Preliminary study of the CRRES magnetospheric barium releases

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/91JA02144· OSTI ID:5398900

Huba, J D; Bernhardt, P A; Lyon, J G ^[1]

---

1. Naval Research Lab., Washington DC (United States)

Preliminary theoretical and computational analyses of the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) magnetospheric barium releases are presented. The focus of the studies is on the evolution of the diamagnetic cavity which is formed by the barium ions as they expand outward, and on the structuring of the density and magnetic field during the expansion phase of the releases. Two sets of simulation studies are discussed. The first set is based upon a two-dimensional ideal MHD code and provides estimates of the time and length scales associated with the formation and collapse of the diamagnetic cavity. The second set uses a nonideal MHD code; specifically, the Hall term is included. This additional term is critical to the dynamics of sub-Alfvenic plasma expansions, such as the CRRES barium releases, because it leads to instability of the expanding plasma. The authors performed detailed barium releases, because it leads to instability of the expanding plasma rapidly structured: the G4 release structured at time {approx lt} 3 s and developed scale sizes {approximately} 1-2 km, while the G10 release structured at time t {approx lt} 22 s and developed scale sizes {approximately} 10-15 km. They also find that the diamagnetic cavity size is reduced from those obtained from the ideal MHD results because of the structure. On the other hand, the structuring allows the formation of plasma blobs which appear to free stream across the magnetic field; thus, the barium plasma can propagate to larger distances transverse to the magnetic field than the case where no structuring occurs.

• OSTI ID: 5398900
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 97:A1; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BARIUM IONS
BEAM INJECTION
CHARGED PARTICLES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DATA ANALYSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
EXPANSION
INSTABILITY
ION BEAM INJECTION
ION DENSITY
IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA EXPANSION
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MICROINSTABILITIES
SIMULATION