Shear Flow Instabilities in Low-Beta Space Plasmas

We study instabilities driven by a sheared plasma flow in the low-frequency domain. Two unstable branches are found: the ion-sound mode and the kinetic Alfvén mode. Both instabilities are aperiodic. The ion-sound instability does not depend on the plasma β (gas/magnetic pressure ratio) and has a maximum growth rate of about 0.1 of the velocity gradient dV ₀/dx. On the other hand, the kinetic Alfvén instability is stronger for larger β and dominates the ion-sound instability for β > 0.05. Possible applications for space plasmas are shortly discussed.     

Type II Solar Radio Bursts: Theory and Space Weather Implications

Recent data and theory for type II solar radio bursts are reviewed, focusing on a recent analytic quantitative theory for interplanetary type II bursts. The theory addresses electron reflection and acceleration at the type II shock, formation of electron beams in the foreshock, and generation of Langmuir waves and the type II radiation there. The theory's predictions as functions of the shock and plasma parameters are summarized and discussed in terms of space weather events. The theory is consistent with available data, has explanations for radio-loud/quiet coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and why type IIs are bursty, and can account for empirical correlations between type IIs, CMEs, and interplanetary disturbances. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Plasma Environment of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Throughout the Rosetta Main Mission

The plasma environment of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the Rosetta mission target comet, is explored over a range of heliocentric distances throughout the mission: 3.25 AU (Rosetta instruments on), 2.7 AU (Lander down), 2.0 AU, and 1.3 AU (perihelion). Because of the large range of gas production rates, we have used both a fluid-based magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model as well as a semi-kinetic hybrid particle model to study the plasma distribution. We describe the variation in plasma environs over the mission as well as the differences between the two modeling approaches under different conditions. In addition, we present results from a field aligned, two-stream transport electron model of the suprathermal electron flux when the comet is near perihelion.     

Relationship Between Substorm Auroras and Processes in the Near-Earth Magnetotail

Although the auroral substorm has been long regarded as a manifestation of the magnetospheric substorm, a direct relation of active auroras to certain magnetospheric processes is still debatable. To investigate the relationship, we combine the data of the UV imager onboard the Polar satellite with plasma and magnetic field measurements by the Geotail spacecraft. The poleward edge of the auroral bulge, as determined from the images obtained at the LHBL passband, is found to be conjugated with the region where the oppositely directed fast plasma flows observed in the near-Earth plasma sheet during substorms are generated. We conclude that the auroras forming the bulge are due to the near-Earth reconnection process. This implies that the magnetic flux through the auroral bulge is equal to the flux dissipated in the magnetotail during the substorm. Comparison of the magnetic flux through the auroral bulge with the magnetic flux accumulated in the tail lobe during the growth phase shows that these parameters have the comparable values. This is a clear evidence of the loading–unloading scheme of substorm development. It is shown that the area of the auroral bulge developing during substorm is proportional to the total (magnetic plus plasma) pressure decrease in the magnetotail. These findings stress the importance of auroral bulge observations for monitoring of substorm intensity in terms of the magnetic flux and energy dissipation.     

吸气模式激光推进空气等离子体光谱

利用实验室自行研制的紫外预电离CO2激光器进行了激光等离子体实验,实验采用底面直径均为60mm,焦距分别为5 mm和10 mm的两种抛物面光船。介绍了激光等离子体光谱和明显的特征谱线,以及激光等离子体温度估计模型;分析了两种光船对激光等离子体的影响。实验表明:相同底面直径10 mm焦距光船产生的等离子体信号峰值和持续时间均略大于5 mm焦距光船;10 mm焦距光船产生的等离子体温度明显高于5 mm的,最大温度产生时间比5 mm光船要晚一些。     

空间飞行体与等离子体在压缩区内的非稳态相互作用研究

研究了空间飞行体在运动过程中，其前端压缩区内飞行体与等离子体的、非稳态相互作用问题，得到了在强天线辐射源高频场作用下的控制方程．通过计算表明，飞行体上的天线可作为调制不稳定性的激发源，在等离子体中激发起很强的电磁孤波．     

空间等离子体导致高电压太阳阵的电流收集

给出一种能方便计算空间等离子体引起高电压太阳阵（HVSA）电流收集的理论统计模式，通过对物理过程分析认为空间等离子体致HVSA的功率损耗对HVASA的设计是不应忽视的。     

余辉等离子体的实验研究

利用调制脉冲产生的余辉等离子体的参数测量表明:等离子体空间电位和电子温度的衰变是重要的,它在余辉等离子体的密度衰变过程研究中必须予以考虑.对容器中余辉等离子体密度径向分布的测量结果与理论预言是一致的.     

微束等离子焊接钛合金薄板保护规律的研究

 通过试验认为微束等离子焊接钛合金薄板的保护问题,关键在于控制施焊时焊缝处于700℃以上的加热范围,和700℃到400℃的冷却时间。并论证了以氧的污染层厚度作为钛合金焊接污染程度判据的合理性。本文采用电子探针法对氧污染层厚度进行了测定,求出污染方程。从而。使微束等离子焊接钛合金薄板的污染问题,可通过调整焊接规范进行控制。     

Fractal Structure of the Heliospheric Plasma Sheet at the Earth''''s Orbit

An analysis of the data from the Wind and IMP-8 spacecraft revealed that a slow solar wind, flowing in the heliospheric plasma sheet, represents a set of magnetic tubes with plasma of increased density (N > 10cm-3 at the Earth's orbit). They have a fine structure at several spatial scales (fractality), from 2°-3°(at the Earth's orbit, it is equivalent to 3.6-5.4h, or (5.4-8.0)×106km) to the minimum about 0.025°, i.e. the angular size of the nested tubes is changed nearly by two orders of magnitude. The magnetic tubes at each observed spatial scale are diamagnetic, i.e. their surface sustains a flow of diamagnetic (or drift) current that decreases the magnetic field within the tube itself and increases it outside the tube. Furthermore, the value of β= 8π[N(Te + Tp)]/B2 within the tube exceeds the value of βoutside the tube. In many cases total pressure P = N(Te + Tp) + B2/8πis almost constant within and outside the tubes at any one of the aforementioned scales.