6,069 research outputs found
Rapid acceleration of electrons in the magnetosphere by fast-mode MHD waves
During major megnetic storms, enhanced flux of relativistic electrons in the
inner magnetosphere have been observed to correleated with ULF waves. The
enhancements can take place over a period of several hours. In order to account
for such a rapid generation of relativistic electrons, we examine the mechanism
of transit-time acceleration of electrons by low-frequency fast-mode MHD waves,
here the assumed form of ULF waves. Calcaulations of the acceleration
timescales in the model show that fast-mode waves in the Pc4 to Pc5 frequency
range, with typically observed wave amplitudes 10--20 nT, can accelerate the
seed electrons to energies of order MeV in a period of a few hours.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, Accepted to J. Geophys. Re
The trapping of equatorial magnetosonic waves in the Earthâs outer plasmasphere
Abstract We investigate the excitation and propagation of equatorial magnetosonic waves observed by the Van Allen Probes and describe evidence for a trapping mechanism for magnetosonic waves in the Earth\u27s plasmasphere. Intense equatorial magnetosonic waves were observed inside the plasmasphere in association with a pronounced proton ring distribution, which provides free energy for wave excitation. Instability analysis along the inbound orbit demonstrates that broadband magnetosonic waves can be excited over a localized spatial region near the plasmapause. The waves can subsequently propagate into the inner plasmasphere and remain trapped over a limited radial extent, consistent with the predictions of near-perpendicular propagation. By performing a similar analysis on another observed magnetosonic wave event, we demonstrate that magnetosonic waves can also be trapped within local density structures. We suggest that perpendicular wave propagation is important for explaining the presence of magnetosonic waves in the Earth\u27s plasmasphere at locations away from the generation region. Key Points Magnetosonic waves are excited by ion ring distributions near the plasmapauseMagnetosonic waves are trapped in a limited radial region in the plasmasphereMagnetosonic waves are modulated by local density structures
Oxygen ion dynamics in the Earth's ring current: Van Allen probes observations
Oxygen (O+) enhancements in the inner magnetosphere are often observed during geomagnetically active times, such as geomagnetic storms. In this study, we quantitatively examine the difference in ring current dynamics with and without a substantial O+ ion population based on almost 6 years of Van Allen Probes observations. Our results have not only confirmed previous finding of the role of O+ ions to the ring current but also found that abundant O+ ions are always present during large storms when sym-H < -60 nT without exception, whilst having the pressure ratio () between O+ and proton (H+) larger than 0.8 and occasionally even larger than 1 when L < 3. Simultaneously, the pressure anisotropy decreases with decreasing sym-H and increasing L shell. The pressure anisotropy decrease during the storm main phase is likely related to the pitch angle isotropization processes. In addition, we find that increases during the storm main phase and then decreases during the storm recovery phase, suggesting faster buildup and decay of O+ pressure compared to H+ ions, which are probably associated with some species dependent source and/or energization as well as loss processes in the inner magnetosphere.Accepted manuscrip
Resonant scattering of energetic electrons by unusual low-frequency hiss
Abstract We quantify the resonant scattering effects of the unusual low-frequency dawnside plasmaspheric hiss observed on 30 September 2012 by the Van Allen Probes. In contrast to normal (âŒ100-2000 Hz) hiss emissions, this unusual hiss event contained most of its wave power at âŒ20-200 Hz. Compared to the scattering by normal hiss, the unusual hiss scattering speeds up the loss of âŒ50-200 keV electrons and produces more pronounced pancake distributions of âŒ50-100 keV electrons. It is demonstrated that such unusual low-frequency hiss, even with a duration of a couple of hours, plays a particularly important role in the decay and loss process of energetic electrons, resulting in shorter electron lifetimes for âŒ50-400 keV electrons than normal hiss, and should be carefully incorporated into global modeling of radiation belt electron dynamics during periods of intense injections
Analysis of plasmaspheric hiss wave amplitudes inferred from low-altitude POES electron data: Technique sensitivity analysis
A novel technique capable of inferring wave amplitudes from low-altitude electron measurements from the Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) spacecraft has been previously proposed to construct a global dynamic model of chorus and plasmaspheric hiss waves. In this paper we focus on plasmaspheric hiss, which is an incoherent broadband emission that plays a dominant role in the loss of energetic electrons from the inner magnetosphere. We analyze the sensitivity of the POES technique to different inputs used to infer the hiss wave amplitudes during three conjunction events with the Van Allen Probes. These amplitudes are calculated with different input models of the plasma density, wave frequency spectrum, and electron energy spectrum, and the results are compared to the wave observations from the twin Van Allen Probes. Only one parameter is varied at a time in order to isolate its effect on the output, while the two other inputs are set to the values observed by the Van Allen Probes. The results show that the predicted hiss amplitudes are most sensitive to the adopted frequency spectrum, followed by the plasma density, but they are not very sensitive to the electron energy spectrum. Moreover, the standard Gaussian representation of the wave frequency spectrum (centered at 550âHz) peaks at frequencies that are much higher than those observed in individual cases as well as in statistical wave distributions, which produces large overestimates of the hiss wave amplitude. For this reason, a realistic statistical model of the wave frequency spectrum should be used in the POES technique to infer the plasmaspheric hiss wave intensity rather than a standard Gaussian distribution, since the former better reproduces the observed plasmaspheric hiss wave amplitudes
Modeling inward diffusion and slow decay of energetic electrons in the Earth\u27s outer radiation belt
Abstract
A new 3-D diffusion code is used to investigate the inward intrusion and slow decay of energetic radiation belt electrons (\u3e0.5âMeV) observed by the Van Allen Probes during a 10âday quiet period on March 2013. During the inward transport, the peak differential electron fluxes decreased by approximately an order of magnitude at various energies. Our 3-D radiation belt simulation including radial diffusion and pitch angle and energy diffusion by plasmaspheric hiss and electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves reproduces the essential features of the observed electron flux evolution. The decay time scales and the pitch angle distributions in our simulation are consistent with the Van Allen Probe observations over multiple energy channels. Our study suggests that the quiet time energetic electron dynamics are effectively controlled by inward radial diffusion and pitch angle scattering due to a combination of plasmaspheric hiss and EMIC waves in the Earth\u27s radiation belts
THE COMPLEX CIRCUMNUCLEAR ENVIRONMENT of the BROAD-LINE RADIO GALAXY 3C 390.3 REVEALED by CHANDRA HETG
We present the first high spectral resolution X-ray observation of the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 390.3 obtained with the high-energy transmission grating spectrometer on board the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The spectrum shows complex emission and absorption features in both the soft X-rays and Fe K band. We detect emission and absorption lines in the energy range E = 700â1000 eV associated with ionized Fe L transitions (Fe XVIIâXX). An emission line at the energy of E sime 6.4 keV consistent with the Fe Kα is also observed. Our best-fit model requires at least three different components: (i) a hot emission component likely associated with the hot interstellar medium in this elliptical galaxy with temperature kT = 0.5 ± 0.1 keV; (ii) a warm absorber with ionization parameter logΟ = 2.3 ± 0.5 erg sâ1 cm, column density logN H = 20.7 ± 0.1 cmâ2, and outflow velocity v out < 150 km sâ1; and (iii) a lowly ionized reflection component in the Fe K band likely associated with the optical broad-line region or the outer accretion disk. These evidences suggest the possibility that we are looking directly down the ionization cone of this active galaxy and that the central X-ray source only photoionizes along the unobscured cone. This is overall consistent with the angle-dependent unified picture of active galactic nuclei
Fast joint design method for parallel excitation radiofrequency pulse and gradient waveforms considering offâresonance
A fast parallel excitation pulse design algorithm to select and to order phaseâencoding (PE) locations (also known as âspokesâ) of an EchoâVolumar excitation k âspace trajectory considering B 0 field inhomogeneity is presented. Recently, other groups have conducted research to choose optimal PE locations, but the potential benefit of considering B 0 field inhomogeneity during PE location selection or their ordering has not been fully investigated. This article introduces a novel fast greedy algorithm to determine PE locations and their order that takes into account the offâresonance effects. Computer simulations of the proposed algorithm for B 1 field inhomogeneity correction demonstrate that it not only improves excitation accuracy but also provides an effective ordering of the PE locations. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91341/1/24311_ftp.pd
Radiation belt electron acceleration by chorus waves during the 17 March 2013 storm
Abstract
Local acceleration driven by whistler-mode chorus waves is fundamentally important for accelerating seed electron populations to highly relativistic energies in the outer radiation belt. In this study, we quantitatively evaluate chorus-driven electron acceleration during the 17 March 2013 storm, when the Van Allen Probes observed very rapid electron acceleration up to several MeV within ~12 hours. A clear radial peak in electron phase space density (PSD) observed near L* ~4 indicates that an internal local acceleration process was operating. We construct the global distribution of chorus wave intensity from the low-altitude electron measurements made by multiple Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (POES) satellites over a broad region, which is ultimately used to simulate the radiation belt electron dynamics driven by chorus waves. Our simulation results show remarkable agreement in magnitude, timing, energy dependence, and pitch angle distribution with the observed electron PSD near its peak location. However, radial diffusion and other loss processes may be required to explain the differences between the observation and simulation at other locations away from the PSD peak. Our simulation results, together with previous studies, suggest that local acceleration by chorus waves is a robust and ubiquitous process and plays a critical role in accelerating injected seed electrons with convective energies (~100 keV) to highly relativistic energies (several MeV)
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