Nonthermal Electrons Research Articles

High-temperature dielectric energy storage films with self-co-assembled hot-electron blocking nanocoatings

Polymer thin films operable under concurrent electric and thermal extremes represent critical building blocks of capacitive energy storage and electrical isolator for modern power and electronic systems with ever-increasing demands for power density and payload efficiency. However, polymer dielectrics are prone to fast aging under high fields due to hot electrons injected from electrodes. Especially, performance high-heat polymers such as polyimides with high aromaticity suffer fast aging induced by non-thermalized electrons even at moderate fields due to their intrinsically low bandgap and injection barrier. Herein, a facile, low-cost, and scalable interface-engineering approach utilizing the highly ordered organic/inorganic layered nanocoatings is reported, which serve as a retrofittable solution to break this design constraint. By probing the energetic modes of transport and aging at pre-breakdown field, we demonstrate that our 2D montmorillonite (MMT) self-co-assembly nanocoatings can effectively boost the dielectric properties of substrate polyimide (PI) film by suppressing the charge injection and shifting the fast mode of hot-electron aging to a slow, ultimately thermalized process. This aging-impeding scheme imparts PI films with an exceptional endurance capability (enhanced by 100 MV/m) and a 6× improved charge-discharge efficiency at an elevated temperature of 175 °C. The nanostructured interface engineering disclosed in this work thus opens a new pathway of boosting the performance of a spectrum of high-heat polymer dielectrics already commercially available in thin gauges of films for applications in zero-emission electric aircraft and renewable energy integration.

Soft X-Ray Excess from Shocked Black Hole Accretion

A certain class of luminous galaxies hosting supermassive black holes (BHs) is known to exhibit an excess of “soft X-rays” in their X-ray spectra. However, its physical identity and origin are yet to be understood. In this work, we systematically study a sample of 9 well-documented narrow-line Seyfert 1 active galactic nuclei by utilizing the archival XMM-Newton/EPIC spectra in the context of general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic model. In this scenario, thermal accretion disk photons (in UV) are Compton up-scattered by nonthermal energetic electrons in the hot downstream accretion due to shock compression, producing the observed soft excess. Our spectral model consists primarily of the shock Comptonization component and the underlying continuum including reflection from the accretion disk. Based on χ 2-statistics, we successfully constrain the model parameters, most notably electron energy of the downstream flow kT e , effective disk blackbody temperature kT bb, and inclination angle θ for a given BH spin. The disk temperature is commonly found to be kT bb 10 eV and the electron energy ranges from kT e 75–160 keV (for Schwarzschild BHs) to 126–232 keV (for Kerr BHs) depending on inclination. Our analyses imply that the characteristics of the observed soft excess are strongly dependent on the properties of the downstream accretion flow and BH spin.

Acceleration of Nonthermal Electrons in Coordinated Interaction with Whistler Turbulence in a Flare Loop

Acceleration of Nonthermal Electrons in Coordinated Interaction with Whistler Turbulence in a Flare Loop

Synchrotron Polarization Signatures of Surface Waves in Supermassive Black Hole Jets

Supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei are known to launch relativistic jets, which are observed across the entire electromagnetic spectrum and thought to be efficient particle accelerators. Their primary radiation mechanism for radio emission is polarized synchrotron emission produced by a population of nonthermal electrons. In this Letter, we present a global general relativistic magnetohydrodynamical (GRMHD) simulation of a magnetically arrested disk (MAD). After the simulation reaches the MAD state, we show that waves are continuously launched from the vicinity of the black hole and propagate along the interface between the jet and the wind. At this interface, a steep gradient in velocity is present between the mildly relativistic wind and the highly relativistic jet. The interface is, therefore, a shear layer, and due to the shear, the waves generate roll-ups that alter the magnetic field configuration and the shear layer geometry. We then perform polarized radiation transfer calculations of our GRMHD simulation and find signatures of the waves in both total intensity and linear polarization, effectively lowering the fully resolved polarization fraction. The telltale polarization signatures of the waves could be observable by future very long baseline interferometric observations, e.g., the next-generation Event Horizon Telescope.

Electron Injection via Modified Diffusive Shock Acceleration in High-Mach-number Collisionless Shocks

The ability of collisionless shocks to efficiently accelerate nonthermal electrons via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) is thought to require an injection mechanism capable of preaccelerating electrons to high enough energy where they can start crossing the shock front potential. We propose, and show via fully kinetic plasma simulations, that in high-Mach-number shocks electrons can be effectively injected by scattering in kinetic-scale magnetic turbulence produced near the shock transition by the ion Weibel, or current filamentation, instability. We describe this process as a modified DSA mechanism where initially thermal electrons experience the flow velocity gradient in the shock transition and are accelerated via a first-order Fermi process as they scatter back and forth. The electron energization rate, diffusion coefficient, and acceleration time obtained in the model are consistent with particle-in-cell simulations and with the results of recent laboratory experiments where nonthermal electron acceleration was observed. This injection model represents a natural extension of DSA and could account for electron injection in high-Mach-number astrophysical shocks, such as those associated with young supernova remnants and accretion shocks in galaxy clusters.

Electrostatic solitary waves in a bi-ion plasma with two suprathermal electron populations – application to Saturn’s magnetosphere

ABSTRACT Non-thermal particle distributions characterized by a high-energy tail are ubiquitous in space plasmas. They are usually described by a kappa distribution function, that has been shown to be an excellent fit in most real circumstances. Among other space missions, Cassini and Voyager have both recorded evidence of a coexistence of non-thermal electron populations (with different characteristics) in Saturn’s magnetosphere, and subsequent studies showed that these are well-described by using different tailor-fit realizations of the (parametrized) kappa distribution. Motivated by these observations we have formulated a multifluid plasma model incorporating two types of (positive) ions and two distinct kappa-distributed electron populations, in order to study electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) in Saturn’s magnetosphere from first principles. Our analysis reveals that the spectral index (in fact, the κ parameter value related to the cold electron population mainly) is vital in explaining the difference among different types of non-linear structures. A comparison with spacecraft observations suggests that our theoretical model provides an efficient framework for the interpretation of ESW observations in Saturn’s magnetosphere. Our qualitative predictions may also apply to other planetary magnetospheres, where a similar multispecies plasma composition may be present.

Magnetic-reconnection-heated corona model: implication of hybrid electrons for hard X-ray emission of luminous active galactic nuclei

ABSTRACT It is widely accepted that X-ray emission in luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs) originates from hot corona. To prevent the corona from overcooling by strong X-ray emission, steady heating to the corona is essential, for which the most promising mechanisms is the magnetic reconnection. Detailed studies of the coupled disc and corona, in the frame of magnetic field transferring accretion-released energy from the disc to the corona, reveal that the thermal electrons can only produce X-ray spectrum with $\Gamma _{\rm 2-10\, keV}\gt 2.1$, which is an inevitable consequence of the radiative coupling of the thermal corona and disc. In this work, we develop the magnetic-reconnection-heated corona model by taking into account the potential non-thermal electrons accelerated in the magnetic reconnection process, in addition to the thermal electrons. We show that the features of the structure and spectrum of the coupled disc and corona can be affected by the fraction of magnetic energy allocated to thermal electrons. Furthermore, we investigate the effects of the power-law index and energy range of non-thermal electrons and the magnetic field on the spectrum. It is found that the X-ray spectrum from the Comptonization of the hybrid electrons can be flatter than that from thermal electrons only, in agreement with observations. By comparing with the observed hard X-ray data, we suggest that a large fraction ($\gt 40~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) of the magnetic energy be allocated to the non-thermal electrons in the luminous and flat X-ray spectrum AGNs.

Study of sheath properties in collisional dusty plasma with nonthermal electrons and ionization

The characteristic behaviors of the sheath in a collisional dusty plasma composed of nonthermal electrons, ions, neutral atoms, and negatively charged dusts are investigated. To suit the realistic environment, the ionization effect is considered. The result reveals that the peculiarities of the sheath relied on ionization frequency σ, non-thermality parameter b, and dust grains concentration μ. At the sheath edge, the requirement of ion-entering-sheath-velocity enhances with increased b and μ, conversely, reduces with the increment of σ. Nevertheless, when the ionization is pronounced, the impact of b on the Bohm velocity is almost negligible. In the sheath, the increased σ leads to the reduction of the sheath thickness, which results in the redistribution of particles densities. It is noted that ion accumulation is present near the sheath edge. As expected, the present results can give more insight into the interaction processes that happened in the plasma–wall transition region.

Are Quasi-periodic Pulsations Independent of Loop Oscillations in Solar Flare?

We investigated oscillations in an M8.7 solar flare (SOL2014-10-22), including quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) in light curves and Doppler shift oscillations in the flare loops. Using Bayesian-based Markov Chain Monte Carlo, Fast Fourier Transform, and wavelet analysis method, QPPs were identified at microwave and hard X-ray wave bands during the impulsive phase, and the dominant period is 40–50 s. They should be associated with a repetitive energy release process, which accelerates nonthermal electrons periodically. On the other hand, we cannot rule out the possibility of the modulation of external waves because of the lower temporal resolution of spectroscopic observation. However, almost immediately after QPPs, a minority of flare loops display their Doppler velocity oscillations with a significant period of ∼4 minutes, which are observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph at the coronal line Fe xxi 1354.08 Å (T ∼ 107 K), while its intensity and width show no similar oscillation. Our observations suggest that flare loop oscillations are most likely the fast kink mode waves with a phase speed of ∼840 km s−1. The magnetic field strength in flare loops was estimated to be 54–69 G via the coronal seismology. The QPPs and loop oscillation could be independent of each other in this event.

On the Existence of Subsonic Solitary Waves Associated with Reconnection Jets in Earth’s Magnetotail

The Magnetospheric Multiscale Spacecraft (MMS) has detected the signature of electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) occurring in the reconnection jet site of the Earth’s magnetotail (Liu et al.). These observations have motivated us to explore the mechanism underlying the formation of fast- and slow-mode ion-acoustic solitary waves in the magnetotail region. To this end, we have formulated a three-component magnetized plasma model consisting of nonthermal electrons and two cold ion beams streaming parallel and antiparallel to the magnetic field, respectively. In this work, we have examined the existence conditions for ion-acoustic subsonic waves in a suprathermal space plasma comprising two counterstreaming (drifting) ion beams interacting with a suprathermal electron background. An exact (nonperturbative) nonlinear technique has been adopted to examine the role of the beam velocity and the spectral index on the evolution of subsonic waves. Linear analysis reveals that subsonic waves are unstable when the beam velocity is lower than a threshold value; hence in this regime, only conventional supersonic (fast) waves are formed. On the other hand, when the beam velocity exceeds the threshold, either supersonic or subsonic waves may exist. The combined impact of the beam velocity and electron superthermality on the characteristics of subsonic solitary waves has been analyzed. Our results are shown to be in good agreement with observations of slow ESWs by the MMS spacecraft. Our findings will help to unfold the so-far unexplored dynamical characteristics of subsonic waves that may occur in the reconnection site of Earth’s magnetotail.

Ion acoustic soliton with thermal ions and non-thermal electrons in a high-relativistic electron-positron-ion plasma

In this investigation, both compressive and rarefactive solitons are shown to exist in electron-positron-ion plasma consisting of thermal positrons, non-thermal electrons, and high relativistic thermal ions. The reductive perturbation method (RPM) is used to derive the nonlinear Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation from the governing normalized basic set of equations. It is shown that only the fast ion-acoustic mode may produce the small amplitude rarefactive and compressive KdV solitons. It has been observed that the addition of variable ion species temperature dramatically alters the fundamental characteristics of amplitude and width. Moreover, the amplitude decreases as the ion to electron temperature ratio rises. The soliton's amplitude is also increased by the relativistic factor. High-relativistic electron-positron-ion plasmas are found in extreme astrophysical environments like pulsar magnetospheres, gamma-ray bursts, and active galactic nuclei. These plasmas’ wave and soliton activity can shed light on the dynamics of these astrophysical systems.

κmonty: a Monte Carlo Compton scattering code including non-thermal electrons

ABSTRACT Low-luminosity active galactic nuclei are strong sources of X-ray emission produced by Compton scattering originating from the accretion flows surrounding their supermassive black holes. The shape and energy of the resulting spectrum depend on the shape of the underlying electron distribution function (DF). In this work, we present an extended version of the grmonty code, called κmonty. The grmonty code previously only included a thermal Maxwell–Jütner electron DF. We extend the grmonty code with non-thermal electron DFs, namely the κ and power-law DFs, implement Cartesian Kerr–Schild coordinates, accelerate the code with mpi, and couple the code to the non-uniform adaptive mesh refinement grid data from the general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics code bhac. For the Compton scattering process, we derive two sampling kernels for both DFs. Finally, we present a series of code tests to verify the accuracy of our schemes. The implementation of non-thermal DFs opens the possibility of studying the effect of non-thermal emission on previously developed black hole accretion models.

High-resolution Observations of the Low Atmospheric Response to Small Coronal Heating Events in an Active Region Core

High-resolution spectral observations of the lower solar atmosphere (chromosphere and transition region) during coronal heating events, in combination with predictions from models of impulsively heated loops, provide powerful diagnostics of the properties of the heating in active region cores. Here, we analyze the first coordinated observations of such events with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and the CHROMospheric Imaging Spectrometer (CHROMIS), at the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope (SST), which provided extremely high spatial resolution and revealed chromospheric brightenings with spatial dimensions down to ∼150 km. We use machine-learning methods (k-means clustering) and find significant coherence in the spatial and temporal properties of the chromospheric spectra, suggesting, in turn, coherence in the spatial and temporal distribution of the coronal heating. The comparison of IRIS and CHROMIS spectra with simulations suggests that both nonthermal electrons with low energy (low-energy cutoff ∼5 keV) and direct heating in the corona transported by thermal conduction contribute to the heating of the low atmosphere. This is consistent with growing evidence that nonthermal electrons are not uncommon in small heating events (nanoflare to microflares), and that their properties can be constrained by chromospheric and transition region spectral observations.

Vertical electron cyclotron emission diagnostic on the tokamak à configuration variable.

In this paper, a diagnostic for the measurement of the electron cyclotron emission (ECE) from non-thermal electrons in magnetically confined fusion plasmas is presented. The diagnostic employs a vertical viewing line of sight that allows us to directly infer the energy of the emitting electrons. Previous incarnations of this diagnostic on other machines have been limited by refraction, which can cause stray radiation to enter the line of sight, polluting the signal. By tuning the toroidal magnetic field on the Tokamak à Configuration Variable, TCV, and by carefully selecting the range of frequencies that are used to measure the ECE spectrum, refraction can be mitigated and background radiation power reduced to below the noise power of the instrumentation. A novel technique for calibrating the diagnostic based on plasma measurements and modeling has been developed. The paper will describe the Vertical ECE (V-ECE) diagnostic on TCV, the calibration method, and the first results from the measurements.

Large amplitude dust-acoustic solitary waves and double layers in nonthermal warm complex plasmas

Using a Sagdeev pseudo-potential approach, where the nonlinear structures are stationary in a comoving frame, the arbitrary or large amplitude dust-acoustic solitary waves and double layers have been studied in dusty plasmas containing warm positively charged dust and nonthermal distributed electrons and ions. Depending on the values of the critical Mach number, which varies with the plasma parameter, both supersonic and subsonic dust-acoustic solitary waves are found. It is found that our plasma system under consideration supports both positive and negative supersonic solitary waves and only positive subsonic solitary waves and negative double layers. The parametric regimes for the existence of subsonic and supersonic dust-acoustic waves and how the polarity of solitary waves changes with plasma parameters are shown. It is observed that the solitary wave and double layer solutions exist at the values of Mach number around its critical Mach number. The basic properties (amplitude, width, speed, etc.) of the solitary pulses and double layers are significantly modified by the plasma parameters (viz., ion to positive dust number density ratio, ion to electron temperature ratio, nonthermal parameter, and positive dust temperature to ion temperature ratio). The applications of our present work in space environments (viz., cometary tails, Earth’s mesosphere, and Jupiter’s magnetosphere) and laboratory devices, where nonthermal ion and electron species along with positively charged dust species have been observed, are briefly discussed.

Spectral Features of the Solar Transition Region and Chromospheric Lines at Flare Ribbons Observed with IRIS

We report on the spectral features of the Si iv λ1402.77, C ii λ1334.53, and Mg ii h or k lines, formed in the layers from the transition region to the chromosphere, in three two-ribbon flares (with X, M, and C class) observed with IRIS. All three lines show significant redshifts within the main flare ribbons, which mainly originate from the chromospheric condensation during the flares. The average redshift velocities of the Si iv line within the main ribbons are 56.6, 25.6, and 10.5 km s−1 for the X-, M-, and C-class flares, respectively, which show a decreasing tendency with the flare class. The C ii and Mg ii lines show a similar tendency but with smaller velocities compared to the Si iv line. Additionally, the Mg ii h or k line shows a blue-wing enhancement in the three flares, in particular at the flare ribbon fronts, which is supposed to be caused by an upflow in the upper chromosphere due to the heating of the atmosphere. Moreover, the Mg ii h or k line exhibits a central reversal at the flare ribbons but turns to pure emission shortly after 1–4 minutes. Correspondingly, the C ii line also shows a central reversal but in a smaller region. However, for the Si iv line, the central reversal is only found in the X-class flare. As usual, the central reversal of these lines can be caused by the opacity effect. This implies that, in addition to the optically thick lines (C ii and Mg ii lines), the Si iv line can become optically thick in a strong flare, which is likely related to the nonthermal electron beam heating.

Statistical analysis of microflares as observed by the 4–8 GHz spectropolarimeter

Radio observations of weak events are one of the promising methods for studying energy release and non-thermal processes in the solar corona. The development of instrumental capabilities allows for radio observations of weak transient coronal events, such as quasi-stationary brightenings and weak flares of X-ray class B and below, which were previously inaccessible for analysis. We have measured the spectral parameters of microwave radiation for thirty weak solar flares with X-ray classes ranging from A to C1.5, using observations from the Badary Broadband Microwave Spectropolarimeter (BBMS). The spectra indicate that plasma heating is caused by the appearance of non-thermal electron fluxes, which can be detected by bursts of microwave radiation, predominantly with an amplitude ~5–6 solar flux units (SFU) at 4–5 GHz frequencies. One solar flux unit (SFU) of radio emission is equal to 10–22 W/(m•Hz). The range of low-frequency spectrum growth indices fα varies widely from α=0.3 to 15. The distribution of high-frequency decay indices is similar to the distributions of regular flares. One of the explanations for the appearance of large fα values is the Razin effect, which can influence the shape of the gyrosynchrotron spectrum during the generation of bursts in dense plasma under relatively weak magnetic fields. We have detected two events in which the appearance of non-thermal electrons led to the generation of narrowband bursts at frequencies near the double plasma frequency. SRH test trials have shown the potential for measuring the structure of flare sources with fluxes of the order of 1 SFU, indicating the high diagnostic potential of the radioheliograph for detecting acceleration processes in weak flare events and their localization in active regions.

Статистический анализ микровспышек по данным Cпектрополяриметра 4-8 ГГц

Radio observations of weak events are one of the promising methods for studying energy release and non-thermal processes in the solar corona. The development of instrumental capabilities allows for radio observations of weak transient coronal events, such as quasi-stationary brightenings and weak flares of X-ray class B and below, which were previously inaccessible for analysis. We have measured the spectral parameters of microwave radiation for thirty weak solar flares with X-ray classes ranging from A to C1.5, using observations from the Badary Broadband Microwave Spectropolarimeter (BBMS). The spectra indicate that plasma heating is caused by the appearance of non-thermal electron fluxes, which can be detected by bursts of microwave radiation, predominantly with an amplitude ~5–6 solar flux units (SFU) at 4–5 GHz frequencies. One solar flux unit (SFU) of radio emission is equal to 10–22 W/(m•Hz). The range of low-frequency spectrum growth indices fα varies widely from α=0.3 to 15. The distribution of high-frequency decay indices is similar to the distributions of regular flares. One of the explanations for the appearance of large fα values is the Razin effect, which can influence the shape of the gyrosynchrotron spectrum during the generation of bursts in dense plasma under relatively weak magnetic fields. We have detected two events in which the appearance of non-thermal electrons led to the generation of narrowband bursts at frequencies near the double plasma frequency. SRH test trials have shown the potential for measuring the structure of flare sources with fluxes of the order of 1 SFU, indicating the high diagnostic potential of the radioheliograph for detecting acceleration processes in weak flare events and their localization in active regions.

Multi-wavelength observations and modeling of a microflare: constraining non-thermal particle acceleration

In this work we analyze a small B-class flare that occurred on 29 April 2021 and was observed simultaneously by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) X-ray instrument. The IRIS observations of the ribbon of the flare show peculiar spectral characteristics that are typical signatures of energy deposition by non-thermal electrons in the lower atmosphere. The presence of the non-thermal particles is also confirmed directly by fitting the NuSTAR spectral observations. We show that, by combining IRIS and NuSTAR multi-wavelength observations from the corona to the lower atmosphere with hydrodynamic simulations using the RADYN code, we can provide strict constraints on electron-beam heated flare models. This work presents the first NuSTAR, IRIS and RADYN joint analysis of a non-thermal microflare, and presents a self-consistent picture of the flare-accelerated electrons in the corona and the chromospheric response to those electrons.

The Role of Magnetic Shear in Reconnection-driven Flare Energy Release

Using observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s Atmosphere Imaging Assembly and the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, we present novel measurements of the shear of post-reconnection flare loops (PRFLs) in SOL20141218T21:40 and study its evolution with respect to magnetic reconnection and flare emission. Two quasi-parallel ribbons form adjacent to the magnetic polarity inversion line (PIL), spreading in time first parallel to the PIL and then mostly in a perpendicular direction. We measure the magnetic reconnection rate from the ribbon evolution, and also the shear angle of a large number of PRFLs observed in extreme ultraviolet passbands (≲1 MK). For the first time, the shear angle measurements are conducted using several complementary techniques allowing for cross validation of the results. In this flare, the total reconnection rate is much enhanced before a sharp increase in the hard X-ray emission, and the median shear decreases from 60°–70° to 20°, on a timescale of 10 minutes. We find a correlation between the shear-modulated total reconnection rate and the nonthermal electron flux. These results confirm the strong-to-weak shear evolution suggested in previous observational studies and reproduced in numerical models, and also confirm that, in this flare, reconnection is not an efficient producer of energetic nonthermal electrons during the first 10 minutes when the strongly sheared PRFLs are formed. We conclude that an intermediate shear angle, ≤40°, is needed for efficient particle acceleration via reconnection, and we propose a theoretical interpretation.