Plasma Wave Measurements Research Articles

Development of a toroidally resolved broadband ECE imaging system for measurement of turbulent fluctuations on the KSTAR.

The two electron cyclotron emission imaging (ECEI) systems installed at adjacent ports (G and H) on the KSTAR tokamak incorporate large-aperture mm-wave optics, broadband electronics, and high speed digitization (up to 1 MSa/s) for 2D and quasi-3D visualization of MHD-scale fluid dynamics. Recently, the ECEI systems have been proved to be capable of visualization of smaller scale fluctuations albeit with a limited spatiotemporal resolution and even capable of measurement of ion cyclotron harmonic waves by direct high-speed sampling of the ECE IF signals. A four-channel prototype subsystem with a higher sampling rate up to 16 GS/s has been integrated into the G-port ECEI system, enabling the measurement of plasma waves in the GHz range in the form of modulated ECE signals and characterization of high-frequency turbulence during the evolution of pedestal. To achieve higher toroidal resolution in the turbulence measurement, the H-port ECEI system is now being upgraded to have a toroidally dual detector array of 2(toroidal) × 12(vertical) × 8(radial) channel configuration and a high-speed subsystem of 2(toroidal) × 4 channel configuration. The new mm-wave optics has been designed via beam propagation simulation, and the measured performance of the fabricated lens indicates a toroidal resolution of 8-10cm depending on the focus position and zoom factor, allowing for the measurement of parallel wavenumber up to k‖ ∼ 0.8cm-1.

Optical Absorption in Tilted Geometries as an Indirect Measurement of Longitudinal Plasma Waves in Layered Cuprates.

Electromagnetic waves propagating in a layered superconductor with arbitrary momentum, with respect to the main crystallographic directions, exhibit an unavoidable mixing between longitudinal and transverse degrees of freedom. Here we show that this basic physical mechanism explains the emergence of a well-defined absorption peak in the in-plane optical conductivity when light propagates at small tilting angles relative to the stacking direction in layered cuprates. More specifically, we show that this peak, often interpreted as a spurious leakage of the c-axis Josephson plasmon, is instead a signature of the true longitudinal plasma mode occurring at larger momenta. By combining a classical approach based on Maxwell's equations with a full quantum derivation of the plasma modes based on modeling the superconducting phase degrees of freedom, we provide an analytical expression for the absorption peak as a function of the tilting angle and light polarization. We suggest that an all-optical measurement in tilted geometry can be used as an alternative way to access plasma-wave dispersion, usually measured by means of large-momenta scattering techniques like resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) or electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS).

First direct measurement and characterisation of plasma waves, originating from outer space, in the polar upper atmosphere, achieved in the Larsemann-Vestfold region by winter traverses onto the icecap

The geomagnetic field focuses onto the polar regions near the auroral oval, which the Larsemann Hills are in proximity to. Solar disturbances cause instabilities in the geomagnetic field and the associated electrically-charged particle (plasma) population, which translate into waves that propagate along geomagnetic field lines towards the Earths polar regions. As the waves enter the electrically charged upper atmosphere (ionosphere) they convert to a mode that propagates parallel to the Earth's surface in a waveguide. Hence, energy from outer space is distributed into the polar atmosphere, particularly near the auroral oval. A series of winter vehicle traverses in the Larsemann-Vestfold region deployed and operated a sensor array, with international co-operation, to measure and characterise the waveguide for the first time at polar latitudes. The directions of areas of origin for the plasma waves and propagation properties could be assessed using the array, not previously possible at permanent stations. Similar waves from sources equatorward of the auroral oval have been recently observed by new radar techniques, which could also be employed at high-latitudes, where the waves have recently been shown to affect the lower atmosphere.

Space Plasma Physics: A Review

Owing to the ever-present solar wind, our vast solar system is full of plasmas. The turbulent solar wind, together with sporadic solar eruptions, introduces various space plasma processes and phenomena in the solar atmosphere all the way to Earth’s ionosphere and atmosphere and outward to interact with the interstellar media to form the heliopause and termination shock. Remarkable progress has been made in space plasma physics in the last 65 years, mainly due to sophisticated in situ measurements of plasmas, plasma waves, neutral particles, energetic particles, and dust via space-borne satellite instrumentation. Additionally, high-technology ground-based instrumentation has led to new and greater knowledge of solar and auroral features. As a result, a new branch of space physics, i.e., space weather, has emerged since many of the space physics processes have a direct or indirect influence on humankind. After briefly reviewing the major space physics discoveries before rockets and satellites (Section I), we aim to review all our updated understanding on coronal holes, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections, which are central to space weather events at Earth (Section II), solar wind (Section III), storms and substorms (Section IV), magnetotail and substorms, emphasizing the role of the magnetotail in substorm dynamics (Section V), radiation belts/energetic magnetospheric particles (Section VI), structures and space weather dynamics in the ionosphere (Section VII), plasma waves, instabilities, and wave-particle interactions (Section VIII), long-period geomagnetic pulsations (Section IX), auroras (Section X), geomagnetically induced currents (GICs, Section XI), planetary magnetospheres and solar/stellar wind interactions with comets, moons and asteroids (Section XII), interplanetary discontinuities, shocks and waves (Section XIII), interplanetary dust (Section XIV), space dusty plasmas (Section XV), and solar energetic particles and shocks, including the heliospheric termination shock (Section XVI). This article is aimed to provide a panoramic view of space physics and space weather.

Novel designfor a polarizing DUV spectrometer using a Wollaston prism and its application as a diagnostic for measuring Thomson scattering data in the presence of strong self-emission backgrounds.

We present a novel designfor an optical spectrometer for use in ultraviolet Thomson scattering measurements of plasma parameters in high energy density (HED) inertial confinement fusion experiments on large-scale high-energy laser facilities. In experiments investigating high-Z plasmas, the fidelity of measurements is commonly limited by signal/background ratios approaching or exceeding unity. An alpha barium borate Wollaston prism can provide both spectral dispersion and polarization channel separation, allowing simultaneous measurement of both the Thomson scattering signal and plasma self-emission along a single line of sight and in a single experiment, which should greatly improve data quality and reduce the opportunity cost of taking high quality measurements. We present a basic discussion of the designand a worked example of an instrument designed to take fourth harmonic electron plasma wave measurements in HED experiments at the OMEGA laser facility.

Solar Orbiter Radio and Plasma Waves – Time Domain Sampler: In-flight performance and first results

Context.The Radio and Plasma Waves (RPW) instrument on board Solar Orbiter has been operating nearly continuously since the launch in February 2020. The Time Domain Sampler (TDS) receiver of the RPW instrument is dedicated to waveform measurements of plasma waves and dust impact signatures in an intermediate frequency range from 0.2 to 200 kHz.Aims.This article presents the first data from the RPW-TDS receiver and discusses the in-flight performance of the instrument and, in particular, the on-board wave and dust detection algorithm. We present the TDS data products and its scientific operation. We demonstrate the content of the dataset on several examples. In particular, we study the distribution of solar Langmuir waves in the first year of observations and one Type III burst event.Methods.The on-board detection algorithm is described in detail in this article and classifies the observed waveform snapshots, identifying plasma waves and dust impacts based on the ratio of their maximum amplitude to their median and on the spectral bandwidth. The algorithm allows TDS to downlink the most scientifically relevant waveforms and to perform an on-board statistical characterization of the processed data.Results.The detection algorithm of TDS is shown to perform very well in its detection of plasma waves and dust impacts with a high accuracy. The initial analysis of statistical data returned by TDS shows that sporadic Langmuir waves that are not associated with Type III events are routinely observed in the inner heliosphere, with a clear increase in occurrence rate closer to the Sun. We also present an example of RPW observations during an encounter of the source region of a Type III burst, which exploits the on-board calculated histograms data.

The effect of oxygen ions on the stability and polarization of Kinetic Alfvén Waves in the magnetosphere

One of the most striking properties of Kinetic Alfvén Waves (KAW) is that, unlike the also Alfvénic Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) waves, these waves are right-hand polarized in the plasma frame. In particular, this signature property is key for the identification of KAW from in situ measurements of plasma waves. From the theoretical point of view, both the dispersion relation and the polarization of KAW has been mostly studied in proton–electron plasmas. However, most astrophysical and space plasmas are multi-species, and therefore in these systems the dispersion properties of the KAW may not depend only on the macroscopic parameters of proton and electron distributions, but also on the parameters of heavier ions. Here, using Vlasov linear theory we study the dispersion properties of Alfvénic modes in multi-species plasmas composed by electrons, protons, and O+ ions, with macroscopic plasma parameters relevant to the inner magnetosphere. In consistency with recent observations, our numerical results show that the presence of O+ ions allows the existence of KAW in a wider wave-number range and at smaller wave-normal angles compared to the electron–proton case, but at the same time isotropic O+ ions tend to reduce (or even inhibiting) the growth rates of unstable KAW triggered by anisotropic protons. These results suggest that magnetospheric ions may play an important role on the energy transfer from large macroscopic scales to sub-ionic and electronic scales, especially during intense geomagnetic storms in which O+ ions can dominate the plasma composition in the inner magnetosphere.

Wave‐Particle Interactions Associated With Io's Auroral Footprint: Evidence of Alfvén, Ion Cyclotron, and Whistler Modes

AbstractThe electrodynamic coupling between Io and Jupiter gives rise to wave‐particle interactions across multiple spatial scales. Here we report observations during Juno's 12th perijove (PJ) high‐latitude northern crossing of the flux tube connected to Io's auroral footprint. We focus on plasma wave measurements, clearly differentiating between magnetohydrodynamic (MHD), ion, and electron scales. We find (i) evidence of Alfvén waves undergoing a turbulent cascade, suggesting Alfvénic acceleration processes together with observations of bi‐directional, broadband electrons; (ii) intense ion cyclotron waves with an estimated heating rate that is consistent with the generation of ion conics reported by Clark et al. (2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL090839); and (iii) whistler‐mode auroral hiss radiation excited by field‐aligned electrons. Such high‐resolution wave and particle measurements provide an insight into satellite interactions in unprecedented detail. We further anticipate that these spatially well‐constrained results can be more broadly applied to better understand processes of Jupiter's main auroral oval.

ASIC waveform receiver with improved environmental tolerance for probing space plasma waves in environments with high radiation and wide temperature variation

Plasma-wave observations are conducted under conditions of high radiation and wide temperature variation. The electrical characteristics of plasma-wave instruments should therefore be insensitive to these environmental factors. We have developed a new application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) waveform receiver with a radhard [radiation-hardened] amplifier and a temperature-compensation circuit. The environmental tolerance of the conventional ASIC receiver is unsuitable for probing plasma waves in the range 1 Hz to 10 kHz in harsh space environments. Its weak radiation tolerance under 350 krad results in radiation-induced degradation in noise performance, such that weak plasma waves are lost in the noise floor. With an ambient temperature change of −40° C to +100° C, the gain response of the conventional ASIC receiver varies by more than ±1.0 dB, preventing accurate measurement of plasma waves around the cutoff frequency of 10 kHz. Our new ASIC receiver operates at a total dose rate of 350 krad without degradation in noise performance. Moreover, the temperature dependence of the gain response from −60° C to +100° C dramatically improved by ±0.05 dB due to the addition of a compensation circuit. Our new ASIC receiver can contribute to the measurement of plasma waves in challenging environmental conditions to further the understanding of magnetospheric dynamics.

Highly structured slow solar wind emerging from an equatorial coronal hole.

During the solar minimum, when the Sun is at its least active, the solar wind1,2 is observed at high latitudes as a predominantly fast (more than 500kilometres per second), highly Alfvénic rarefied stream of plasma originating from deep within coronal holes. Closer to the ecliptic plane, the solar wind is interspersed with a more variable slow wind3 of less than 500 kilometres per second. The precise origins of the slow wind streams are less certain4; theories and observations suggest that they may originate at the tips of helmet streamers5,6, from interchange reconnection near coronal hole boundaries7,8, or within coronal holes with highly diverging magnetic fields9,10. The heating mechanism required to drive the solar wind is also unresolved, although candidate mechanisms include Alfvén-wave turbulence11,12, heating by reconnection in nanoflares13, ion cyclotron wave heating14 and acceleration by thermal gradients1. At a distance of one astronomical unit, the wind is mixed and evolved, and therefore much of the diagnostic structure of these sources and processes has been lost. Here we present observations from the Parker Solar Probe15 at 36 to 54 solar radii that show evidence of slow Alfvénic solar wind emerging from a small equatorial coronal hole. The measured magnetic field exhibits patches of large, intermittent reversals that are associated with jets of plasma and enhanced Poynting flux and that are interspersed in a smoother and less turbulent flow with a near-radial magnetic field. Furthermore, plasma-wave measurements suggest the existence of electron and ion velocity-space micro-instabilities10,16 that are associated with plasma heating and thermalization processes. Our measurements suggest that there is an impulsive mechanism associated with solar-wind energization and that micro-instabilities play a part in heating, and we provide evidence that low-latitude coronal holes are a key source of the slow solar wind.

Evidence of a plume on Europa from Galileo magnetic and plasma wave signatures

The icy surface of Jupiter’s moon, Europa, is thought to lie on top of a global ocean1–4. Signatures in some Hubble Space Telescope images have been associated with putative water plumes rising above Europa’s surface5,6, providing support for the ocean theory. However, all telescopic detections reported were made at the limit of sensitivity of the data5–7, thereby calling for a search for plume signatures in in-situ measurements. Here, we report in-situ evidence of a plume on Europa from the magnetic field and plasma wave observations acquired on Galileo’s closest encounter with the moon. During this flyby, which dropped below 400 km altitude, the magnetometer 8 recorded an approximately 1,000-kilometre-scale field rotation and a decrease of over 200 nT in field magnitude, and the Plasma Wave Spectrometer 9 registered intense localized wave emissions indicative of a brief but substantial increase in plasma density. We show that the location, duration and variations of the magnetic field and plasma wave measurements are consistent with the interaction of Jupiter’s corotating plasma with Europa if a plume with characteristics inferred from Hubble images were erupting from the region of Europa’s thermal anomalies. These results provide strong independent evidence of the presence of plumes at Europa.

Measurements of long-range enhanced collisional velocity drag through plasma wave damping

We present damping measurements of axial plasma waves in magnetized, multispecies ion plasmas. At high temperatures T≳10−2 eV, collisionless Landau damping dominates, whereas, at lower temperatures T≲10−2 eV, the damping arises from interspecies collisional drag, which is dependent on the plasma composition and scales roughly as T−3/2. This drag damping is proportional to the rate of parallel collisional slowing, and is found to exceed classical predictions of collisional drag damping by as much as an order of magnitude, but agrees with a new collision theory that includes long-range collisions. Centrifugal mass separation and collisional locking of the species occur at ultra-low temperatures T≲10−3 eV, which reduce the drag damping from the T−3/2 collisional scaling. These mechanisms are investigated by measuring the damping of higher frequency axial modes, and by measuring the damping in plasmas with a non-equilibrium species profile.

Do we detect interplanetary dust with Faraday cups?

Transient clouds of a plasma generated by hypervelocity dust particles impacting onto the spacecraft were observed in-situ by many experiments over the last 20 years. The reported observations analyze sensitive measurements of plasma waves that are transmitted to the Earth with a sufficient time resolution. The detection is based on a fact that hypervelocity impacts generate plumes of the ionized gas expanding into a space. The present paper analyzes five years of the operation of the Bright Monitor of the Solar Wind (BMSW) onboard the Spektr-R spacecraft with a motivation to demonstrate that such type of the instruments is capable to observe the dust impacts into its detectors. The results of analysis are compared with Wind electric field measurements used for a detection of hypervelocity dust impacts.

The Sun's Dynamic Influence on the Outer Heliosphere, the Heliosheath, and the Local Interstellar Medium

The Sun has been observed for many years to be a dynamic influence in the heliosphere, and as the Voyager missions have continued long after achieving their original goals of observing the major planets they have provided the first in situ observations of the effects of solar activity in the heliosheath (HS), and the nearest portions of the local Interstellar Medium (LISM). Comparing these observations with models provides key insights. We employ two three-dimensional (3D) time-dependent models that simulate the propagation of shocks, other specific features, and the background solar wind throughout the heliosphere, starting with the solar background and solar event boundary conditions near the Sun at 2.5 Rs. The Hybrid Heliospheric Modeling System with Pickup Protons (HHMS-PI) is a 3D time- dependent Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation. HAFSS (HAF Solar Surface) is a 3D time-dependent kinematic simulation. Comparing our models with the observations indicates that solar effects are seen in the heliosphere, the HS, and the LISM in in-situ spacecraft measurements of plasma, magnetic field, energetic particles, cosmic rays, and plasma waves. There is quantitative agreement (at ACE, Ulysses, VI, V2) with data (e.g., solar wind, IMF, Ulysses SWICS pickup protons (PUPs)). Propagating shocks are slowed due to PUPs. The 3D locations of solar events and of various spacecraft are key to understanding the 3D propagation and timing of shocks, other specific features, and gradients throughout the heliosphere, HS, and LISM.

Automated determination of electron density from electric field measurements on the Van Allen Probes spacecraft

AbstractWe present the Neural‐network‐based Upper hybrid Resonance Determination (NURD) algorithm for automatic inference of the electron number density from plasma wave measurements made on board NASA's Van Allen Probes mission. A feedforward neural network is developed to determine the upper hybrid resonance frequency, fuhr, from electric field measurements, which is then used to calculate the electron number density. In previous missions, the plasma resonance bands were manually identified, and there have been few attempts to do robust, routine automated detections. We describe the design and implementation of the algorithm and perform an initial analysis of the resulting electron number density distribution obtained by applying NURD to 2.5 years of data collected with the Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) instrumentation suite of the Van Allen Probes mission. Densities obtained by NURD are compared to those obtained by another recently developed automated technique and also to an existing empirical plasmasphere and trough density model.

IBEX Observations provide strong Evidence that Voyager 1 is still in the Heliosheath

After plasma wave measurements by Voyager 1 (V1) revealed a surprisingly high value for the plasma electron density, a value close to that expected in the local interstellar medium, all principal investigators of the Voyager mission currently exploring the heliosheath suddenly reversed their position on the location of V1. They concluded unanimously, and NASA announced that V1 has crossed the heliopause and is now in local interstellar space. We have disputed this conclusion, pointing out that to account for all the V1 observations, particularly of the magnetic field direction together with the density, it is necessary to conclude that the higher densities observed by V1 are due to compressed solar wind. In this paper we show that our model for the nose region of the heliosheath can account in detail for the spectral shapes and intensities of Energetic Neutral Hydrogen (ENH) observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) looking in the directions of V1 and Voyager 2 (V2). A key feature of our model is the existence of a region, the hot heliosheath, where the outward-moving solar wind is gradually compressed and thus heated, followed by a region, the cold heliosheath, where the solar wind is still compressed but now cold. It is the existence of this cold heliosheath, the region of cold but high-density solar wind, which provides a unique and simple explanation for the low-energy IBEX ENH differential intensities. Finally, since this cold heliosheath is the region where V1 must now reside, the low-energy IBEX observations provide strong evidence that V1 is still in the heliosphere.

Small sensor probe for measuring plasma waves in space

Since conventional one-point observations of plasma phenomena in space cannot distinguish between time and spatial variations, the missions on the basis of multiple-point observations have become the trend. We propose a new system for multiple-point observation referred to as the monitor system for space electromagnetic environments (MSEE). The MSEE consists of small sensor probes that have a capability to measure electromagnetic waves and transfer received data to the central station through wireless communication. We developed the prototype model of the MSEE sensor probe. The sensor probe includes a plasma wave receiver, the microcontroller, the wireless communication module, and the battery in the 75-mm cubic housing. In addition, loop antennas, dipole antennas, and actuators that are used for expanding dipole antennas are attached on the housing. The whole mass of the sensor probe is 692 g, and the total power consumption is 462 mW. The sensor probe can work with both inner battery and external power supply. The maximum continuous operation time on battery power is more than 6 h. We verified the total performance for electric field measurements by inputting signal to preamplifier. In this test, we found that analog components had enough characteristics to measure electric fields, and the A/D conversion and the wireless transmission worked correctly. In the whole performance for electric fields, the sensor probe has equivalent noise level of $$ -135 \mathrm{d}\mathrm{B}\mathrm{V}/\mathrm{m}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}} $$ . We succeed in developing the prototype model of the small sensor probe that had enough sensitivity for electric field to measure plasma waves and the ability to transfer observation data through wireless communication. The success in developing the small sensor probe for the measurement of plasma waves leads to the realization of the multiple-point observations using a lot of small probes scattered in space.

The Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses (BARREL)

BARREL is a multiple-balloon investigation designed to study electron losses from Earth’s Radiation Belts. Selected as a NASA Living with a Star Mission of Opportunity, BARREL augments the Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission by providing measurements of relativistic electron precipitation with a pair of Antarctic balloon campaigns that will be conducted during the Austral summers (January-February) of 2013 and 2014. During each campaign, a total of 20 small (∼20 kg) stratospheric balloons will be successively launched to maintain an array of ∼5 payloads spread across ∼6 hours of magnetic local time in the region that magnetically maps to the radiation belts. Each balloon carries an X-ray spectrometer to measure the bremsstrahlung X-rays produced by precipitating relativistic electrons as they collide with neutrals in the atmosphere, and a DC magnetometer to measure ULF-timescale variations of the magnetic field. BARREL will provide the first balloon measurements of relativistic electron precipitation while comprehensive in situ measurements of both plasma waves and energetic particles are available, and will characterize the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies. All data and analysis software will be made freely available to the scientific community.

Plasma Wave Measurements: Skepticism and Plausibility

Plasma waves, at least linear plasma waves, are characterized by four parameters, which may have complex values: one of frequency and three of wave vector. Generally, space plasma wave instruments have only measured wave frequency while assuming wave vector properties, either for instrument design or for interpreting plasma wave data. Exceptions to this general trend, such as instruments that measure wave vector properties, have revealed that in many cases these assumptions are wrong; thus skepticism is appropriate for interpreting plasma wave data, while instrument design is critical for assuring plausible results. In this brief paper we outline the inherent challenges in completely measuring plasma wave properties and examine several case studies where knowledge of wave vector properties has been critical.

Short wavelength electromagnetic perturbations excited near the Solar Probe Plus spacecraft in the inner heliosphere: 2.5D hybrid modeling

A 2.5D numerical plasma model of the interaction of the solar wind (SW) with the Solar Probe Plus spacecraft (SPPSC) is presented. These results should be interpreted as a basic plasma model derived from the SW interaction with the spacecraft (SC), which could have consequences for both plasma wave and electron plasma measurements on board the SC in the inner heliosphere. Compression waves and electric field jumps with amplitudes of about 1.5 V/m and (12-18) V/m were also observed. A strong polarization electric field was also observed in the wing of the plasma wake. However, 2.5D hybrid modeling did not show excitation of whistler/Alfvén waves in the upstream connected with the bi-directional current closure that was observed in short-time 3D modeling SPPSC and near a tether in the ionosphere. The observed strong electromagnetic perturbations may be a crucial point in the electromagnetic measurements planned for the future Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission. The results of modeling electromagnetic field perturbations in the SW due to “shot” noise in absence of SPPSC are also discussed.