near-Earth Space Plasma Research Articles

Overview, progress and next steps for our understanding of the near-earth space radiation and plasma environment: Science and applications

The Near-Earth Space Radiation and Plasma Environment falls within the realm of G3 Cluster (G3 refers to ‘Near-Earth Radiation and Plasma Environment’ of the ‘Coupled Geospace System’) under the COSPAR (Committee On Space Research)/International Space Weather Action Teams (ISWAT) Initiative. The diverse and dynamic particle populations from this region pose challenges from both science and space weather-impact perspectives. The G3 cluster has intimate connections with solar, heliosphere clusters, and the other Geospace ones (G1, G2) through a chain of physical processes. This paper reviews recent scientific advances in understanding this complex space environment, identifies gaps in research and space weather applications, and maps out our recommendations on priorities for the next 5–10 years.

Design and construction of the near-earth space plasma simulation system of the Space Plasma Environment Research Facility

Our earth is immersed in the near-earth space plasma environment, which plays a vital role in protecting our planet against the solar-wind impact and influencing space activities. It is significant to investigate the physical processes dominating the environment, for deepening our scientific understanding of it and improving the ability to forecast the space weather. As a crucial part of the National Major Scientific and Technological Infrastructure–Space Environment Simulation Research Infrastructure (SESRI) in Harbin, the Space Plasma Environment Research Facility (SPERF) builds a system to replicate the near-earth space plasma environment in the laboratory. The system aims to simulate the three-dimensional (3-D) structure and processes of the terrestrial magnetosphere for the first time in the world, providing a unique platform to reveal the physics of the 3-D asymmetric magnetic reconnection relevant to the earth's magnetopause, wave–particle interaction in the earth's radiation belt, particles’ dynamics during the geomagnetic storm, etc. The paper will present the engineering design and construction of the near-earth space plasma simulation system of the SPERF, with a focus on the critical technologies that have been resolved to achieve the scientific goals. Meanwhile, the possible physical issues that can be studied based on the apparatus are sketched briefly. The earth-based system is of great value in understanding the space plasma environment and supporting space exploration.

Spatial filtering in a 6D hybrid-Vlasov scheme to alleviate adaptive mesh refinement artifacts: a case study with Vlasiator (versions 5.0, 5.1, and 5.2.1)

Abstract. Numerical simulation models that are used to investigate the near-Earth space plasma environment require sophisticated methods and algorithms as well as high computational power. Vlasiator 5.0 is a hybrid-Vlasov plasma simulation code that is able to perform 6D (3D in ordinary space and 3D in velocity space) simulations using adaptive mesh refinement (AMR). In this work, we describe a side effect of using AMR in Vlasiator 5.0: the heterologous grid approach creates discontinuities due to the different grid resolution levels. These discontinuities cause spurious oscillations in the electromagnetic fields that alter the global results. We present and test a spatial filtering operator for alleviating this artifact without significantly increasing the computational overhead. We demonstrate the operator's use case in large 6D AMR simulations and evaluate its performance with different implementations.

Simultaneous macroscale and microscale wave–ion interaction in near-earth space plasmas

Identifying how energy transfer proceeds from macroscales down to microscales in collisionless plasmas is at the forefront of astrophysics and space physics. It provides information on the evolution of involved plasma systems and the generation of high-energy particles in the universe. Here we report two cross-scale energy-transfer events observed by NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft in Earth’s magnetosphere. In these events, hot ions simultaneously undergo interactions with macroscale (~{10}^{5} km) ultra-low-frequency waves and microscale (sim {10}^{3} km) electromagnetic-ion-cyclotron (EMIC) waves. The cross-scale interactions cause energy to directly transfer from macroscales to microscales, and finally dissipate at microscales via EMIC-wave-induced ion energization. The direct measurements of the energy transfer rate in the second event confirm the efficiency of this cross-scale transfer process, whose timescale is estimated to be roughly ten EMIC-wave periods about (1 min). Therefore, these observations experimentally demonstrate that simultaneous macroscale and microscale wave-ion interactions provide an efficient mechanism for cross-scale energy transfer and plasma energization in astrophysical and space plasmas.

Nature of Electrostatic Fluctuations in the Terrestrial Magnetosheath

Abstract The high cadence plasma, electric, and magnetic field measurements by the Magnetospheric MultiScale spacecraft allow us to explore the near-Earth space plasma with an unprecedented time and spatial resolution, resolving electron-scale structures that naturally emerge from plasma complex dynamics. The formation of small-scale turbulent features is often associated to structured, non-Maxwellian particle velocity distribution functions that are not at thermodynamic equilibrium. Using measurements in the terrestrial magnetosheath, this study focuses on regions presenting bumps in the power spectral density of the parallel electric field at subproton scales. Correspondingly, it is found that the ion velocity distribution functions exhibit beam-like features at nearly the local ion thermal speed. Ion-cyclotron waves in the ion-scale range are frequently observed at the same locations. These observations, supported by numerical simulations, are consistent with the generation of ion-bulk waves that propagate at the ion thermal speed. This represents a new branch of efficient energy transfer at small scales, which may be relevant to weakly collisional astrophysical plasmas.

Description of Large-Scale Processes in the Near-Earth Space Plasma

We suggest a solution of the problem of the description of magnetic and electric fields occurring during large-scale nonradiative processes in the collisionless space plasma. The key idea is that the quasi-neutrality condition and the field-aligned force equilibrium of electrons should be taken into account. Equations describing the plasma are divided into two parts, namely, a system of transport equations which describes the plasma motion, and a system of equations for fields. The fields are defined in the instantaneous action approximation via the current spatial distributions of hydrodynamic plasma parameters and boundary conditions obtained from the system of elliptic equations containing no partial time derivatives. Three forms of the generalized Ohm’s law corresponding to different levels of plasma magnetization are considered. It is shown that, depending on the form of a system of transport equations derived for each plasma component, five key variants of the equation system describing the plasma can be obtained from the three forms of the Ohm’s law. The first form of the generalized Ohm’s law refers to the general case in which all plasma components unmagnetized and the system of transport equations represents the Vlasov equations for each plasma component. The second form of the Ohm’s law corresponds to the case of unmagnetized ionic plasma components, while electrons are magnetized and their pressure tensor is expressed through their longitudinal and transverse pressures as well as through the magnetic field. In the latter case two variants of the system of transport equations are possible, and the ions are described by Vlasov equations in both of them. In the first variant, the electrons are described by the Vlasov equation in the drift approximation. In the second variant, the electrons are described by the system of Chew–Goldberger–Low equations of magnetogasdynamics. The third variant of Ohm’s law corresponds to the case in which all plasma components are magnetized, and the pressure tensor of each component is replaced by its expression through the longitudinal and transverse pressure, as well as through the magnetic field. In this case, two variants of the transport equation system are also possible. In the first variant, each component is described by the Vlasov equation in the drift approximation. In the second variant, each component is described by the system of the Chew–Goldberger–Low equations of magnetogasdynamics.

Magnetohydrodynamic and kinetic scale turbulence in the near-Earth space plasmas: a (short) biased review

The near-Earth space is a unique laboratory to explore turbulence and energy dissipation processes in magnetized plasmas thanks to the availability of high-quality data from various orbiting spacecraft, such as Wind, Stereo, Cluster, Themis, and the more recent one, the NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. In comparison with the solar wind, plasma turbulence in the magnetosheath remains far less explored, possibly because of the complexity of the magnetosheath dynamics that challenges any “realistic” theoretical modeling of turbulence in it. This complexity is due to different reasons such as the confinement of the magnetosheath plasma between two dynamical boundaries, namely the bow shock and the magnetopause; the high variability of the SW pressure that “shakes” and compresses continuously the magnetosheath plasma; and the presence of large-density fluctuations and temperature anisotropies that generate various instabilities and plasma modes. In this paper, we will review some results that we have obtained in recent years on plasma turbulence in the SW and the magnetosheath, both at the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and the sub-ion (kinetic) scales, using the state-of-the-art theoretical models and in situ spacecraft observations. We will focus on three major features of the plasma turbulence, namely its nature and scaling laws, the role of small-scale coherent structures in plasma heating, and the role of density fluctuations in enhancing the turbulent energy cascade rate. The latter is estimated using (analytical) exact laws derived for compressible MHD theories applied to in situ observations from the Cluster and Themis spacecraft. Finally, we will discuss some current trends in space plasmas turbulence research and future space missions dedicated to this topic that are currently being prepared within the community.

Charged particle nonlinear resonance with localized electrostatic wave-packets

A resonant wave-particle interaction, in particular a nonlinear resonance characterized by particle phase trapping, is an important process determining charged particle energization in many space and laboratory plasma systems. Although an individual charged particle motion in the nonlinear resonance is well described theoretically, the kinetic equation modeling the long-term evolution of the resonant particle ensemble has been developed only recently. This study is devoted to generalization of this equation for systems with localized wave packets propagating with the wave group velocity different from the wave phase velocity. We limit our consideration to the Landau resonance of electrons and waves propagating in an inhomogeneous magnetic field. Electrons resonate with the wave field-aligned electric fields associated with gradients of wave electrostatic potential or variations of the field-aligned component of the wave vector potential. We demonstrate how wave-packet properties determine the efficiency of resonant particle acceleration and derive the nonlocal integral operator acting on the resonant particle distribution. This operator describes particle distribution variations due to interaction with one wave-packet. We solve kinetic equation with this operator for many wave-packets and show that solutions coincide with the results of the numerical integration of test particle trajectories. To demonstrate the range of possible applications of the proposed approach, we consider the electron evolution induced by the Landau resonances with packets of kinetic Alfven waves, electron acoustic waves, and very oblique whistler waves in the near-Earth space plasma.

MHD modelling of processes in near-Earth space plasma

MHD modelling of processes in near-Earth space plasma

MHD modelling of processes in near-Earth space plasma

MHD modelling of processes in near-Earth space plasma

The physics of near-earth space plasma and energetic particles in the magnetosphere

The magnetosphere-ionosphere plasma system, like the Earth’s other envelopes, is a complex nonlinear open dissipative system with self-organization. Moreover, it is embedded in the extremely nonstationary environment formed by the solar wind. Explorations that were initiated by the pioneer studies of S.N. Vernov and his colleagues resulted in deep insight into the processes occurring in this system.

Monitoring and modeling of ionospheric characteristics in the framework of European COST 296 Action MIERS

[1] The Mitigation of Ionospheric Effects on Radio Systems COST 296 Action is devoted to the mitigation of ionospheric effects on radio systems. It creates a platform for sharing of data, algorithms, models, and jointly developed advanced technologies, the processing chain from measurements, through algorithms, to operational knowledge. This initiative creates a unique possibility for national groups to consolidate the design of a product required for their own activity and for European assessments in the ionosphere and telecommunication area. An important part of the action is to stimulate and integrate many national and international activities which provide tools for global and regional ionospheric monitoring and modeling. The work includes the near-Earth space plasma monitoring, modeling and forecasting, and a study of the upper atmosphere climate. Well-defined terms of reference include developing ground-based and space-borne monitoring techniques and parameters describing the state of ionospheric plasma, maintaining and extending the flow of real-time and retrospective ionospheric monitoring data to databases. To obtain adequate, high-quality information, special attention is paid to the data ingestion and assimilation in constructing ionospheric models of different spatial and time scale perturbations, as well as storms, small variations, and irregularities. The physical origin of atmospheric/ionospheric effects and their signatures and parameters are investigated. Identification criteria are studied and formulated.

Near-Earth space plasma modelling and forecasting

In the frame of the European COST 296 project (Mitigation of Ionospheric Effects on Radio Systems, MIERS) in the Working Package 1.3, new ionospheric models, prediction and forecasting methods and programs as well as ionospheric imaging techniques have been developed. They include (i) topside ionosphere and meso-scale ir- regularity models, (ii) improved forecasting methods for real time forecasting and for prediction of foF2, M(3000)F2, MUF and TECs, including the use of new techniques such as Neurofuzzy, Nearest Neighbour, Ca- scade Modelling and Genetic Programming and (iii) improved dynamic high latitude ionosphere models through tomographic imaging and model validation. The success of the prediction algorithms and their improvement over existing methods has been demonstrated by comparing predictions with later real data. The collaboration between different European partners (including interchange of data) has played a significant part in the development and validation of these new prediction and forecasting methods, programs and algorithms which can be applied to a variety of practical applications leading to improved mitigation of ionosphereic and space weather effects.

Geospace imaging using Thomson scattering

We evaluate the potential of imaging for the first time, the near-earth space plasma environment seamlessly from the ionosphere through the magnetosphere by remotely sensing Thomson scattering of solar visible light by geospace electrons. Using state of the art first principles models of the magnetosphere/ionosphere system, we show that the column emission rates are weak, generally less than 10 Rayleighs, but detectable with currently available instrument technology recently deployed for heliospheric imaging. We demonstrate that distinct features such as the bow shock, magnetosheath and magnetopause are detectable in synthetic images simulated using modified solar coronagraphs and white light imagers, providing that the large background signals are properly quantified. The availability of global geospace images of the electron concentration will enable major advances in our understanding of how Earth's near-space environment responds as a coupled system to changing solar forcings. Such images are expected to play a central role in space weather assessment and forecasting, from which significant capabilities will accrue, much as the imaging of the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere has advanced understanding and forecasting of tropospheric weather.

The COMPASS-2 satellite and the ground-based LOIS vector sensing radar facility as novel tools for ionospheric plasma diagnostics

To give a more detailed and complete understanding of physical plasma processes that govern the solar–terrestrial space, and to develop qualitative and quantitative models of the magnetosphere–ionosphere–thermosphere coupling, it is necessary to design and build the next generation of instruments for space diagnostics and monitoring. Novel ground-based wide-area sensor networks, such as the LOFAR Outrigger In Scandinavia (LOIS, LOFAR: Low Frequency Array) radar facility, comprising wide band, and vector-sensing radio receivers with full three-dimensional polarization coverage, and multi-spacecraft plasma diagnostics should help solve outstanding problems of space physics and describe long-term environmental changes. The new digital radio frequency analyzer (RFA) on board the low-orbiting COMPASS-2 satellite was designed to monitor and investigate the ionospheric plasma properties. This two-point ground-based and topside ionosphere-located space plasma diagnostic can be a useful new tool for monitoring and diagnosing turbulent plasma properties. The RFA on board the COMPASS-2 satellite is the first in a series of experiments which is planned to be launched into the near-Earth environment. The main purpose of this presentation is to describe new advanced diagnostic techniques of the near-Earth space plasma and point out the scientific challenges of the COMPASS-2 and LOIS experiments.

Numerical modeling of the equatorial electrojet UT-variation on the basis of the model GSM TIP

Abstract. In the presented work the results of numerical modeling of the UT-variation of the equatorial electrojet, executed on the basis of the model GSM TIP are presented, taking into account the dynamo electric fields generated by thermospheric winds in a current-carrying layer of the ionosphere at heights 80–175 km above a surface of the Earth. To the Global Self-consistent Model of the Thermosphere, Ionosphere and Protonosphere (GSM TIP), developed in WD IZMIRAN, a new block for the calculation of electric fields in the ionosphere has been added. In this block the solution of the three-dimensional equation describing the conservation law of the full current in the Earth's ionosphere is reduced to the solution of the two-dimensional equation by integration along geomagnetic field lines. Calculations of parameters of the near-Earth space plasmas have been executed for quiet equinoctial conditions on 22 March 1987 during the minimum of solar activity. It has been shown, that there is a distinct semidiurnal harmonic in the diurnal behavior of the linear density of the equatorial electrojet with maxima at 23:00 UT and 15:00 UT, as well as with minima at 06:00 UT and 20:00 UT. The greatest and smallest values of the peak intensity of the equatorial electrojet with respect to the diurnal behavior can differ by a factor of two. The longitudinal extent of the area of the equatorial electrojet does hardly show any UT-variation, but the greatest longitudinal extent is at 06 UT. With the growth of the peak intensity of the equatorial electrojet its latitudinal extent also increases (on ~5–10°) a little. At the same time the equatorial electrojet in the maxima of intensity has approximately an identical width, whereas in the minima the electrojet is narrow in the morning and wide in the afternoon. As for the surface density of the equatorial electrojet, its UT-variation is much weaker and equals ~1–3 A/km2 and the peak intensity is equal ~15–20 A/km2. The latitudinal extent of the surface density of the equatorial electrojet is maximal at 23:00 UT and 15:00 UT and minimal at 06:00 UT and 20:00 UT.

Space technologies for short-term earthquake warning

Recent theoretical and experimental studies explicitly demonstrated the ability of space technologies to identify and monitor the specific variations at near-earth space plasma, atmosphere and ground surface associated with approaching severe earthquakes (named as earthquake precursors) which appear several days (from 1 to 5) before the seismic shock over the seismically active areas. Several countries and private companies are in the stage of preparation (or already launched) the dedicated spacecrafts for monitoring of the earthquake precursors from space and for short-term earthquake prediction. The present paper intends to outline the optimal algorithm for creation of the space-borne system for the earthquake precursors monitoring and for short-term earthquake prediction. It takes into account the following: 1. Selection of the precursors in the terms of priority, considering their statistical and physical parameters. 2. Configuration of the spacecraft payload. 3. Configuration of the satellite constellation (orbit selection, satellite distribution, operation schedule). 4. Different options of the satellite systems (cheap microsatellite or comprehensive multisatellite constellation). Taking into account that the most promising are the ionospheric precursors of earthquakes, the special attention is devoted to the radiophysical techniques of the ionosphere monitoring. The advantages and disadvantages of such technologies as vertical sounding, in-situ probes, ionosphere tomography, GPS TEC and GPS MET technologies are considered.

Nonlinear drift-kinetic equation in the presence of a circularly polarized wave

This paper presents a theoretical description of plasma motion in the presence of a circularly polarized wave of arbitrary frequency with its wave vector directed along the ambient magnetic field. Both the equations of motion for a single particle and the nonlinear kinetic equation in the drift approximation are given. The nonstationarity and inhomogeneity of the plasma-wave system are taken into account. The distribution function is expressed with the help of initial, non-averaged variables, which is a transformation that greatly simplifies the calculation of the moments. The time-dependent part of the ponderomotive force is discussed, and it is shown that this component can be on the order of the other terms in the particle motion equation. The examples of ion acceleration in the auroral zone and the effects of lightning discharge are discussed to show that this theoretical study has applications to near-Earth space plasmas.

Imaging of near-Earth space plasma.

This paper describes the technique of imaging the ionosphere using tomographic principles. It reports on current developments and speculates on the future of this research area. Recent developments in computing and ionospheric measurement, together with the sharing of data via the internet, now allow us to envisage a time when high-resolution, real-time images and 'movies' of the ionosphere will be possible for radio communications planning. There is great potential to use such images for improving our understanding of the physical processes controlling the behaviour of the ionosphere. While real-time images and movies of the electron concentration are now almost possible, forecasting of ionospheric morphology is still in its early stages. It has become clear that the ionosphere cannot be considered as a system in isolation, and consequently new research projects to link together models of the solar-terrestrial system, including the Sun, solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere, are now being proposed. The prospect is now on the horizon of assimilating data from the entire solar-terrestrial system to produce a real-time computer model and 'space weather' forecast. The role of tomography in imaging beyond the ionosphere to include the whole near-Earth space-plasma realm is yet to be realized, and provides a challenging prospect for the future. Finally, exciting possibilities exist in applying such methods to image the atmospheres and ionospheres of other planets.

Current filamentation in astrophysical magnetohydrodynamic jets

Astrophysical plasmas typically have to be considered as highly collision-free from a kinetic point of view or highly ideal in a fluid description. This refers to near-Earth space plasmas, like the magnetosphere, or extragalactic objects like radio jets, as well. On the other hand, magnetic reconnection is discussed to play an important role as an effective mechanism for conversion of magnetic energy into kinetic energy by particle acceleration. As magnetic reconnection demands for local deviations from adiabatic plasma conditions, in the highly collision-free plasma regime inertia driven reconnection should be expected. In the framework of a magnetohydrodynamic description, anomalous resistivity due to current driven microinstabilities is discussed to provide sufficient nonidealness. Both classes of processes demand for sufficiently thin current sheets. This constraint can be fulfilled by current filamentation. In the present paper numerical magnetohydrodynamical studies are used to show that ideal boundary perturbations (like, e.g., Kelvin–Helmholtz modes) can result in filamentary current structures. This fundamental process is discussed with respect to extragalactic jets.