scholarly journals Separating spatial and temporal variations in auroral electric and magnetic fields by Cluster multipoint measurements

2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 2463-2472 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Karlsson ◽  
G. T. Marklund ◽  
S. Figueiredo ◽  
T. Johansson ◽  
S. Buchert
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Alfven Waves ◽  
Alfvén Waves ◽  
Field Line Resonances ◽  
Electric And Magnetic Fields ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
Ionospheric Resonator ◽  
Static Nature

Abstract. Cluster multipoint measurements of the electric and magnetic fields from a crossing of auroral field lines at an altitude of 4RE are used to show that it is possible to resolve the ambiguity of temporal versus spatial variations in the fields. We show that the largest electric fields (of the order of 300mV/m when mapped down to the ionosphere) are of a quasi-static nature, unipolar, associated with upward electron beams, stable on a time scale of at least half a minute, and located in two regions of downward current. We conclude that they are the high-altitude analogues of the intense return current/black auroral electric field structures observed at lower altitudes by Freja and FAST. In between these structures there are temporal fluctuations, which are shown to likely be downward travelling Alfvén waves. The periods of these waves are 20-40s, which is not consistent with periods associated with either the Alfvénic ionospheric resonator, typical field line resonances or substorm onset related Pi2 oscillations. The multipoint measurements enable us to estimate a lower limit to the perpendicular wavelength of the Alfvén waves to be of the order of 120km, which suggests that the perpendicular wavelength is similar to the dimension of the region between the two quasi-static structures. This might indicate that the Alfvén waves are ducted within a wave guide, where the quasi-static structures are associated with the gradients making up this waveguide.

scholarly journals Field-aligned particle acceleration on auroral field lines by interaction with transient density cavities stimulated by kinetic Alfvén waves

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 2313-2329 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Bespalov ◽  
V. G. Misonova ◽  
S. W. H. Cowley
Keyword(s):  
Electric Fields ◽  
Planck Equation ◽  
Initial Energy ◽  
Alfven Waves ◽  
Distribution Functions ◽  
Energy Change ◽  
Alfvén Waves ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
Kinetic Alfvén Waves

Abstract. We consider the field-aligned acceleration of energetic ions and electrons which takes place on auroral field lines due to their interaction with time-varying density cavities stimulated by the strong oscillating field-aligned currents of kinetic Alfvén waves. It is shown that when the field-aligned current density of these waves increases, such that the electron drift speed exceeds the electron thermal speed, ion acoustic perturbations cease to propagate along the field lines and instead form purely-growing density perturbations. The rarefactions in these perturbations are found to grow rapidly to form density cavities, limited by the pressure of the bipolar electric fields which occur within them. The time scale for growth and decay of the cavities is much shorter than the period of the kinetic Alfvén waves. Energetic particles traversing these growing and decaying cavities will be accelerated by their time-varying field-aligned electric fields in a process that is modelled as a series of discrete random perturbations. The evolution of the particle distribution function is thus determined by the Fokker-Planck equation, with an energy diffusion coefficient that is proportional to the square of the particle charge, but is independent of the mass and energy. Steady-state solutions for the distribution functions of the accelerated particles are obtained for the case of an arbitrary energetic particle population incident on a scattering layer of finite length along the field lines, showing how the reflected and transmitted distributions depend on the typical "random walk" energy change of the particles within the layer compared to their initial energy. When this typical energy change is large compared to the initial energy, the reflected population is broadly spread in energy about a mean which is comparable with the initial energy, while the transmitted population has the form of a strongly accelerated field-aligned beam. We suggest that these processes are responsible for the occurrence of accelerated field-aligned beams of ions and electrons that are commonly observed on auroral field lines in planetary magnetospheres.

scholarly journals Wave particle interactions in the high-altitude polar cusp: a Cluster case study

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 3699-3713 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Grison ◽  
F. Sahraoui ◽  
B. Lavraud ◽  
T. Chust ◽  
N. Cornilleau-Wehrlin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electromagnetic Wave ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Wave Spectrum ◽  
Alfven Waves ◽  
Wave Activity ◽  
Alfven Wave ◽  
Alfvén Waves ◽  
Plasma Convection ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
Kinetic Alfvén Waves

Abstract. On 23 March 2002, the four Cluster spacecraft crossed in close configuration (~100 km separation) the high-altitude (10 RE) cusp region. During a large part of the crossing, the STAFF and EFW instruments have detected strong electromagnetic wave activity at low frequencies, especially when intense field-aligned proton fluxes were detected by the CIS/HIA instrument. In all likelihood, such fluxes correspond to newly-reconnected field lines. A focus on one of these ion injection periods highlights the interaction between waves and protons. The wave activity has been investigated using the k-filtering technique. Experimental dispersion relations have been built in the plasma frame for the two most energetic wave modes. Results show that kinetic Alfvén waves dominate the electromagnetic wave spectrum up to 1 Hz (in the spacecraft frame). Above 0.8 Hz, intense Bernstein waves are also observed. The close simultaneity observed between the wave and particle events is discussed as an evidence for local wave generation. A mechanism based on current instabilities is consistent with the observations of the kinetic Alfvén waves. A weak ion heating along the recently-opened field lines is also suggested from the examination of the ion distribution functions. During an injection event, a large plasma convection motion, indicative of a reconnection site location, is shown to be consistent with the velocity perturbation induced by the large-scale Alfvén wave simultaneously detected.

scholarly journals Investigating the damping rate of phase-mixed Alfvén waves

2019 ◽  
Vol 632 ◽  
pp. A93 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. K. Prokopyszyn ◽  
A. W. Hood
Keyword(s):  
Wave Energy ◽  
Alfven Waves ◽  
Alfvén Waves ◽  
Coronal Loops ◽  
Phase Mixing ◽  
Heating Mechanism ◽  
At Resonance ◽  
Damping Rate ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Waves

Context. This paper investigates the effectiveness of phase mixing as a coronal heating mechanism. A key quantity is the wave damping rate, γ, defined as the ratio of the heating rate to the wave energy. Aims. We investigate whether or not laminar phase-mixed Alfvén waves can have a large enough value of γ to heat the corona. We also investigate the degree to which the γ of standing Alfvén waves which have reached steady-state can be approximated with a relatively simple equation. Further foci of this study are the cause of the reduction of γ in response to leakage of waves out of a loop, the quantity of this reduction, and how increasing the number of excited harmonics affects γ. Methods. We calculated an upper bound for γ and compared this with the γ required to heat the corona. Analytic results were verified numerically. Results. We find that at observed frequencies γ is too small to heat the corona by approximately three orders of magnitude. Therefore, we believe that laminar phase mixing is not a viable stand-alone heating mechanism for coronal loops. To arrive at this conclusion, several assumptions were made. The assumptions are discussed in Sect. 2. A key assumption is that we model the waves as strictly laminar. We show that γ is largest at resonance. Equation (37) provides a good estimate for the damping rate (within approximately 10% accuracy) for resonant field lines. However, away from resonance, the equation provides a poor estimate, predicting γ to be orders of magnitude too large. We find that leakage acts to reduce γ but plays a negligible role if γ is of the order required to heat the corona. If the wave energy follows a power spectrum with slope −5/3 then γ grows logarithmically with the number of excited harmonics. If the number of excited harmonics is increased by much more than 100, then the heating is mainly caused by gradients that are parallel to the field rather than perpendicular to it. Therefore, in this case, the system is not heated mainly by phase mixing.

A time‐domain EM system measuring the step response of the ground

Geophysics ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 1010-1026 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. F. West ◽  
J. C. Macnae ◽  
Y. Lamontagne
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Impulse Response ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Wide Band ◽  
Step Response ◽  
System Function ◽  
Response Measurement ◽  
Resistivity Method ◽  
Electric And Magnetic Fields

A wide‐band time‐domain EM system, known as UTEM, which uses a large fixed transmitter and a moving receiver has been developed and used extensively in a variety of geologic environments. The essential characteristics that distinguish it from other systems are that its system function closely approximates a stepfunction response measurement and that it can measure both electric and magnetic fields. Measurement of step rather than impulse response simplifies interpretation of data amplitudes, and improves the detection of good conductors in the presence of poorer ones. Measurement of electric fields provides information about lateral conductivity contrasts somewhat similar to that obtained by the gradient array resistivity method.

scholarly journals Large parallel electric fields, currents, and density cavities in dispersive Alfvén waves above the aurora

2007 ◽  
Vol 112 (A5) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
C. C. Chaston ◽  
A. J. Hull ◽  
J. W. Bonnell ◽  
C. W. Carlson ◽  
R. E. Ergun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electric Fields ◽  
Alfven Waves ◽  
Alfvén Waves

Hall Currents and the Ejection of Prominences by Sunspots

1949 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
RG Giovanelli
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Magnetic Force ◽  
Large Space ◽  
Space Charges ◽  
Surrounding Atmosphere ◽  
Electric And Magnetic Fields ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
General Movement ◽  
Set Up

During the growth of sunspots induced electric fields may be expected to be set up in the surrounding atmosphere. It is shown that, because of the comparatively low conductivity perpendicular to lines of magnetic force, there are localized regions where large space charges occur, resulting in large electric fields perpendicular to the lines of magnetic force. Consequently both positive and negative charges drift in the same sense in a direction which is at right angles to the electric and magnetic fields, giving rise to a general movement of the gas. The drift velocities are difficult to estimate, but appear to be of the order of magnitude of those found in eruptive prominences.

Elastic Constants of Nematic Liquid Crystals

1972 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 966-976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Gruler ◽  
Terry J. Scheffer ◽  
Gerhard Meier
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Detailed Comparison ◽  
Theoretical Treatment ◽  
Electrical Capacitance ◽  
Normal Deformation ◽  
Electric And Magnetic Fields ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
Dynamic Phenomena ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract We present a theoretical treatment and give experimental observations of the deformation that occurs in a nematic liquid crystal when electric or magnetic fields are applied. We consider only normal deformations in the nematic material where fluid flow and other dynamic phenomena play no role. Three important sample geometries are considered in the magnetic field, and the experimentally observed deformations are in good agreement with theory. The normal deformation induced by electric fields is of interest from a device standpoint, and we give a solution for the deformation that is valid even for large dielectric anisotropics. This solution has been experimentally verified. We give a detailed comparison of the distortions produced by electric and magnetic fields and show that the deformations are of a similar form even though the field is nonuniform in the electric case. The change in birefringence and electrical capacitance as a function of distortion is discussed as a means of observing the deformation.

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