Ion Density Measurements Research Articles

An improved laser photo-detachment diagnostic for negative ion density measurement

A photo-detachment Langmuir probe is a crucial tool because it gives a point measurement of negative ion density. The detection circuitry of a photo-detachment diagnostic with nanosecond laser pulses is critical for the accuracy of the results. Applying the electromagnetic theory to the design of the photo-detachment system has allowed it to stabilize its frequency response up to ~445 MHz, providing a significantly higher time resolution than in a common photo-detachment circuit setup. A systematic design rule is given in this paper to standardize the proper circuit. The new standard allows comparison between laboratories without concern for electronic parameter differences. The high-time resolution result shows three different peaks in the photo-detached electron current. This paper identified that the first peak is the most correlated to negative-ion density information, and the second and third peaks are related to background electrons interacting with build-up potential.

Advancement of Langmuir probe-based laser photo-detachment technique for negative ion density measurement in a high-power helicon plasma source.

In the pursuit of precise diagnostics for measuring negative ion density in a helicon plasma source (HPS), a new approach utilizing a radio frequency (RF) broadband transformer-based Langmuir probe is developed specifically for laser photo-detachment (LPD) analysis. This inductively coupled LPD technique is useful for high power RF systems in which capacitive RF noise is in the same scale as the pulsed photo-detachment signal. The signal acquired by this transformer-based probe is compared against the conventional Langmuir probe-based LPD technique, revealing a remarkable enhancement in signal fidelity through an improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) achieved by the RF broadband transformer methodology. In addition, the localized hydrogen negative ion density measurements obtained through this probe are harmoniously aligned with the line-averaged negative ion density derived from the cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS) technique. These concurrence measurements highlight the RF broadband transformer-based approach's accuracy in capturing localized negative ion density during helicon mode operation in an HPS setup. Furthermore, the correlation of negative ion density values with RF input exhibits a consistent trend in tandem with background plasma density. Notably, both CRDS and LPD measurements ascertain negative ion densities ranging from ∼5 to 6×1016m-3 under an RF power of 500-700W and a pressure of 8 × 10-3mbar, all under the influence of a 55G axial magnetic field. These specific parameters represent the optimal operational configuration for effective negative ion production with the present experimental HPS setup. Due to its better SNR, the RF broadband transformer-based Langmuir probe emerges as a useful tool for LPD diagnostics, particularly in the presence of pervasive RF noise.

Calibration of Swarm Ion Density, Drift, and Effective Mass Measurements

AbstractWe calibrate the Swarm Langmuir Probe Ion Drift, Density and Effective Mass (SLIDEM) products using the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC‐1) electron density measurements. SLIDEM combines electric current measurements from the Electric Field Instrument faceplate (situated on the ram‐facing side of the satellite) with ion admittance measurements from a spherical Langmuir probe to estimate ionospheric ion density, bulk ion drift parallel to the satellite trajectory in the polar regions, and effective ion mass at low and middle latitudes. SLIDEM processing includes an eight‐parameter empirical geometry model that expresses the corrections to the effective faceplate area and spherical probe radius arising from satellite‐plasma interactions. Validation of SLIDEM density by conjunctions with COSMIC density altitude profiles reveals systematic errors, with SLIDEM underestimating corresponding COSMIC data by around 10%. Using the same conjunctions to calibrate the SLIDEM density processor, a simple one‐parameter geometry model is obtained, which significantly reduces bias in ion density. This leads to reduced bias in the ion ram speed and in the effective mass, both of which are more consistent with empirical ionospheric models. We examined three models characterizing the variation of probe effective electrode current collection areas. Faceplate geometries are statistically indistinguishable from the physical faceplate cross section. Spherical Langmuir probe radius is effectively reduced by about 10% due to satellite‐plasma interactions. We recommend updating the SLIDEM processor to use a smaller value for the spherical probe's radius.

Variability and distribution of nighttime equatorial to mid latitude ionospheric irregularities and vertical plasma drift observed by FORMOSAT-5 Advanced Ionospheric Probe in-situ measurements from 2017 – 2020

Irregularities in ionospheric plasma distribution can result in severe scintillation and disruption to the radio frequencies utilized for satellite communications and navigation. In the low and mid latitudes, these irregularities can include Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs) and Travelling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs). EPBs are irregularities manifesting in low latitude nighttime ionosphere plasma density that can extend along magnetic field lines with zonal scales on the order of 100 km or less, while TIDs are propagating wave disturbances. High frequency in-situ measurements of ionospheric plasma aboard spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) are a direct measurement of irregularities in plasma density and are therefore valuable for resolving EPB and TID occurrences, variability, and relation to other ionospheric parameters that are believed to play a driving role in the formation of such irregularities. In this study, we utilize observations taken over a three-year period between 2017 and 2020 by the Advanced Ionospheric Probe (AIP) carried aboard the FORMOSAT-5 satellite to examine the spatial, seasonal, and interannual variability of equatorial to mid latitude ionospheric irregularities and vertical ion drift during this time. AIP provides in-situ measurements of ion density and vertical ion drift in the equatorial to mid latitude ionosphere at approximately 720 km altitude with local times between 22:00 – 23:00 local time. Our global scale results resolve distinct and inter-annually recurrent seasonal patterns in the distribution of nighttime ionospheric irregularities and vertical plasma drift during this time. Elevated occurrences of ion density irregularities are resolved along the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) latitudes, while notable occurrences with variability consistent with EPBs also observed along the low and equatorial magnetic latitudes. Zonal variability of equatorial irregularities consistent with the signatures of nonmigrating atmospheric tides are observed. It is also notable that the occurrences and geographic distribution of ion density irregularities showed a considerable level of interannual variability, especially at mid latitudes over the South Atlantic and Southern African sectors, which showed much higher levels of irregularities in 2017–––2018, compared to 2019 and 2020. In comparison, the spatial and interannual variation of the co-located vertical ion drifts were much more consistent during the years examined, indicating that the driver for the observed interannual variability in ion density irregularities cannot be attributed to the vertical ion drift at the same time and location of the observations. This highlights the need for in-situ instruments distributed across multiple satellites in different local time zones.

Characterization of cesium and H−/D− density in the negative ion source SPIDER

The Heating Neutral Beam Injectors (HNBs) for ITER will have to deliver 16.7 MW beams of H/D particles at 1 MeV energy. The beams will be produced from H−/D− ions, generated by a radiofrequency plasma source coupled to an ion acceleration system. A prototype of the ITER HNB ion source is being tested in the SPIDER experiment, part of the ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility at Consorzio RFX. Reaching the design targets for beam current density and fraction of coextracted electrons is only possible by evaporating cesium in the source, in particular on the plasma facing grid (PG) of the acceleration system. In this way the work function of the surfaces decreases, significantly increasing the amount of surface reactions that convert neutrals and positive ions into H−/D−. It is then of paramount importance to monitor the density of negative ions and the density of Cs in the proximity of the PG. Monitoring the Cs spatial distribution along the PG is also essential to guarantee the uniformity of the beam current. In SPIDER, this is possible thanks to the Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy (CRDS) and the Laser absorption Spectroscopy diagnostics (LAS), which provide line-integrated measurements of negative ion density and neutral, ground state Cs density, respectively. The paper discusses the CRDS and LAS measurements as a function of input power and of the magnetic and electric fields used to reduce the coextraction of electrons. Negative ion density data are in qualitative agreement with the analogous measurements in Cs-free conditions. In agreement with simulations, Cs density is peaked in the center of the source; a top/bottom non uniformity is also present. Several effects of plasma on Cs deposition and negative ion production are presented.

Comparisons of in situ ionospheric density using ion velocity meters onboard FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 and ICON missions

We report the preliminary inter-satellite comparisons of the in situ ion density measurements by the ion velocity meter (IVM) onboard FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 (F7/C2) and Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) missions, during the solar minimum period of December 2019 to November 2020. The initial comparisons reveal identical diurnal, seasonal, and latitude/longitude variations in the two ion-density measurements, with F7/C2 consistently yielding stronger values than ICON, which could partly result from the difference in their orbit altitudes. The diurnal variation in the equatorial region did not show any effect of pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) during 2019–2020. The daytime plasma distributions show larger ion densities over a narrow latitudinal belt around the geomagnetic equator in all seasons, and the low-latitude densities reveal signatures of hemispherical asymmetry, with larger values occurring in the summer hemisphere. The observations also reveal distinct wavenumber-4 longitudinal modulation, which is most prominent in equinox and becomes less distinguishable during December solstice months. The simultaneous observations from F7/C2 IVM and ICON IVM also provide opportunities to study the spatial configuration and time evolution of ionospheric irregularities in the equatorial and low latitude regions. The F7/C2 and ICON simultaneously observed the equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) occurring around Taiwan on 18 October 2020, and the observations are consistent with each other. The EPBs were also observed by an all-sky imager located in Taiwan, comparing the satellite observations.Graphical

The magnetically controlled ionopause boundary observed by LPW onboard MAVEN within magnetic pile-up region of Mars

We have analysed plasma and magnetic field data obtained from 627 orbits of Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) that occurred during October 2014, April 2015, September 2017 and May 2018, when the spacecraft was crossing the magnetic pile-up boundary of Mars. Two broad peaks and a drop are observed in this magnetic field region. The magnetic cavity boundary lies between the ionosphere and the magnetic pile-up boundary. A steep ionopause-like boundary is observed in 24 profiles of 627 orbits, when MAVEN was passing from the magnetic pile-up region during the daytime ionosphere in presence of horizontal magnetic field of high strength, while their night side ionosphere did not show such boundary in presence of horizontal magnetic field of low strength. These profiles are unique, which have not been reported earlier. We propose that the horizontal magnetic field can form such ionopause within the magnetic pile-up boundary during the daytime if time and location of the magnetic anomaly coincide with the ion and electron density measurements. The nighttime ionosphere is thought to be produced within the magnetic pile-up boundary due to transportation of plasma from dayside to nightside across the terminator by a horizontal plasma flow velocity as has been predicted by the previous studies.

Composition of Mars's Dayside Ionosphere Under Changing Solar Irradiance Conditions

AbstractThe response of the Mars ionosphere to changes in solar irradiance is an important aspect of how conditions on Mars are shaped by our dynamic Sun. Changes in the composition of ionospheric plasma with changes in solar irradiance will affect how the ionosphere mediates the interaction of the neutral atmosphere with the surrounding space environment. Here we use MAVEN ion and neutral density measurements acquired at low (Deep Dip 8) and high (Deep Dip 2) solar irradiance conditions to determine how ion and neutral densities change when the ionizing solar irradiance doubles. We find that the neutral composition does not change significantly when examined at fixed total neutral number density. Furthermore, we find that and O+ densities increase by a factor of 2, but densities increase by a factor of 1.5. The relative abundance of decreases as solar irradiance increases. These results are explained by straightforward theoretical considerations of changes in ion production and loss rates. However, a photochemical model fails to reproduce these results with its default set of inputs. Consistent with previous modeling efforts, densities are over‐predicted. Acceptable model–data agreement requires significant adjustments to important model inputs, such as reduction in irradiance by 15%, reduction in CO2 density by a factor of 2, and increase in O density by a factor of 2. These large adjustments are suggestive of the need for improvements to the state of Mars ionosphere models based on MAVEN inputs rather than issues with the underlying data.

In‐Situ Measurements of Ion Density in the Martian Ionosphere: Underlying Structure and Variability Observed by the MAVEN‐STATIC Instrument

AbstractMeasurement of the dense cold thermal plasma in planetary ionospheres via orbiting spacecraft is challenging because ion energies are small (0–4 eV), densities can vary by four orders of magnitude, composition varies with altitude, spacecraft charging varies in time and must be measured very accurately, and instrumental effects (e.g., detector dead‐time and background) can be significant. The SupraThermal And Thermal Ion Composition instrument team has recently released a new set of data products that contain density moments of the primary ion species at Mars, including those derived at periapsis, subject to the full suite of calibration factors required. This article discusses the challenges associated with deriving these densities and provides examples of the key caveats that users of the data should be aware of. A preliminary statistical study of this new data set focuses on the structure and variability of Mars' ionosphere, demonstrating that solar zenith angle effects, the crustal magnetic fields, and electron precipitation on the nightside, drive the strongest structural features, consistent with photochemical theory and previous studies. Dayside ionospheric density profiles are highly repeatable below altitudes of 200 km, marking the region where photochemistry and collisions dominate. In the upper dayside ionosphere (altitudes >300–400 km) changes in the solar wind dynamic pressure on timescales of Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN's orbit (hr) drive the largest (factors of 1–3) variability in ionospheric density. In contrast variability in ionospheric density peaks between 150 and 250 km altitude on the nightside (factors of 1–2), consistent with electron precipitation driving ionization in this region.

Characterization of Cs-free negative ion production in the ion source SPIDER by cavity ring-down spectroscopy

The neutral beam injectors of the ITER experiment will be based on negative ion sources for the generation of beams composed by 1 MeV H/D particles. The prototype of these sources is currently under testing in the SPIDER experiment, part of the Neutral Beam Test Facility of Consorzio RFX, Padua, Italy. Among the targets of the experimentation in SPIDER, it is of foremost importance to maximize the beam current density produced by the accelerator. The SPIDER operating conditions can be optimized thanks to a cavity ring-down spectroscopy diagnostic, which provides line-integrated measurements of negative ion density in proximity of the accelerator apertures. The specific implementation in SPIDER shows a drift in ring down time measurements, which develops in a time scale of few hours, thus possibly affecting the negative ion density estimates in plasma pulses of 1 h duration, as required by ITER. Possible causes and solutions are discussed. Regarding the source performance, this paper presents how negative ion density is influenced by the RF power used to sustain the plasma, and by the magnetic filter field present in SPIDER to limit the amount of co-extracted electrons. In this study, SPIDER was operated in hydrogen and deuterium, in Cs-free conditions.

Influence of high energy electrons on negative ion density in a hot cathode discharge

This study investigates the influence of high energy electrons on the negative ion density along with the effect of filament current, discharge voltage, pressure, and magnetic filter field strength by carrying out measurements of negative ion density in a hot cathode discharge system in the double plasma device using a Langmuir probe technique. In the volume production technique, negative ions are formed by the dissociative attachment of low energy electrons to metastable hydrogen molecules and among the negative ion loss mechanisms; the presence of high energy electrons in the plasma is one of the important factors. Although the magnetic filter could reduce the temperature of the electrons in the target region considerably, high energy electrons were still present in the diffusion region, which could reduce the negative ion density. Negative hydrogen ion density measured by using Langmuir probe in the target region is also compared with the particle balance model considering the set of reactions involved in the production and destruction of negative ions, and a reasonably good match between them has been observed.

Q2DW-Tide and -Ionosphere Interactions as Observed From ICON and Ground-Based Radars.

A quasi-2-day wave (Q2DW) event during January-February, 2020, is investigated in terms of its propagation from 96 to 250 km as a function of latitude (10°S to 30°N), its nonlinear interactions with migrating tides to produce 16 and 9.6-h secondary waves (SWs), and the plasma drift and density perturbations that it produces in the topside F-region (590-607 km) between magnetic latitudes 18°S and 18°N. This is accomplished through analysis of coincident Ionospheric Connections Explorer (ICON) measurements of neutral winds, plasma drifts and ion densities, and wind measurements from four low-latitude (±15°) specular meteor radars (SMRs). The Q2DW westward-propagating components that existed during this period consist of zonal wavenumbers s = 2 and s = 3, that is, Q2DW+2 and Q2DW+3 (e.g., He, Chau et al., 2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/93jd00380). SWs in the ICON measurements are inferred from Q2DW+2 and Q2DW+3 characteristics derived from traditional longitude-UT fits that potentially contain aliasing contributions from SWs ("apparent" Q2DWs), from fits to space-based zonal wavenumbers that each reflect the aggregate signature of either Q2DW+2 or Q2DW+3 and its SWs combined ("effective" Q2DWs), and based on information contained in published numerical simulations. The total Q2DW ionospheric responses consists of F-region field-aligned and meridional drifts of order ±25 ms-1 and ±5-7 ms-1, respectively, and total ion density perturbations of order (±10%-25%). It is shown that the SWs can sometimes make substantial contributions to the Q2DW winds, drifts, and plasma densities.

Cassini‐Plasma Interaction Simulations Revealing the Cassini Ion Wake Characteristics: Implications for In‐Situ Data Analyses and Ion Temperature Estimates

AbstractWe have used Spacecraft Plasma Interaction Software (SPIS) simulations to study the characteristics (i.e., dimensions, ion depletion, and evolution with the changing spacecraft attitude) of the Cassini ion wake. We focus on two regions, the plasma disk at 4.5–4.7 RS, where the most prominent wake structure will be formed, and at 7.6 RS, close to the maximum distance at which a wake structure can be detected in the Cassini Langmuir probe (LP) data. This study also reveals how the ion wake and the spacecraft plasma interaction have impacted the Cassini LP measurements in the studied environments, for example, with a strong decrease in the measured ion density but with minor interference from the photoelectrons and secondary electrons originating from the spacecraft. The simulated ion densities and spacecraft potentials are in very good agreement with the LP measurements. This shows that SPIS is an excellent tool to use for analyses of LP data, when spacecraft material properties and environmental parameters are known and used correctly. The simulation results are also used to put constraints on the ion temperature estimates in the inner magnetosphere of Saturn. The best agreement between the simulated and measured ion density is obtained using an ion temperature of 8 eV at ∼4.6 RS. This study also shows that SPIS simulations can be used in order to better constrain plasma parameters in regions where accurate measurements are not available.

Atmosphere-Ionosphere (A-I) Coupling as Viewed by ICON: Day-to-Day Variability Due to Planetary Wave (PW)-Tide Interactions.

Coincident Ionospheric Connections Explorer (ICON) measurements of neutral winds, plasma drifts and total ion densities (:=Ne, electron density) are analyzed during January 1-21, 2020 to reveal the relationship between neutral winds and ionospheric variability on a day-to-day basis. Atmosphere-ionosphere (A-I) connectivity inevitably involves a spectrum of planetary waves (PWs), tides and secondary waves due to wave-wave nonlinear interactions. To provide a definitive attribution of dynamical origins, the current study focuses on a time interval when the longitudinal wave-4 component of the E-region winds is dominated by the eastward-propagating diurnal tide with zonal wavenumber s = -3 (DE3). DE3 is identified in winds and ionospheric parameters through its characteristic dependence on local solar time and longitude as ICON's orbit precesses. Superimposed on this trend are large variations in low-latitude DE3 wave-4 zonal winds (±40 ms-1) and topside F-region equatorial vertical drifts at periods consistent with 2-days and 6-days PWs, and a ~3-day ultra-fast Kelvin wave (UFKW), coexisting during this time interval; the DE3 winds, dynamo electric fields, and drifts are modulated by these waves. Wave-4 variability in Ne is of order 25%-35%, but the origins are more complex, likely additionally reflecting transport by ~20-25 ms-1 wave-4 in-situ winds containing strong signatures of DE3 interactions with ambient diurnal Sun-synchronous winds and ion drag. These results are the first to show a direct link between day-to-day wave-4 variability in contemporaneously measured E-region neutral winds and F-region ionospheric drifts and electron densities.

Improvement of the floating probe method for ion density and electron temperature measurement without compensation due to voltage reduction across the sheath

The floating probe method (FPM) applicable for processing plasma diagnostics was developed for the measurement of ion density and electron temperature (J. Appl. Phys. 101 033305). When an AC voltage is applied to a floating probe, harmonic currents are generated due to the nonlinearity of the sheath. The electron temperature and ion density are obtained using the harmonic currents and the voltage across the sheath. However, in the FPM, when the sensing resistance becomes similar to the sheath resistance, iterative calculations must be performed to compensate for the voltage reduction across the sheath due to the sensing resistor. In this paper, the voltage across a DC blocking capacitor is measured to directly obtain the voltage across the sheath. Therefore, it is not necessary to compensate for the voltage reduction across the sheath through iterative calculations. The electron temperature was increasingly overestimated as the capacity of the DC blocking capacitor became smaller. This overestimation was caused by the capacitive load effect and was compensated for using a correction for the second harmonic current. The measured electron temperature and ion density were compared with those from electron energy distribution functions (EEDFs) in an inductively coupled plasma, and they were in good agreement.

Development and first operation of a cavity ring down spectroscopy diagnostic in the negative ion source SPIDER.

The neutral beam injectors of the ITER experiment will rely on negative ion sources to produce 16.7MW beams of H/D particles accelerated at 1MeV. The prototype of these sources was built and is currently operated in the SPIDER (Source for the Production of Ions of Deuterium Extracted from a Radio frequency plasma) experiment, part of the Neutral Beam Test Facility of Consorzio RFX, Padua. In the SPIDER, the H-/D- ion source is coupled to a three grid, 100 kV acceleration system. One of the main goals of the experimentation in SPIDER is to uniformly maximize the extracted current density; to achieve this, it is important to study the density of negative ions available in the proximity of the ion acceleration system. In SPIDER, line-integrated measurements of negative ion density are performed by a cavity ring down spectroscopy diagnostic. Its principle of operation is based on the absorption of the photons of a laser beam pulse by H-/D- photo-detachment; the absorption detection is enhanced by trapping the laser pulse in an optical cavity, containing the absorbing medium (i.e., negative ions). This paper presents and discusses the CRDS diagnostic setup in the SPIDER, including the first measurements of negative ion density, correlated with the main source parameters.

First result of CRDS system with cesium operation for radiofrequency negative ion source test facility at ASIPP

From September 2017, an advance study project of Negative ion-based Neutral Beam Injection (NNBI) prototype for the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) was supported by the ministry of science and technology of China. The entire test facility will be integrated at Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP). In order to meet requirement of the development of negative ion based neutral beam injection system for CFETR, a negative ion source test facility with radio frequency source is being built. At the same time, cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) is employed for measurement of negative ion density. CRDS is an ultrasensitive absorption diagnostic technique for density measurement. Based on photo-detachment process of hydrogen negative ions, CRDS can measure integrated line-of-sight density of hydrogen negative ions in high power ion source. In this paper, the principle of CRDS diagnostic system has been introduced. Based on previous tests, the system setup and improvement are mentioned. In this paper, typical ring-down signals and time evolution of density of hydrogen negative ions are reported. With the first time cesium seeding, density of hydrogen negative ions increased obviously. It increased from 6.3E15 m−3 to 1.8E16 m−3, about 2.8 times under the 40 kW RF power discharge. Several days condition up, the density of hydrogen negative ions is up to 3.4 E16 m−3 under the 50 kW RF power discharge.

Final design of electrostatic probes for MITICA beam line components

MITICA is the full-scale prototype of ITER Neutral Beam Injector (NBI), currently under construction in Padova, Italy. In this facility, a 40 A beam of negative deuterium ions will be accelerated to 1 MeV and then neutralized. The emerging beam, after the removal of residual ions, will be dumped onto the calorimeter (up to 17 MW are expected). In each component of the beam-line, monitoring of the presence of plasma and its parameters is crucial: with this aim, various types of electrostatic probes will be installed along the MITICA beam-line.The Neutralizer and the Electric Residual Ion Dump (ERID) panels will be equipped with pairs of Langmuir probes at different vertical and axial positions, with the possibility to be set in single or double probe configurations and to provide local floating potential, ion density and electron temperature measurements. In the neutralizer, the probes will provide information about the beam collisional processes, in view of a neutral fraction optimization. In the ERID, the objective of the probes is to confirm the absence of plasma, which otherwise might invalidate the deflection properties of the device. In the calorimeter, biased electrodes will collect the secondary emission electrons produced by the beam collisions with the cooling tube surfaces. The electrodes will provide vertical and horizontal profiles of the beam at the calorimeter, to study its horizontal steering, divergence and uniformity.Four different probe designs have been developed to fulfill specific scientific and mechanical constrains at the different positions. In this contribution, the realization of the four prototypes, one for each probe, together with a mock-up of the relative housing panel, is described. Problems or difficulties emerged during the manufacturing of specific elements or during the assembly of the probes have been identified and fixed and the prototypes tested. The final design is, thus, presented.

Species‐dependent Response of the Martian Ionosphere to the 2018 Global Dust Event

AbstractGlobal dust storms (GDS) are an important dynamical phenomenon of the Martian lower atmosphere but are known to have important impacts on the Martian middle/upper atmosphere and ionosphere. Despite extensive studies over the past several decades, how the composition of the Martian ionosphere is modified during the GDS has only been studied from a theoretical point of view. Here we present for the first time the observations of the compositional variation of the Martian ionosphere during the GDS in 2018, using the ion density measurements made by the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer onboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution. At a representative altitude of 170 km, the variations of ionospheric species during the GDS show either enhancement (, Ar+, , H2O+, , ArH+) or depletion (, O+, /CO+, OH+). Despite the apparent diversity, the observations are mostly understandable within the established framework of ionospheric chemistry on Mars, which further demonstrates that the variation of ion species during the GDS is a good diagnostic of the variation of relevant neutral species in the thermosphere. In particular, the observed ionospheric variation strongly supports a scenario that H2O is substantially enhanced in the Martian thermosphere during the GDS. However, the variations of and are inconsistent with predictions from ionospheric chemistry and require further investigation.

Hydrogen negative ion density measurement by laser photodetachment and the effect of H recombination on the walls

A laser photodetachment (LPD) was applied to measure the absolute hydrogen negative ion (H−) density in an RF negative ion source. The ion source has been developed to study a Cs-free ion source utilizing a magnetic filter by permanent magnets to enhance the volume production of H− in the extraction region. Prior to a beam extraction experiment, the laser photodetachment was applied as an initial performance evaluation. The absolute H− densities were obtained by LPD with the variation of the RF power. The H− density reached 1.8×109 cm−3 at an RF power of 5 kW. The comparison with the calculation of a particle balance model showed the discrepancy between the model and the LPD results. The LPD result showed the rapid increase in H− density with respect to the RF power compared to the model. By assuming the wall temperature increase and adjusting the recombination coefficient (γrec) of hydrogen (H) atoms on the walls, the discrepancy could be resolved. The recombination coefficient (γrec) plays an important role in determining the H− density in view of the fact that it can affect both the generation and the destruction processes of H−.