“Endurance”, a new NASA mission to gauge Earth’s polar wind ambipolar electric field

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glyn Collinson ◽  
Alex Glocer ◽  
Robert Pfaff ◽  
Robert Michell ◽  
Aroh Barjatya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Fundamental Property ◽  
Potential Drop ◽  
Scientific Instrument ◽  
Polar Wind ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Atmospheric Escape ◽  
Polar Caps ◽  
Light Ions ◽  
Field Lines

<p>Earth’s primary ionospheric loss process is the polar wind, which flows outwards along open magnetic field lines above our polar caps. One key component critical to the formation of this outflow is thought to be a weak ambipolar electric field. The potential drop resulting from this electric field is thought to assist terrestrial atmospheric escape since it reduces the potential barrier required for heavier ions (such as O<sup>+</sup>) to escape and accelerates light ions (such as H<sup>+</sup>) to escape velocity. Although a key component to atmospheric loss, Earth’s ambipolar electric field has never been measured due to its weak strength.</p><p> </p><p>We announce the NASA <em>Endurance</em> mission, launching in 2022, which will attempt to make the first direct in-situ observations of Earth’s ambipolar electric field. <em>Endurance</em> launch from Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, and soar across the exobase to altitudes greater than 800km. The spacecraft will be equipped with a new type of scientific instrument which will enable the <em>Endurance</em> to measure the total electric potential drop below her. She will also be equipped with a full array of sensors that will enable the science team to self-consistently model the polar wind during the flight to test our current theoretical understanding of the physical processes which generate Earth’s ambipolar electric field.</p><p><em>Endurance</em> will perform groundbreaking discovery science, measuring a fundamental property of Earth for the first time: the strength of the ambipolar electric field generated by its ionosphere. The results will provide us with a better understanding of atmospheric escape at Earth, and why our planet is habitable.</p>

scholarly journals Storm enhanced density: magnetic conjugacy effects

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1791-1799 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Foster ◽  
W. Rideout
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Ionospheric Disturbance ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
The North ◽  
Polar Caps ◽  
Source Regions ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
Magnetic Conjugacy ◽  
Early Phases

Abstract. In the early phases of a geomagnetic storm, the low and mid-latitude ionosphere are greatly perturbed. Large SAPS electric fields map earthward from the perturbed ring current overlapping and eroding the outer plasmasphere and mid-latitude ionosphere, drawing out extended plumes of storm enhanced density (SED). We use combined satellite and ground-based observations to investigate the degree of magnetic conjugacy associated with specific features of the stormtime ionospheric perturbation. We find that many ionospheric disturbance features exhibit degrees of magnetic conjugacy and simultaneity which implicate the workings of electric fields. TEC enhancements on inner-magnetospheric field lines at the base of the SED plumes exhibit localized and longitude-dependent features which are not strictly magnetic conjugate. The SED plumes streaming away from these source regions closely follow magnetic conjugate paths. SED plumes can be used as a tracer of the location and strength of disturbance electric fields. The SED streams of cold plasma from lower latitudes enter the polar caps near noon, forming conjugate tongues of ionization over the polar regions. SED plumes exhibit close magnetic conjugacy, confirming that SED is a convection electric field dominated effect. Several conclusions are reached: 1) The SED plume occurs in magnetically-conjugate regions in both hemispheres. 2) The position of the sharp poleward edge of the SED plume is closely conjugate. 3) The SAPS electric field is observed in magnetically conjugate regions (SAPS channel). 4) The strong TEC enhancement at the base of the SED plume in the north American sector is more extensive than in its magnetic conjugate region. 5) The entry of the SED plume into the polar cap near noon, forming the polar tongue of ionization (TOI), is seen in both hemispheres in magnetically-conjugate regions.

Trade-off in perpendicular electric field control using negatively biased emissive end-electrodes

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baptiste Trotabas ◽  
Renaud Gueroult
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Electric Field ◽  
Thermionic Emission ◽  
Potential Drop ◽  
Plasma Potential ◽  
Magnetized Plasma ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Sheath Edge ◽  
Field Control ◽  
Field Lines

Abstract The benefits of thermionic emission from negatively biased electrodes for perpendicular electric field control in a magnetized plasma are examined through its combined effects on the sheath and on the plasma potential variation along magnetic field lines. By increasing the radial current flowing through the plasma thermionic emission is confirmed to improve control over the plasma potential at the sheath edge compared to the case of a cold electrode. Conversely, thermionic emission is shown to be responsible for an increase of the plasma potential drop along magnetic field lines in the quasi-neutral plasma. These results suggest that there exists a trade-off between electric field longitudinal uniformity and amplitude when using negatively biased emissive electrodes to control the perpendicular electric field in a magnetized plasma.

scholarly journals RF-Carpets that Compress Ions to High Density Beams

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (S4) ◽  
pp. 84-89
Author(s):  
H. Wollnik ◽  
F. Arai ◽  
Y. Ito ◽  
P. Schury ◽  
M. Wada
Keyword(s):  
Phase Space ◽  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Ion Beams ◽  
High Density ◽  
Ion Density ◽  
Field Lines

AbstractIons that are moved by electric fields in gases follow quite exactly the electric field lines since these ions have substantially lost their kinetic energies in collisions with gas atoms or molecules and so carry no momenta. Shaping the electric fields appropriately the phase space such ion beams occupy can be reduced and correspondingly the ion density of beams be increased.

scholarly journals Mapping of steady-state electric fields and convective drifts in geomagnetic fields – Part 1: Elementary models

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. M. Walker ◽  
G. J. Sofko
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Magnetic Field Line ◽  
Geomagnetic Field ◽  
Geomagnetic Field Models ◽  
Spatial Derivatives ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Abstract. When studying magnetospheric convection, it is often necessary to map the steady-state electric field, measured at some point on a magnetic field line, to a magnetically conjugate point in the other hemisphere, or the equatorial plane, or at the position of a satellite. Such mapping is relatively easy in a dipole field although the appropriate formulae are not easily accessible. They are derived and reviewed here with some examples. It is not possible to derive such formulae in more realistic geomagnetic field models. A new method is described in this paper for accurate mapping of electric fields along field lines, which can be used for any field model in which the magnetic field and its spatial derivatives can be computed. From the spatial derivatives of the magnetic field three first order differential equations are derived for the components of the normalized element of separation of two closely spaced field lines. These can be integrated along with the magnetic field tracing equations and Faraday's law used to obtain the electric field as a function of distance measured along the magnetic field line. The method is tested in a simple model consisting of a dipole field plus a magnetotail model. The method is shown to be accurate, convenient, and suitable for use with more realistic geomagnetic field models.

scholarly journals A Look into Students' Interpretation of Electric Field Lines

2017 ◽  
pp. 342-364
Author(s):  
Esmeralda Campos ◽  
Genaro Zavala
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Electric Field ◽  
Random Sample ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Undergraduate Level ◽  
Field Lines

On Electricity & Magnetism (EM) courses at undergraduate level, the concept of electric field poses one of the most relevant and basic topics, along with the concept of magnetic field. Professors and students may use different diagrams as a tool to visualize the electric field, such as vectors or electric field lines. The present study aims to identify how students interpret and use electric field lines as a tool or resource to describe the electric field. Two versions of a test with open-ended questions were administered in Spanish in a private Mexican university to a random sample of students taking the EM course, and were analyzed with a qualitative approach. It was found that students do not interpret electric field lines diagrams correctly, which may lead to misconceptions. Many students based their answers on the concepts of superposition, force and repulsion.

scholarly journals A multi-satellite study of accelerated ionospheric ion beams above the polar cap

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1665-1684 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Maggiolo ◽  
J. A. Sauvaud ◽  
D. Fontaine ◽  
A. Teste ◽  
E. Grigorenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Potential Drop ◽  
Auroral Zone ◽  
Ion Beams ◽  
Distribution Functions ◽  
Convection Velocity ◽  
Polar Cap ◽  
Ion Energy ◽  
Polar Cusp ◽  
Oxygen Ions

Abstract. This paper presents a study of nearly field-aligned outflowing ion beams observed on the Cluster satellites over the polar cap. Data are taken at geocentric radial distances of the order of 5–9 RE. The distinction is made between ion beams originating from the polar cusp/cleft and beams accelerated almost along the magnetic field line passing by the spacecraft. Polar cusp beams are characterized by nearly field-aligned proton and oxygen ions with an energy ratio EO+ / EH+, of the order of 3 to 4, due to the ion energy repartition inside the source and to the latitudinal extension of the source. Rapid variations in the outflowing ion energy are linked with pulses/modifications of the convection electric field. Cluster data allow one to show that these perturbations of the convection velocity and the associated ion structures propagate at the convection velocity. In contrast, polar cap local ion beams are characterized by field-aligned proton and oxygen ions with similar energies. These beams show the typical inverted V structures usually observed in the auroral zone and are associated with a quasi-static converging electric field indicative of a field-aligned electric field. The field-aligned potential drop fits well the ion energy profile. The simultaneous observation of precipitating electrons and upflowing ions of similar energies at the Cluster orbit indicates that the spacecraft are crossing the mid-altitude part of the acceleration region. In the polar cap, the parallel electric field can thus extend to altitudes higher than 5 Earth radii. A detailed analysis of the distribution functions shows that the ions are heated during their parallel acceleration and that energy is exchanged between H+ and O+. Furthermore, intense electrostatic waves are observed simultaneously. These observations could be due to an ion-ion two-stream instability.

General Relations between Fields and Sources

2019 ◽  
pp. 63-84
Author(s):  
Richard Freeman ◽  
James King ◽  
Gregory Lafyatis
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Spatial Variations ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Retarded Time ◽  
Finite Speed ◽  
Radiation Fields ◽  
Source Current ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
General Relations ◽  
Relationship Of

The general relationship of changes in source current, charge and/or position and the fields that they produce are examined in the context of the development of equations that are known as “Jefimenko’s Equations.” These expressions give the fields at a point removed from the source in terms of the charge and current distributions evaluated at the “retarded time.” In this development, the finite speed of light is shown to connect the time rate of change in source conditions to the spatial variations of the potential at the field point. Using a graphical argument, the transverse nature of radiation fields is demonstrated based on electric field lines as envisioned by Faraday.

scholarly journals Slingshot prominences: coronal structure, mass loss and spin down

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Jardine ◽  
A Collier Cameron ◽  
J-F Donati ◽  
G A J Hussain
Keyword(s):  
Angular Momentum ◽  
Stellar Wind ◽  
Potential Field ◽  
Transient Absorption ◽  
Fundamental Property ◽  
Coronal Magnetic Field ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Cool Gas ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
Absorption Features

Abstract The structure of a star’s coronal magnetic field is a fundamental property that governs the high-energy emission from the hot coronal gas and the loss of mass and angular momentum in the stellar wind. It is, however, extremely difficult to measure. We report a new method to trace this structure in rapidly-rotating young convective stars, using the cool gas trapped on coronal field lines as markers. This gas forms “slingshot prominences” which appear as transient absorption features in H-α. By using different methods of extrapolating this field from the surface measurements, we determine locations for prominence support and produce synthetic H-α stacked spectra. The absorption features produced with a potential field extrapolation match well this those observed, while those from a non-potential field do not. In systems where the rotation and magnetic axes are well aligned, up to $50\%$ of the prominence mass may transit the star and so produces a observable feature. This fraction may fall as low as $~2\%$ in very highly inclined systems. Ejected prominences carry away mass and angular momentum at rates that vary by two orders of magnitude, but which may approach those carried by the stellar wind.

scholarly journals The occurrence frequency of auroral potential structures and electric fields as a function of altitude using Polar/EFI data

2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1233-1250 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Janhunen ◽  
A. Olsson ◽  
H. Laakso
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Radial Distance ◽  
Plasma Potential ◽  
Potential Structure ◽  
New Finding ◽  
Low Altitude ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
Auroral Arcs

Abstract. The aim of the paper is to study how auroral potential structures close at high altitude. We analyse all electric field data collected by Polar on auroral field lines in 1996–2001 by integrating the electric field along the spacecraft orbit to obtain the plasma potential, from which we identify potential minima by an automatic method. From these we estimate the associated effective mapped-down electric field Ei, defined as the depth of the potential minimum divided by its half-width in the ionosphere. Notice that although we use the ionosphere as a reference altitude, the field Ei does not actually exist in the ionosphere but is just a convenient computational quantity. We obtain the statistical distribution of Ei as a function of altitude, magnetic local time (MLT), Kp index and the footpoint solar illumination condition. Surprisingly, we find two classes of electric field structures. The first class consists of the low-altitude potential structures that are presumably associated with inverted-V regions and discrete auroral arcs and their set of associated phenomena. We show that the first class exists only below ~3RE radial distance, and it occurs in all nightside MLT sectors (RE=Earth radius). The second class exists only above radial distance R=4RE and almost only in the midnight MLT sector, with a preference for high Kp values. Interestingly, in the middle altitudes (R=3–4RE) the number of potential minima is small, suggesting that the low and high altitude classes are not simple field-aligned extensions of each other. This is also underlined by the fact that statistically the high altitude structures seem to be substorm-related, while the low altitude structures seem to correspond to stable auroral arcs. The new finding of the existence of the two classes is important for theories of auroral acceleration, since it supports a closed potential structure model for stable arcs, while during substorms, different superposed processes take place that are associated with the disconnected high-altitude electric field structures. Key words. Magnetospheric physics (electric fields; auroral phenomena) – Space plasma physics (electrostatic structures)

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