cross-polar cap potential associated with μ, but variations in solar wind-magnetosphere coupling are more important and responsible for 70-90%. Variations in viscous processes contribute slightly to this, but variations in the reconnection rate with μ are the dominant cause. The variation in the reconnection rate is primarily the result of a variation in the length of the section of the separator line along which relatively strong reconnection occurs. Changes in solar wind-magnetosphere coupling also affect the field-aligned currents, but these are influenced as well by variations in the conductance associated with variations in μ, more so than the cross-polar cap potential. This may be the case for geomagnetic activity too.

A Study of the Structure of the Source Region of the Solar Wind in Support of a Solar Probe Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Habbal, Shadia R.; Forman, M. A. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Despite the richness of the information about the physical properties and the structure of the solar wind provided by the Ulysses and SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) observations, fundamental questions regarding the nature of the coronal heating mechanisms, their source, and the manifestations of the fast and slow solar wind, still remain unanswered. The last unexplored frontier to establish the connection between the structure and dynamics of the solar atmosphere, its extension into interplanetary space, and the mechanisms responsible for the evolution of the solar wind, is the corona between 1 and 30 R(sub s). A Solar Probe mission offers an unprecedented opportunity to explore this frontier. Its uniqueness stems from its trajectory in a plane perpendicular to the ecliptic which reaches within 9 R(sub s) of the solar surface over the poles and 3 - 9 R(sub s) at the equator. With a complement of simultaneous in situ and remote sensing observations, this mission is destined to detect remnants and signatures of the processes which heat the corona and accelerate the solar wind. In support of this mission, we fulfilled the following two long-term projects: (1) Study of the evolution of waves and turbulence in the solar wind (2) Exploration of signatures of physical processes and structures in the corona. A summary of the tasks achieved in support of these projects are given below. In addition, funds were provided to support the Solar Wind 9 International Conference which was held in October 1998. A brief report on the conference is also described in what follows.

Some remarks on waves in the solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kellogg, Paul J.

1995-01-01

Waves are significant to the solar wind in two ways as modifiers of the particle distribution functions, and as diagnostics. In addition, the solar wind serves as an important laboratory for the study of plasma wave processes, as it is possible to make detailed measurements of phenomena which are too small to be easily measured by laboratory sized sensors. There are two areas where waves (we include discontinuities under this heading) must make important modifications of the distribution functions: in accelerating the alpha particles to higher speeds than the protons (Marsch et al.) and in accelerating the solar wind itself. A third area is possibly in maintaining the relative isotropy of the solar wind ion distribution in the solar wind rest frame. As the solar wind is nearly collisionless, the ions should conserve magnetic moment in rushing out from the sun, and therefore Tperp/B should be relatively constant, but it is obviously not. This has not received much attention. The waves, both electromagnetic and electrostatic, which are pan of the solar Type 111 burst phenomenon, have been extensively studied as examples of nonlinear plasma phenomena, and also used as remote sensors to trace the solar magnetic field. The observations made by Ulysses show that the field can be traced in this way out to perhaps a little more than an A.U., but then the electromagnetic pan of the type 111 burst fades out. Nevertheless, sometimes Langmuir waves appear at Ulysses at an appropriate extrapolated time. This seems to support the picture in which the electromagnetic waves at the fundamental plasma frequency are trapped in density fluctuations. Langmuir waves in the solar wind are usually in quasi-thermal equilibrium quasi because the solar wind itself is not isothermal. The Observatory of Paris group (Steinberg. Meyer-Vernet, Hoang) has exploited this with an experiment on WIND which is capable of providing density and temperature on a faster time scale than hitherto. Recently it has been found that Langmuir waves are associated with magnetic holes. This may help to elucidate the nature of magnetic holes. Nonlinear processes are important in the transformation of wave energy to panicle energy. Some recent examples from WIND data will be shown.

Solar power. [comparison of costs to wind, nuclear, coal, oil and gas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walton, A. L.; Hall, Darwin C.

1990-01-01

This paper describes categories of solar technologies and identifies those that are economic. It compares the private costs of power from solar, wind, nuclear, coal, oil, and gas generators. In the southern United States, the private costs of building and generating electricity from new solar and wind power plants are less than the private cost of electricity from a new nuclear power plant. Solar power is more valuable than nuclear power since all solar power is available during peak and midpeak periods. Half of the power from nuclear generators is off-peak power and therefore is less valuable. Reliability is important in determining the value of wind and nuclear power. Damage from air pollution, when factored into the cost of power from fossil fuels, alters the cost comparison in favor of solar and wind power. Some policies are more effective at encouraging alternative energy technologies that pollute less and improve national security.

Modeling the heliospheric current sheet: Solar cycle variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riley, Pete; Linker, J. A.; Mikić, Z.

2002-07-01

In this report we employ an empirically driven, three-dimensional MHD model to explore the evolution of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) during the course of the solar cycle. We compare our results with a simpler ``constant-speed'' approach for mapping the HCS outward into the solar wind to demonstrate that dynamic effects can substantially deform the HCS in the inner heliosphere (<~5 AU). We find that these deformations are most pronounced at solar minimum and become less significant at solar maximum, when interaction regions are less effective. Although solar maximum is typically associated with transient, rather than corotating, processes, we show that even under such conditions, the HCS can maintain its structure over the course of several solar rotations. While the HCS may almost always be topologically equivalent to a ``ballerina skirt,'' we discuss an interval approaching the maximum of solar cycle 23 (Carrington rotations 1960 and 1961) when the shape would be better described as ``conch shell''-like. We use Ulysses magnetic field measurements to support the model results.

An MHD simulation of the effects of the interplanetary magnetic field By component on the interaction of the solar wind with the earth's magnetosphere during southward interplanetary magnetic field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ogino, T.; Walker, R. J.; Ashour-Abdalla, M.; Dawson, J. M.

1986-01-01

The interaction between the solar wind and the earth's magnetosphere has been studied by using a time-dependent three-dimensional MHD model in which the IMF pointed in several directions between dawnward and southward. When the IMF is dawnward, the dayside cusp and the tail lobes shift toward the morningside in the northern magnetosphere. The plasma sheet rotates toward the north on the dawnside of the tail and toward the south on the duskside. For an increasing southward IMF component, the plasma sheet becomes thinner and subsequently wavy because of patchy or localized tail reconnection. At the same time, the tail field-aligned currents have a filamentary layered structure. When projected onto the northern polar cap, the filamentary field-aligned currents are located in the same area as the region 1 currents, with a pattern similar to that associated with auroral surges. Magnetic reconnection also occurs on the dayside magnetopause for southward IMF.

GPP Webinar: Market Outlook and Innovations in Wind and Solar Power

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Green Power Partnership webinar reviewing the state of the renewable energy industry as a whole, with a focus on wind and solar power and exploring recent marketplace innovations in wind and solar power and renewable energy purchases.

Generation of Kappa Distributions in Solar Wind at 1 au

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livadiotis, G.; Desai, M. I.; Wilson, L. B., III

2018-02-01

We examine the generation of kappa distributions in the solar wind plasma near 1 au. Several mechanisms are mentioned in the literature, each characterized by a specific relationship between the solar wind plasma features, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), and the kappa index—the parameter that governs the kappa distributions. This relationship serves as a signature condition that helps the identification of the mechanism in the plasma. In general, a mechanism that generates kappa distributions involves a single or a series of stochastic or physical processes that induces local correlations among particles. We identify three fundamental solar wind plasma conditions that can generate kappa distributions, noted as (i) Debye shielding, (ii) frozen IMF, and (iii) temperature fluctuations, each one prevailing in different scales of solar wind plasma and magnetic field properties. Moreover, our findings show that the kappa distributions, and thus, their generating mechanisms, vary significantly with solar wind features: (i) the kappa index has different dependence on the solar wind speed for slow and fast modes, i.e., slow wind is characterized by a quasi-constant kappa index, κ ≈ 4.3 ± 0.7, while fast wind exhibits kappa indices that increase with bulk speed; (ii) the dispersion of magnetosonic waves is more effective for lower kappa indices (i.e., further from thermal equilibrium); and (iii) the kappa and polytropic indices are positively correlated, as it was anticipated by the theory.

Stationarity of extreme bursts in the solar wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moloney, N. R.; Davidsen, J.

2014-05-01

Recent results have suggested that the statistics of bursts in the solar wind vary with solar cycle. Here, we show that this variation is basically absent if one considers extreme bursts. These are defined as threshold-exceeding events over the range of high thresholds for which their number decays as a power law. In particular, we find that the distribution of duration times and energies of extreme bursts in the solar wind ɛ parameter and similar observables are independent of the solar cycle and in this sense stationary, and show robust asymptotic power laws with exponents that are independent of the specific threshold. This is consistent with what has been observed for solar flares and, thus, provides evidence in favor of a link between solar flares and extreme bursts in the solar wind.

Recent perspectives in solar physics - Elemental composition, coronal structure and magnetic fields, solar activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newkirk, G., Jr.

1975-01-01

Elemental abundances in the solar corona are studied. Abundances in the corona, solar wind and solar cosmic rays are compared to those in the photosphere. The variation in silicon and iron abundance in the solar wind as compared to helium is studied. The coronal small and large scale structure is investigated, emphasizing magnetic field activity and examining cosmic ray generation mechanisms. The corona is observed in the X-ray and EUV regions. The nature of coronal transients is discussed with emphasis on solar-wind modulation of galactic cosmic rays. A schematic plan view of the interplanetary magnetic field during sunspot minimum is given showing the presence of magnetic bubbles and their concentration in the region around 4-5 AU by a fast solar wind stream.

Prediction of solar energetic particle event histories using real-time particle and solar wind measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roelof, E. C.; Gold, R. E.

1978-01-01

The comparatively well-ordered magnetic structure in the solar corona during the decline of Solar Cycle 20 revealed a characteristic dependence of solar energetic particle injection upon heliographic longitude. When analyzed using solar wind mapping of the large scale interplanetary magnetic field line connection from the corona to the Earth, particle fluxes display an approximately exponential dependence on heliographic longitude. Since variations in the solar wind velocity (and hence the coronal connection longitude) can severely distort the simple coronal injection profile, the use of real-time solar wind velocity measurements can be of great aid in predicting the decay of solar particle events. Although such exponential injection profiles are commonplace during 1973-1975, they have also been identified earlier in Solar Cycle 20, and hence this structure may be present during the rise and maximum of the cycle, but somewhat obscured by greater temporal variations in particle injection.

Major Geomagnetic Storms (Dst less than or equal to -100 nT) Generated by Corotating Interaction Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, I. G.; Webb, D. F.; Zhang, J.; Berdichevsky, B. D.; Biesecker, D. A.; Kasper, J. C.; Kataoka, R.; Steinberg, J. T.; Thompson, B. J.; Wu, C.-C.;

Composition of the Solar Wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suess, S. T.

2007-01-01

The solar wind reflects the composition of the Sun and physical processes in the corona. Analysis produces information on how the solar system was formed and on physical processes in the corona. The analysis can also produce information on the local interstellar medium, galactic evolution, comets in the solar wind, dust in the heliosphere, and matter escaping from planets.

A peaking-regulation-balance-based method for wind & PV power integrated accommodation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jinfang; Li, Nan; Liu, Jun

2018-02-01

Rapid development of China’s new energy in current and future should be focused on cooperation of wind and PV power. Based on the analysis of system peaking balance, combined with the statistical features of wind and PV power output characteristics, a method of comprehensive integrated accommodation analysis of wind and PV power is put forward. By the electric power balance during night peaking load period in typical day, wind power installed capacity is determined firstly; then PV power installed capacity could be figured out by midday peak load hours, which effectively solves the problem of uncertainty when traditional method hard determines the combination of the wind and solar power simultaneously. The simulation results have validated the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Impacts of wind stilling on solar radiation variability in China

PubMed Central

Lin, Changgui; Yang, Kun; Huang, Jianping; Tang, Wenjun; Qin, Jun; Niu, Xiaolei; Chen, Yingying; Chen, Deliang; Lu, Ning; Fu, Rong

2015-01-01

Solar dimming and wind stilling (slowdown) are two outstanding climate changes occurred in China over the last four decades. The wind stilling may have suppressed the dispersion of aerosols and amplified the impact of aerosol emission on solar dimming. However, there is a lack of long-term aerosol monitoring and associated study in China to confirm this hypothesis. Here, long-term meteorological data at weather stations combined with short-term aerosol data were used to assess this hypothesis. It was found that surface solar radiation (SSR) decreased considerably with wind stilling in heavily polluted regions at a daily scale, indicating that wind stilling can considerably amplify the aerosol extinction effect on SSR. A threshold value of 3.5 m/s for wind speed is required to effectively reduce aerosols concentration. From this SSR dependence on wind speed, we further derived proxies to quantify aerosol emission and wind stilling amplification effects on SSR variations at a decadal scale. The results show that aerosol emission accounted for approximately 20% of the typical solar dimming in China, which was amplified by approximately 20% by wind stilling. PMID:26463748

Three-Fluid Magnetohydrodynamic Modeling of the Solar Wind in the Outer Heliosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Usmanov, Arcadi V.; Goldstein, Melvyn L.; Matthaeus, William H.

2011-01-01

We have developed a three-fluid, fully three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic model of the solar wind plasma in the outer heliosphere as a co-moving system of solar wind protons, electrons, and interstellar pickup protons, with separate energy equations for each species. Our approach takes into account the effects of electron heat conduction and dissipation of Alfvenic turbulence on the spatial evolution of the solar wind plasma and interplanetary magnetic fields. The turbulence transport model is based on the Reynolds decomposition of physical variables into mean and fluctuating components and uses the turbulent phenomenologies that describe the conversion of fluctuation energy into heat due to a turbulent cascade. We solve the coupled set of the three-fluid equations for the mean-field solar wind and the turbulence equations for the turbulence energy, cross helicity, and correlation length. The equations are written in the rotating frame of reference and include heating by turbulent dissipation, energy transfer from interstellar pickup protons to solar wind protons, and solar wind deceleration due to the interaction with the interstellar hydrogen. The numerical solution is constructed by the time relaxation method in the region from 0.3 to 100 AU. Initial results from the novel model are presented.

Solar wind speed and He I (1083 nm) absorption line intensity

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

Hakamada, Kazuyuki; Kojima, Masayoshi; Kakinuma, Takakiyo

1991-04-01

Since the pattern of the solar wind was relatively steady during Carrington rotations 1,748 through 1,752 in 1984, an average distribution of the solar windspeed on a so-called source surface can be constructed by superposed epoch analysis of the wind values estimated by the interplanetary scintillation observations. The average distribution of the solar wind speed is then projected onto the photosphere along magnetic field lines computed by a so-called potential model with the line-of-sight components of the photospheric magnetic fields. The solar wind speeds projected onto the photosphere are compared with the intensities of the He I (1,083 nm) absorptionmore » line at the corresponding locations in the chromosphere. The authors found that there is a linear relation between the speeds and the intensities. Since the intensity of the He I (1,083 nm) absorption line is coupled with the temperature of the corona, this relation suggests that some physical mechanism in or above the photosphere accelerates coronal plasmas to the solar wind speed in regions where the temperature is low. Further, it is suggested that the efficiency of the solar wind acceleration decreases as the coronal temperature increases.« less

Identification of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections at 1 AU Using Multiple Solar Wind Plasma Composition Anomalies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, I. G.; Cane, H. V.

2004-01-01

We investigate the use of multiple simultaneous solar wind plasma compositional anomalies, relative to the composition of the ambient solar wind, for identifying interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) plasma. We first summarize the characteristics of several solar wind plasma composition signatures (O(+7)/O(+6), Mg/O, Ne/O, Fe charge states, He/p) observed by the ACE and WIND spacecraft within the ICMEs during 1996 - 2002 identsed by Cane and Richardson. We then develop a set of simple criteria that may be used to identify such compositional anomalies, and hence potential ICMEs. To distinguish these anomalies from the normal variations seen in ambient solar wind composition, which depend on the wind speed, we compare observed compositional signatures with those 'expected' in ambient solar wind with the same solar wind speed. This method identifies anomalies more effectively than the use of fixed thresholds. The occurrence rates of individual composition anomalies within ICMEs range from approx. 70% for enhanced iron and oxygen charge states to approx. 30% for enhanced He/p (> 0.06) and Ne/O, and are generally higher in magnetic clouds than other ICMEs. Intervals of multiple anomalies are usually associated with ICMEs, and provide a basis for the identification of the majority of ICMEs. We estimate that Cane and Richardson, who did not refer to composition data, probably identitied approx. 90% of the ICMEs present. However, around 10% of their ICMEs have weak compositional anomalies, suggesting that the presence of such signatures does not provide a necessary requirement for an ICME. We note a remarkably similar correlation between the Mg/O and O(7)/O(6) ratios in hourly-averaged data both within ICMEs and the ambient solar wind. This 'universal' relationship suggests that a similar process (such as minor ion heating by waves inside coronal magnetic field loops) produces the first-ionization potential bias and ion freezing-in temperatures in the source regions of both ICMEs and the ambient solar wind.

25 CFR 162.010 - How do I obtain a lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... subpart E for wind energy evaluation, wind resource, or solar resource leases; and (3) Prospective lessees..., residential, business, wind energy evaluation, wind resource, and solar resource leases will not be advertised...

25 CFR 162.010 - How do I obtain a lease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... subpart E for wind energy evaluation, wind resource, or solar resource leases; and (3) Prospective lessees..., residential, business, wind energy evaluation, wind resource, and solar resource leases will not be advertised...

Role of Concentrating Solar Power in Integrating Solar and Wind Energy: Preprint

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

Denholm, P.; Mehos, M.

2015-06-03

As wind and solar photovoltaics (PV) increase in penetration it is increasingly important to examine enabling technologies that can help integrate these resources at large scale. Concentrating solar power (CSP) when deployed with thermal energy storage (TES) can provide multiple services that can help integrate variable generation (VG) resources such as wind and PV. CSP with TES can provide firm, highly flexible capacity, reducing minimum generation constraints which limit penetration and results in curtailment. By acting as an enabling technology, CSP can complement PV and wind, substantially increasing their penetration in locations with adequate solar resource.

Handbook of solar-terrestrial data systems, version 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The interaction between the solar wind and the earth's magnetic field creates a large magnetic cavity which is termed the magnetosphere. Energy derived from the solar wind is ultimately dissipated by particle acceleration-precipitation and Joule heating in the magnetosphere-ionosphere. The rate of energy dissipation is highly variable, with peak levels during geomagnetic storms and substorms. The degree to which solar wind and magnetospheric conditions control the energy dissipation processes remains one of the major outstanding questions in magnetospheric physics. A conference on Solar Wind-Magnetospheric Coupling was convened to discuss these issues and this handbook is the result.

Solar Wind Interaction with the Martian Upper Atmosphere at Early Mars/Extreme Solar Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, C.; Bougher, S. W.; Ma, Y.; Toth, G.; Lee, Y.; Nagy, A. F.; Tenishev, V.; Pawlowski, D. J.; Combi, M. R.

2014-12-01

The investigation of ion escape fluxes from Mars, resulting from the solar wind interaction with its upper atmosphere/ionosphere, is important due to its potential impact on the long-term evolution of Mars atmosphere (e.g., loss of water) over its history. In the present work, we adopt the 3-D Mars cold neutral atmosphere profiles (0 ~ 300 km) from the newly developed and validated Mars Global Ionosphere Thermosphere Model (M-GITM) and the 3-D hot oxygen profiles (100 km ~ 5 RM) from the exosphere Monte Carlo model Adaptive Mesh Particle Simulator (AMPS). We apply these 3-D model output fields into the 3-D BATS-R-US Mars multi-fluid MHD (MF-MHD) model (100 km ~ 20 RM) that can simulate the interplay between Mars upper atmosphere and solar wind by considering the dynamics of individual ion species. The multi-fluid MHD model solves separate continuity, momentum and energy equations for each ion species (H+, O+, O2+, CO2+). The M-GITM model together with the AMPS exosphere model take into account the effects of solar cycle and seasonal variations on both cold and hot neutral atmospheres. This feature allows us to investigate the corresponding effects on the Mars upper atmosphere ion escape by using a one-way coupling approach, i.e., both the M-GITM and AMPS model output fields are used as the input for the multi-fluid MHD model and the M-GITM is used as input into the AMPS exosphere model. In this study, we present M-GITM, AMPS, and MF-MHD calculations (1-way coupled) for 2.5 GYA conditions and/or extreme solar conditions for present day Mars (high solar wind velocities, high solar wind dynamic pressure, and high solar irradiance conditions, etc.). Present day extreme conditions may result in MF-MHD outputs that are similar to 2.5 GYA cases. The crustal field orientations are also considered in this study. By comparing estimates of past ion escape rates with the current ion loss rates to be returned by the MAVEN spacecraft (2013-2016), we can better constrain the total ion loss to space over Mars history, and thus enhance the science returned from the MAVEN mission.

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.

Mapping the Solar Wind from its Source Region into the Outer Corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esser, Ruth

1998-01-01

Knowledge of the radial variation of the plasma conditions in the coronal source region of the solar wind is essential to exploring coronal heating and solar wind acceleration mechanisms. The goal of the present proposal is to determine as many plasma parameters in that region as possible by coordinating different observational techniques, such as Interplanetary Scintillation Observations, spectral line intensity observations, polarization brightness measurements and X-ray observations. The inferred plasma parameters are then used to constrain solar wind models.

Wind and Solar Resource Assessment of Sri Lanka and the Maldives (CD-ROM)

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

Elliott, D.; Schwartz, M.; Scott, G.

2003-08-01

The Wind and Solar Resource Assessment of Sri Lanka and the Maldives CD contains an electronic version of Wind Energy Resource Atlas of Sri Lanka and the Maldives (NREL/TP-500-34518), Solar Resource Assessment for Sri Lanka and the Maldives (NREL/TO-710-34645), Sri Lanka Wind Farm Analysis and Site Selection Assistance (NREL/SR-500-34646), GIS Data Viewer (software and data files with a readme file), and Hourly Solar and Typical Meteorological Year Data with a readme file.

An Analysis of the Use of Energy Audits, Solar Panels, and Wind Turbines to Reduce Energy Consumption from Non Renewable Energy Sources

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-15

the Use of Energy Audits, Solar Panels, and Wind Turbines to Reduce Energy Consumption from Non Renewable Energy Sources Energy is a National...Park, NC 27709-2211 Energy Audits, Energy Conservation, Renewable Energy, Solar Energy, Wind Turbine Use, Energy Consumption REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE 11...in non peer-reviewed journals: An Analysis of the Use of Energy Audits, Solar Panels, and Wind Turbines to Reduce Energy Consumption from Non

The Metal Content of Dwarf Starburst Winds: Results from Chandra Observations of NGC 1569

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Crystal L.; Kobulnicky, Henry A.; Heckman, Timothy M.

2002-08-01

We present deep Chandra spectral imaging of the dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 1569. The unprecedented spatial resolution allows us to spatially identify the components of the integrated X-ray spectrum. Fitted spectral models require an intrinsic absorption component and higher metal abundances than previous studies indicated. Our results provide the first direct evidence for metal-enriched winds from dwarf starburst galaxies. We identify 14 X-ray point sources in NGC 1569. Most have properties consistent with those of high-mass X-ray binaries, but one is a steep-spectrum radio source that is probably a supernova remnant. The X-ray luminosity of NGC 1569 is dominated by diffuse, thermal emission from the disk (0.7 keV) and bipolar halo (0.3 keV). Photoelectric absorption from the inclined H I disk hardens the X-ray spectrum on the northern side of the disk relative to the southern side. Requiring the fitted absorption column to match the H I column measured at 21 cm implies that the metallicity of the H I disk is significantly less than solar but greater than 0.1 Zsolar. Hence, much of the H I is enriched to levels comparable to the metallicity of the H II regions [O/H=0.2(O/H)solar]. The X-ray color variations in the halo are inconsistent with a free-streaming wind and probably reveal the location of shocks created by the interaction of the wind with a gaseous halo. The X-ray spectrum of the diffuse gas presents strong emission lines from α-process elements. Fitted models require α-element abundances greater than 0.25 Zα,solar and ratios of α-elements to iron 2-4 times higher than the solar ratio. The best fit to the spectrum is obtained with solar mass fractions for the α-elements, 1.0 Zα,solar, but a degeneracy between the metallicity and the spectral normalization prevents us from deriving an upper limit on the wind metallicity from the X-ray spectrum alone. We argue, however, that abundances larger than 2.0 Zα,solar pose awkward implications for the dynamical evolution of the wind based on our knowledge of the starburst properties. For consistency with our best-fitting abundances, the mass of interstellar gas entrained in the wind must be about 9 times the mass of stellar ejecta in the wind. Most of the oxygen carried by the wind comes from the stellar ejecta rather than entrained interstellar gas. The estimated mass of oxygen in the hot wind, 34,000 Msolar, is similar to the oxygen yield of the current starburst. Apparently the wind carries nearly all the metals ejected by the starburst. These metals appear destined to contribute to the enrichment of the intergalactic medium. Much of the nucleosynthesis in NGC 1569 must have occurred during less violent periods of star formation, however, because our measurements imply that the neutral gas disk holds at least 5 times more oxygen than wind. Based on observations obtained with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

DOD Renewable Energy Projects: Improved Guidance Needed for Analyzing and Documenting Costs and Benefits

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

on DOD installations have included electricity-generating technologies such as solar photovoltaic arrays, wind turbines , and burning of landfill...buildings, laboratories, and aircraft maintenance depots. Operational energy is the energy required for training, moving, and sustaining military...and the Production Tax Credit— which provides a tax credit currently equal to 2.3 cents per kilowatt-hour for energy produced from wind and certain

Determination of solar wind energy input during different form of geomagnetic disturbances.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahal, S.; Adhikari, B.; Narayan, C.; Shapkota, N.

2017-12-01

A quantitative study on solar wind energy input during different form of geomagnetic disturbances as well as during quite period was performed. To enable a quantitative analysis, we estimate Akasofu parameter which plays an important role to understand the relationships between ionosphere-magnetosphere and solar wind energy input. For comparative purpose, the total energy budget of Non storm HILDCAA event (19th to 24th April 2003), Storm preceding HILDCAA event (14th to 19th May 2005), Geomagnetic sub-storm (12nd to 16th November 2003), Geomagnetic super sub-storm (12nd to 16th November 2003) and a Quiet period (18th to 21st July 2006) were also analyzed. Among these events the highest total energy budget was found during the occurrence of storm preceding HILDCAA. This is due to significant geomagnetic field perturbation as displayed on the value of interplanetary parameters. The principal cause of geomagnetic disturbance is the magnetic reconnection, which establishes an electrodynamic coupling between the solar plasma and the magnetosphere. Although there is distinct perturbation on SYM-H index for all events but the values are different. The highest pick value of SYM-H index ( -300nT) was found for the storm preceding HILDCAA.This results suggest that the effects of HILDCAAs, displayed on the value of the SYM-H index, depends on the amount of the energy injected into the ring current. In a complementary way, fluctuation pattern of Temperature, IMF magnitude, Bx component, By component, and AE index are also studied and the possible physical interpretations for the statistical results obtained during each events were discussed. We shall report the characteristics of Bz component during each events by the implementation of discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and cross correlation analysis. We did cross-correlation between solar wind energy and Bz component of IMF and found a negative correlation between them during the main phase of geomagnetic disturbances. These results help to understand the coupling process between solar wind and magnetosphere-ionosphere system. By DWT analysis we found distinct singularity in solar wind energy signal during the period when Bz component is highly perturbed. This result indicates that there are impulsive energy injections superposed to the smooth background process.

New equipment the ion beam irradiation equipment installed at ISAS / JAXA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakauchi, Yusuke; Matsumoto, Toru; Asada, Yuma; Abe, Masanao; Tsuchiyama, Akira; Takigawa, Aki; Watanabe, Naoki; Yusuke Nakauchi

2017-10-01

Understanding of the space weathering effect by the solar wind implantation is thought to be important for the interpretation of the reflectance spectra on the airless body’s surface [e.g. 1]. It is important to elucidate the space weathering effect by hydrogen ions and helium ions which account for most of solar wind. In particular, it is suggested that the solar wind protons interact with the minerals in the surface layer of the airless bodies to form OH and H2O. To understanding the space weathering effect by solar wind protons will be an important clue to reveal the origin and the abundance of lunar water [e.g. 2].Solar wind consists of 95% protons, 4% helium and other ions [3]. The energy of protons is mainly 1.1 keV and the one of helium ions is mainly 4 keV. Then, we established the ion beam irradiation equipment in ISAS/JAXA. This device consists of a cold cathode ion gun, an ion irradiation chamber, a load lock chamber for specimen preparation and reflection spectrum measurement, and FTIR. The ion sources capable of irradiation are hydrogen and helium which occupy the most of solar wind and it is possible to selectively irradiate each ion with a magnetic separator. The energy can be selected from 500 eV to 5 keV. The ultimate degree of vacuum is about 10-6 Pa. The samples can move between the irradiation chamber and the load lock chamber without being exposed to the air. Moreover, since the nitrogen purge is possible for the optical path of FTIR, the influence of the adsorbed water can be ignored when measuring the reflection spectra.In this presentation, we will report the first results of the performance of ion beam irradiation equipment (e.g. beam current, beam-shape) and the proton irradiation to Sun Carlos olivine.[1] T. Noguchi et al., MPS, 49(2):188-214, 2014. [2] C.M. Pieters et al., Science, 326(5952):568-572, 2009. [3] J.T. Gosling, Encyclopedia of the Solar System (Second Edition), pages 99 -116, 2007. Acknowledgements Part of this work has been supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP15H05695, JP16H04044, Core-to-Core program (International Network of Planetary Sciences).

Conjugate High Latitude Measurements of Traveling Convection Vortices during Solstice Conditions on 2013/01/09

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhonghua; Clauer, C. Robert; Hartinger, Michael; Kim, Hyomin

2016-04-01

The ground magnetic response to a solar wind sudden impulse (SI) on 2013/01/19 produced traveling convection vortices observed in both northern winter and southern summer hemispheres by conjugate magnetometer chains along the 40 degree magnetic meridian. The conjugate measurements permit us to investigate the latitudinal dependence and dependence on interhemispheric conductance asymmetries. This event shows remarkable agreement in the timing and amplitude of the ground magnetic disturbance in both hemispheres, suggesting that the current strength is similar in both hemispheres despite the solstice conductance differences. Using additional observations and simulations, we explore the magnetospheric response to solar wind pressure transients and the resulting coupling to the ionosphere in both hemispheres by a current generation process. The Antarctic instrumentation for this research has been supported by the National Science Foundation through a Major Research Infrastructure (MRI) grant ATM-922979 and grant PLR-1243398 has supported the stations operations and the research.

Present developments in theory of the solar wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, E. N.

1972-01-01

Current problems and developments in the theory of the large-scale expansion of the solar corona are reviewed. The outstanding question is whether the energy supply to the quiet corona is mainly thermal conduction outward from a region of active heating at its base, or mainly wave propagation outward from the base. It is suggested that the question can be settled only when the properties of the wind can be sampled over a wide range of radial distance from the sun, from far inside the orbit of earth to well beyond. It was suggested that hydromagnetic waves may drive the expansion of the active corona by direct transfer of momentum as well as energy.

On the Relationship Between Solar Wind Speed, Geomagnetic Activity, and the Solar Cycle Using Annual Values

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.; Hathaway, David H.

2008-01-01

The aa index can be decomposed into two separate components: the leading sporadic component due to solar activity as measured by sunspot number and the residual or recurrent component due to interplanetary disturbances, such as coronal holes. For the interval 1964-2006, a highly statistically important correlation (r = 0.749) is found between annual averages of the aa index and the solar wind speed (especially between the residual component of aa and the solar wind speed, r = 0.865). Because cyclic averages of aa (and the residual component) have trended upward during cycles 11-23, cyclic averages of solar wind speed are inferred to have also trended upward.

The large-scale magnetic field in the solar wind. [astronomical models of interplanetary magnetics and the solar magnetic field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burlaga, L. F.; Ness, N. F.

1976-01-01

A literature review is presented of theoretical models of the interaction of the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic fields. Observations of interplanetary magnetic fields by the IMP and OSO spacecraft are discussed. The causes for cosmic ray variations (Forbush decreases) by the solar wind are examined. The model of Parker is emphasized. This model shows the three dimensional magnetic field lines of the solar wind to have the form of spirals wrapped on cones. It is concluded that an out-of-the-ecliptic solar probe mission would allow the testing and verification of the various theoretical models examined. Diagrams of the various models are shown.

The Character of the Solar Wind, Surface Interactions, and Water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrell, William M.

2011-01-01

We discuss the key characteristics of the proton-rich solar wind and describe how it may interact with the lunar surface. We suggest that solar wind can be both a source and loss of water/OH related volatiles, and review models showing both possibilities. Energy from the Sun in the form of radiation and solar wind plasma are in constant interaction with the lunar surface. As such, there is a solar-lunar energy connection, where solar energy and matter are continually bombarding the lunar surface, acting at the largest scale to erode the surface at 0.2 Angstroms per year via ion sputtering [1]. Figure 1 illustrates this dynamically Sun-Moon system.

Use of meteorological information in the risk analysis of a mixed wind farm and solar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mengelkamp, H.-T.; Bendel, D.

2010-09-01

Use of meteorological information in the risk analysis of a mixed wind farm and solar power plant portfolio H.-T. Mengelkamp*,** , D. Bendel** *GKSS Research Center Geesthacht GmbH **anemos Gesellschaft für Umweltmeteorologie mbH The renewable energy industry has rapidly developed during the last two decades and so have the needs for high quality comprehensive meteorological services. It is, however, only recently that international financial institutions bundle wind farms and solar power plants and offer shares in these aggregate portfolios. The monetary value of a mixed wind farm and solar power plant portfolio is determined by legal and technical aspects, the expected annual energy production of each wind farm and solar power plant and the associated uncertainty of the energy yield estimation or the investment risk. Building an aggregate portfolio will reduce the overall uncertainty through diversification in contrast to the single wind farm/solar power plant energy yield uncertainty. This is similar to equity funds based on a variety of companies or products. Meteorological aspects contribute to the diversification in various ways. There is the uncertainty in the estimation of the expected long-term mean energy production of the wind and solar power plants. Different components of uncertainty have to be considered depending on whether the power plant is already in operation or in the planning phase. The uncertainty related to a wind farm in the planning phase comprises the methodology of the wind potential estimation and the uncertainty of the site specific wind turbine power curve as well as the uncertainty of the wind farm effect calculation. The uncertainty related to a solar power plant in the pre-operational phase comprises the uncertainty of the radiation data base and that of the performance curve. The long-term mean annual energy yield of operational wind farms and solar power plants is estimated on the basis of the actual energy production and it's relation to a climatologically stable long-term reference period. These components of uncertainty are of technical nature and based on subjective estimations rather than on a statistically sound data analysis. And then there is the temporal and spatial variability of the wind speed and radiation. Their influence on the overall risk is determined by the regional distribution of the power plants. These uncertainty components are calculated on the basis of wind speed observations and simulations and satellite derived radiation data. The respective volatility (temporal variability) is calculated from the site specific time series and the influence on the portfolio through regional correlation. For an exemplary portfolio comprising fourteen wind farms and eight solar power plants the annual mean energy production to be expected is calculated, the different components of uncertainty are estimated for each single wind farm and solar power plant and for the portfolio as a whole. The reduction in uncertainty (or risk) through bundling the wind farms and the solar power plants (the portfolio effect) is calculated by Markowitz' Modern Portfolio Theory. This theory is applied separately for the wind farm and the solar power plant bundle and for the combination of both. The combination of wind and photovoltaic assets clearly shows potential for a risk reduction. Even assets with a comparably low expected return can lead to a significant risk reduction depending on their individual characteristics.

Solar wind stream evolution at large heliocentric distances - Experimental demonstration and the test of a model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gosling, J. T.; Hundhausen, A. J.; Bame, S. J.

1976-01-01

A stream propagation model which neglects all dissipation effects except those occurring at shock interfaces, was used to compare Pioneer-10 solar wind speed observations, during the time when Pioneer 10, the earth, and the sun were coaligned, with near-earth Imp-7 observations of the solar wind structure, and with the theoretical predictions of the solar wind structure at Pioneer 10 derived from the Imp-7 measurements, using the model. The comparison provides a graphic illustration of the phenomenon of stream steepening in the solar wind with the attendant formation of forward-reverse shock pairs and the gradual decay of stream amplitudes with increasing heliocentric distance. The comparison also provides a qualitative test of the stream propagation model.

Measurements of the properties of solar wind plasma relevant to studies of its coronal sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neugebauer, M.

1982-01-01

Interplanetary measurements of the speeds, densities, abundances, and charge states of solar wind ions are diagnostic of conditions in the source region of the solar wind. The absolute values of the mass, momentum, and energy fluxes in the solar wind are not known to an accuracy of 20%. The principal limitations on the absolute accuracies of observations of solar wind protons and alpha particles arise from uncertain instrument calibrations, from the methods used to reduce the data, and from sampling biases. Sampling biases are very important in studies of alpha particles. Instrumental resolution and measurement ambiguities are additional major problems for the observation of ions heavier than helium. Progress in overcoming some of these measurement inadequacies is reviewed.

The Interaction Between the Magnetosphere of Mars and that of Comet Siding Spring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmstrom, M.; Futaana, Y.; Barabash, S. V.

2015-12-01

On 19 October 2014 the comet Siding Spring flew by Mars. This was a unique opportunity to study the interaction between a cometary and a planetary magnetosphere. Here we model the magnetosphere of the comet using a hybrid plasma solver (ions as particles, electrons as a fluid). The undisturbed upstream solar wind ion conditions are estimated from observations by ASPERA-3/IMA on Mars Express during several orbits. It is found that Mars probably passed through a solar wind that was disturbed by the comet during the flyby. The uncertainty derives from that the size of the disturbed solar wind region in the comet simulation is sensitive to the assumed upstream solar wind conditions, especially the solar wind proton density.

A Rigorous Statistical Approach to Determine Solar Wind Composition from ACE/SWICS Data, and New Ne/O Ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shearer, P.; Jawed, M. K.; Raines, J. M.; Lepri, S. T.; Gilbert, J. A.; von Steiger, R.; Zurbuchen, T.

2013-12-01

The SWICS instruments aboard ACE and Ulysses have performed in situ measurements of individual solar wind ions for a period spanning over two decades. Solar wind composition is determined by accumulating the measurements into an ion count histogram in which each species appears as a distinct peak. Assigning counts to the appropriate species is a challenging statistical problem because of the limited counts for some species and overlap between some peaks. We show that the most commonly used count assignment methods can suffer from significant bias when a highly abundant species overlaps with a much less abundant one. For ACE/SWICS data, this bias results in an overestimated Ne/O ratio. Bias is greatly reduced by switching to a rigorous maximum likelihood count assignment method, resulting in a 30-50% reduction in the estimated Ne abundance. We will discuss the new Ne/O values and put them in context with the solar system abundances for Ne derived from other techniques, such as in situ collection from Genesis and its heritage instrument, the Solar Foil experiment during the Apollo era. The new count assignment method is currently being applied to reanalyze the archived ACE and Ulysses data and obtain revised abundances of C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Si, S, and Fe, leading to revised datasets that will be made publicly available.