Low energy particle fluxes in the geomagnetic tail

Low energy particle fluxes in geomagnetic tail, and plasma sheet relation to auroral ova

Low energy electrons in the magnetosphere as observed by OGO-1 and OGO-3

Low energy electrons in magnetosphere as observed by OGO satellite

Towards a relativistic statistical theory

In special relativity the mathematical expressions, defining physical observables as the momentum, the energy etc, emerge as one parameter (light speed) continuous deformations of the corresponding ones of the classical physics. Here, we show that the special relativity imposes a proper one parameter continuous deformation also to the expression of the classical Boltzmann-Gibbs-Shannon entropy. The obtained relativistic entropy permits to construct a coherent and selfconsistent relativistic statistical theory [Phys. Rev. E {\bf 66}, 056125 (2002); Phys. Rev. E {\bf 72}, 036108 (2005)], preserving the main features (maximum entropy principle, thermodynamic stability, Lesche stability, continuity, symmetry, expansivity, decisivity, etc.) of the classical statistical theory, which is recovered in the classical limit. The predicted distribution function is a one-parameter continuous deformation of the classical Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution and has a simple analytic form, showing power law tails in accordance with the experimental evidence.Comment: Physica A (2006). Proof correction

Magnetic reconnection with anomalous resistivity in two-and-a-half dimensions I: Quasi-stationary case

In this paper quasi-stationary, two-and-a-half-dimensional magnetic reconnection is studied in the framework of incompressible resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). A new theoretical approach for calculation of the reconnection rate is presented. This approach is based on local analytical derivations in a thin reconnection layer, and it is applicable to the case when resistivity is anomalous and is an arbitrary function of the electric current and the spatial coordinates. It is found that a quasi-stationary reconnection rate is fully determined by a particular functional form of the anomalous resistivity and by the local configuration of the magnetic field just outside the reconnection layer. It is also found that in the special case of constant resistivity reconnection is Sweet-Parker and not Petschek.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, minor changes as compared to the 1st versio

2D stationary resistive MHD flows: borderline to magnetic reconnection solutions

We present the basic equations for stationary, incompressible resistive MHD flows in two dimensions. This leads to a system of differential equations for two flux functions, one elliptic partial differential equation (Grad-Shafranov-like) for the magnetic flux function and one for the stream function of the flow. In these equations two potentials appear: one potential is a generalized pressure. The second potential couples the magnetic and the flow shear components of the system. With the restriction to flux or at least line conserving flows one has to solve a modified Ohm's law. For the two dimensional case these are two coupled differential equations, which represent the borderline between the resistive but flux conserving (or line conserving) case, and that of reconnective solutions. We discuss some simplified solutions of these equations.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, Advances in Space Research (in press

Observations of low energy electrons with the OGO-A satellite.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Physics. Thesis. 1966. Ph.D.Bibliography: leaves 117-129.Ph.D

Self-similar solution of fast magnetic reconnection: Semi-analytic study of inflow region

An evolutionary process of the fast magnetic reconnection in ``free space'' which is free from any influence of outer circumstance has been studied semi-analytically, and a self-similarly expanding solution has been obtained. The semi-analytic solution is consistent with the results of our numerical simulations performed in our previous paper (see Nitta et al. 2001). This semi-analytic study confirms the existence of self-similar growth. On the other hand, the numerical study by time dependent computer simulation clarifies the stability of the self-similar growth with respect to any MHD mode. These results confirm the stable self-similar evolution of the fast magnetic reconnection system.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure

The VOISE Algorithm: a Versatile Tool for Automatic Segmentation of Astronomical Images

The auroras on Jupiter and Saturn can be studied with a high sensitivity and resolution by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ultraviolet (UV) and far-ultraviolet (FUV) Space Telescope spectrograph (STIS) and Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) instruments. We present results of automatic detection and segmentation of Jupiter's auroral emissions as observed by HST ACS instrument with VOronoi Image SEgmentation (VOISE). VOISE is a dynamic algorithm for partitioning the underlying pixel grid of an image into regions according to a prescribed homogeneity criterion. The algorithm consists of an iterative procedure that dynamically constructs a tessellation of the image plane based on a Voronoi Diagram, until the intensity of the underlying image within each region is classified as homogeneous. The computed tessellations allow the extraction of quantitative information about the auroral features such as mean intensity, latitudinal and longitudinal extents and length scales. These outputs thus represent a more automated and objective method of characterising auroral emissions than manual inspection.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures; accepted for publication in MNRA

Magnetic Reynolds number dependence of reconnection rate and flow structure of the self-similar evolution model of fast magnetic reconnection

This paper investigates Magnetic Reynolds number dependence of the ``self-similar evolution model'' (Nitta et al. 2001) of fast magnetic reconnection. I focused my attention on the flow structure inside and around the reconnection outflow, which is essential to determine the entire reconnection system (Nitta et al. 2002). The outflow is consist of several regions divided by discontinuities, e.g., shocks, and it can be treated by a shock-tube approximation (Nitta 2004). By solving the junction conditions (e.g., Rankine-Hugoniot condition), the structure of the reconnection outflow is obtained. Magnetic reconnection in most astrophysical problems is characterized by a huge dynamic range of its expansion ($sim 10^7$ for typical solar flares) in a free space which is free from any influence of external circumstances. Such evolution results in a spontaneous self-similar expansion which is controlled by two intrinsic parameters: the plasma-$beta$ and the magnetic Reynolds number. The plasma-$beta$ dependence had been investigated in our previous paper. This paper newly clarifies the relation between the reconnection rate and the inflow structure just outside the Petschek-like slow shock: As the magnetic Reynolds number increases, strongly converging inflow toward the Petschek-like slow shock forms, and it significantly reduces the reconnection rate.Comment: 16 pages. to appear in ApJ (2006 Jan. 20 issue