scholarly journals In situ magnetotail magnetic flux calculation

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 769-781 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Shukhtina ◽  
E. Gordeev

Abstract. We explore two new modifications of the magnetotail magnetic flux (F) calculation algorithm based on the Petrinec and Russell (1996) (PR96) approach of the tail radius determination. Unlike in the PR96 model, the tail radius value is calculated at each time step based on simultaneous magnetotail and solar wind observations. Our former algorithm, described in Shukhtina et al. (2009), required that the "tail approximation" requirement were fulfilled, i.e., it could be applied only tailward x ∼ −15 RE. The new modifications take into account the approximate uniformity of the magnetic field of external sources in the near and middle tail. Tests, based on magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations, show that this approach may be applied at smaller distances, up to x ∼ −3 RE. The tests also show that the algorithm fails during long periods of strong positive interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz. A new empirical formula has also been obtained for the tail radius at the terminator (at x = 0) which improves the calculations.

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1673
Author(s):  
Ching-Ming Lai ◽  
Jean-Fu Kiang

The magnetospheric responses to solar wind of Mercury, Earth, Jupiter and Uranus are compared via magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. The tilt angle of each planetary field and the polarity of solar wind are also considered. Magnetic reconnection is illustrated and explicated with the interaction between the magnetic field distributions of the solar wind and the magnetosphere.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla ◽  
Adam Szabo ◽  
Kelly E. Korreck ◽  
Nathalia Alzate ◽  
Laura A. Balmaceda ◽  
...  

<p>We present an analysis of the internal structure of a coronal mass ejection (CME) detected by in situ<span> </span>instruments onboard the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) spacecraft during its first solar encounter. On 2018 November 11 at 23:53 UT, the FIELDS magnetometer measured an increase in strength of the magnetic field as well as a coherent change in the field direction. The SWEAP instrument simultaneously detected the low proton temperature and signatures of bi-directionality in the electron pitch angle distribution (PAD). These signatures are indicative of a CME embedded in the slow solar wind. In conjunction with PSP was the STEREO A spacecraft, which enabled the remote observation of a streamer blow-out by the SECCHI suite of instruments. The source at the Sun of the slow and well-structured<span> fl</span>ux-rope was identified in an overlying streamer.</p><p>Our detailed inspection of the internal transient structure magnetic properties suggests high complexity in deviations from an ideal<span> </span>flux rope 3D topology. Reconstructions of the magnetic field conguration reveal a highly distorted structure consistent with the highly elongated `bubble' observed remotely. A double-ring substructure observed in the SECCHI-COR2 eld of view (FOV) is suggestive of a double internal<span> </span>flux rope. Furthermore, we describe a scenario in which mixed topology of a closed<span> </span>flux rope is combined with the magnetically open structure, which helps explain the<span> </span>flux dropout observed in the measurements of the electron PAD. Our justication for this is the plethora of structures observed by the EUV imager (SECCHI-EUVI) in the hours preceding the streamer blowout evacuation. Finally, taking advantage of the unique observations from PSP, we explore the first stages of the effects of coupling with the solar wind and the evolutionary processes in the magnetic structure. We found evidence of bifurcated current sheets in the structure boundaries suggestive of magnetic reconnection. Our analysis of the internal force imbalance indicates that internal Lorentz forces continue to dominate the evolution of the structure in the COR2 FOV and serves as the main driver of the internal<span> fl</span>ux rope distortion as detected in situ at PSP solar distance.</p>


Author(s):  
L. Matteini ◽  
L. Franci ◽  
O. Alexandrova ◽  
C. Lacombe ◽  
S. Landi ◽  
...  

We investigate the transition of the solar wind turbulent cascade from MHD to sub‐ion range by means of a detailed comparison between in situ observations and hybrid numerical simulations. In particular, we focus on the properties of the magnetic field and its component anisotropy in Cluster measurements and hybrid 2D simulations. First, we address the angular distribution of wave vector in the kinetic range between ion and electron scales by studying the variance anisotropy of the magnetic field components. When taking into account a single-direction sampling, like that performed by spacecraft in the solar wind, the main properties of the fluctuations observed in situ are also recovered in our numerical description. This result confirms that solar wind turbulence in the sub‐ion range is characterized by a quasi-2D gyrotropic distribution of k-vectors around the mean field. We then consider the magnetic compressibility associated with the turbulent cascade and its evolution from large-MHD to sub‐ion scales. The ratio of field aligned to perpendicular fluctuations, typically low in the MHD inertial range, increases significantly when crossing ion scales and its value in the sub‐ion range is a function of the total plasma beta only, as expected from theoretical predictions, with higher magnetic compressibility for higher beta. Moreover, we observe that this increase has a gradual trend from low to high beta values in the in situ data; this behavior is well captured by the numerical simulations. The level of magnetic field compressibility that is observed in situ and in the simulations is in fairly good agreement with theoretical predictions, especially at high beta, suggesting that, in the kinetic range explored, the turbulence is supported by low-frequency and highly oblique fluctuations in pressure balance, like kinetic Alfvén waves or other slowly evolving coherent structures. The resulting scaling properties as a function of the plasma beta and the main differences between numerical and theoretical expectations and in situ observations are also discussed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Pudney ◽  
C. M. Carr ◽  
S. J. Schwartz ◽  
S. I. Howarth

Abstract. In-situ magnetic field measurements are of critical importance in understanding how the Sun creates and controls the heliosphere. To ensure the measurements are accurate, it is necessary to track the combined slowly varying spacecraft magnetic field and magnetometer zero offset – the systematic error in the sensor measurements. For a 3-axis stabilised spacecraft, in-flight correction of zero offsets primarily relies on the use of Alfvénic rotations in the magnetic field. We present a method to automatically determine a key parameter related to the ambient compressional variance of the signal (which determines the selection criteria for identifying clear Alfvénic rotations). We apply our method to different solar wind conditions, performing a statistical analysis of the data periods required to achieve a 70% chance of calculating an offset using Helios datasets. We find that 70% of 40 min data periods in regions of fast solar wind possess sufficient rotational content to calculate an offset. To achieve the same 70% calculation probability in regions of slow solar wind requires data periods of 2 h duration. We also find that 40 min data periods at perihelion compared to 1 h and 40 min data periods at aphelion are required to achieve the same 70% calculation probability. We compare our method with previous work that uses a fixed parameter approach and demonstrate an improvement in the calculation probability of up to 10% at aphelion and 5% at perihelion.


The first spacecraft encounter with a comet took place on 11 September 1985 when the International Cometary Explorer spacecraft passed through the tail of Comet Giacobini-Zinner at a distance of 7800 km from the nucleus. It provided the first definitive in-situ information concerning the interaction of a cometary atmosphere with the flowing solar-wind plasma, and the results of initial analyses are reviewed in this paper. Large-scale mhd aspects of the interaction largely conform to prior expectation. The flow surrounding the comet is mass-loaded and slowed by situ ionization and pick-up of heavy cometary neutrals, and the solar-wind magnetic field consequently becomes draped around the obstacle, and forms an induced magnetotail. Substantial evidence exists for the permanent presence of a weak shock lying in the subsolar mass-loaded region upstream from the comet, through whether the spacecraft itself passed through shocks on the cometary flanks remains controversial. There is no doubt, however, that a sharp boundary was observed both inbound and outbound (centred on ca. 09h29 and 12h20 U.T.) whose width is an energetic heavyion Larmor radius ( ca. 10 4 km), where the flow is deflected away from the comet and slowed, and where the magnetic field and plasma become compressed and very turbulent. The location of this boundary is also consistent with that expected for a weak shock based upon the known Giacobini-Zinner water-molecule production rate. An unexpected feature of the interaction was the extreme levels of field and plasma turbulence, and broadband wave activity observed in the region of massloaded flow.


1998 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Bothmer ◽  
R. Schwenn

Abstract. Plasma and magnetic field data from the Helios 1/2 spacecraft have been used to investigate the structure of magnetic clouds (MCs) in the inner heliosphere. 46 MCs were identified in the Helios data for the period 1974–1981 between 0.3 and 1 AU. 85% of the MCs were associated with fast-forward interplanetary shock waves, supporting the close association between MCs and SMEs (solar mass ejections). Seven MCs were identified as direct consequences of Helios-directed SMEs, and the passage of MCs agreed with that of interplanetary plasma clouds (IPCs) identified as white-light brightness enhancements in the Helios photometer data. The total (plasma and magnetic field) pressure in MCs was higher and the plasma-β lower than in the surrounding solar wind. Minimum variance analysis (MVA) showed that MCs can best be described as large-scale quasi-cylindrical magnetic flux tubes. The axes of the flux tubes usually had a small inclination to the ecliptic plane, with their azimuthal direction close to the east-west direction. The large-scale flux tube model for MCs was validated by the analysis of multi-spacecraft observations. MCs were observed over a range of up to ~60° in solar longitude in the ecliptic having the same magnetic configuration. The Helios observations further showed that over-expansion is a common feature of MCs. From a combined study of Helios, Voyager and IMP data we found that the radial diameter of MCs increases between 0.3 and 4.2 AU proportional to the distance, R, from the Sun as R0.8 (R in AU). The density decrease inside MCs was found to be proportional to R–2.4, thus being stronger compared to the average solar wind. Four different magnetic configurations, as expected from the flux-tube concept, for MCs have been observed in situ by the Helios probes. MCs with left- and right-handed magnetic helicity occurred with about equal frequencies during 1974–1981, but surprisingly, the majority (74%) of the MCs had a south to north (SN) rotation of the magnetic field vector relative to the ecliptic. In contrast, an investigation of solar wind data obtained near Earth's orbit during 1984–1991 showed a preference for NS-clouds. A direct correlation was found between MCs and large quiescent filament disappearances (disparition brusques, DBs). The magnetic configurations of the filaments, as inferred from the orientation of the prominence axis, the polarity of the overlying field lines and the hemispheric helicity pattern observed for filaments, agreed well with the in situ observed magnetic structure of the associated MCs. The results support the model of MCs as large-scale expanding quasi-cylindrical magnetic flux tubes in the solar wind, most likely caused by SMEs associated with eruptions of large quiescent filaments. We suggest that the hemispheric dependence of the magnetic helicity structure observed for solar filaments can explain the preferred orientation of MCs in interplanetary space as well as their solar cycle behavior. However, the white-light features of SMEs and the measured volumes of their interplanetary counterparts suggest that MCs may not simply be just Hα-prominences, but that SMEs likely convect large-scale coronal loops overlying the prominence axis out of the solar atmosphere.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Pecora ◽  
Sergio Servidio ◽  
Antonella Greco ◽  
Stuart D. Bale ◽  
David J. McComas ◽  
...  

<p>Plasma turbulence can be viewed as a magnetic landscape populated by large- and small-scale coherent structures, consisting notionally of magnetic flux tubes and their boundaries. Such structures exist over a wide range of scales and exhibit diverse morphology and plasma properties.  Moreover, interactions of particles with turbulence may involve temporary trapping in, as well as exclusion from, certain regions of space, generally controlled by the topology and connectivity of the magnetic field.  In some cases, such as SEP "dropouts'' the influence of the magnetic structure is dramatic; in other cases, it is more subtle, as in edge effects in SEP confinement. With Parker Solar Probe now closer to the sun than any previous mission, novel opportunities are available for examination of the relationship between magnetic flux structures and energetic particle populations. </p><p>We present a method that is able to characterize both the large- and small-scale structures of the turbulent solar wind, based on the combined use of a filtered magnetic helicity (H<sub>m</sub>) and the partial variance of increments (PVI). The synergistic combination with energetic particle measurements suggests whether these populations are either trapped within or excluded from the helical structure.</p><p>This simple, single-spacecraft technique exploits the natural tendency of flux tubes to assume a cylindrical symmetry of the magnetic field about a central axis. Moreover, large helical magnetic tubes might be separated by small-scale magnetic reconnection events (current sheets) and present magnetic discontinuity with the ambient solar wind. The method was first validated via direct numerical simulations of plasma turbulence and then applied to data from the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission. In particular, ISOIS energetic particle (EP) measurements along with FIELDS magnetic field measurements and SWEAP plasma moments, are enabling characterization of observations of EPs closer to their sources than ever before.<br> <br>This novel analysis, combining H<sub>m </sub>and PVI methods, reveals that a large number of flux tubes populate the solar wind and continuously merge in contact regions where magnetic reconnection and particle acceleration may occur. Moreover, the detection of boundaries, correlated with high-energy particle measurements, gives more insights into the nature of such helical structures as "excluding barriers'' suggesting a strong link between particle properties and fields topology. This research is partially supported by the Parker Solar Probe project. </p>


Author(s):  
M. A. Pudney ◽  
C. M. Carr ◽  
S. J. Schwartz ◽  
S. I. Howarth

Abstract. In-situ magnetic field measurements are of critical importance in understanding how the Sun creates and controls the heliosphere. To ensure the measurements are accurate, it is necessary to track the combined slowly-varying spacecraft magnetic field and magnetometer zero offset – the systematic error in the sensor measurements. For a 3-axis stabilised spacecraft, in-flight correction of zero offsets primarily relies on the use of Alfvénic rotations in the magnetic field. We present a method to automatically determine a key parameter related to the ambient compressional variance of the signal (which determines the selection criteria for identifying clear Alfvénic rotations). We apply our method to different solar wind conditions, performing a statistical analysis of the data periods required to achieve a 70% chance of calculating an offset using Helios datasets. We find that 70% of 40 min data periods in regions of fast solar wind possess sufficient rotational content to calculate an offset. To achieve the same 70% calculation probability in regions of slow solar wind requires data periods of 2 h duration. We also find that 40 min data periods at perihelion compared to 1 h and 40 min data periods at aphelion are required to achieve the same 70% calculation probability. We compare our method with previous work that uses a fixed parameter approach and demonstrate an improvement in the calculation probability of up to 10% at aphelion and 5% at perihelion.


2000 ◽  
Vol 179 ◽  
pp. 263-264
Author(s):  
K. Sundara Raman ◽  
K. B. Ramesh ◽  
R. Selvendran ◽  
P. S. M. Aleem ◽  
K. M. Hiremath

Extended AbstractWe have examined the morphological properties of a sigmoid associated with an SXR (soft X-ray) flare. The sigmoid is cospatial with the EUV (extreme ultra violet) images and in the optical part lies along an S-shaped Hαfilament. The photoheliogram shows flux emergence within an existingδtype sunspot which has caused the rotation of the umbrae giving rise to the sigmoidal brightening.It is now widely accepted that flares derive their energy from the magnetic fields of the active regions and coronal levels are considered to be the flare sites. But still a satisfactory understanding of the flare processes has not been achieved because of the difficulties encountered to predict and estimate the probability of flare eruptions. The convection flows and vortices below the photosphere transport and concentrate magnetic field, which subsequently appear as active regions in the photosphere (Rust & Kumar 1994 and the references therein). Successive emergence of magnetic flux, twist the field, creating flare productive magnetic shear and has been studied by many authors (Sundara Ramanet al.1998 and the references therein). Hence, it is considered that the flare is powered by the energy stored in the twisted magnetic flux tubes (Kurokawa 1996 and the references therein). Rust & Kumar (1996) named the S-shaped bright coronal loops that appear in soft X-rays as ‘Sigmoids’ and concluded that this S-shaped distortion is due to the twist developed in the magnetic field lines. These transient sigmoidal features tell a great deal about unstable coronal magnetic fields, as these regions are more likely to be eruptive (Canfieldet al.1999). As the magnetic fields of the active regions are deep rooted in the Sun, the twist developed in the subphotospheric flux tube penetrates the photosphere and extends in to the corona. Thus, it is essentially favourable for the subphotospheric twist to unwind the twist and transmit it through the photosphere to the corona. Therefore, it becomes essential to make complete observational descriptions of a flare from the magnetic field changes that are taking place in different atmospheric levels of the Sun, to pin down the energy storage and conversion process that trigger the flare phenomena.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 2522
Author(s):  
Guangdou Liu ◽  
Shiqin Hou ◽  
Xingping Xu ◽  
Wensheng Xiao

In the linear and planar motors, the 1D Halbach magnet array is extensively used. The sinusoidal property of the magnetic field deteriorates by analyzing the magnetic field at a small air gap. Therefore, a new 1D Halbach magnet array is proposed, in which the permanent magnet with a curved surface is applied. Based on the superposition of principle and Fourier series, the magnetic flux density distribution is derived. The optimized curved surface is obtained and fitted by a polynomial. The sinusoidal magnetic field is verified by comparing it with the magnetic flux density of the finite element model. Through the analysis of different dimensions of the permanent magnet array, the optimization result has good applicability. The force ripple can be significantly reduced by the new magnet array. The effect on the mass and air gap is investigated compared with a conventional magnet array with rectangular permanent magnets. In conclusion, the new magnet array design has the scalability to be extended to various sizes of motor and is especially suitable for small air gap applications.


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