Ion Velocity Vector Research Articles

Assessment of Polar Ionospheric Observations by VIPIR/Dynasonde at Jang Bogo Station, Antarctica: 2. Ionospheric Ion Drift Velocity

AbstractSince the installation at the Antarctic Jang Bogo Station (JBS) in 2017, Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) has been operating the Vertical Incidence Pulsed Ionospheric Radar (VIPIR) equipped with Dynasonde analysis (JVD). The two‐dimensional ion velocity is one of the key ionospheric parameters obtained from the JVD. The ionospheric ion velocities are compared with simultaneous, but independent, measurements of the Doppler velocity obtained from SuperDARN East radar at Dome C. The JVD ion velocity vector is projected to the line‐of‐sight direction of the SuperDARN observation over the JBS to be directly compared with each other. The result of comparison shows a reasonable agreement with the correlation coefficient of 0.72. The linear regression coefficient of about 0.5 represents that the JVD ion velocity is generally smaller than the SuperDARN observations by the regression coefficient, which may result from the different height ranges of the measurements. It is also found that the correlation coefficient increases with increasing magnetic activity (Kp), which suggests that the small‐scale ionospheric density irregularities tend to move with large‐scale plasma motion that is driven by enhanced plasma convection with increasing Kp.

Observing electric field and neutral wind with EISCAT 3D

Abstract. Measurements of height-dependent electric field (E) and neutral wind (u) are important governing parameters of the Earth's upper atmosphere, which can be used to study, for example, how auroral currents close or how energy flows between the ionized and neutral constituents. The new EISCAT 3D (E3D) incoherent scatter radar will be able to measure a three-dimensional ion velocity vector (v) at each measurement point, which will allow less stringent prior assumptions about E and u to be made when estimating them from radar measurements. This study investigates the feasibility of estimating the three-dimensional electric field and neutral wind vectors along a magnetic field-aligned profile from E3D measurements, using the ion momentum equation and Maxwell's equations. The uncertainty of ion drift measurements is estimated for a time and height resolution of 5 s and 2 km. With the most favourable ionospheric conditions, the ion wind at E region peak can be measured with an accuracy of less than 1 m/s. In the worst case, during a geomagnetically quiet night, the uncertainty increases by a factor of around 10. The uncertainty of neutral wind and electric field estimates is found to be strongly dependent on the prior constraints imposed on them. In the lower E region, neutral wind estimates have a lower standard deviation than 10 m/s in the most favourable conditions. In such conditions, also the F region electric field can be estimated with uncertainty of about 1 mV/m. Simulated measurements of v are used to demonstrate the ability to resolve the field-aligned profile of E and u. However, they can only be determined well at the heights where they dominate the ion drift, that is above 125 km for E and below 115 km for u. At the other heights, the results are strongly dependent on the prior assumptions of smoothness.

Development of Glass-Tube-Pair Type Doppler Probe Array for 1D Profile Measurement of Two Component Ion-Flow Vector

We developed a new glass-tube-pair type Doppler probe array for 1D ion velocity vector and temperature measurement. It needs just two parallel glass-tube insertion, realizing low plasma perturbation and 1D ion flow vector measurement on a single discharge. Using four mirrors and optical fibers for one measurement point, this system can measure ion local light emissions of each measurement volume from four different directions, enabling us to measure local ion flow vector and temperature. All set of mirrors and optical fibers are aligned in the two parallel glass tubes for 1D measurement by a single discharge. This system measured successfully ion outflow speed of two merging tokamak plasmas, about 80% of poloidal Alfvén speed in agreement with recent reconnection experiments and theory.

Focusing properties of a very thin electrostatic quadrupole lens

The rainbow effect in transmission of a proton beam of energy of 10 keV through a very thin electrostatic quadrupole lens is considered theoretically. The incident ion velocity vectors are taken to be parallel to the lens axis. The distance between the positively or negatively charged lens electrodes is 10 mm and the electrode voltage modulus is 1 kV. The approach is based on the momentum approximation. The rainbow effect is studied via a detailed analysis of the ion differential transmission cross-section, which is determined by the Jacobian of the ion transmission angle components. This variable contains a term describing the ion deflection from the individual electrodes and a term describing the coupling of the electrodes that is seen by the ion. It has been found that the latter term is the source of the rainbow effect, which is, thus, a complex effect in ion beam dynamics. The final conclusion of the calculations is that the lens acts on the ion beam in a way to reshape it qualitatively into a beam containing four narrow sub-beams directed between the lens electrodes.

Investigation on ion behavior in magnetically shielded and unshielded Hall thrusters by laser-induced fluorescence

Non-intrusive characterization of the ion velocity distribution functions at several points of interest in 600 W magnetically shielded MSHT-600 and unshielded USHT-600 Hall thrusters plume by laser-induced fluorescence was conducted. Several visual clues supporting the magnetic shielding effect of MSHT-600 were presented. The measured ion axial velocity distribution functions show that the ion axial velocity is higher and observed to reach the maximum at nearer location to the exit plane on the centerline in the magnetically shielded Hall thruster than that in the unshielded one under the same operating conditions but uniformly distributed in the radial direction when ignoring the slower population for both thrusters. These results are in accordance with the higher specific impulse measured in several other shielded Hall thrusters. Moreover, the ion axial velocity on the centerline is higher than the average axial velocity at other radial locations for the same axial distance downstream of the exit plane in USHT-600, while the higher plume divergence or the inner pole erosion causes the velocity on the centerline to decrease in MSHT-600. The downstream shift of the accelerating potential and electric field distribution are also the typical features in magnetically shielded Hall thrusters as reported in other studies. Finally, the xenon ion velocity vector fields show that the ion population starts to meet and diverge further downstream of the exit plane in MSHT-600 than that in USHT-600, which may be associated with the difference of the plume divergence.

The far-field plasma characterization in a 600 W Hall thruster plume by laser-induced fluorescence

Non-intrusive characterization of the singly ionized xenon velocity in Hall thruster plume using laser induced fluorescence (LIF) is critical for constructing a complete picture of plume plasma, deeply understanding the ion dynamics in the plume, and providing validation data for numerical simulation. This work presents LIF measurements of singly ionized xenon axial velocity on a grid ranging from 100 to 300 mm in axial direction and from 0 to 50 mm in radial direction for a 600 W Hall thruster operating at the nominal condition of discharge voltage 300 V and discharge current 2 A, the influence of discharge voltage is investigated as well. The ion velocity distribution function (IVDF) results in the far-field plume demonstrate a profile of bimodal IVDFs, especially prominent at radial distances greater than channel inner radius of 22 mm at axial position of 100 mm, which is quite different from that of the near-field plume where bimodal IVDFs occur in the central core region for the same power Hall thruster when compared to previous LIF measurements of BHT-600 by Hargus (2010 J. Propulsion Power 26 135). Beyond 100 mm, only single-peak IVDFs are measured. The two-dimensional ion velocity vector field indicates the bimodal axial IVDF is merely a geometry effect for the annular discharge channel in the far-field plume. Results about the IVDF, the most probable velocity and the accelerating potential profile along the centerline all indicate that ions are still accelerating at axial distances greater than 100 mm, and the maximum most probable velocity measured at 300 mm downstream of the exit plane is about 19 km s−1. In addition, the most probable velocity of ions along radial direction changes a little except the lower velocity ion populations in the bimodal IVDF cases. The ion temperature at axial distances of 10 and 300 mm oscillates along the radial direction, while the ion temperature first increases, and then decreases for the 200 mm case. Finally, the axial position for the ion peak axial velocity on the thruster centerline is shifted upstream for higher discharge voltages, and the velocity curve is becoming steeper with the discharge voltage before reaching the maximum. This observation can be used as a criterion to optimize the thruster performance.

Laser-induced fluorescence measurements of acceleration zone scaling in the 12.5 kW HERMeS Hall thruster

We present laser-induced fluorescence measurements of acceleration zone scaling with discharge voltage (Vd), magnetic field strength (B), and facility background pressure (PBG) in NASA’s 12.5 kW Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding. At fixed discharge current, the plasma potential profiles at discharge voltages from 300 to 600 V approximately overlapped in the region with plasma potential less than 300 V; ion acceleration began further upstream at higher Vd because the region with a steep potential gradient was broader. The radial divergence of mean ion velocity vectors in the outer half of the channel and near plume increased with decreasing Vd. At fixed Vd, the acceleration zone was located further upstream at higher B and at higher PBG. Bimodal ion velocity distribution functions (IVDFs) were measured along the channel centerline in the acceleration zone at high discharge voltages; this effect was attributed to time-averaging over movement of the acceleration zone during large-amplitude discharge current oscillations. At lower discharge voltages, the broadening of the IVDFs in the near plume could not be fully explained by ionization within the acceleration region. These results have implications for understanding front pole erosion, which can be an important wear mechanism over the long lifetimes of magnetically shielded thrusters, and they provide baseline data for validating first principles models of cross-field electron transport.

Ion Velocimetry Measurements and Particle-In-Cell Simulation of a Cylindrical Cusped Plasma Accelerator

The Stanford Cylindrical Cusped Field Thruster (CCFT) has been experimentally and numerically investigated with particular focus on the exit plane acceleration region near the top magnetic cusp. Time-averaged xenon ion laser-induced fluorescence measurements using the $5d[{4}]_{7/2} - 6p[{3}]_{5/2}$ ( $\lambda = 834.72$ -nm air) Xe II transition have mapped the total ion velocity vectors in this region. The thruster is also simulated using the fully kinetic 3-D particle-in-cell code F3MPIC. The consistent experimental and numerical results give physical insight into the mechanisms of ion acceleration and the role of the magnetic field topology in determining ion trajectories and plume divergence. The electrons are strongly magnetized and follow the magnetic field structure, grouping near the cusps. A steep potential drop over a few millimeters near the exit plane follows the magnetic separatrix of the top cusp, and is consistent with measured ion velocity vectors. A characteristic conical region of high ion density, peak ion velocity, and visible emission is observed in the experimental and simulated plume, with an estimated divergence half-angle of 30°.

Plasma parameter estimation from multistatic, multibeam incoherent scatter data

AbstractMultistatic incoherent scatter radars are superior to monostatic facilities in the sense that multistatic systems can measure plasma parameters from multiple directions in volumes limited by beam dimensions and measurement range resolution. We propose a new incoherent scatter analysis technique that uses data from all receiver beams of a multistatic, multibeam radar system and produces, in addition to the plasma parameters typically measured with monostatic radars, estimates of ion velocity vectors and ion temperature anisotropies. Because the total scattered energy collected with remote receivers of a modern multistatic, multibeam radar system may even exceed the energy collected with the core transmit‐and‐receive site, the remote data improve the accuracy of all plasma parameter estimates, including those that could be measured with the core site alone. We apply the new multistatic analysis method for data measured by the tristatic European Incoherent Scatter VHF radar and the Kilpisjärvi Atmospheric Imaging Receiver Array (KAIRA) multibeam receiver and show that a significant improvement in accuracy is obtained by adding KAIRA data in the multistatic analysis. We also demonstrate the development of a pronounced ion temperature anisotropy during high‐speed ionospheric plasma flows in substorm conditions.

Ion-neutral coupling during deep solar minimum

The equatorial ionosphere under conditions of deep solar minimum exhibits structuring due to tidal forces. Data from instruments carried by the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) which was launched in April 2008 have been analyzed for the first 2 years following launch. The Planar Langmuir Probe (PLP), Ion Velocity Meter (IVM) and Vector Electric Field Investigation (VEFI) all detect periodic structures during the 2008–2010 period which appear to be tides. However when the tidal features detected by these instruments are compared, there are distinctive and significant differences between the observations. Tides in neutral densities measured by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite were also observed during June 2008. In addition, Broad Plasma Decreases (BPDs) appear as a deep absolute minimum in the plasma and neutral density tidal pattern. These are co-located with regions of large downward-directed ion meridional velocities and minima in the zonal drifts, all on the nightside. The region in which BPDs occur coincides with a peak in occurrence rate of dawn depletions in plasma density observed on the Defense Meterological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft, as well as a minimum in radiance detected by UV imagers on the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) and IMAGE satellites.

Molecular frame photoemission in dissociative ionization of H2 and D2 induced by high harmonic generation femtosecond XUV pulses

We report the first results of molecular frame photoelectron emission for dissociative photoionization (DPI) of H2 and D2 molecules induced by a spectrally filtered single high harmonic of a few femtosecond duration, using coincident electron–ion velocity vector correlation techniques. For the studied photon energies around 32 eV, where the resonant excitation of the Q1 and Q2 doubly excited states occurs, autoionization and nuclear dynamics are coupled on a few femtosecond timescale, giving rise to quantum interferences. Molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions (MFPADs), traced as a function of the kinetic energy release of the atomic fragments, provide the most sensitive observables for such complex dynamics. These results compare well with recent spectrally resolved experiments using synchrotron radiation which are also reported. As a novel XUV light source running at multi-kHz repetition rate and synchronized with laser pulses, high-order harmonic generation (HHG) opens new possibilities for extending these investigations to time-resolved studies at the femtosecond scale.

TIME3D-IGGCAS: A new three-dimension mid- and low-latitude theoretical ionospheric model in realistic geomagnetic fields

Based on the previous work, a new three-dimension mid- and low-latitude theoretical ionospheric model in realistic geomagnetic fields is developed, named Three-Dimension Theoretical Ionospheric Model of the Earth in the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIME3D-IGGCAS). This new model covers the mid- and low-latitude ionosphere and whole plasmasphere. It self-consistently solves the equations of mass continuity, motion and energy of electron and ions to give out the time-dependent three-dimensional structures of the main ionospheric and plasmaspheric parameters in realistic geomagnetic fields, including ion number densities of O+, H+, He+, NO+, O2+, N2+ and electron; electron and ion temperature; and ion velocity vectors. We carry out simulations in March Equinox and in June Solstice, and compare the simulated results with that from IRI empirical model. TIME3D-IGGCAS can well reproduce the main ionospheric features in all simulations. We also simulate the ionospheric differences between different kinds of geomagnetic fields. The results suggest that the geomagnetic field configuration obviously affect the ionospheric plasma density, and the differences between NmF2 in realistic geomagnetic fields and that in tilted dipole fields can be larger than 40%.

Methodology and Historical Perspective of a Hall Thruster Efficiency Analysis

to ionization processes and losses that manifest as Joule heating, and contains no information about the vector properties of the jet. Propellant efficiency incorporates losses from dispersion in the jet composition and is unity for 100% ionization to a single ion species. The effect of neutrals on dispersion of the jet velocity distribution function in propellant efficiency is introduced in the neutral-gain utilization. The beam efficiency accounts for divergence of the jet and is ideal when the ion velocity vectors are parallel to the thrust axis. Plume divergence is defined as a momentum-weighted term, and the approximation as a charge-weighted term is characterized. The efficiency architecture is derived from first principles and is applicable to all propulsion employing electrostatic acceleration, including Hall thrusters and ion thrusters. Distinctions and similarities to several past methodologies are discussed, including past ion thruster analyses, early Russian performance studies, and contemporary architectures. To illustratethepotentialforenhancedunderstandingoflossmechanismsandionizationprocesseswithanarrayoffarfield plume diagnostics, a case study is presented of low-discharge voltage operation from a 6 kW laboratory Hall thruster.

Ion heating in high-speed flow channel within the duskside cell of the polar cap ion convection under large IMF-Bycondition

[1] F region strong sunward ion flow embedded in the duskside cell of expanding polar cap ion convection and coincidental increase in the ion temperature were observed from about 73° to 69° in geomagnetic latitude between 16:00 and 16:48 MLT on 19 August, 2006 from an experiment using the European Incoherent Scatter (EISCAT) radars at Tromso, Sodankyla and Longyearbyen together with the CUTLASS HF radars. The spatiotemporal structure of the convection map obtained by the SuperDARN HF radars showed that the high-speed flow channel elongated in 14–17 MLT was moving equatorward. The flow channel appeared during an interval of negative interplanetary magnetic field Bz associated with large positive By. In order to evaluate ion frictional heating and resultant ion temperature increase quantitatively, the experiment was conducted to estimate the ion velocity vector and the ion temperature at the common scattering volume of the EISCAT radars. While the flow channel moved equatorward, the ion temperature increase became less evident at higher part of latitudes within the flow channel, which means that ion frictional heating was depressed where the neutral gases had already responded to the high-speed ions. The increase in the ion temperature at particular geomagnetic latitude continued for about 20 min, and then ceased while the ion velocity was still enhanced. Ion frictional heating lasted until the neutral wind was accelerated to the equivalent level of the surrounded ion flow.

A heavy ion in a fluid in presence of an electromagnetic field seen as an ordinary Brownian motion

An alternative method of how to characterize, at equilibrium, the diffusion process of a Brownian charged particle (heavy ion) in a fluid in presence of an electromagnetic field is presented. The theory is formulated via a Langevin equation associated with the ion's velocity vector, which is transformed to another velocity-space in which the diffusion process is quite similar to that of the ordinary Brownian motion. The diffusion process is characterized, in absence and in presence of the electric field, through the mean square displacement in the transformed configuration-space and then returned to the original variables, by means of the corresponding transformation. Under the action of the electric field, the diffusion process is studied for a general time-dependent electric field. Explicit results are obtained for a constant and oscillating electric field.

On electrodynamical measurements in the polar ionosphere with a monostatic incoherent scatter radar

We examine a technique that appears useful as a means of estimating the vector electric field (E) in the ionosphere with a monostatic incoherent scatter (IS) radar. The technique consists of using the altitude variation in mean Doppler velocity that is measured with an antenna beam fixed along a single line of sight. The rotation of the ion velocity vector with altitude in the E region is used to provide improved spatial and temporal resolution over other existing methods. We show that E can be extracted unambiguously from this one‐beam position measurement technique when the neutral wind (U) is negligible. When U is significant, however, neither E nor U can be determined without ambiguity. Results obtained from multipulse measurements made with the Sondrestrom IS radar are used to illustrate these concepts.

Dynamics of the dissociative and nondissociative scattering of hyperthermal CS2+ from a self-assembled fluoroalkyl monolayer surface on gold substrate

Dissociative and nondissociative scattering of low energy CS2+ ions from a self-assembled monolayer surface of fluorinated alkylthiol [CF3(CF2)9CH2CH2SH] on vapor deposited gold has been studied using a modified crossed-beam instrument. Dissociation of CS2+ ions begins at ∼30 eV ion kinetic energy, much higher than the thermochemical threshold of 4.7 eV for the lowest energy dissociation channel forming S+. This product channel is dominant up to the ion energy of ∼50 eV, the highest energy accessible by this instrument. Both inelastically scattered parent ions and product ions leave the surface with very low kinetic energies, demonstrating that most of the ions’ kinetic energy is taken up by the surface rather than transferred into internal modes of recoiling ions. The scattered ion intensity maximum is found between the specular angle and the surface parallel. At all energies studied, primary ion intensity remains higher than that of fragment ions. Also, the intensity of S+ fragment ions is higher than that of CS+ fragment ions, suggesting that the distribution of internal excitation of the recoiling CS2+ ions extends only slightly above the thresholds for the two product channels. A comparison of the relative intensities of the fragment ions with those from earlier collision-induced dissociation study of the CS2+ ions with xenon suggests that only ∼6.5 and ∼7.5 eV are transferred into internal modes for 30.6 and 49.8 eV energy collisions, respectively. This is lower than the energy transferred into internal modes in the gas phase collision-induced dissociation process, for which the center-of-mass collision energy is well defined. We infer from our observations that the effective mass of the surface collision partner is much less than that of the infinite mass which would apply to scattering from the gold substrate or the mass of the monolayer surface molecule. The experimental velocity vectors of scattered primary and fragment ions reveal that their maxima follow a circle whose center falls on the ion velocity vector, away from the laboratory collision center. From this collision center, we estimate the effective mass of the surface for surface-induced dissociation to be 150 corresponding to the CF3CF2CF end group of the SAM molecular chain.

Vector correlations in dissociative photoionization of O2 in the 20–28 eV range. II. Polar and azimuthal dependence of the molecular frame photoelectron angular distribution

A combined experimental and theoretical study of the polar and azimuthal dependence of the molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions (MFPADs) for inner-valence-shell photoionization of the O2 molecule into the O2+(B 2Σg−,3 2Πu,c 4Σu−) states is reported. The measured MFPADs, for each orientation of the molecular axis with respect to the linear polarization of the synchrotron radiation, are derived from the spatial analysis of the (VO+,Ve,P) vector correlation, where the nascent ion and electron velocity vectors VO+ and Ve are determined for each dissociative photoionization (DPI) event using imaging and time of flight resolved coincidence technique as described in the companion paper of this series [J. Chem. Phys. 114, 6605 (2001)]. Expressed in the general form of four FLN(θe) functions which contain all the dynamical information about the photoionization processes, they are compared with the MFPADs computed using the multichannel Schwinger configuration interaction method. A very satisfactory agreement is found. When the lifetime of the O2+ ionic states is a significant fraction of the rotational period, the rotational motion of the molecule is included in the quantal derivation of the MFPADs. Measured MFPADs are also reported for the additional DPI process identified in Paper I, and for DPI involving the excitation of the neutral (3 2Πu,4sσg) Rydberg state.

Deriving the normalised ion-neutral collision frequency from EISCAT observations

Abstract. Common programme observations by the EISCAT UHF radar revealed an extended interval, post geomagnetic local noon on 03 April 1992, during which the F-region ion velocity orthogonal to the geomagnetic field was significantly enhanced, to values exceeding 2 km s–1 corresponding to a perpendicular electric field of some 100 mV m–1. Observations from this interval are used to illustrate a method by which estimates of the E-region ion-neutral collision frequency may be derived in the presence of enhanced electric field. From both the rotation of the ion velocity vector and the reduction in the ion velocity magnitude relative to that in the F-region, independent estimates of the normalised ion-neutral collision frequency are made at the UHF E-region tristatic altitudes; the derived values are, in general, lower than model predictions. Although initial calculations assume a stationary neutral atmosphere, first-order estimates of the E-region neutral wind are subsequently employed to calculate revised estimates of the normalised ion-neutral collision frequency; these neutral winds are derived by attributing the difference between predicted and observed enhancements in field-parallel ion temperature to thermospheric motion. The inclusion of neutral winds, which are themselves not inconsiderable, appears to have only a limited effect on the normalised collision frequencies derived.

Deriving the normalised ion-neutral collision frequency from EISCAT observations

Common programme observations by the EISCAT UHF radar revealed an extended interval, post geomagnetic local noon on 03 April 1992, during which the F-region ion velocity orthogonal to the geomagnetic field was significantly enhanced, to values exceeding 2 km s–1 corresponding to a perpendicular electric field of some 100 mV m–1. Observations from this interval are used to illustrate a method by which estimates of the E-region ion-neutral collision frequency may be derived in the presence of enhanced electric field. From both the rotation of the ion velocity vector and the reduction in the ion velocity magnitude relative to that in the F-region, independent estimates of the normalised ion-neutral collision frequency are made at the UHF E-region tristatic altitudes; the derived values are, in general, lower than model predictions. Although initial calculations assume a stationary neutral atmosphere, first-order estimates of the E-region neutral wind are subsequently employed to calculate revised estimates of the normalised ion-neutral collision frequency; these neutral winds are derived by attributing the difference between predicted and observed enhancements in field-parallel ion temperature to thermospheric motion. The inclusion of neutral winds, which are themselves not inconsiderable, appears to have only a limited effect on the normalised collision frequencies derived.