The zonal E×B plasma drift effects on the low latitude ionosphere electron density at solar minimum near equinox

The F2-layer peak density, NmF2, and peak altitude, hmF2, which were observed by 12 ionospheric sounders during the 20 September 1964 geomagnetically quiet time period at solar minimum are compared with those calculated by the three-dimensional time-dependent theoretical model of the Earth's low and middle latitude ionosphere and plasmasphere. The modeled NmF2 are also compared with those measured during the geomagnetically quiet time periods of 12–15, 18–21, and 26 September 1964 to take into account observed day-to-day ionospheric variability. Major features of the data are reproduced by the model if the corrected HWM90 neutral wind is used. The changes in NmF2 due to the zonal E×B plasma drift are found to be less than 20% in the daytime low latitude ionosphere. The model, which does not take into account the zonal E×B plasma drift, underestimates night-time NmF2 up to the maximum factor of 2 at low geomagnetic latitudes. The night-time increase of NmF2 caused by the zonal E×B plasma drift is less pronounced at −20° and 20° geomagnetic latitudes in comparison with that between −10° and 10° geomagnetic latitude. The longitude dependence of the calculated night-time low latitude influence of the zonal E×B plasma drift on NmF2 is explained in terms of the longitudinal asymmetry in B (the eccentric magnetic dipole is displaced from the Earth's center and the Earth's eccentric tilted magnetic dipole moment is inclined with respect to the Earth's rotational axis), and the variations of the wind induced plasma drift and the meridional E×B plasma drift in geomagnetic longitude. The difference between the hmF2 values calculated by including the effect of zonal E×B drift and that obtained when it is excluded does not exceed 19 km in the low latitude ionosphere. Over the geomagnetic equator the zonal E×B plasma drift produces the maximum increase in the electron density by a factor of 1.06–1.48 and 1.05–1.30 at 700 and 1000 km altitude, respectively, and this increase is not significant above about 1500 km. Changes in the vertical electron content, VEC, caused by the zonal E×B plasma do not exceed 16% during the day, while the value of the night-time VEC is increased up to a factor of 1.4 due to this drift. The maximum effects of the zonal E×B plasma drift on the night-time electron density derived from the model results corresponding to solar minimum and maximum are quite comparable.     

井间电磁场时域有限差分数值模拟

为进一步了解井间地下介质结构及其电性特征,本文用时域有限差分方法(FDTD),实现了井间电磁场响应的数值模拟.激发源是探测深度相对磁偶极子更大一些的电偶极子,首先选择一个位于井轴上的垂直电偶极子作为场源,并假设参与计算的介质相对于发射井井轴是轴向对称的,这样可将研究区域作为二维问题处理.推导了二维井间电磁波传播时域差分公式.该方法适用于任何方向入射的电偶极子源,尤其善于解决频域差分方法所难以描述的宽频脉冲.给出了井间金属圆柱和矿体圆柱数值模拟2个例子,结果表明,时域有限差分方法能有效的模拟井间地下介质中电磁波的传播,揭示电磁波传播规律.该方法速度快、精度高、结果稳定,适合用于井间电磁场反演成像的正演响应计算.     

Motions and magnetic fields in filaments

Based on the developed method of jointly using data on the magnetic fields and brightness of filaments and coronal holes (CHs) at various heights in the solar atmosphere as well as on the velocities in the photosphere, we have obtained the following results:

The upward motion of matter is typical of filament channels in the form of bright stripes that often surround the filaments when observed in the HeI 1083 nm line.

The filament channels observed simultaneously in Hα and HeI 1083 nm differ in size, emission characteristics, and other parameters. We conclude that by simultaneously investigating the filament channels in two spectral ranges, we can make progress in understanding the physics of their formation and evolution.

Most of the filaments observed in the HeI 1083 nm line consist of dark knots with different velocity distributions in them. A possible interpretation of these knots is offered.

The height of the small-scale magnetic field distribution near the individual dark knots of filaments in the solar atmosphere varies between 3000 and 20000 km.

The zero surface separating the large-scale magnetic field structures in the corona and calculated in the potential approximation changes the inclination to the solar surface with height and is displaced in one or two days.

The observed formation of a filament in a CH was accompanied by a significant magnetic field variation in the CH region at heights from 0 to 30000 km up to the change of the predominant field sign over the entire CH area. We assume that this occurs at the stage of CH disappearance.

     

Models of magnetic field generation in partly stable planetary cores: Applications to Mercury and Saturn

A substantial part of Mercury's iron core may be stably stratified because the temperature gradient is subadiabatic. A dynamo would operate only in a deep sublayer. We show that such a situation arises for a wide range of values for the heat flow and the sulfur content in the core. In Saturn the upper part of the metallic hydrogen core could be stably stratified because of helium depletion. The magnetic field is unusually weak in the case of Mercury and unusually axisymmetric at Saturn. We study numerical dynamo models in rotating spherical shells with a stable outer region. The control parameters are chosen such that the magnetic Reynolds number is in the range of expected Mercury values. Because of its slow rotation, Mercury may be in a regime where the dipole contribution to the internal magnetic field is weak. Most of our models are in this regime, where the dynamo field consists mainly of rapidly varying higher multipole components. They can hardly pass the stable conducting layer because of the skin effect. The weak low-degree components vary more slowly and control the structure of the field outside the core, whose strength matches the observed field strength at Mercury. In some models the axial dipole dominates at the planet's surface and in others the axial quadrupole is dominant. Differential rotation in the stable layer, representing a thermal wind, is important for attenuating non-axisymmetric components in the exterior field. In some models that we relate to Saturn the axial dipole is intrinsically strong inside the dynamo. The surface field strength is much larger than in the other cases, but the stable layer eliminates non-axisymmetric modes. The Messenger and Bepi Colombo space missions can test our predictions that Mercury's field is large-scaled, fairly axisymmetric, and shows no secular variations on the decadal time scale.     

The porosity and engineering properties of vesicular basalt in Saudi Arabia

The presence of non-connected vesicles in extensive basalt flows in western Saudi Arabia greatly affects their engineering properties such as compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, Poisson's ratio and sonic velocities. In order to evaluate some of these properties, the density and/or the porosity of the material must be known. Using conventional methods to determine the porosity or the density of irregular lumps proved to be erroneous. An image analysis technique is suggested to estimate the porosity of the vesicular basalt. The estimated values were correlated against the calculated porosity values using core samples, and were found to have excellent correlation (R=0.99). The estimated porosity values were also correlated against the static and dynamic properties of the basalt and a good level of correlation (R=0.77) was obtained.     

Observations of Alfvén Ionospheric Resonances on the Earth's Surface

The paper briefly reviews the preliminary results of observations of Alfvén ionospheric resonances performed in the northern Carpathian Mountains (south-eastern Poland) by the Cracow Schumann Resonances Group. The results confirm the simple models proposed recently by Lysak and Sentman.