Physical Processes Commons^™

1d Crust-Magnetosphere Coupling Model For Magnetars, Kennedy M. Jeter

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Magnetars are the most extremely magnetized objects in the universe. Their strong magnetic fields generate high-energy magnetic flares with instantaneous luminosity that can outshine their host galaxy. Previous works have explored how Hall drift in the crust affects the dynamics of magnetic field lines in the magnetosphere. This work investigates how a change in the magnetosphere, such as a flare or an outburst, can excite Hall evolution in the crust. We investigate how the twisting and untwisting of magnetic field lines in a magnetar’s magnetosphere launches Hall waves through its crust using a one-dimensional numerical model. We use the Dedalus …

Information Theory Analysis Of The Solar Wind Magnetic Structures For Space Weather Prediction, Katherine Holland

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Forecasting space weather at Earth is highly complicated, because of the limited measurements of the dynamic processes in the Sun that span multiple temporal, spatial, and energy-scales. The solar wind is a highly structured, multi-scale, evolving plasma and consists of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), stream interaction regions (SIRs), expanding flux tubes (Borovsky, 2008), and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) discontinuities and fluctuations. The aim of this research is to improve our understanding of the evolution and dissipation of different scale-size solar wind magnetic structures as they move from the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 1 (L1) to Earth's bow shock and, ultimately, to …

Empirical Validation Of Einstein’S Coefficient For The Deflection Of Light Due To Gravitational Forces, Alexandra R. Mcdowell

Honors College Theses

Einstein’s formula to calculate the deflection angle of light through space as it interacts with gravity was introduced in his 1916 publication on general relativity. This was not a new idea, but his equation was, and it was correct. Just 3 years after this publication, it was empirically validated by Sir Arthur Eddington and Sir Frank Dyson. Since that experiment in 1919, at least seven others have been performed that also gave definitive answers in support of Einstein’s deflection constant of 1.751 arcseconds. The two most recent ones made groundbreaking contributions to this effort. The 2017 eclipse showed reproducible results …

Statistical Study Of Solar Wind Conditions Prior To Substorm Onsets, Luke H. Francis

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Due to complex, multi-region, coupled plasma systems, auroral substorm onsets have been historically difficult to predict. The northward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field was considered the primary candidate as an external triggering mechanism for substorm onsets. However, that was later shown to be coincidental in nature. This study is motivated by recent multi-spacecraft observations that show how several magnetosheath jets at the bow shock were heavily correlated to substorm onsets, indicated by a strongly radial IMF interval. In the past, studies have looked at small samples of substorms in order to make large-scale predictions. However in this study, a …

Three-Dimensional Spreading Of Magnetic Reconnection Between Non-Parallel Flux Ropes With A Guide Field, Regis John

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental plasma process that facilitates the rapid conversion of magnetic energy into particle acceleration, plasma flows, and heating. It plays a central role in explosive astrophysical events such as solar flares, where vast amounts of magnetic energy are released on short time scales. A key structure in many reconnection sites is the magnetic flux rope, a column of plasma carrying current threaded by helical magnetic fields, which is frequently involved in or generated by reconnection. Understanding how reconnection unfolds in such flux rope systems is critical for interpreting both space weather phenomena and laboratory plasma dynamics. …

Characterizing The Earth's Magnetosheath With In Situ Measurements, Hector A. Salinas

Physics Dissertations - Archive

Earth’s magnetosheath is a region of shocked plasma that mediates energy and momentum transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere. The dynamics and thus the plasma structures of this region are highly dependent on upstream solar wind conditions. As such, the region is often characterized as a turbulent environment, with the most intense periods of turbulence occurring often under quasi-parallel bow shock conditions. This magnetosheath turbulence displays as variable and large-scale fluctuations with in-situ measurements. Given that turbulence is a characteristic feature of the magnetosheath, this dissertation asks two questions: (1) How are plasma structures inside the sheath affected …

Spectroscopy Of Highly Charged Ions For Astrophysical And Laboratory Plasma Diagnostics, Yang Yang

All Dissertations

Electron beam ion traps (EBITs) are small-scale laboratory devices that create and trap highly charged ions (HCI) for spectroscopic studies. These devices create plasma conditions resembling astrophysical environments like stellar winds and supernova remnants, providing valuable insights into astrophysical plasma. Theoretical models for such systems require incorporating relativistic and quantum electrodynamics effects, making experimental studies of HCIs essential for benchmarking these theories.

Spectral analysis of astrophysical and laboratory plasma requires understanding the ionization balance. Accurate atomic data, including excitation, ionization, and recombination cross sections, along with precise knowledge of operating conditions such as electron beam density, electron beam energy, and …

Mms Observations Of The Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability And Associated Ion Scale Waves, Rachel C. Rice

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The detailed mechanisms coupling the solar wind to Earth's magnetosphere are not yet fully understood. Solar wind plasma is heated non-adiabatically as it penetrates the magnetosphere, and this process must span scale sizes. Reconnection alone is not able to account for the observed heating; other mechanisms must be at work. One potential process is the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI). The KHI is a convective instability which operates at the fluid scale in plasmas, but is capable of driving secondary process at smaller scales. Previous work has shown evidence of magnetic reconnection, various ion scale wave modes, mode conversion, and turbulence associated …

Evidence For Electron Energization Accompanying Spontaneous Formation Of Ion Acceleration Regions In Expanding Plasmas, Evan M. Aguirre, Rikard Bodin, Neng Yin, Timothy N. Good, Earl E. Scime

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We report experiments conducted in an expanding argon plasma generated in the inductive mode of a helicon source in the Hot hELIcon eXperiment–Large Experiment on Instabilities and Anisotropies facility. As the neutral gas pressure increases, the supersonic ion acceleration weakens. Increasing neutral pressure also alters the radial profile of electron temperature, density, and plasma potential upstream of the plasma expansion region. Langmuir probe measurements of the electron energy probability function (EEPF) show that heating of electrons at the plasma edge by RF fields diminishes with increasing gas pressure, yielding a plasma with a centrally peaked electron temperature, and flat potential …

Solar Radio Burst Type Ii And Iii With Half Wave Dipole Antenna, Mohd Pauzi Farah Aqilah

Student Works (2020-2029)

An investigation into the physics of solar radio burst type II was done to understand the frequency gap between its fundamental and harmonic emissions that happen as aftershocks of Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). Up until now, the evolution of type II and its associated coronal wave still remain a mystery. Hazardous CME study upholds its fore coming danger to human and technology. This work also addresses the issue of the lack of spatial resolution of previous solar radio burst type II studies. An instrument produced by ETH Zürich namely the Compound Astronomical Low-cost Low-frequency Instrument for Spectroscopy and Transportable Spectrometers …

The Undeniable Attraction Of Lunar Swirls, Dany Waller

Posters-at-the-Capitol Presentations

Lunar swirls are complex patterns on the Moon with distinct brightness signatures and magnetic characteristics. Current research has suggested that the formation of lunar swirls relies on local magnetic fields to shield impinging solar wind, based on a shift in electromagnetic wavelength peaks related to solar radiation and space weathering. Our research combined recent models and methods to characterize these anomalies at the surface of the Moon, exploring the effects of field strength and position. We have produced a high resolution map of a famous swirl named Reiner Gamma using magnetic dipole modeling. These maps and models are considered when …

The Undeniable Attraction Of Lunar Swirls, Cierra Waller, Dhananjay Ravat

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Lunar swirls are complex patterns on the Moon with distinct brightness signatures and magnetic characteristics. Current research has suggested that the formation of lunar swirls relies on local magnetic fields to shield impinging solar wind, based on a shift in electromagnetic wavelength peaks related to solar radiation and space weathering. Our research combined recent models and methods to characterize these anomalies at the surface of the Moon, exploring the effects of field strength and position. We have produced a high resolution map of a famous swirl named Reiner Gamma using magnetic dipole modeling. These maps and models are considered when …

Laboratory Astrophysics: Using Ebit Measurements To Interpret High Resolution Spectra From Celestial Sources, Carey Scott, Joshua Thompson, N. Hell, Greg V. Brown

STAR Program Research Presentations

Astrophysicists use radiation to investigate the physics controlling a variety of celestial sources, including stellar atmospheres, black holes, and binary systems. By measuring the spectrum of the emitted radiation, astrophysicists can determine a source’s temperature and composition. Accurate atomic data are needed for reliably interpreting these spectra. Here we present an overview of how LLNL’s EBIT facility is used to put the atomic data on sound footing for use by the high energy astrophysics community.

3d Heliospheric Simulations Of Heavy Neutral Particles From The Interstellar Medium, Akito Kawamura

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Self‐Consistent Diffusive Lifetimes Of Weibel Magnetic Fields In Gamma‐Ray Bursts, C. H. Jaroschek, H. Lesch, R. A. Treumann

Dartmouth Scholarship

Weibel filamentation in relativistic plasma shell collisions has been demonstrated as an efficient and fast mechanism for the generation of near-equipartition magnetic fields in self-consistent particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. In generic γ-ray burst (GRB) models with kinetically dominated plasma outflow, sufficient strength and lifetime of magnetic fields are essential to validate synchrotron emission as the source of radiative outbursts. In this article we report on self-consistent PIC simulations of pair-plasma shell collisions in the highly relativistic regime with particle ensembles up to 5 × 10⁸. Energy dependence of magnetic field generation in the Weibel process is discussed, and for …

Astrophysical Plasma Diagnostics Through Analysis Of Ar Iine Shape Characteristics, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Stevan Djenize

Articles

On the basis of five accurately recorded neutral argon ( ) line shapes (in the 4s-5p transition) we have recovered the basic plasma parameters i.e. electron temperature ( T) and electron density ( N) using our new line deconvolution procedure in the case of three different plasmas created in a linear, low-pressure, pulsed arc discharge. The mentioned plasma parameters have also been measured using independent experimental diagnostic techniques. An excellent agreement has been found among the two sets of obtained parameters. This recommends our deconvolution procedure for plasma diagnostic purposes, especially in astrophysics where direct measurements of the …

Ion Contribution To The Astrophysical Important 447.15, 587.56 And 667.82 Nm He I Spectral Lines Broadening, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Stevan Djenize

Articles

Characteristics of the astrophysical important Stark broadened 447.15 nm, 587.56 nm and 667.82 nm spectral line profiles have been measured at electron densities between 0.3 10 and 8.2 10 m and electron temperatures between 8000 and 33 000 K in plasmas created in five various discharge conditions using a linear, low-pressure, pulsed arc as an optically thin plasma source operated in a helium-nitrogen-oxygen gas mixture. On the basis of the observed asymmetry of the line profiles we have obtained their ion broadening parameters ( A) caused by influence of the ion microfield on the line broadening mechanism and also …

Measured Stark Widths And Shifts Of Several Niii Sectral Lines: Temperature Dependence, Stevan Djenize, Vladimir Milosavljevic

Articles

Stark parameters (width and shift) of four doubly ionized nitrogen spectral lines, that belong to 3s-3p and 3p-3d transitions (lower multiplets), have been measured in a linear pulsed, low pressure, arc discharge in the nitrogen-oxygen and helium-nitrogen-oxygen plasmas in a (30 000 - 54 000) K electron temperature and a (0.75 10²³ - 2.8 10²³) electron density ranges. The measured values have been compared to the existing experimental and calculated data.

Measured Stark Widths Of A 425,94 Nm Ari Spectral Line, Ljiljana Skuljan, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Aleksandar Sreckovic, Stevan Djenize

Articles

No abstract provided.

Experimental Stark Shift Of Several Nii And Oii Spectral Lines, Mara Scepanovic, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Stevan Djenize, Mihajlo Platisa, Jaroslav Labat

Articles

Stark shift of four NII and seven OII spectral lines have been measured for the first time in the linear low pressure pulsed arc plasma and compared with existing theoretical values.