Diamagnetic effect produced by the Fluxus‐1 and ‐2 artificial plasma jet

Abstract

Abstract. The purpose of the Fluxus-1 and-2 active experiments is to study plasma jets injected parallel to the magnetic field and to study the interaction of these jets with the magnetic field. The experiments were conducted using a shaped-charge device, known as an explosive type generator (ETG), that produced an artificial aluminum plasma jet. In Fluxus -1 and-2 the jet was injected nearly parallel to the geomagnetic field at an altitude of 140 km toward an instrumented diagnostic payload located about 100 m away from the ETG. A -•50% reduction in the magnetic field was observed as the plasma jet passed by the diagnostic payload. Comparisons of 3-dimensional simulation results with the observed magnetic field perturbations suggest that the Fluxus-1 plasma jet was -•30 ø from the magnetic field direction while the Fluxus-2 plasma jet was directed nearly parallel to the magnetic field.

North Star Plasma-Jet Space Experiment

“…A similar effect was observed during the Fluxus 1 and 2 experiments. 11 In addition, an enhancement in the magnetic field was observed in front of the jet. This is possibly a result of a "snowplow" effect, where magnetic field lines are concentrated in front of the jet or a magnetosonic wave.…”

“…The first plasma-jet experiment (ETG-1) occurred near apogee at an altitude of 360 km, and the second plasma-jet experiment (ETG-2) occurred on the downward trajectory at an altitude of 280 km ( Table 1). A canister of compressed air was released prior to the first plasma-jet experiment to investigate the role of the neutral atmosphere on jet ionization and to connect the results to the previous Fluxus experiments, 10,11 conducted at 150-km altitude.…”

“…The plasma jet density observed on the diagnostic payload exceeded 10 9 cm −3 and produced a 50% reduction of the local magnetic field through the diamagnetic effect. 11 The Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) satellite observed the plasma jet injection using a suite of ultraviolet and visible imagers and spectrographic imagers. 12 The spectra observed using MSX were dominated by aluminum line emissions, as expected, although other lines characteristic of natural auroral and airglow emissions were also observed, presumably generated by a flux of electrons responsible for plasma jet neutralization.…”

Dusty Plasma Processes in Geophysics

“…The problem of interest is to investigate the possibility of an appearance of charged dust particles in active rocket experiments which involve the release of some gaseous substance in near-Earth space. This can be reached using the scheme of the experiments analogous to that of the "Fluxus" and "North Star" experiments carried out in the ionosphere at altitudes of 140, 280, and 360 km [18][19][20]. The source for the charged particle release in the ionosphere in these experiments is the generator of high-speed plasma jets.…”

“…Therefore, the plasma of the dusty ionosphere can be considered as a dusty (complex) plasma [5,13]. Dusty plasma in the ionosphere can also be formed [17] during active geophysical rocket experiments, which, e.g., use the scheme of the experiments "Fluxus" [18,19] and/or "North Star" [20] and involve the release of some gaseous substance in near-Earth space. Dusty plasmas present even in the lower atmosphere.…”