Interplanetary Plasma Research Articles

In-situ observations of the three-dimensional energy cascade rate and Yaglom flux in the Earth’s magnetosheath

Abstract Measuring the energy cascade rate in space plasmas is a challenging task for several reasons. This quantity is (i) inherently three-dimensional (ii) scale-dependent, (iii) anisotropic in the interplanetary plasma, and (iv) requires measurements of plasma parameters in at least four points. Here, it is shown how three of these problems have been addressed by applying the novel lag polyhedra derivative ensemble (LPDE) technique to the magnetospheric multiscale (MMS) mission in the Earth’s magnetosheath. In particular, this technique solves the full vectorial Yaglom equation, handling problem (i), does not require the assumption of isotropy, solving problem (iii), while the application to MMS addresses constraint (iv).

Anisotropic Heating and Cooling within Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection Sheath Plasma

This study presents the first comprehensive investigation of the relationship between heating and cooling, temperature anisotropy, turbulence level, and collisional age within interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) sheaths, which are highly compressed, heated, and turbulent. Using Wind spacecraft data, we analyze 333 ICME sheaths observed at 1 au from 1995 to 2015. The proton temperature within the ICME sheaths has a log-normal probability distribution. Irrespective of instability growth rates, plasma unstable to proton-cyclotron (PC) and firehose instabilities appear to be statistically hotter, at least by a factor of 5 to 10, compared to stable plasma. We also observe relatively enhanced magnetic fluctuations and low collisional age, especially in regimes unstable to PC and firehose instabilities at low proton betas β p ≤ 2. In the case of high beta β p ≥ 2, we observe high magnetic fluctuations close to the instabilities and less collisional age to the plasma unstable to firehose instability rather than near the mirror mode and PC threshold. Our findings suggest that heating processes dominate over cooling processes in producing proton temperature anisotropy in the ICME sheath region. Moreover, collisional age and magnetic fluctuations are critical in maintaining anisotropic and isotropic conditions.

An exact analytical solution for the weakly magnetized flow around an axially symmetric paraboloid, with application to magnetosphere models

Rotationally symmetric bodies with longitudinal cross sections of parabolic shape are frequently used to model astrophysical objects, such as magnetospheres and other blunt objects, immersed in interplanetary or interstellar gas or plasma flows. We discuss a simple formula for the potential flow of an incompressible fluid around an elliptic paraboloid whose axis of symmetry coincides with the direction of incoming flow. Prescribing this flow, we derive an exact analytical solution to the induction equation of ideal magnetohydrodynamics for the case of an initially homogeneous magnetic field of arbitrary orientation being passively advected in this flow. Our solution procedure employs Euler potentials and Cauchy's integral formalism based on the flow's stream function and isochrones. Furthermore, we use a particular renormalization procedure that allows us to generate more general analytical expressions modeling the deformations experienced by arbitrary scalar or vector-valued fields embedded in the flow as they are advected first toward and then past the parabolic obstacle. Finally, both the velocity field and the magnetic field embedded therein are generalized from incompressible to mildly compressible flow, where the associated density distribution is found from Bernoulli's principle.

Modification of the turbulence properties at the bow shock: statistical results

Turbulent solar wind is known to be a main driver of the processes inside the magnetosphere, including geomagnetic storms and substorms. Experimental studies of the last decade demonstrate additional ways of interplanetary plasma transport to the magnetosphere, including small-scale processes in the magnetosphere boundary layers. This fact implies that properties of the solar wind turbulence can affect the geomagnetic activity. However, in front of the magnetosphere are a bow shock and a magnetosheath region which contribute to the changes in the properties of the solar wind turbulence and may result in destructions of the association between solar wind turbulence and the magnetosphere. The present study provides the statistics of two-point simultaneous measurements of the turbulence properties in the solar wind and the magnetosheath based on Wind and THEMIS spacecraft data. Changes in the turbulence properties are analyzed for different background conditions. Solar wind bulk speed and temperature are shown to be the main factors that influence the modification of turbulence at the quasi-perpendicular bow shock at frequencies higher than the break frequency (ion transition range). Inside the magnetosheath, significant steepening of spectra occurs with an increase in temperature anisotropy without a connection to the upstream spectrum scaling that underlines the crucial role of the instabilities in turbulence properties behind the bow shock.

Whistler Waves in the Young Solar Wind: Statistics of Amplitude and Propagation Direction from Parker Solar Probe Encounters 1–11

In the interplanetary space solar wind plasma, whistler waves are observed in a wide range of heliocentric distances (from ∼20 solar radii (RS) to Jupiter’s orbit). They are known to interact with solar wind suprathermal electrons (strahl and halo) and to regulate the solar wind heat flux through scattering the strahl electrons. We present the results of applying the technique to determine the whistler wave propagation directions to the spectral data continuously collected by the FIELDS instruments on board Parker Solar Probe (PSP). The technique was validated based on the results obtained from burst mode magnetic and electric field waveform data collected during Encounter 1. We estimated the effective length of the PSP electric field antennas for a variety of solar wind conditions in the whistler wave frequency range and utilized these estimates for determining the whistler wave properties during PSP Encounters 1–11. Our findings show that (1) the enhancement of the whistler wave occurrence rate and wave amplitudes observed between 25 and 35 RS is predominantly due to the sunward-propagating whistler wave population associated with the switchback-related magnetic dips; (2) the antisunward or counterpropagating cases are observed at 30–40 RS; (3) between 40 and 50 RS, sunward and antisunward whistlers are observed with comparable occurrence rates; and (4) almost no sunward or counterpropagating whistlers were observed at heliocentric distances above 50 RS.

Correlation Cosmic Ray Intensity Based on Variation in Solar Activity and Interplanetary Plasma Parameters Using Principal Component Analysis (PCA)

Correlation Cosmic Ray Intensity Based on Variation in Solar Activity and Interplanetary Plasma Parameters Using Principal Component Analysis (PCA)

Parameters which influence efficiency of geomagnetically induced currents generation by non-storm Pc5-6/Pi3 geomagnetic pulsations

We studied geomagnetic pulsations with periods of about several minutes and geomagnetically induced currents related to them. The interrelation is studied between efficiency of pulsations in currents’ generation and parameters of interplanetary magnetic field and plasma of the solar wind at different delays. Geomagnetic data and the recordings of geomagnetically induced currents in the Russian North and Finland are used for the analysis. It is shown that efficiency of current generation by pulsations grows if the solar wind velocity is not lower than 500 km/s for several hours.

Mid-, and long-term periodicities of interplanetary plasma parameters throughout the period (1967-2017): Case Study, the distribution of hemispheric solar activities by using the wavelet analysis

Mid-, and long-term periodicities of interplanetary plasma parameters throughout the period (1967-2017): Case Study, the distribution of hemispheric solar activities by using the wavelet analysis

Solar Sail Missions for Sub-L1 Sampling of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field and Plasma on the Sun-Earth Line

Solar Sail Missions for Sub-L1 Sampling of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field and Plasma on the Sun-Earth Line

Dust‐ion‐acoustic shock wave excitations at super‐critical points with quartic nonlinearity

AbstractProgress in understanding the propagation of dust ion acoustic shock waves for the super critical values of any specific parameter which accompany an unmagnetized collisionless four‐component dusty multi‐ion nonextensive plasma is presented. To accomplish this goal, the formation of modified Burgers‐type equation having quartic nonlinearity via the reductive perturbation method and its analytical solution is yielded for the first time. It is found that the compressive electrostatic shocks are supported not only around the super critical values but also at the super critical values of the specific parameters. The presented results would be applicable to comprehend wave propagation in interplanetary plasmas and laboratory plasmas.

Interplanetary scintillation and pulsar pulse statistics

ABSTRACT The effect of interplanetary plasma on pulsed pulsar radiation passing through is considered. The pulses of two rotating radio transients (J0609+16 and J1132+25) and a pulsar (B0320+39) detected on the Large Phased Array (Pushchino observatory) were analysed. It is shown that in observations at the frequency of 111 MHz, on elongations of 20°–40°, both an increase and a decrease in the number of received pulses are observed. The change in the number of pulses is explained by the distortion of the energy distribution of pulses due to interplanetary scintillation. These changes in the number of observed pulses are in qualitative agreement with the expected dependence of the scintillation index on the observed sources elongation. Analytical expressions are obtained that allow estimating the effective modulation index from observations of individual pulses for the power distribution of pulses by energy.

The Faraday Effect Tracker of Coronal and Heliospheric Structures (FETCH) instrument

There continue to be open questions regarding the solar wind and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). For example: how do magnetic fields within CMEs and corotating/stream interaction regions (CIRs/SIRs) evolve in the inner heliosphere? What is the radially distributed magnetic profile of shock-driving CMEs? What is the internal magnetic structure of CMEs that cause magnetic storms? It is clear that these questions involve the magnetic configurations of solar wind and transient interplanetary plasma structures, for which we have limited knowledge. In order to better understand the origin of the magnetic field variability in steady-state structures and transient events, it is necessary to probe the magnetic field in Earth-directed structures/disturbances. This is the goal of the Multiview Observatory for Solar Terrestrial Science (MOST) mission (Gopalswamy et al., 2022). For MOST to answer the aforementioned questions, we propose the instrument concept of the Faraday Effect Tracker of Coronal and Heliospheric structures (FETCH), a simultaneous quad-line-of-sight polarization radio remote-sensing instrument. With FETCH, spacecraft radio beams passing through the Sun–Earth line offer the possibility of obtaining information of plasma conditions via analysis of radio propagation effects such as Faraday rotation and wave dispersion, which provide information of the magnetic field and total electron content (TEC). This is the goal of the FETCH instrument, one of ten instruments proposed to be hosted on the MOST mission. The MOST mission will provide an unprecedented opportunity to achieve NASA’s heliophysics science goal to “explore and characterize the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun” (Gopalswamy et al., 2022).

A preliminary investigation of the empirical relationship between small-amplitude Forbush Decreases and solar wind disturbances

ABSTRACTHigh-magnitude (amplitude $\le -3{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) Forbush decreases (FDs) are generally employed by researchers investigating the solar-terrestrial connection mechanisms. Although it has been observed that small-amplitude FDs are relatively important as they may be the outcome of the response of cosmic ray time-intensity variations to solar ejections that generate interplanetary and solar wind plasma disturbances, empirical relations between weak FDs and solar-terrestrial parameters are rarely tested. In an attempt to analyse the suggested strong connections between weak FDs and solar-terrestrial phenomena, we employed some comparatively more efficient, accurate, and highly sensitive versions of the recently developed computer FD event selection software. Large catalogues of low-amplitude (FD(per cent) ≥−3) Forbush events were selected from Apatity, Moscow, Newark, and Oulu NMs. These catalogues allow us to test, for the first time, the empirical relations between small-amplitude FDs and solar wind data. We find significant negative correlations between solar wind speed (SWS) and the small FDs at OULU, NWRK, and MOSC stations. While the relation at OULU is strong and statistically significant at 95 per cent confidence level, the weak correlation at NWRK and MOSC is only significant at a 90 per cent level. The negative correlation between the small events at OULU and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is also significant at the a 95 per cent level. The relation between SWS and IMF and high-amplitude FDs were also tested, and the correlation coefficients were negative, strong, and statistically significant at a 99.9 per cent level of significance.

Dust Particles in Space: Opportunities for Experimental Research

Space dust and dusty (complex) plasma are one of the most common manifestations of matter in space. Non-atmospheric bodies of the Solar System, such as the Moon, asteroids, comets, some satellites of the planets, are directly affected by external factors of outer space—solar electromagnetic radiation, interplanetary plasma flows, cosmic rays, micrometeors. Under the influence of these factors, regolith is formed on the surface of bodies during geological epochs. Under the influence of impacts of high-speed micrometeors, dust particles of regolith scatter at different speeds. Most of them return to the surface, but some form dust clouds or lose their gravitational connection with the parent body. Under the action of solar radiation, the surface acquires an electric charge, and dust particles under certain conditions can break away from the regolith surface and levitate. Observational evidence of such dynamic phenomena has been recorded on the Moon and on some asteroids. The study of the physical processes responsible for the activation of dust particles and their dynamics is of great interest for fundamental science and practical purposes. The article discusses the main processes occurring under the influence of outer space factors on regolith, as a result of which dust particles move and a near-surface plasma-dust exosphere is formed. Unresolved issues are discussed. Methods and means of laboratory modeling in studying the activation and dynamics of dust particles are considered.

A monitoring campaign (2013–2020) of ESA’s Mars Express to study interplanetary plasma scintillation

AbstractThe radio signal transmitted by the Mars Express (MEX) spacecraft was observed regularly between the years 2013–2020 at X-band (8.42 GHz) using the European Very Long Baseline Interferometry (EVN) network and University of Tasmania’s telescopes. We present a method to describe the solar wind parameters by quantifying the effects of plasma on our radio signal. In doing so, we identify all the uncompensated effects on the radio signal and see which coronal processes drive them. From a technical standpoint, quantifying the effect of the plasma on the radio signal helps phase referencing for precision spacecraft tracking. The phase fluctuation of the signal was determined for Mars’ orbit for solar elongation angles from 0 to 180 deg. The calculated phase residuals allow determination of the phase power spectrum. The total electron content of the solar plasma along the line of sight is calculated by removing effects from mechanical and ionospheric noises. The spectral index was determined as$-2.43 \pm 0.11$which is in agreement with Kolmogorov’s turbulence. The theoretical models are consistent with observations at lower solar elongations however at higher solar elongation ($>$160 deg) we see the observed values to be higher. This can be caused when the uplink and downlink signals are positively correlated as a result of passing through identical plasma sheets.

CME-related Large Decreases in the Differential Phase Delay of Tianwen-1 DOR Signals

Differential phase delay is calculated for the differential one-way range (DOR) signals transmitted by Tianwen-1, the first Chinese Mars spacecraft that entered into the Mars orbit on 2021 February 10. Large decreases in the differential phase delay are identified in the DOR signals received by ground stations on 2021 March 23 and June 18. The decreases indicate sizable increases of the total electron content (TEC) along the DOR signal path between Tianwen-1 and the ground stations. The TEC increases are estimated to be 85 and 175 TEC units on 2021 March 23 and June 18, respectively. Evidence shows that they are caused by the sheath regions ahead of the coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that traversed the signal path on both days. The results represent the first observations of CME-related structures by the DOR signals and demonstrate the potential of DOR signals in remote sensing the interplanetary plasma structures in the solar wind.

Pushchino multibeam pulsar search – II. Long-term variability of rotating radio transients

ABSTRACT Pulses from 16 previously known rotating radio transients (RRATs) have been searched for with the 111 MHz daily monitoring program for 4 to 5.5 yr using the Large Phased Array (LPA) at Pushchino. The total number of pulses detected in such a long observation interval is only 90 for RRAT J0640+07, but is as high as 10 751 for RRAT J0302+22. The number and amplitude of pulses vary on time-scales from 6 to 20 months for RRATs J1336+33, J1404+11, J1848+15, J2051+12 and J2105+22, and the pulse number can increase by one or two orders of magnitude in active phases. Long-term trends are found for RRATs J0139+33 and J0302+22, which show a 2–3 times increase in detected pulse number over 1959 d. Some RRATs show annual variations in both pulse number and pulse amplitude. It is hard to explain all these variation time-scales by refractive scintillation on the interstellar medium. The annual and semi-annual variations are probably caused by scintillations on the inhomogeneous interplanetary plasma. Our data show that the number of observational sessions with no pulse detection over the threshold decreases exponentially with the length of pulse silence.

Effects of solar flares on ionospheric TEC over Iceland before and during the geomagnetic storm of 8 September 2017

The effects of solar flares on ionospheric total electron content (TEC) over Iceland before and during the geomagnetic storm of September 8, 2017 were studied. Global Positioning Syste (GPS)-TEC data were obtained from dual-frequency GPS sites operated by the University NAVSTAR Consortium at Dyna (65.06°N, −16.6°E) and Kisa (64.7°N, −17.6°E) stations. The findings of this study show that the enhancement of ionospheric TEC was more noticeable over the Kisa station than over the Dyna station during the coronal mass ejection day. However, during the geomagnetic storm day, maximum enhancement of TEC was observed over the Dyna station than over the Kisa station. The values of the ionospheric TEC during the initial phase of the storm were greater than during the main and recovery phases of the storm over both stations. This might be due to the effects of X-class solar flares and shock wave preceding the arriving of interplanetary coronal mass ejections plasma. The spatial gradients of TEC between two nearby stations are similar during the main phase of the storm, but slightly different during the initial and recovery phases of the storm. Finally, solar events have a favorable influence on geomagnetic storm indices and ionospheric observables.

A “Dam” in the Corona May Make the Solar Wind Gain Its Unusual Speeds

A new study supports the idea of a “helicity barrier” influencing the fluctuating stream of interplanetary plasma.

Antony Hewish. 11 May 1924—13 September 2021

Antony (Tony) Hewish was a pioneer radio astronomer who will always be remembered as the leader of the team in 1967 that discovered the pulsars, which proved to be rapidly rotating, magnetized neutron stars. The discovery resulted from Tony's programme of systematic all-sky surveys to detect the scintillation, or flickering, of small angular diameter radio sources due to electron density fluctuations in the solar wind flowing out from the Sun. The large low-frequency 4.5-acre array was designed by Tony to find radio quasars, which often display radio scintillations, to estimate the angular sizes of the sources and to study the physics of the interplanetary medium. In the course of commissioning the telescope, his research student, Jocelyn Bell (Jocelyn Bell Burnell, FRS 2003), noted a strange 100% scintillating source unlike anything seen before. Tony and the team soon established that this source was a pulsating radio source, Jocelyn first observing the pulsations with period 1.33 s in November 1967. The discovery paved the way for the rapid development of high energy astrophysics and an appreciation that general relativity plays a key role in the stability of neutron stars. Tony's contributions spanned a very wide range of pioneering studies in the new discipline of radio astronomy, including telescope and electronic design, cosmological studies of distant radio sources and the physics of the ionospheric, interplanetary and interstellar plasmas. He was awarded the 1974 Nobel Prize in physics for ‘his decisive role in the discovery of pulsars’.