Electron Energy Flux Research Articles

Monitoring of Space and Earth electromagnetic environment by MAGDAS project: Collaboration with IKIR - Introduction to ICSWSE/MAGDAS project

For study of coupling processes in the Solar-Terrestrial System, International Center for Space Weather Science and Education (ICSWSE), Kyushu University has developed a real time magnetic data acquisition system (the MAGDAS project) around the world. The number of observational sites is increasing every year with the collaboration of host countries. Now at this time, the MAGDAS Project has installed 78 real time magnetometers – so it is the largest magnetometer array in the world. The history of global observation at Kyushu University is over 30 years and number of developed observational sites is over 140. Especially, Collaboration between IKIR is extended back to 1990's. Now a time, we are operating Flux-gate magnetometer and FM-CW Radar. It is one of most important collaboration for space weather monitoring. By using MAGDAS data, ICSWSE produces many types of space weather index, such as EE-index (for monitoring long tern and shot term variation of equatorial electrojet), Pc5 index (for monitoring solar-wind velocity and high energy electron flux), Sq-index (for monitoring global change of ionospheric low and middle latitudinal current system), and Pc3 index (for monitoring of plasma density variation at low latitudes). In this report, we will introduce recent development of MAGDAS/ICSWSE Indexes project and topics for new open policy for MAGDAS data will be also discussed.

Guiding and collimating the fast electrons by using a low-density-core target with buried high density layers

A low-density-core target with buried high density layers is proposed to improve the transport of fast electrons and involved problems are investigated by using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. It is demonstrated that this target can collimate the fast electrons efficiently and lead to a better beam quality. The enhancement is attributed to the weakening of the two stream instability and the better collimation by the self-generated multilayer megagauss magnetic field as well as the baroclinic magnetic field. Comparing this to that without buried high density layers, the energy flux of fast electrons is increased by a factor of about 1.8 and has a narrower transverse distribution in space. Besides, the dependence of the efficiency on the target parameters is examined, and the optimal target parameters are also obtained. Such a target can be useful to many applications, such as fast ignition in inertial fusion.

Alfvén wave‐driven ionospheric mass outflow and electron precipitation during storms

AbstractWe explore the global Alfvénic response of the transition region between the topside ionosphere and magnetosphere to geomagnetic storms. From superposed epoch and storm phase‐dependent analyses, it is found that subsequent to storm commencement the occurrence rate of Alfvénic field variations on electron inertial scales through this region increases by as much as a factor of 5 relative to prestorm levels. This increase is accompanied by order‐of‐magnitude enhancements in coincident energy deposition rates into the ionosphere and ion outflow rates into the magnetosphere, particularly near noon, premidnight, and on the dawn flank. During main phase on the dayside these waves shift to lower invariant latitudes (ILATs), expanding over a large range of ILATs and magnetic local times, where they are associated with significant enhancements in upward ion flux. Nightside storm‐enhanced occurrence probability of Alfvén waves and upward ion flux is lower than on the dayside, but the average precipitating electron energy flux is larger. There is also a localized region of intense ion outflow premidnight at low latitudes during storm main phase. Wave occurrence rates subside to prestorm levels about 20 h after storm commencement.

Validation studies of gyrokinetic ITG and TEM turbulence simulations in a JT-60U tokamak using multiple flux matching

Quantitative validation studies of flux-tube gyrokinetic Vlasov simulations on ion and electron heat transport are carried out for the JT-60U tokamak experiment. The ion temperature gradient (ITG) and/or trapped electron modes (TEM) driven turbulent transport and zonal flow generations are investigated for an L-mode plasma in the local turbulence limit with a sufficiently small normalized ion thermal gyroradius and weak mean radial electric fields. Nonlinear turbulence simulations by the GKV code successfully reproduce radial profiles of the ion and electron energy fluxes in the core region. The numerical results show that the TEM-driven zonal flow generation in the outer region is more significant than that in the core region with ITG- and ITG–TEM-dominated turbulence, leading to moderate transport shortfall of the ion energy flux. Error levels in the prediction of the ion and electron temperature gradient profiles in the core region are estimated as less than , based on a multiple flux matching technique, where the simulated ion and electron energy fluxes are simultaneously matched to the experimental values.

The color ratio-intensity relation in the Jovian aurora: Hubble observations of auroral components

Spectral observations made with the long slit of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) on board Hubble have been used to construct spectral maps of the FUV Jovian aurora. They reveal that the amount of absorption by overlying methane shows significant spatial variations. In this report, we examine the relationship between the auroral brightness of the unabsorbed H2 emission that is proportional to the precipitated electron energy flux, and the ultraviolet color ratio, a proxy of the mean electron energy. We find that it varies significantly between the different components of the aurora and in the polar region. Although no global dependence can be found, we show that the two quantities are better organized in some auroral components such as regions of the main aurororal emission. By contrast, the dependence of the electron characteristic energy in high-latitude and diffuse aurora regions on the auroral energy input is generally more scattered. We conclude that the various auroral components are associated with different electron acceleration processes, some of which are not governed by a simple relation linking the value of a field-aligned acceleration potential with the parallel currents flowing from the ionosphere.

The role of zonal flows in the saturation of multi-scale gyrokinetic turbulence

The 2D spectrum of the saturated electric potential from gyrokinetic turbulence simulations that include both ion and electron scales (multi-scale) in axisymmetric tokamak geometry is analyzed. The paradigm that the turbulence is saturated when the zonal (axisymmetic) ExB flow shearing rate competes with linear growth is shown to not apply to the electron scale turbulence. Instead, it is the mixing rate by the zonal ExB velocity spectrum with the turbulent distribution function that competes with linear growth. A model of this mechanism is shown to be able to capture the suppression of electron-scale turbulence by ion-scale turbulence and the threshold for the increase in electron scale turbulence when the ion-scale turbulence is reduced. The model computes the strength of the zonal flow velocity and the saturated potential spectrum from the linear growth rate spectrum. The model for the saturated electric potential spectrum is applied to a quasilinear transport model and shown to accurately reproduce the electron and ion energy fluxes of the non-linear gyrokinetic multi-scale simulations. The zonal flow mixing saturation model is also shown to reproduce the non-linear upshift in the critical temperature gradient caused by zonal flows in ion-scale gyrokinetic simulations.

Variation of Jupiter's aurora observed by Hisaki/EXCEED: 2. Estimations of auroral parameters and magnetospheric dynamics

AbstractJupiter's auroral parameters are estimated from observations by a spectrometer EXCEED (Extreme Ultraviolet Spectroscope for Exospheric Dynamics) on board Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's Earth‐orbiting planetary space telescope Hisaki. EXCEED provides continuous auroral spectra covering the wavelength range over 80–148 nm from the whole northern polar region. The auroral electron energy is estimated using a hydrocarbon color ratio adopted for the wavelength range of EXCEED, and the emission power in the long wavelength range 138.5–144.8 nm is used as an indicator of total emitted power before hydrocarbon absorption and auroral electron energy flux. The quasi‐continuous observations by Hisaki provide the auroral electron parameters and their relation under different auroral activity levels. Short‐ (within < one planetary rotation) and long‐term (> one planetary rotation) enhancements of auroral power accompany increases of the electron number flux rather than the electron energy variations. The relationships between the auroral electron energy (~70–400 keV) and flux (1026–1027/s, 0.08–0.9 μA/m2) estimated from the observations over a 40 day interval are in agreement with field‐aligned acceleration theory when incorporating probable magnetospheric parameters. Applying the electron acceleration theory to each observation point, we explore the magnetospheric source plasma variation during these power‐enhanced events. Possible scenarios to explain the derived variations are (i) an adiabatic variation of the magnetospheric plasma under a magnetospheric compression and/or plasma injection, and (ii) a change of the dominant auroral component from the main emission (main aurora) to the emission at the open‐closed boundary.

Statistics of energetic electrons in the magnetotail reconnection

AbstractMagnetic reconnection has long been regarded as an important site for producing energetic electrons in solar terrestrial and astrophysical plasmas. The motivation of this paper is to provide the average properties of energetic electrons in reconnection region, which are crucial for understanding electron energization mechanism but are rarely known. We statistically analyzed the energetic electrons through 21 magnetotail reconnection events observed by Cluster spacecraft during the years of 2001–2005. Approximately 1200 data points with time resolution of 8 s have been collected for each spacecraft. Two parameters are examined: energetic electron rate (EER) and power law index. EER, which is defined as the ratio of the integrated energetic electron flux to the lower energy electron flux, is used to quantify the electron acceleration efficiency. We find that EER and energetic electron flux (EEF) are positively correlated with the power law index, i.e., the higher rate and flux generally corresponds to softer spectrum. This unexpected correlation is probably caused by some nonadiabatic heating/acceleration mechanisms that tend to soft the spectrum with high temperature. EER is much larger within the earthward flow than the tailward flow. It is positively correlated with the outflow speed Vx, while the correlation between EER and Bz is less clear. With the increment of earthward outflow speed, the occurrence rate of high EER also monotonically increases. We find that EER generally does not increase with the increment of perpendicular electric field |E⊥|, suggesting that adiabatic betatron and Fermi acceleration probably play minor roles in electron energization during magnetotail reconnection.

Spacecraft surface charging within geosynchronous orbit observed by the Van Allen Probes.

Using the Helium Oxygen Proton Electron (HOPE) and Electric Field and Waves (EFW) instruments from the Van Allen Probes, we explored the relationship between electron energy fluxes in the eV and keV ranges and spacecraft surface charging. We present statistical results on spacecraft charging within geosynchronous orbit by L and MLT. An algorithm to extract the H+ charging line in the HOPE instrument data was developed to better explore intense charging events. Also, this study explored how spacecraft potential relates to electron number density, electron pressure, electron temperature, thermal electron current, and low‐energy ion density between 1 and 210 eV. It is demonstrated that it is imperative to use both EFW potential measurements and the HOPE instrument ion charging line for examining times of extreme spacecraft charging of the Van Allen Probes. The results of this study show that elevated electron energy fluxes and high‐electron pressures are present during times of spacecraft charging but these same conditions may also occur during noncharging times. We also show noneclipse significant negative charging events on the Van Allen Probes.

Solar flares with similar soft but different hard X-ray emissions: case and statistical studies

From the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) catalog we select events which have approximately the same GOES class (high C - low M or 500–1200 counts s−1 within the RHESSI 6–12 keV energy band), but with different maximal energies of detected hard X-rays. The selected events are subdivided into two groups: (1) flares with X-ray emissions observed by RHESSI up to only 50 keV and (2) flares with hard X-ray emission observed also above 50 keV. The main task is to understand observational peculiarities of these two flare groups. We use RHESSI X-ray data to obtain spectral and spatial information in order to find differences between selected groups. Spectra and images are analyzed in detail for six events (case study). For a larger number of samples (85 and 28 flares in the low-energy and high-energy groups respectively) we only make some generalizations. In spectral analysis we use the thick-target model for hard X-ray emission and one temperature assumption for thermal soft X-ray emission. RHESSI X-ray images are used for determination of flare region sizes. Although thermal and spatial properties of these two groups of flares are not easily distinguishable, power law indices of hard X-rays show significant differences. Events from the high-energy group generally have a harder spectrum. Therefore, the efficiency of chromospheric evaporation is not sensitive to the hardness of nonthermal electron spectra but rather depends on the total energy flux of nonthermal electrons.

Influence of ionizing radiation on the parameters of an operational amplifier based on complementary bipolar transistors

The influence of a 4 MeV energy electron flux and 60Co gamma radiation with an average energy of 1.25 MeV on the characteristics of silicon complementary bipolar transistors (BTs) and a wide-band operational amplifier (OA) has been studied. It is established that an action of FE = 3×1014 el/cm2 electron fluence causes a decay in the common–emitter current gain (s) of 61% for NPN and 66% for PNP transistors, as well as a decrease in the maximum value of the transition frequency (fT) of 12% for NPN and by 4% for PNP transistors. When the absorbed dose DG amounts to 3 Mrad, a decrease in s by 39% for NPN and by 44% for PNP transistors, and in fT of 10% for NPN and 11% for PNP transistors is observed. Despite the substantial decay in s of transistors, the OA circuitry provided the retention of the operation speed and a small decrease in the offset voltage (about 1.5 mV) in the irradiation range mentioned. The circuitries of OA cascades and the experimental characteristics of the BTs and OAs are presented.

Enhancement of High Energy Electron Fluxes and Variation of Atmospheric Electric Field in the Antarctic Region ormalsize

High-energy electron precipitation in the high latitude regions enhances the ionization of the atmosphere, and subsequently increases the atmospheric conductivities and the vertical electric field of the atmosphere near the ground as well. The High-Energy Electron Flux (HEEF) data measured by the Fengyun-3 meteorological satellite are analyzed together with the data of near-surface atmospheric vertical electric field measured at the Russian Vostok Station. Three HEEF enhancements are identified and it is shown that when the HEEF increases to a certain level, the local atmospheric vertical electric field near the ground can increase substantially than usual. The response time of the electric field to HEEF enhancement is about 3.7 to 4 days.

On the Impact of Electron Temperature in Magnetron Sputtering Benchmarked with Energy Flux Measurements

AbstractIn this work we have investigated the effect of increasing the electron energy as a way to increase the ionization probability of the sputtered metal (Ti) by measuring the impact of three different process gases (Ne, Ar, and Kr). Using a combined Langmuir and calorimetric probe we were able to compare the electron density ne, the electron temperature Te, the total energy influx, as well as the different energy flux contributions from charge carriers, neutrals and surface processes for various discharge conditions. The results show that the electron temperature can be increased by up to a factor of 3 by using Ne instead of Ar (or Kr). Furthermore, it was also found that by using Ne the mean free path for electron impact ionization was decreased by at least 50 %, and for higher pressures even more. In addition, we show that the contributions from sputtered neutrals and film formation represent a large fraction of the total energy influx, whereas the energy flux from ions is very low due to low ne in this type of discharge. However, by investigating changes in the electron energy flux, it was possible to study the effects of using Ne. These results may provide a way to tune the degree of ionization in sputtering processes. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Application of AF-NUMIT2 to the Modeling of Deep-Dielectric Spacecraft Charging in the Space Environment

A 1-D numerical iteration software tool (NUMIT) designed for laboratory modeling has been refined, developed, and greatly enhanced, so that it can be used to model and predict the deep charging of dielectrics on spacecraft. The new tool, called Air Force NUMIT version 2 (AF-NUMIT2), can now model isotropically incident electron fluxes from realistic energy spectra that change with time. The model has been extended to incident electron fluxes an order of magnitude lower than before (≥10 keV), and aspects of the model have been checked against Monte Carlo simulations. Electron energy flux spectra, as measured by Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite, have been used in dozens of simulations of Kapton charging over multiple days. Kapton has been modeled with both dark conductivities and radiation-induced conductivities extending over two orders-of-magnitude. The result has been a surprisingly consistent relationship between maximum internal electric-field strengths and conductivity, regardless of the particular incident electron spectra.

White-light continuum in stellar flares

AbstractIn this talk, we discuss the formation of the near-ultraviolet and optical continuum emission in M dwarf flares through the formation of a dense, heated chromospheric condensation. Results are used from a recent radiative-hydrodynamic model of the response of an M dwarf atmosphere to a high energy flux of nonthermal electrons. These models are used to infer the charge density and optical depth in continuum emitting flare layers from spectra covering the Balmer jump and optical wavelength regimes. Future modeling and observational directions are discussed.

Concurrent observations of ultraviolet aurora and energetic electron precipitation with Mars Express

AbstractThe database of the Spectroscopy for the Investigation of the Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Mars (SPICAM) instrument between late January 2004 and Mars 2014 has been searched to identify signatures of CO Cameron and CO2+ doublet ultraviolet auroral emissions. This study has almost doubled the number of auroral detections based on SPICAM spectra. Auroral emissions are located in the vicinity of the statistical boundary between open and closed field lines. From a total of 113 nightside orbits with SPICAM pointing to the nadir in the region of residual magnetic field, only nine nightside orbits show confirmed auroral signatures, some with multiple detections along the orbital track, leading to a total of 16 detections. The mean energy of the electron energy spectra measured during concurrent Analyzer of Space Plasma and Energetic Atoms/Electron Spectrometer observations ranges from 150 to 280 eV. The ultraviolet aurora may be displaced poleward or equatorward of the region of enhanced downward electron energy flux by several tens of seconds and shows no proportionality with the electron flux at the spacecraft altitude. The absence of further UV auroral detection in regions located along crustal magnetic field structures where occasional aurora has been observed indicates that the Mars aurora is a time‐dependent feature. These results are consistent with the scenario of acceleration of electrons by transient parallel electric field along semiopen magnetic field lines.

Numerical study of energy conversion mechanism of magnetic reconnection in the presence of high guide field

The first two-dimensional particle in cell simulation of the reconnection region of two merging torus plasmas lead us to quantitative studies on the energy conversion mechanism under a high out-of-plane (guide) magnetic field condition. Even with the existence of the strong guide field, magnetic reconnection causes the efficient conversion of in-plane (poloidal) magnetic field energy. The ratio of the plasma kinetic energy flux of ions to that of electrons is roughly two to one, in agreement with the recent experimental results. Due to the suppression of nonlinear dynamics of ions motions in the vicinity of the reconnection region with guide field, the major energy flux of ions is changed to the flow energy flux. For electrons, a field-aligned acceleration caused by parallel electric field generates the non-thermal electrons through trapping (bouncing) effect, which is exhausted as the anisotropic energy flux of electrons. The inventory of the converted magnetic energy in the case with the guide field is quantitatively revealed.

Electron temperature critical gradient and transport stiffness in DIII-D

In a continuing effort to validate turbulent transport models, the electron energy flux has been probed as a function of electron temperature gradient on the DIII-D tokamak. In the scan of gradient, a critical electron temperature gradient has been found in the electron heat fluxes and stiffness at various radii in L-mode plasmas. The TGLF reduced turbulent transport model (Staebler et al 2007 Phys. Plasmas 14 055909) and full gyrokinetic GYRO model (Candy and Waltz 2003 J. Comput. Phys. 186 545) recover the general trend of increasing electron energy flux with increasing electron temperature gradient scale length, but they do not predict the absolute level of transport at all radii and gradients. Comparing the experimental observations of incremental (heat pulse) diffusivity and stiffness to the models’ reveals that TGLF reproduces the trends in increasing diffusivity and stiffness with increasing electron temperature gradient scale length with a critical gradient behavior. The critical gradient of TGLF is found to have a dependence on q95, contrary to the independence of the experimental critical gradient from q95.

Thermal flux limited electron Kapitza conductance in copper-niobium multilayers

We study the interplay between the contributions of electron thermal flux and interface scattering to the Kapitza conductance across metal-metal interfaces through measurements of thermal conductivity of copper-niobium multilayers. Thermal conductivities of copper-niobium multilayer films of period thicknesses ranging from 5.4 to 96.2 nm and sample thicknesses ranging from 962 to 2677 nm are measured by time-domain thermoreflectance over a range of temperatures from 78 to 500 K. The Kapitza conductances between the Cu and Nb interfaces in multilayer films are determined from the thermal conductivities using a series resistor model and are in good agreement with the electron diffuse mismatch model. Our results for the thermal boundary conductance between Cu and Nb are compared to literature values for the thermal boundary conductance across Al-Cu and Pd-Ir interfaces, and demonstrate that the interface conductance in metallic systems is dictated by the temperature derivative of the electron energy flux in the metallic layers, rather than electron mean free path or scattering processes at the interface.

Nonlinear electric field structures in the inner magnetosphere

AbstractVan Allen Probes observations are presented which demonstrate the presence of nonlinear electric field structures in the inner terrestrial magnetosphere (<6 RE). A range of structures are observed, including phase space holes and double layers. These structures are observed over several Earth radii in radial distance and over a wide range of magnetic local times. They are observed in the dusk, midnight, and dawn sectors, with the highest concentration premidnight. Some nonlinear electric field structures are observed to coincide with dipolarizations of the magnetic field and increases in electron energy flux for energies between 1 keV and 30 keV. Nonlinear electric field structures possess isolated impulsive electric fields, often with a significant component parallel to the ambient magnetic field, providing a mechanism for nonadiabatic wave‐particle interactions in the inner magnetosphere.