Low-frequency waves in asymmetric magnetized relativistic pair plasma

The properties of waves in a pulsar magnetosphere are considered in the most general case of a non-neutral, current-carrying pair plasma with arbitrary distribution functions for electrons and positrons. General dispersion relations are derived for a strong but finite magnetic field, including gyrotropic terms caused by the deviations from quasi-neutrality and the relative streaming of electrons and positrons. It is shown how the ellipticity of the wave polarization depends on the plasma parameters and angle of propagation. Two examples of plasma distributions are analysed numerically: a waterbag distribution and a piecewise distribution that models the numerical result for pair cascades. A possible application to the interpretation of the observed circular polarization of some pulsars is discussed.     

Propagation of Extremely Low Frequency Waves Through the Ionosphere

The propagation features of extremely low frequency electromagnetic waves through the multicomponent ionospheric plasma are studied. It is shown that at relatively lower frequencies refractive index for right hand mode is higher than the left-hand mode, which is reversed at higher frequencies. The thermal temperature of plasma particle causes decrease in phase and group velocities of both right and left-hand modes. The crossover frequencies for different plasma models are computed and variation with ion concentration and thermal velocity is studied. Explicit expression for group velocity and travel time has been derived and studied numerically. Finally, we have presented simulation of the ion whistler spectrograms for Hydrogen, Helium and Oxygen ions present in the ionospheric plasma. The results are compared with the experimentally detected hydrogen and helium ion whistlers. The importance of the present study in the exploration of ionospheric plasma is illustrated.     

Numerical modelling of the impact crater depth-diameter dependence in an acoustically fluidized target

2D numerical modelling of impact cratering has been utilized to quantify an important depth-diameter relationship for different crater morphologies, simple and complex. It is generally accepted that the final crater shape is the result of a gravity-driven collapse of the transient crater, which is formed immediately after the impact. Numerical models allow a quantification of the formation of simple craters, which are bowl-shaped depressions with a lens of rock debris inside, and complex craters, which are characterized by a structural uplift. The computation of the cratering process starts with the first contact of the impactor and the planetary surface and ends with the morphology of the final crater. Using different rheological models for the sub-crater rocks, we quantify the influence on crater mechanics. To explain the formation of complex craters in accordance to the threshold diameter between simple and complex craters, we utilize the Acoustic Fluidization model. We carried out a series of simulations over a broad parameter range with the goal to fit the observed depth/diameter relationships as well as the observed threshold diameters on the Moon, Earth and Venus.     

Electrostatic dust-cyclotron waves in plasmas with opposite polarity grains

The dispersion relation is derived for electrostatic dust-cyclotron (EDC) waves in a collisional plasma with dust grains having both positive and negative charges. The critical electric fields for excitation of two EDC modes in such a plasma are numerically calculated for a laboratory-type plasma.     

Particle motion and currents in the neutral sheet of the magnetospheric tail

The trajectories of plasma-sheet protons are computed numerically in magnetic-field models which simulate the neutral-sheet-type configuration observed in experiments. No electric field is included, in contrast with the reconnection theory. Entering the neutral sheet and then exiting from it, the particle performs an ordered displacement across the tail. A continuous interchange between the neutral and plasma sheets will give rise to an electric current which may be responsible for the observed magnetic-field configuration. An estimate of this current is made from the tension balance requirement, showing that a substantial anisotropy of the plasma-sheet pressure is necessary to maintain the steady state. It is shown that the neutral sheet itself can be a source of such an anisotropy, due to the non-adiabatic behaviour of protons. Other anisotropy origins are discussed briefly.     

On the collisional energy transfer between the constituents of the coronal plasma

It has been suggested that the distribution functions characterizing the constituents of the solar coronal plasma are non-Maxwellian. If so, an accurate treatment of the collisional momentum and energy exchange between the plasma constituents within the framework of hydrodynamic models requires a re-evaluation of the general transfer integrals in multi-component plasmas. We have evaluated these integrals numerically for both Maxwellian and non-Maxwellian distribution functions of the plasma species avoiding the standard approximation for the collision cross sections frequently employed in the literature. Significant differences are shown to exist in the energy exchange rates for different distributions. We also demonstrate the inadequacy of the assumption of thermodynamic equilibrium in the innermost solar wind and reveal the importance of an accurate evaluation of the transfer integrals for the solar coronal plasma based on more realistic velocity distributions.Presented at the CESRA-Workshop on Coronal Magnetic Energy Release at Caputh near Potsdam in May 1994.     

Hot plasma waves in Schwarzschild magnetosphere

In this paper we examine the wave properties of a hot plasma living in a Schwarzschild magnetosphere. The 3+1 GRMHD perturbation equations are formulated for this scenario. These equations are Fourier analyzed and then solved numerically to obtain the dispersion relations for a non-rotating, rotating non-magnetized and rotating magnetized plasma. The wave vector is evaluated, which is used to calculate the refractive index. These quantities are shown in graphs which are helpful to discuss the dispersive properties of the medium near the event horizon.     

Ion-temperature-gradient driven modes in dust-contaminated plasma with nonthermal electron distribution and dust charge fluctuations

The effect of nonthermal electrons on ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) driven modes is investigated in the presence of variable dust charge and ion shear flow. The dust charge fluctuating expression is obtained in the presence of kappa distributed electrons. A dispersion relation is derived and analyzed numerically by choosing space plasma parameters of Jupiter/Saturn magnetospheres. It is found that the presence of nonthermal electrons population reduces the growth rate of ITG mode driven instability. The effects of ion temperature, electron density and magnetic field variation on the growth rate of ITG instability are presented numerically. It is also pointed out that the present results will be useful to understand the ITG driven modes with variable dust charge and kappa distributed electrons, present in most of the space plasma environments.     

Magnetosonic rogons in electron-ion plasma

Magnetosonic rogue waves (rogons) are investigated in an electron-ion plasma by deriving the nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation for low frequency limit. The first- and second-order rogue wave solutions of the NLS equation are obtained analytically and examined numerically. It is found that for dense plasma and stronger magnetic field the nonlinearity decreases, which causes the rogon amplitude becomes shorter. However, the electron temperature pumping more energy to the background waves which are sucked to create rogue waves with taller amplitudes.     

The instability of two non-parallel plasma shells in quantum plasma

The instability of two non-relativistic non-parallel electron-proton plasma shells in quantum plasma is investigated when the perturbation wave propagates perpendicular to the direction of one of the shells. It is assumed that the ions are not affected by the perturbation. The full three-dimensional dispersion tensor is derived by the fluid-Maxwell equations and the dispersion equation has been solved numerically. It is shown that two kinds of instability, the two-stream instability and the filamentation instability, may occur in the system. The effects of the angle between two plasma shells on the growth rate of instabilities and the cut-off wave number have been illustrated.     

Mulit-ion plasmas in astrophysics

An isothermal hydrodynamic model of the motions of a multi-ion plasma in a gravitational field is developed and the properties of the flow are discussed for the case of major astrophysical interest in which the gas undergoes a subsonic-supersonic transition. It is shown that the existence of critical points thorough which the plasma has to pass will determine a large number of the plasma parameters, especially the temperature of the minor ions. The equation of motion of a two ion gas (hydrogen-helium) are solved numerically and yield the interesting result that the bulk velocity of the plasma constituents are not equal at 1 AU.Operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, under contract with the National Science Foundation.     

Virtual MHD Jets on Grids

As network performance has outpaced computational power and storage capacity, a new paradigm has evolved to enable the sharing of geographically distributed resources. This paradigm is known as Grid computing and aims to offer access to distributed resource irrespective of their physical location. Many national, European and international projects have been launched during the last years trying to explore the Grid and to change the way we are doing our everyday work. In Ireland, we have started the CosmoGrid project that is a collaborative project aimed to provide high performance super-computing environments. This will help to address complex problems such as magnetohydrodynamic outflows and jets in order to model and numerically simulate them. Indeed, the numerical modeling of plasma jets requires massive computations, due to the wide range of spatial-temporal scales involved. We present here the first jet simulations and their corresponding models that could help to understand results from laboratory experiments.     

A model for drift pair and hook burst emission from the solar corona

Combination scattering of the Cerenkov plasma waves generated by a fast electron beam on the electron density fluctuations in a magnetoactive plasma is assumed to be the cause of the emission of the drift pair (or the hook burst) from the solar corona. The features of the combination emission are studied numerically with parameters appropriate to the solar corona condition. It is found that the major properties of the drift pair and the hook burst can be accounted for.     

Self-similar expansion of white dwarfs

Properties of plasma expansion that propagates in an electron-positron-ion dense plasma are investigated. Suitable hydrodynamic equations for the ions and ultrarelativistic degenerate electrons and positrons are used. Using self-similar transformation, the basic set of nonlinear equations is solved numerically. Typical values of white dwarf stars are used to estimate the behavior of the ion number density and ion fluid velocity. The positive ions are found to initially slowly escape with high velocity when the ion-to-electron density ratio increases. For higher values of the electron number density, the self-similar solution validity domain decreases. The relevance of the results to white dwarf expansion and collapse is highlight.     

Almost-parallel electromagnetic wave propagation at frequencies near the electron plasma frequency

An approximate dispersion equation for almost-parallel electromagnetic wave propagation in a weakly relativistic plasma at frequencies near the electron plasma frequency is derived and investigated both analytically and numerically. It is pointed out that the cold plasma approximation cannot be applied to the analysis of these waves in any realistic (e.g., magnetospheric or astrophysical) plasma.     

Electron-acoustic solitary waves in a magnetized plasma with hot electrons featuring Tsallis distribution

Nonlinear dynamics of electron-acoustic solitary waves in a magnetized plasma whose constituents are cold magnetized electron fluid, hot electrons featuring Tsallis distribution, and stationary ions are examined. The nonlinear evolution equation (i.e., Zakharov–Kuznetsov (ZK) equation), governing the propagation of EAS waves in such plasma is derived and investigated analytically and numerically, for parameter regimes relevant to the dayside auroral zone. It is revealed that the amplitude, strength and nature of the nonlinear EAS waves are extremely sensitive to the degree of the hot electron nonextensivity. Furthermore, the obtained results are in good agreement with the observations made by the Viking satellite.     

Low frequency shear electromagnetic modes in strongly coupled, relativistic-degenerate, astrophysical electron-positron-ion plasmas

Starting from appropriate fluid equations, a dispersion relation describing the properties of low frequency (as compared to the ion gyrofrequency) shear electromagnetic mode in an ultra-dense, relativistic-degenerate plasma is derived and examined. The plasma constituents are fully degenerate electrons and positrons, and strongly correlated non-degenerate ions. It is found that the shear mode can couple with the electrostatic ion mode under certain circumstances. The electron and positron relativistic degeneracy and ion correlations significantly affect the waves. However, the electron degeneracy pressure is dominant because the density balance changes due to the presence of ions in electron-positron pair plasma. The results are discussed numerically in the ultra-relativistic and weakly-relativistic limits, indicating relevance to the dense plasmas, produced in laboratory (e.g., super-intense laser-dense matter experiments), and astrophysical regimes.     

A quantitative test of the ability of models based on the equation of radiative transfer to predict the bidirectional reflectance of a well-characterized medium

Predictions of two widely-used regolith reflectance models, a numerically exact computer code and an approximate analytic equation, based on the equation of radiative transfer were tested against the measured reflectance of a medium of close-packed spheres, whose properties supposedly can be well-characterized. Surprisingly, the approximate analytic model was a better match to the experimental data than the numerically exact computer solution. Other approximate regolith models were tested briefly with similar results. Discrepancies between the two models and between models and experiment can be explained if the phase functions and albedos of the spheres are not the same as when the particles are isolated. Differences include the absence of the Fraunhoffer diffraction peak, which is an intrinsic assumption of the approximate analytical model but not the exact numerical model, and increased scattering in the mid-range of phase angles, which the approximate analytic model fortuitously describes more accurately than the exact numerical model. These changes may be caused by the close proximity of surrounding particles. If they are taken into account, models based on the radiative transfer equation appear able to quantitatively predict the reflectances of regoliths and other particulate media. Interparticle perturbations are also predicted to cause a coherent backscatter opposition effect in the backward direction that was observed, but its angular width was found to be much larger than predicted by theories for sparsely-packed media.     

Current-driven plasma turbulence in a magnetic flux tube

The behaviour of a multi-component anisotropic plasma in a magnetic flux tube is studied in the presence of current-driven electrostatic ion-cyclotron turbulence. The plasma transport is considered in both parallel and perpendicular directions with respect to the given tube. As one of the sources of the parallel electric field, the anomalous resistivityof the plasma caused by the turbulence is taken into account. The acceleration and heating processes of the plasma are simulated numerically. It is found that at the upper boundary of the nightside auroral ionosphere, the resonant wave-particle interactions are most effective in the case of upward field-aligned currents with densities of a few 10^—6 A/m². The occurring anomalous resistivity maycause differences of the electric potential along the magnetic field lines of some kV. Further it is shown that the thickness of the magnetic flux tube and the intensity of the convection strongly influence the turbulent plasma heating.