The APEX north star experiment: observations of high-speed plasma jets injected perpendicular to the magnetic field

Erlandson, R. E.; Meng, C. I.; Zetzer, J. I.; Kiselev, Yu. N.; Гаврилов, Б. Г.; Stenbaek‐Nielsen, H. C.; Lynch, K. A.; Pfaff, R. F.; Swaminathan, P. K.; Kumar, C. K.; Dogra, Virendra K.; Stoyanov, B. J.; Delamere, P. A.; Bounds, S. R.; Gatsonis, Nikolaos A.

doi:10.1016/s0273-1177(02)00183-7

Cited by 15 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…5 A spherical sensor of 6.35 cm diam was mounted at the end of each electric field boom. Electric fields shown in this paper are in the payload reference frame.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The main goal of the North Star experiment 4,5 is to investigate the influence of the background density and geomagnetic field on plasma-jet dynamics and environmental phenomena accompanying plasma propagation. Two aluminum plasma injections were carried out across the geomagnetic field.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Special explosive generators that produce a high-velocity dense aluminum plasma jet were used. 5 Three separate scientific payloads allowed us to obtain data on plasma-jet evolution in the ionosphere from the time of injection essentially up to the loss of jet energy. This paper is devoted to description and preliminary analysis of particle, electric field, and magnetic field measurements during the North Star experiment.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Electric field measurements were carried out by GSFC. 5 Particle fluxes were investigated using the University of New Hampshire electrostatic analyzers. 5,10 …”

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confidence: 99%

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North Star Plasma-Jet Experiment Particles and Electric and Magnetic Field Measurements

Гаврилов¹,

Podgorny²,

Sobyanin³

et al. 2004

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets

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The results of measurements of magnetic and electric fields, plasma ions energy, and plasma density during the Russian-American North Star active experiment are presented. The experiment was carried out in the auroral ionosphere on 22 January 1999. A Black Brant XII rocket, having two explosive aluminum plasma generators plus scientific payloads onboard, was launched at 13:57:03 UT from Poker Flat, Alaska. Two plasma-jet injections across the magnetic field were made at the altitudes 280 and 360 km, respectively. Before injection 1, an air cloud was released to increase jet ionization. At injection 1, the maximum plasma density exceeded the density at injection 2 by two orders of magnitude. This can be explained by charge stripping of aluminum atoms when the jet propagated through the dense air cloud. Only at injection 1 was complete expelling of the magnetic field by the plasma jet observed. A weak plasma deceleration was indicated by magnetic field compression before the jet front. At injection 2, the magnetic field was weakened only by 1%. A polarization electric field E = − −V × × B generated field-aligned currents, which involved the ionospheric plasma in motion, and the plasma jet efficiently decelerated. Nomenclature B= magnetic field, nT E = electric field, V/cm E x , E y , E z = electric field components in the payload reference frame, V/cm l p = length of cylindrical Langmuir probe, mm m i = ion mass, amu n i = plasma density, cm −3 r p = radius of cylindrical Langmuir probe, mm V = plasma velocity, km/s V A = Alfvén velocity, km/s V p = bias of Langmuir probe, V δ B x , δ B y , δ B z = variation of magnetic field components in the payload reference frame, nT

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“…5 A spherical sensor of 6.35 cm diam was mounted at the end of each electric field boom. Electric fields shown in this paper are in the payload reference frame.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Electric field measurements were carried out by GSFC. 5 Particle fluxes were investigated using the University of New Hampshire electrostatic analyzers. 5,10 …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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North Star Plasma-Jet Experiment Particles and Electric and Magnetic Field Measurements

Гаврилов¹,

Podgorny²,

Sobyanin³

et al. 2004

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets

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“…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. 13 The North Star mission 14 was designed to study the far-field effects of high-speed plasma jets on the space environment. The goals of the North Star mission were to address, through data analysis and modeling, issues relating to the propagation of high-speed plasma jets across magnetic field lines, to investigate the role of the neutral atmosphere in secondary jet ionization processes, and to assess the CIV hypothesis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

North Star Plasma-Jet Space Experiment

Erlandson¹,

Swaminathan²,

Kumar³

et al. 2004

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets

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The objective of the Active Plasma Experiment North Star mission was to study the interaction of artificially produced aluminum ion plasma jets with the space environment. Two separate plasma jets were injected almost perpendicular to the local magnetic field during the North Star experiment. The jets were created using an explosivetype generator designed to produce a high-speed (7-42-km/s) aluminum ion plasma jet with plasma densities exceeding 10 9 cm −3 at a distance 170 m from the plasma-jet source. The first plasma-jet injection occurred at an altitude of 360 km and was preceded by the release of an artificial air cloud. The second injection occurred at an altitude of 280 km and did not include the air cloud. Interactions of the plasma jet with the local space environment and artificial air cloud were monitored using instrumentation on three diagnostic payloads, ground-based optical sensors, and space-based optical sensors. An overview is provided of the experiment, along with a summary of the principal results from the mission.

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Main Factors of Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids

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Шувалов

Svetsov

Catastrophic Events Caused by Cosmic Objects

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The APEX north star experiment: observations of high-speed plasma jets injected perpendicular to the magnetic field

Cited by 15 publications

References 8 publications

North Star Plasma-Jet Experiment Particles and Electric and Magnetic Field Measurements

North Star Plasma-Jet Experiment Particles and Electric and Magnetic Field Measurements

North Star Plasma-Jet Space Experiment

Main Factors of Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids

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