C. Crabtree

Linear and nonlinear Landau resonance of kinetic Alfvén waves: Consequences for electron distribution and wave spectrum in the solar wind

Kinetic Alfven wave turbulence in solar wind is considered and it is shown that non-Maxwellian electron distribution function has a significant effect on the dynamics of solar wind plasmas. Linear Landau damping leads to the formation of a plateau in the parallel electron distribution function which diminishes the Landau damping rate significantly. Nonlinear scattering of waves by plasma particles is generalized to short wavelengths and it is found that for the solar wind parameters this scattering is the dominant process as compared to three-wave decay and coalescence in the wave vector range 1/ρi<k<ωpe/c. Incorporation of these effects leads to the steepening of the wave spectrum between the inertial and the dissipation ranges with a spectral index between 2 and 3. This region can be labeled as the scattering range. Such steepening has been observed in the solar wind plasmas.

Weak turbulence in the magnetosphere: Formation of whistler wave cavity by nonlinear scattering

We consider the weak turbulence of whistler waves in the in low-β inner magnetosphere of the earth. Whistler waves, originating in the ionosphere, propagate radially outward and can trigger nonlinear induced scattering by thermal electrons provided the wave energy density is large enough. Nonlinear scattering can substantially change the direction of the wave vector of whistler waves and hence the direction of energy flux with only a small change in the frequency. A portion of whistler waves return to the ionosphere with a smaller perpendicular wave vector resulting in diminished linear damping and enhanced ability to pitch-angle scatter trapped electrons. In addition, a portion of the scattered wave packets can be reflected near the ionosphere back into the magnetosphere. Through multiple nonlinear scatterings and ionospheric reflections a long-lived wave cavity containing turbulent whistler waves can be formed with the appropriate properties to efficiently pitch-angle scatter trapped electrons. The prim...

Quasilinear evolution of plasma distribution functions and consequences on wave spectrum and perpendicular ion heating in the turbulent solar wind

The measured spectrum of kinetic Alfven wave fluctuations in the turbulent solar wind plasma is used to calculate the quasi-linear evolution of the initially stable electron and ion distribution functions. The resulting ion distribution function is found to be unstable to electromagnetic left hand polarized ion cyclotron-Alfven waves as well as right hand polarized magnetosonic-whistler waves. These waves can pitch angle scatter the ion super-thermal velocity component to provide perpendicular ion heating. Additionally, right hand polarized waves transfer some part of kinetic Alfven wave flux to whistler waves.The measured spectrum of kinetic Alfven wave fluctuations in the turbulent solar wind plasma is used to calculate the electron and ion distribution functions resulting from quasi-linear diffusion. The modified ion distribution function is found to be unstable to long wavelength electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves. These waves pitch angle scatter the parallel ion velocity into perpendicular velocity which effectively increases the perpendicular ion temperature.

Laboratory studies of nonlinear whistler wave processes in the Van Allen radiation belts

Important nonlinear wave-wave and wave-particle interactions that occur in the Earths Van Allen radiation belts are investigated in a laboratory experiment. Predominantly electrostatic waves in the whistler branch are launched that propagate near the resonance cone with measured wave normal angle greater than 85°. When the pump amplitude exceeds a threshold ∼5×10−6 times the background magnetic field, wave power at frequencies below the pump frequency is observed at wave normal angles (∼55°). The scattered wave has a perpendicular wavelength that is nearly an order of magnitude larger than that of the pump wave. Occasionally, the parametric decay of a lower hybrid wave into a magnetosonic wave and a whistler wave is simultaneously observed with a threshold of δB/B0∼7×10−7.

Experimental characterization of nonlinear processes of whistler branch waves

Experiments in the Space Physics Simulation Chamber at the Naval Research Laboratory isolated and characterized important nonlinear wave-wave and wave-particle interactions that can occur in the Earths Van Allen radiation belts by launching predominantly electrostatic waves in the intermediate frequency range with wave normal angle greater than 85° and measuring the nonlinearly generated electromagnetic scattered waves. The scattered waves have a perpendicular wavelength that is nearly an order of magnitude larger than that of the pump wave. Calculations of scattering efficiency from experimental measurements demonstrate that the scattering efficiency is inversely proportional to the damping rate and trends towards unity as the damping rate approaches zero. Signatures of both wave-wave and wave-particle scatterings are also observed in the triggered emission process in which a launched wave resonant with a counter-propagating electron beam generates a large amplitude chirped whistler wave. The possibilit...

Generation of electromagnetic waves in the very low frequency band by velocity gradient

It is shown that a magnetized plasma layer with a velocity gradient in the flow perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field is unstable to waves in the Very Low Frequency band that spans the ion and electron gyrofrequencies. The waves are formally electromagnetic. However, depending on wave vector k¯=kc/ωpe (normalized by the electron skin depth) and the obliqueness, k⊥/k||, where k⊥,|| are wave vectors perpendicular and parallel to the magnetic field, the waves are closer to electrostatic in nature when k¯≫1 and k⊥≫k|| and electromagnetic otherwise. Inhomogeneous transverse flows are generated in plasma that contains a static electric field perpendicular to the magnetic field, a configuration that may naturally arise in the boundary layer between plasmas of different characteristics.

Bayesian spectral analysis of chorus subelements from the Van Allen Probes

We develop a Bayesian spectral analysis technique that calculates the probability distribution functions of a superposition of wave modes each described by a linear growth rate, a frequency, and a chirp rate. The Bayesian framework has a number of advantages, including (1) reducing the parameter space by integrating over the amplitude and phase of the wave, (2) incorporating the data from each channel to determine the model parameters such as frequency which leads to high-resolution results in frequency and time, (3) the ability to consider the superposition of waves where the wave parameters are closely spaced, (4) the ability to directly calculate the expectation value of wave parameters without resorting to ensemble averages, and (5) the ability to calculate error bars on model parameters. We examine one rising-tone chorus element in detail from a disturbed time on 14 November 2012 using burst mode waveform data of the three components of the electric and magnetic field from the EMFISIS instrument on board NASAs Van Allen Probes. The results demonstrate that subelements are likely composed of almost linear waves that are nearly parallel propagating with continuously changing wave parameters such as frequency and wave vector. Between subelements the wave parameters of the dominant mode undergoes a discrete change in frequency and wave vector. Near the boundary of subelements multiple waves are observed such that the evolution of the waves is reminiscent of wave-wave processes such as parametric decay or nonlinear induced scattering by particles. These nonlinear processes may affect the saturation of the whistler mode chorus instability.

Analysis of self-consistent nonlinear wave-particle interactions of whistler waves in laboratory and space plasmas

Whistler mode chorus is one of the most important emissions affecting the energization of the radiation belts. Recent laboratory experiments that inject energetic electron beams into a cold plasma have revealed several spectral features in the nonlinear evolution of these instabilities that have also been observed in high-time resolution in situ wave-form data. These features include (1) a sub-element structure which consists of an amplitude modulation on time-scales slower than the bounce time, (2) closely spaced discrete frequency hopping that results in a faster apparent frequency chirp rate, (3) fast frequency changes near the sub-element boundaries, and (4) harmonic generation. In this paper, we develop a finite dimensional self-consistent Hamiltonian model for the evolution of the resonant beam of electrons. We analyze a single wave case and demonstrate that the instability occurs due to a Krein collision, which manifests as a coupling between a negative and positive energy mode. This analysis revea...

Formation and dynamics of an artificial ring of dust for active orbital debris removal

Recently we suggested a dust-based active debris removal technique to selectively remove small untrackable debris that occupies a very large volume around the Earth. For designing a working system an accurate knowledge of the dynamics of the released dust in orbit is necessary. In this paper we numerically examine the dynamics of non-interacting spherical tungsten dust grains of diameter between 30-60 microns released in a polar low-Earth orbit. We analyze different perturbations due to nonuniform gravity, solar radiation pressure, solar cycles as well as solar and lunar gravity, and dust charging effects, etc., and determine a set of forces adequate to describe the dynamics over the life of the dust in orbit (∼12–15 years). With the resulting force model we analyze the orbits of many dust grains to determine the formation and geometry of the ring. We qualitatively examine the effects of the calculated geometry and dynamics of the dust cloud on the efficiency of the Active Debris Removal scheme.

Electromagnetic fluctuations in the intermediate frequency range originating from a plasma boundary layer

We demonstrate the transition in the waves generated by the electron-ion hybrid instability from a predominantly electrostatic to a predominantly electromagnetic character in a magnetized cylindrical laboratory plasma, in which we have induced sheared electron flow, transverse to the axial magnetic field and localized to a narrow azimuthal region. The transition occurs when the density of the plasma is increased, so that the electron skin depth is reduced to the same order as the wavelength of the waves. In the electromagnetic mode, we observe prominent bursts in the wave activity exhibiting substantial (up to 30%) frequency chirp, randomly occurring at a rate that is highly sensitive to the electric field structure in the boundary layer.