Plasma Motions Induced by Satellites in the Ionosphere

Kraus, L.; Watson, Kenneth

doi:10.1063/1.1724371

Cited by 59 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Plasma flowing past a spacecraft will create a wake downstream of this obstacle, as has been studied from the beginning of the space age (e.g., Kraus andWatson 1958, Rand 1960). However, most earlier wake studies are not directly applicable to the case of a positively charged spacecraft in a low-density supersonic polar wind.…”

Section: The Solutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Previously hidden low-energy ions: a better map of near-Earth space and the terrestrial mass balance

André

2015

Phys. Scr.

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This is a review of the mass balance of planet Earth, intended also for scientists not usually working with space physics or geophysics. The discussion includes both outflow of ions and neutrals from the ionosphere and upper atmosphere, and the inflow of meteoroids and larger objects. The focus is on ions with energies less than tens of eV originating from the ionosphere. Positive low-energy ions are complicated to detect onboard sunlit spacecraft at higher altitudes, which often become positively charged to several tens of volts. We have invented a technique to observe low-energy ions based on the detection of the wake behind a charged spacecraft in a supersonic ion flow. We find that low-energy ions usually dominate the ion density and the outward flux in large volumes in the magnetosphere. The global outflow is of the order of 10 26 ions s -1 . This is a significant fraction of the total number outflow of particles from Earth, and changes plasma processes in near-Earth space. We compare order of magnitude estimates of the mass outflow and inflow for planet Earth and find that they are similar, at around 1 kg s −1 (30 000 ton yr −1 ). We briefly discuss atmospheric and ionospheric outflow from other planets and the connection to evolution of extraterrestrial life.

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Section: The Solutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Previously hidden low-energy ions: a better map of near-Earth space and the terrestrial mass balance

André

2015

Phys. Scr.

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“…We do not however restrict ourselves to a one-component plasma. In connection with the field around a small satellite, considered by Kraus and Watson,22 it is necessary to consider the ions since the satellite velocity is comparable more with the ion velocity than the electron velocity. In this plasma there are two modes of longitudinal excitation, namely, ion acoustic waves and electron plasma waves, but if the test particle is much slower than the electron thermal velocity then only the ion waves can be excited-the case considered by the above authors.…”

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confidence: 99%

The Screened Field of a Test Particle

Dewar

2009

In Celebration of K C Hines

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The screened field (forward field and wake) of a test particle moving at constant velocity through an unmagnetized collisionless plasma is calculated analytically and numerically. This paper is based on unpublished material from my MSc thesis, supervised by the late Dr K. C. Hines.Comment: 27 pp, 14 fig Publ "In Celeb Of KC Hines," www.worldscibooks.com/physics/7604.html. Based on Chs 2 & 3 of "Particle-field interactions in a plasma," RL Dewar, MSc Thesis, U Melbourne '67. v2: $\sin\psi$ and $\cos\psi$ interchanged after Eq. (4.1); v3: typos corrected pp 3, 4, 5, 19, in partic. repl. $q$ by $q/\epsilon_0$ & putting hat on k in arg. of \Phi in Eq.(2.5). See also arXiv 1107.520

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“…We note that the term J(u)6 (r) in Equation (3,10), which was deduced from simple considerations, is in fact identical with the corresponding term in Equation (2,59) which was obtained as a result of a Fourier transformation with a rigorous limiting procedure corresponding to q ~ 0. It must, of course, be remembered that in Equation (2,58) the magnetic field H has been set equal to zero.…”

Section: (U -Vo) + [Un] + = J (U)~ (R)mentioning

confidence: 96%

“…,~r ou lw~c ~foU~ (3,10) where the condition Ofo/eU = -(Mifo/kT)u has been allowed for. We note that the term J(u)6 (r) in Equation (3,10), which was deduced from simple considerations, is in fact identical with the corresponding term in Equation (2,59) which was obtained as a result of a Fourier transformation with a rigorous limiting procedure corresponding to q ~ 0.…”

Section: (U -Vo) + [Un] + = J (U)~ (R)mentioning

confidence: 99%