Magnetic Field Lines Research Articles

Flux Calibration of Coronal Magnetic Field

Romashets and Vandas (2024) derived a method for the determination of Euler potentials at a spherical surface and applied it to the geomagnetic field. Here, we apply it to find Euler potentials at the source surface. A regular mesh defined by Euler potentials divides the source surface to surface elements with the same magnetic flux. By tracing magnetic-field lines away from the source surface, Euler potentials can be extended into the heliosphere.

Study of the Long-Lasting Daytime Field-Aligned Irregularities in the Low-Latitude F-Region on 13 June 2022

The unusual daytime F-region Field-Aligned Irregularities (FAIs) were observed by the HCOPAR and the satellites at low latitudes on 13 June 2022. These irregularities survived from night-time to the following afternoon at 15:00 LT. During daytime, they appeared as fossil structures with low Doppler velocities and narrow spectral widths. These characteristics indicated that they drifted along the magnetic field lines without apparent zonal velocity to low latitudes. Combining the observations of the ICON satellite and the Hainan Digisonde, we derived the movement trails of these daytime irregularities. We attributed their generation to the rapid ascent of the F-layer due to the fluctuation of IMF Bz during the quiet geomagnetic conditions. Subsequently, the influence of the substorm on the low-latitude ionosphere was investigated and simulated. The substorm caused the intense Joule heating that enhanced the southward neutral winds, carrying the neutral compositional disturbances to low latitudes and resulting in a negative storm effect in Southeast Asia. The negative storm formed a low-density circumstance and slowed the dissipation of the daytime FAIs. These results may provide new insights into the generation of post-midnight irregularities and their relationship with daytime fossil structures.

Solar Coronal Heating by Kinetic Alfvén Waves

The utilization of the Cairns distribution serves as a vital tool for characterizing the nonthermal attributes commonly observed in space plasmas. In these intricate plasma environments, extensive measurements have been conducted to monitor the fluctuations inherent in the perturbed electromagnetic (EM) field and the associated Poynting flux, specifically concerning kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs). Traditionally, these fluctuations have been attributed to gyroradius correction terms within the framework of Maxwellian distributed plasmas. However, our study introduces an innovative perspective grounded in kinetic theory coupled with the Cairns distribution, adept at encapsulating the nonthermal nuances characterized by the index parameter Λ. Within the domain of the solar corona, our investigation centers on the perturbed EM field ratios and the Poynting flux of KAWs, with a foundation in the Cairns distribution function. It is noteworthy that the perpendicular components, although deemed less significant due to the dominance of k ⊥ over k ∥, remain unquantified regarding their relative insignificance. Similarly, the exploration of the imaginary part of the normalized EM field ratio has been a relatively understudied domain. Furthermore, we delve into the nuanced assessment of the power rate I x /I z characterizing the perpendicular and parallel normalized Poynting fluxes (S x and S z ). Intriguingly, we discern that large values of Λ, compared to their Maxwellian counterparts, manifest advantageous attributes, particularly concerning the energization of the plasma over extended distances along the ambient magnetic field lines. The analytical insights gleaned from this study find practical application in understanding phenomena within the solar atmosphere, particularly shedding light on the significant role played by nonthermal particles in the observed heating processes.

Refinement of Global Coronal and Interplanetary Magnetic Field Extrapolations Constrained by Remote-sensing and In Situ Observations at the Solar Minimum

Solar magnetic fields are closely related to various physical phenomena on the Sun, which can be extrapolated with different models from photospheric magnetograms. However, the open flux problem (OFP), the underestimation of the magnetic field derived from the extrapolated model, is still unsolved. To minimize the impact of the OFP, we propose three evaluation parameters to quantitatively evaluate magnetic field models and determine the optimal free parameters in the models by constraining the coronal magnetic fields and the interplanetary magnetic fields (IMFs) with real observations. Although the OFP still exists, we find that magnetic field lines traced from the coronal models effectively capture the intricate topological configurations observed in the corona, including streamers and plumes. The OFP is lessened by using the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager synoptic map instead of the Global Oscillation Network Group daily synoptic maps, and the potential field source surface + potential field current sheet (PFSS+PFCS) model instead of the current sheet source surface (CSSS) model. For Carrington Rotation 2231 at the solar minimum, we suggest that the optimal parameters for the PFSS+PFCS model are R ss = 2.2–2.5 R ☉ and R scs = 10.5–14.0 R ☉, as well as for the CSSS model, are R cs = 2.0–2.4 R ☉, R ss = 11.0–14.7 R ☉, and a = 1.0 R ☉. Despite the IMFs at 1 au being consistent with the measurements by artificially increasing the polar magnetic fields, the IMFs near the Sun are still underestimated. The OFP might be advanced by improving the accuracy of both the weak magnetic fields and polar magnetic fields, especially considering magnetic activities arising from interplanetary physical processes.

Magnetically Driven Cactus Spinelike Superhydrophobic Fe3O4 Vertical Array for High-Performance Fog Harvesting.

Cactus spinelike materials have attracted much attention due to high fog harvesting efficiency, but great challenges in structure fabrication and structural controllability still remain. In this study, we proposed a magnetically driven spray-coating method to fabricate a cactus spinelike superhydrophobic Fe3O4 vertical array on nonwoven cotton fabric. This method is simple and controllable; a mixture containing magnetic Fe3O4 particles and organosilicon resin was atomized into tiny droplets and arranged along the magnetic field lines. Different from the traditional method to prepare a cactus spinelike structure via liquid flow under magnet, which is usually accompanied with a big structure size and an unobvious structure feature due to the high viscosity of magnetic liquid. However, if the magnetic liquid is transformed into tiny magnetic droplets by a spraying method, it is promising to prepare micrometer-scale conical structures, and the reduction degree of bionic structures is high. When the fabricated structure is used for fog harvesting, it shows an extremely high efficiency of approximately 6.33 g cm-2 h-1, which is superior to most state-of-the-art fog harvesting materials. Considering the advantages of simplicity, structure controllability, and high fog harvesting rate, the reported strategy provides an avenue to build up high-performance fog harvesting materials.

Transport characteristic evaluation of runaway electrons in an ITER disruption simulation

In previous studies, it has been observed that the transport of energetic electrons decreases with increasing energy. This observation is a global and long-time-scale result, attributed to the space-averaged perturbations. In this work, we focus on the local and instantaneous transport characteristics of runaway electrons (REs) during the phase of tokamak disruption, with REs speeds close to the speed of light. To simulate the dynamics of REs, we utilize a particle tracing code called PTC. By coupling PTC with the MHD code JOREK, we are able to study the energy and spatial dependence of RE transport. Our investigations reveal that the finite orbit width (FOW) effect plays an important role in RE transport. This effect is influenced by the relative direction of the electron drift and the magnetic field line. Specifically, the FOW effect strengthens the transport when the drift direction aligns with the deflecting direction of the field line. And we compare the transport profiles among three time slices: at the beginning of the thermal quench, during the thermal quench, and at the beginning of the current quench. In this ITER disruption simulation, the perturbation scale is strong and δB/B is up to 0.05 at developed thermal quench stage. It is reasonable that the influence of FOW effect on transport is less than that of magnetic perturbation even if the energy of REs is about hundreds MeV and the orbit width is equal to or greater than the perturbation length. These analyses provide insights into the mechanisms of RE transport based on magnetic perturbations.

The role of an in-plane electric field during the merging formation of spherical tokamak plasmas

Axial merging of two torus plasmas is utilized as a center-solenoid free start-up scheme for a high-beta spherical tokamak (ST) plasma, in which magnetic reconnection under a strong guide field plays dominant roles in energy conversion and equilibrium formation. The ion heating source in magnetic reconnection is the plasma outflow with E×B drift velocity in the downstream region where the reconnected field lines flow out. Since the inductive reconnection electric field is almost parallel to the magnetic field, particularly in the inboard-side downstream region of magnetic reconnection under a strong guide field, a large electrostatic field in the poloidal plane is spontaneously formed to sustain steady plasma outflow motion in the downstream region. In ST plasma merging experiments, the self-generated electrostatic field in the downstream region does not always balance with the inductive electric field to make the total electric field strictly perpendicular to the total magnetic field. The excess electrostatic field will provide an even faster outflow plasma velocity than the magnetic field line motion and a quick reversal of the toroidal plasma current to form convex flux surfaces.

1D drift-kinetic numerical model based on semi-implicit particle-in-cell method

The paper presents a new one-dimensional drift-kinetic electrostatic model based on the particle-in-cell method and capable of simulating the processes of plasma heating and confinement in mirror traps. The most of particle and energy losses in these traps occur along the magnetic field lines. The key role in limiting these losses is played by the ambipolar electric potential which creates a potential barrier for electrons and significantly reduces the heat flux that, without this barrier, would go to wall due to the classical electron thermal conductivity. However, modeling the formation of such a potential on real spatial and temporal scales of experiments is a challenging problem, since it requires a detailed description of not only ion, but also electron kinetics. In this work, we propose to solve the problem of taking into account electron kinetic effects on the time scale of plasma confinement in a mirror trap using the particle-in-cell method adapted to the approximate drift-kinetic equations of plasma motion. Unlike other electrostatic particle-in-cell models, which use fully implicit schemes to solve the nonlinear system of Vlasov-Poisson and Vlasov-Ampere equations, we propose a semi-implicit approach. By analogy with the Energy Conserving Semi-Implicit Method (ECSIM), it allows for precise conservation of energy and reduces the procedure for finding the electric field to inverting a tridiagonal matrix without multiple nonlinear iterations. Such a model will be useful for simulating not only collisional losses of hot plasma in fusion experiments, but also for studying the features of creating cold starting plasma in mirror traps using plasma or electron guns.

Numerical simulation of dynamics behavior of pulsed-DC helium plasma jet confined by parallel magnetic field at atmospheric pressure

A two-dimensional axisymmetric fluid model is used to simulate the dynamics behavior of an atmospheric-pressure helium plasma jet in the presence of a parallel magnetic field. The plasma jet is generated in a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) driven by pulsed direct-current voltage. Comparative analysis of the plasma jet with and without the parallel magnetic field indicates that a slightly thinner plasma sheath inside the tube is present with the parallel magnetic field as a result of the decreased accumulated electrons on the inner surface of dielectric tube. After the streamer propagates outside the tube, a little more concentrated electron distribution in the annular wall is observed by applying the magnetic field because of the reduced electron diffusion in the radial direction and the confinement effect of the magnetic field on the electrons in the avalanche heads. The tiny reduction in the length of plasma jet is attributed to the E × B drift of charged particles. These results demonstrate that the parallel magnetic field has no apparent effect on the propagation of the plasma jet, and it contributes little to the performance improvement of the coaxial DBD, which agrees well with the previous experimental observations. This little impact of the parallel magnetic field on the coaxial DBD plasma jet may result from negligible contribution of the memory effect to the sole discharge pulse as well as the weak confinement effect of the applied magnetic field on the surface electrons that moves along the magnetic field lines under electrostatic repulsion. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Electromagnetically induced transparency with magnetically induced ΔF=0,mF=0→mF=0 probe transition

Interest in magnetically induced (MI) transitions of alkali metal atoms is caused by the fact that their intensities can exceed the intensities of ‘regular’ atomic transitions in a wide magnetic field range (200–4000 G). The goal of this work was to form and study, for the first time, electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) resonance in a strong magnetic field using probe radiation tuned to |Fg=F,mF=0⟩→|Fe=F,mF=0⟩ MI transition, which is forbidden in zero magnetic fields. Two narrow-band linearly polarized cw diode lasers were used to form EIT resonance on a Λ-type system of a Cs atomic D2 line in a strong transverse magnetic field (up to 1000 G). The resonance was formed in a Cs atomic vapor nanocell with an atomic vapor column thickness of 850 nm.

Energetic Charged Particle Measurements During Juno's Two Close Io Flybys

AbstractOn days 2023‐364 and 2024‐034, the Juno spacecraft made close passages of Jupiter's moon Io, at altitudes of about 1,500 km. Data obtained from the first flyby, when the spacecraft was on magnetic field lines connected to both Jupiter and Io, revealed deep flux decreases. In addition, Juno's energetic particle detectors observed tens to hundreds of keV electron and proton beams. Such beams could be generated near Jupiter on field lines associated with Io. The second encounter occurred in the plasma wake and a more modest flux decrease was observed. Furthermore, data from both encounters suggest a spatially extensive decrease in >1 MeV electrons that includes regions inward of Io's orbit. In the immediate vicinity of Io, signatures of absorption likely dominate the data whereas diffusion and wave‐particle interactions are expected to be needed to understand MeV electron data in the wider spatial region around Io.

Lagrangian Perspectives on the Small-scale Structure of Alfvénic Turbulence and Stochastic Models for the Dispersion of Fluid Particles and Magnetic Field Lines in the Solar Wind

Lagrangian perspectives on the small-scale structure of anisotropic Alfvénic turbulence are adopted. We are interested in relating the statistical properties of the Eulerian field increments evaluated along the fluid particle trajectories, in the direction perpendicular to the guiding magnetic field and along the magnetic field lines. We establish the basis for a unified multifractal phenomenology of Eulerian and Lagrangian Alfvénic turbulence. The critical balance condition is generalized to structure functions of an order different than 2. A Lagrangian perspective is not only useful for investigating the small-scale structure of Alfvénic turbulence, it is also tailored to the modeling of large-scale turbulent transport. Therefore, we develop Lagrangian stochastic models for the dispersion of fluid particles and magnetic field lines in the solar wind. The transport models are based on the integrated Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process that is not Markov, yielding smooth stochastic fluid particle trajectories and magnetic field lines. Brownian diffusion is recovered by tending the integral scale parameter to zero while keeping the diffusivity finite.

Generic low-atmosphere signatures of swirled-anemone jets

Context. Solar jets are collimated plasma flows moving along magnetic field lines and are accelerated at low altitude following magnetic reconnection. Several of them originate from anemone-shaped low-lying arcades, and the most impulsive ones tend to be relatively wider and display untwisting motions. Aims. We aim to establish typical behaviours and observational signatures in the low atmosphere that can occur in response to the coronal development of such impulsive jets. Methods. We analysed an observed solar jet associated with a circular flare ribbon using high-resolution observations from SST coordinated with IRIS and SDO. We related specifically identified features with those developing in a generic 3D line-tied numerical simulation of reconnection-driven jets performed with the ARMS code. Results. We identified three features in the SST observations: the formation of a hook along the circular ribbon, the gradual widening of the jet through the apparent displacement of its kinked edge towards (and not away) from the presumed reconnection site, and the falling back of some of the jet plasma towards a footpoint offset from that of the jet itself. The 3D numerical simulation naturally accounts for these features, which were not imposed a priori. Our analyses allowed us to interpret them in the context of the 3D geometry of the asymmetric swirled-anemone loops and their sequences of reconnection with ambient coronal loops. Conclusions. Given the relatively simple conditions in which the observed jet occurred, together with the generic nature of the simulation that comprised minimum assumptions, we predict that the specific features that we identified and interpreted are probably typical of every impulsive jet.

Filament eruption by multiple reconnections

Context. Filament eruption is a common phenomenon in solar activity, but the triggering mechanism is not well understood. Aims. We focus our study on a filament eruption located in a complex nest of three active regions close to a coronal hole. Methods. The filament eruption is observed at multiple wavelengths: by the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG), the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), the Solar Upper Transition Region Imager (SUTRI), and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO). Thanks to high-temporal-resolution observations, we were able to analyze the evolution of the fine structure of the filament in detail. The filament changes direction during the eruption, which is followed by a halo coronal mass ejection detected by the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). A Type III radio burst was also registered at the time of the eruption. To investigate the process of the eruption, we analyzed the magnetic topology of the filament region adopting a nonlinear force-free-field (NLFFF) extrapolation method and the polytropic global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modeling. We modeled the filament by embedding a twisted flux rope with the regularized Biot-Savart Laws (RBSL) method in the ambient magnetic field. Results. The extrapolation results show that magnetic reconnection occurs in a fan-spine configuration resulting in a circular flare ribbon. The global modeling of the corona demonstrates that there was an interaction between the filament and open field lines, causing a deflection of the filament in the direction of the observed CME eruption and dimming area. Conclusions. The modeling supports the following scenario: magnetic reconnection not only occurs with the filament itself (the flux rope) but also with the background magnetic field lines and open field lines of the coronal hole located to the east of the flux rope. This multiwavelength analysis indicates that the filament undergoes multiple magnetic reconnections on small and large scales with a drifting of the flux rope.

Quantitative Comparisons between WSA Implementations

The Wang–Sheeley–Arge (WSA) model has been in use for decades and remains a popular, economical approach to modeling the solar coronal magnetic field and forecasting conditions in the inner heliosphere. Given its usefulness, it is unsurprising that a number of WSA implementations have been developed by various groups with different computational approaches. While the WSA magnetic field model has traditionally been calculated using a spherical harmonic expansion of the solar magnetic field, finite-difference potential field solutions can offer speed and/or accuracy advantages. However, the creation of new versions of WSA requires that we ensure the solutions from these new models are consistent with established versions and that we quantify for the user community to what degree and in what ways they differ. In this paper, we present side-by-side comparisons of WSA models produced using the traditional, spherical harmonic–based implementation developed by Wang, Sheeley, and Arge with WSA models produced using a recently open-sourced finite-difference code from the CORHEL modeling suite called POT3D. We present comparisons of the terminal solar wind speed and magnetic field at the outer boundaries of the models, weighing these against the variation of the WSA model in the presence of small perturbations in the computational procedure, parameters, and inputs. We also compare the footpoints of magnetic field lines traced from the outer boundaries and the locations of open field in the models. We find that the traced field-line footpoints show remarkable agreement, with the greatest differences near the magnetic neutral line and in the polar regions.

Multi-wavelength pulse profiles from the force-free neutron star magnetosphere

Context. The last two decades have witnessed dramatic progress in our understanding of neutron star magnetospheres thanks to force-free and particle-in-cell simulations. However, the associated particle dynamics and its emission mechanisms and locations have not been fully constrained, notably in X-rays. Aims. In this paper, we compute a full atlas of radio, X-ray, and γ-ray pulse profiles, relying on the force-free magnetosphere model. Our goal is to use such a data bank of multi-wavelength profiles to fit a substantial number of radio-loud γ-ray pulsars that have also been detected in non-thermal X-rays to decipher the X-ray radiation mechanism and sites. Using results from the third γ-ray pulsar catalogue (3PC), we investigate the statistical properties of this population. Methods. We assume that radio emission emanates from field lines rooted to the polar caps, at varying height above the surface, close to the surface, at an altitude about 5–10% of the light cylinder radius, r L. The X-ray photons are produced in the separatrix region within the magnetosphere; that is, the current sheet formed by the jump from closed to open magnetic field lines. We allow for substantial variations in emission height. The γ-rays are produced within the current sheet of the striped wind, outside the light cylinder. Results. A comprehensive set of radio, X-ray, and γ-ray light curves was computed. Based on only geometric considerations about magnetic obliquity, line-of-sight inclination, and the radio beam cone opening angle, pulsars can be classified as radio-loud or quiet and as γ-ray-loud or quiet. We found that the 3PC sample is compatible with an isotropic distribution of obliquity and line of sight. Conclusions. The atlases constructed in this work are the fundamental tools with which to explore individual pulsars and fit their multi-wavelength pulse profiles in order to constrain their magnetic topology, the emission sites, and the observer’s line of sight.

Exploring the generation and annihilation of three-dimensional nulls through MHD simulations in initially chaotic magnetic field devoid of nulls

Three-dimensional (3D) magnetic nulls are abundant in the solar atmosphere, as has been firmly established through contemporary observations. They are established to be important magnetic structures in, for example, jets and circular ribbon flares. Although simulations and extrapolations support this, the mechanisms behind 3D null generation remain an open question. Recent magnetohydrodynamic simulations demonstrated magnetic reconnections to be responsible for both generating and annihilating 3D nulls. However, these simulations began with initial magnetic fields already supporting preexisting nulls, raising the question of whether magnetic reconnection can create nulls in fields initially devoid of them. Previously, this question was briefly explored in a simulation with an initial chaotic magnetic field. However, the study failed to precisely identify locations, topological degrees, and natures (spiral or radial) of nulls, and it approximated magnetic reconnection without tracking the magnetic field lines in time. In this paper, these findings are revisited in light of recent advancements and tools used to locate and trace nulls, along with the tracing of field lines, through which the concept of generation/annihilation of 3D nulls from chaotic fields is established in a precise manner.

Isochronous bifurcations of magnetic islands in tokamaks

On a rational magnetic surface, an isochronous bifurcation transforms one island chain into another chain with the same winding number. This transformation has been the subject of recent studies in tokamak plasmas. Namely, visco-resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations of NSTX-U and DIII-D plasmas showed the onset of bifurcations with new magnetic isochronous islands for two competing helical perturbations on the same rational magnetic surface. To investigate these bifurcations, we use a cylindrical plasma model, with first-order correction for toroidicity, subject to externally applied magnetic perturbations, generated by a pair of resonant helical windings (RHWs) on the external wall and superposed to a helical current sheet (HCS) located on a rational plasma surface. We numerically integrate the magnetic field line equation and show that isochronous islands emerge when the perturbation created by the HCS increases. We present examples of such bifurcations on primary and secondary magnetic surfaces for different RHW configurations.

Simulations of classical three-body thermalization in one dimension.

One-dimensional systems, such as nanowires or electrons moving along strong magnetic field lines, have peculiar thermalization physics. The binary collision of pointlike particles, typically the dominant process for reaching thermal equilibrium in higher-dimensional systems, cannot thermalize a 1D system. We study how dilute classical 1D gases thermalize through three-body collisions. We consider a system of identical classical point particles with pairwise repulsive inverse power-law potential V_{ij}∝1/|x_{i}-x_{j}|^{n} or the pairwise Lennard-Jones potential. Using Monte Carlo methods, we compute a collision kernel and use it in the Boltzmann equationto evolve a perturbed thermal state with temperature T toward equilibrium. We explain the shape of the kernel and its dependence on the system parameters. Additionally, we implement molecular dynamics simulations of a many-body gas and show agreement with the Boltzmann evolution in the low-density limit. For the inverse power-law potential, the rate of thermalization is proportional to ρ^{2}T^{1/2-1/n}, where ρ is the number density. The corresponding proportionality constant decreases with increasing n.

Effects of Axial and Radial Components of Magnetic Field on the Electromagnetic Resistive Instabilities in Hall Thruster Plasma

Abstract A theoretical model is developed to investigate the effect of the axial component of the magnetic field on the electromagnetic resistive instabilities in the Hall thruster. The axial component of the magnetic field plays a vital role in controlling the plasma flow and generating thrust in Hall thruster. It also affects the magnetic topology and magnetic field lines in the Hall thruster. In the present paper, a dispersion relation for the electromagnetic resistive instabilities under the influence of the axial component of the magnetic field is derived. The obtained dispersion equation is solved numerically to study the propagating and growing waves in the magnetized plasmas. It is observed that the growth rate decreases with an axial component of the magnetic field, but it increases with a radial component of the magnetic field. When the axial component of the magnetic field is considered, the amplitude of the growth rate of the resistive instability dropped with azimuthal wavenumber, collision frequency and electron drift velocity by almost 21 %, 35 %, and 33 %, respectively. When, the value of drift velocity exceeds to 4×10^6 m/s, the influence of the axial component of the magnetic field appeared, and the growth rate reduced drastically.