Observations of soft electron flux during SAR arc event

Attempts to test the validity of the soft electron flux hypothesis for the excitation of SAR arcs have heretofore met with no apparent success. However, observations of other emissions during the times of some SAR arcs repeatedly favour the presence of the soft electron flux in the topside ionosphere.Although no new cases of coincident measurements of SAR arc intensities and the corresponding soft electron flux values are available, an instance has been analyzed in which an SAR arc was examined shortly after an OGO 6 measurement of the soft electron flux. The SAR arc observations were then interrupted by the weather, but in view of the behaviour of the electron flux during the arc development it is believed that this event lends strong observational support to the hypothesis that soft electrons can be an excitation source for SAR arcs.In the case considered, the precipitation of soft electron flux peaks at about the same location and time of occurrence as the SAR arc. The peak value is found to be 5.2 × 10⁸ cm^?2 sec^?1, which is more than adequate to excite the observed arc.     

Hydromagnetic waves in structured magnetic fields

Although the inhomogeneous nature of solar magnetic fields is now well established, most theoretical analyses of hydromagnetic wave propagation assume infinite homogeneous fields. Here we reformulate the hydromagnetic wave problem for magnetic fields which vary in one direction perpendicular to the field. The permitted modes of small amplitude hydromagnetic oscillations are considered, first in the case of a single interface between semi-infinite magnetic and non-magnetic compressible regions, and secondly for a magnetic flux sheath of given thickness imbedded in a nonmagnetic region. It is shown that, for small values of R (the ratio of the Alfvén to the sound speed), an acoustic or p-mode wave front passes through the flux sheath with only minor deformation. However, for large R, the transmitted acoustic wave is attenuated and, depending upon the thickness of the flux sheath and the angle of incidence, a hydromagnetic wave may be effectively trapped and guided along the flux sheath. It is also shown that, for the symmetric vibration of the flux sheath in the absence of incident acoustic waves, only slow mode type waves are permitted. Thus, in compressible regions for which R > 1 the Alfvénic-type fast mode is not a permitted mode of free vibration of a flux sheath.     

Hydromagnetic waves associated with possible flux transfer events

Magnetic fluctuations in the hydromagnetic frequency band 0 to 0.05 Hz are examined at magnetospheric cusp latitudes during two times when ionospheric signatures of possible flux-transfer events were evident in the data. Ultralow frequency power is found to be very broad band in the range 0.02–0.05 Hz and to be more narrowly confined at a frequency 0.0025 Hz. At lower latitudes, the higher frequency (broad-band) power excites narrower-band field line resonances at the fundamental frequency of the respective field line — a standing Alfvén wave. The narrow-band power in the lower frequency band (period around 400 s) is approximately that expected for a field line resonance on a closed field line near the magnetopause; it also corresponds approximately to the width of the convected field-aligned current filament as observed on the ground. The reconnection process at the dayside magnetopause evidently plays an important role in the generation of low-frequency (0.008 Hz) hydromagnetic energy in the dayside magnetosphere, energy which can produce Alfvén waves deeper in the magnetosphere.Paper dedicated to Professor Hannes Alfvén on the occasion of his 80th birthday, 30 May 1988.     

Hydromagnetic vortices—I. The 11 December 1977 event

Through a synthesis of magnetometer, plasma, energetic particle and electric field data from the ISEE satellite pair, we describe the characteristics of the initial (11 December 1977) magnetotail plasma vortex event reported by Hones et al. (1978). The event is associated with a hot (β ～ 1) compressional hydromagnetic wave and apparent vortical motion is seen because at two points in the flow cycle the flow is field-aligned. The behaviour of the energetic ions receives special study : when combined with the thermal flow measurements energy dispersion is evident in the field-aligned flow, while the large pitch angle energetic ions reveal the presence of gradients. We argue that these gradients are wave-induced and use the data to determine the perpendicular wave wavelength together with the speed and direction of transverse wave propagation.     

Hydromagnetic planetary waves in vertically sheared zonal flow and transverse magnetic field

Hydromagnetic planetary waves propagating through a zonal flow and a transverse magnetic field both of which are sheared in the vertical direction are studied. It is found that the effect of the transverse magnetic field is to make planetary waves, which characteristically propagate westwards, propagate eastwards in both westerly and easterly zonal flows. It is also shown that at a critical level the rays are guided by the zonal flow only and that the waves are either attenuated or escalated by an exponential factor as they cross a critical level.     

Hydromagnetic waves driven by velocity shear instability in the magnetospheric boundary layer

The bulk flow of the solar wind plasma in the flank-side of the magnetospheric boundary layer, where the magnetic field lines are closed, has a component transverse to the ambient field. There is quite a strong velocity shear. The theoretical model ignores inhomogeneities in the ambient field and the mass density which occur at the magnetopause on about the same length scale as that of the velocity shear.Consideration is restricted to hydromagnetic waves which have a k-vector nearly normal to the B_o-V_o plane, i.e., approximately the magnetopause surface (k_x >k_z ～ k_y′k_xL_B > 1 and L_B = 0.1 ～ 1.0 R_E where L_B is a characteristic length of the boundary layer). It is found that a long-period (T ? 40 sec) hydromagnetic wave [the Alfvén-like wave ($\text{Ω}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>A</mtext>}}$)] driven by velocity shear instability can be excited in the shear plasma. It is also found that the group velocity of the HM-wave is directed almost along the magnetic field line and that the magnetic variance in the shear plasma tends to be parallel to the B_o-V_o plane. The velocity shear instability in the magnetospheric boundary layer is judged to be a likely source of long-period magnetic pulsations.     

Hydromagnetic stability of a plasma jet

The hydromagnetic stability of a planar jet moving in an external magnetized plasma is investigated assuming the fluids to be infinitely conducting, compressible plasmas and allowing for different magnetic field strengths and their different relative orientation within and outside the jet. Numerical results on growth rates of unstable modes are obtained both for kink and sausage perturbations for an incompressible jet, as also for a compressible jet in the limit of the wide and slender jet approximations.     

Hydromagnetic interaction in a fluid dielectric

It is shown that a dielectric fluid is capable of hydromagnetic interaction, much like a conducting fluid. The physical principle of this interaction is outlined and the criteria for dominance of the interaction are derived.     

Hydromagnetic stability of a rotating baroclinic star

The magnetohydrodynamic stability of rotating baroclinic star has been studied in the presence of poloidal and toroidal magnetic fields taking into account the diffusive effects. Necessary conditions for stability have been found by normal mode analysis under small wavelength approximation.     

Hydromagnetic oscillations of a self-gravitating fluid spheroid

The oscillations of a homogeneous, compressible, self gravitating fluid spheroid in static equilibrium with a poloidal magnetic field inside and a dipole type field outside are studied using the second order tensor virial equations. It is found that for small values of the eccentricity, the equilibrium model is dynamically stable provided the usual criterion of pulsative stability in the absence of a magnetic field (>4/3) is satisfied. The magnetic field removes the accidental degeneracy of the radial and the non-radial modes of oscillation which exists for =1.6 in the absence of a magnetic field.     

Hot plasma waves surrounding the Schwarzschild event horizon in a Veselago medium

This paper investigates wave properties of hot plasma in a Veselago medium. For the Schwarzschild black hole, the 3+1 GRMHD equations are re-formulated which are linearly perturbed and then Fourier analyzed for rotating (non-magnetized and magnetized) plasmas. The graphs of wave vector, refractive index and change in refractive are used to discuss the wave properties. The results obtained confirm the presence of Veselago medium for both rotating (non-magnetized and magnetized) plasmas. This work generalized the isothermal plasma waves in the Veselago medium to hot plasma case.     

Observations of a surge prominence as a continuum event

Observations of a surge prominence event on 31 May 1971 are discussed. The continuum emission observed during the upward acceleration of the surge is attributed to the scattering of photospheric radiation by free electrons. The observed scattered light intensity amounts to a few times 10^–5 that of the central disk intensity leading to a column density of n _e L10²⁰ cm^–2. The actual electron density when taking into account the presence of inhomogeneities is n _e 10¹² cm^–3. The dynamic and morphological behaviour of the surge is considered.     

Hydromagnetic stability of a compressible plasma with hall-currents

The hydromagnetic stability of an electrically conducting compressible plasma having variable density in the vertical direction has been investigated taking into account the effects of Hallcurrents. The solution is shown to be characterized by a variational principle. Based on the existence of variational principle, the dispersion relation has been obtained for the case of a plasma having exponentially varying density with special reference to stellar atmosphere. It is found that both compressibility of the medium and Hall-currents destabilize the configuration for the disturbances, for which it was stable otherwise. The Hall-currents even suppress the mode of maximum instability for large magnitudes.     

Hydromagnetic stability of a gas-liquid interface of coaxial cylinders

The method of Fourier analysis of the light changes in the frequency-domain has been studied and discussed for 92 light curves of different types of eclipsing binary systems.Geometrical and physical elements of the systems under analysis have been listed and discussed, accordingly the advantages and disadvantages of the method is presented.The results show that the method is suitable for analysis of detached and most of the semi-detached systems, while for contact binaries and -Lyrae-type stars it has some difficulties. The light curve synthesis method is recommended.     

Hydromagnetic free-convection flow near a time-varying accelerated vertical plate

The effect of a uniform transverse magnetic field on the free-convection flow of an electrically conducting fluid past an exponentially accelerated infinite vertical plate is analysed for both cases, when the magnetic lines of force are fixed relative to the fluid and the plate, respectively. The Laplace transform method is used to obtain the expressions for velocity and skin-friction. The effect of a magnetic parameter is to decrease the velocity of water when the magnetic field is fixed to the fluid, while it increases the velocity field when the magnetic lines of force are fixed relative to the plate.     

Hydromagnetic stability of rotating gas

Hydromagnetic stability of an inviscid perfectly conducting rotating gas is studied. The compressibility effects are shown not to promote stability of the flow under consideration.     

Bombardment as a cause of the lunar asymmetry

A comparison of the lunar frontside gravity field with topography indicates that low-density ( 2.9 g cm^–3) types of rock form a surface layer or crust of variable thickness: 40-60 km beneath terrae; 20-40 km beneath non-mascon maria; 0-20 km beneath mascon maria. The observed offset between lunar centers of mass and figure is consistent with farside crustal thicknesses of 40-50 km, similar to frontside terra thicknesses.The Moon is asymmetric in crustal thickness, and also in the distribution of maria and gamma radioactivity. Early bombardment of the Moon by planetesimals, in both heliocentric and geocentric orbits, is examined as a possible cause of the asymmetries. The presence of a massive companion (Earth) causes a spin-orbit coupled Moon to be bombarded non-uniformly. The most pronounced local concentration of impacts would have occurred on the west limb of the Moon, when it orbited close to the Earth, if low-eccentricity heliocentric planetesimals were still abundant in the solar system at that time.A very intense bombardment of this type could have redistributed crustal material on the Moon, thinning the west limb crust appreciably. This would have caused a change in position of the principal axes of inertia, and a reorientation of the spin-orbit coupled Moon such that the thinnest portion of its crust turned toward one of the poles. Erupting lavas would have preferentially flooded such a thin-crusted, low-lying area. This would have caused another readjustment of principal moments, and a reorientation of the Moon such that the mare areas tipped toward the equator. The north-south and nearside-farside asymmetries of mare distribution on the present Moon can be understood in terms of such a history.Paper dedicated to Prof. Harold C. Urey on the occasion of his 80th birthday on 29 April 1973.     

Proton observations supporting the ion cyclotron wave heating theory of SAR arc formation

Low altitude satellite observations of precipitated and locally mirroring protons during periods of ground-based SAR arc observations are presented. The SAR arcs are found to be located in a region with significantly enhanced proton pitch angle scattering and enhanced electron temperature, but inside the plasmapause where the proton pitch angle distribution is anisotropic. The increase in the pitch angle scattering takes place in a localized region having a width of a few tenths of a L-value. The observations can favourably be accounted for by the Cornwall et al. (1971) theory for the SAR arc formation. Using observed proton fluxes and typical energy spectra, the expected Hβ intensity in the SAR arc region is estimated to be a few Rayleighs, and the energy flux from precipitated protons above a few keV to be 10^?2?10^?1erg/cm²s. These estimates are in reasonable agreement with previously published theoretical and experimental values. Simultaneous groundbased observations of Hα emissions were found in the region of intense, isotropic proton precipitation located outside the plasmapause.