Plasma irregularities caused by cycloid bunching of the CRRES G-2 barium release

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/92JA00987· OSTI ID:6820710

Bernhardt, P A; Huba, J D ^[1]; Pongratz, M B; Simons, D J; Wolcott, J H ^[2]

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1. Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)

The Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) spacecraft carried a number of barium thermite canisters for release into the upper atmosphere. The barium release labeled G-2 showed evidence of curved irregularities not aligned with the ambient magnetic field B. The newly discovered curved structures can be explained by a process called cycloid bunching. Cyclold bunching occurs when plasma is created by photoionization of a neutral cloud injected at high velocity perpendicular to B. If the injection velocity is much larger than the expansion speed of the cloud, the ion trail will form a cycloid that has irregularities spaced by the product of the perpendicular injection speed and the ion gyroperiod. Images of the solar-illuminated barium ions are compared with the results of a three-dimensional kinetic simulation. Cycloid bunching is shown to be responsible for the rapid generation of both curved and field-aligned irregularities in the CRRES G-2 experiment. 47 refs., 14 figs., 2 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6820710
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 98:A2; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BARIUM
BARIUM IONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
DISTURBANCES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELEMENTS
EXPANSION
INJECTION
INTAKE
IONIZATION
IONS
METALS
PHOTOIONIZATION
PLASMA
SATELLITES
SIMULATION
VELOCITY