Publications

2012

• Multi-scale Cluster observations of reconnection jet fronts/braking regions and associated particle energization in near-Earth magnetotail
  
  • Retinò Alessandro
  • Vaivads A.
  • Zieger B.
  • Fujimoto M.
  • Kasahara S.
  • Nakamura R.
  , 2012. Reconnection jet fronts, the boundaries separating jetting from ambient plasma, and jet braking regions, where jets eventually stop/dissipate, play a key role for the near-Earth magnetotail e.g. in terms of particle energization. Recent Cluster orbits, where two spacecraft are separated by ~ 100 km (sub-proton scales) while being separated from the others by ~ 10000 km (MHD scales), allow the unique possibility to study jet fronts/braking regions and associated particle energization at different scales. Here we present Cluster observations from such orbits, focusing in particular on the datasets from the upcoming Cluster Guest Investigator campaign.
• Solar wind charge exchange X-ray emission from Mars.
  
  • Koutroumpa Dimitra
  • Modolo Ronan
  • Chanteur Gérard
  • Chaufray Jean-Yves
  • Kharchenko V.
  • Lallement Rosine
  Astronomy & Astrophysics - A&A, EDP Sciences, 2012, 545, pp.A153. We study the soft X-ray emission induced by charge exchange (CX) collisions between solar-wind, highly charged ions and neutral atoms of the Martian exosphere. A 3D multi species hybrid simulation model with improved spatial resolution (130 km) is used to describe the interaction between the solar wind and the Martian neutrals. We calculated velocity and density distributions of the solar wind plasma in the Martian environment with realistic planetary ions description, using spherically symmetric exospheric H and O profiles. Following that, a 3D test-particle model was developed to compute the X-ray emission produced by CX collisions between neutrals and solar wind minor ions. The model results are compared to XMM-Newton observations of Mars. We calculate projected X-ray emission maps for the XMM-Newton observing conditions and demonstrate how the X-ray emission reflects the Martian electromagnetic structure in accordance with the observed X-ray images. Our maps confirm that X-ray images are a powerful tool for the study of solar wind - planetary interfaces. However, the simulation results reveal several quantitative discrepancies compared to the observations. Typical solar wind and neutral coronae conditions corresponding to the 2003 observation period of Mars cannot reproduce the high luminosity or the corresponding very extended halo observed with XMM-Newton. Potential explanations of these discrepancies are discussed. (10.1051/0004-6361/201219720)
  DOI : 10.1051/0004-6361/201219720
• A hemispherical retarding field energy analyzer to characterize spatially and angularly extended electron beams
  
  • Cipriani Fabrice
  • Leblanc Frédéric
  • Illiano Jean-Marie
  • Berthelier Jean-Jacques
  European Physical Journal: Applied Physics, EDP Sciences, 2012, 60 (2), pp.21002 (7 p.). We have designed and built a hemispherical retarding field energy analyzer in order to facilitate characterization of large area electron emitters (typically field emitter arrays with active areas up to 1 cm2) with large angular aperture. A complete numerical model of the analyzer has been built, including perturbations due to secondary particles, in order to determine the analyzer performances. The analyzer energy resolution is better than 100 meV for an energy range up to 120 eV. The analyzer has a global field of view of 112° and allows measurements of the energy distribution of the beam as a function of the emission angle, as well as measurements of the beam intensity profile along any section of the beam. We have successfully used the analyzer to characterize the electron beam emitted by 1 cm2 Mo microtips-based field emitter arrays. (10.1051/epjap/2012120011)
  DOI : 10.1051/epjap/2012120011
• Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon thin films deposited by RF-PECVD under low ion bombardment energy using voltage waveform tailoring
  
  • Johnson E.V.
  • Pouliquen S.
  • Delattre Pierre-Alexandre
  • Booth Jean-Paul
  Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Elsevier, 2012, 358 (17), pp.1974-1977. We present experimental results for hydrogenated amorphous and microcrystalline silicon (a-Si:H and μc-Si:H) thin films deposited by PECVD while using a voltage waveform tailoring (VWT) technique to create an electrical asymmetry in the reactor. VWT dramatically modifies the mean ion bombardment energy (IBE) during growth, and we show that for a constant peak-to-peak excitation voltage (VPP), waveforms resembling peaks or valleys result in very different material properties. Using Raman scattering spectroscopy, we show that the crystallinity of the material depends strongly on the IBE, as controlled by VWT. A detailed examination of the Raman scattering spectra reveals that the narrow peak at 520 cm− 1 is disproportionately enhanced by lowering the IBE through the VWT technique. We examine this effect for a range of process parameters, varying the pressure, hydrogensilane dilution ratio, and total flow of H2. In addition, the Sisingle bondHX bonding in silicon thin films deposited using VWT is characterised for the first time, showing that the hydrogen bonding character is changed by the IBE. These results demonstrate the potential for VWT in controlling the IBE during thin film growth, thus ensuring that application-appropriate film densities and crystallinities are achieved, independent of the injected RF power. (10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2012.01.014)
  DOI : 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2012.01.014
• Model of a low-pressure radio-frequency inductive discharge in Ar/O<SUB>2</SUB> used for plasma spray deposition
  
  • Lazzaroni Claudia
  • Baba K.
  • Nikravech M.
  • Chabert Pascal
  Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, IOP Publishing, 2012, 45, pp.485207. A global (volume-averaged) model of a low-pressure radio-frequency (RF) inductive discharge used for nanostructured zinc oxide thin film deposition, the so-called spray-plasma device, is proposed. The plasma reactor is fed with an admixture of argon and oxygen and the pressure is typically several tens of mTorr. In the first step of the modelling, the injector and the substrate holder are not taken into account, and therefore zinc-containing species are not considered. The global model is based on the numerical integration of the particle balance equations and the electronic power balance equation. The model is first run until the steady state is reached to determine the equilibrium discharge parameters that are the species densities and the electron temperature. A parametric study is carried out varying the gas pressure, the RF power and the O2 fraction in the reactor. A parameter of great importance for the deposition process is the flux of the reactive species on the substrate holder and the model allows a fast exploration of this parameter. For continuous plasmas, the ratio of the reactive species flux to the total positive ion flux can be controlled varying the three basic parameters cited before (pressure, power and dilution). In the last part of the paper, we also investigate pulsed plasmas and the effect of the duty cycle variations on the neutral/ion flux ratio. (10.1088/0022-3727/45/48/485207)
  DOI : 10.1088/0022-3727/45/48/485207
• Control of the ion flux and ion energy in CCP discharges using non-sinusoidal voltage waveforms
  
  • Lafleur Trevor
  • Booth Jean-Paul
  Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, IOP Publishing, 2012, 45, pp.395203. Using particle-in-cell simulations we perform a characterization of the ion flux and ion energy in a capacitively coupled rf plasma reactor excited with non-sinusoidal voltage waveforms. The waveforms used are positive Gaussian type pulses (with a repetition frequency of 13.56 MHz), and as the pulse width is decreased, three main effects are identified that are not present in typical symmetric sinusoidal discharges: (1) the ion flux (and plasma density) rapidly increases, (2) as the pressure increases a significant asymmetry in the ion fluxes to the powered and grounded electrodes develops and (3) the average ion energy on the grounded electrode cannot be made arbitrarily small, but in fact remains essentially constant (together with the bias voltage) for the pressures investigated (20500 mTorr). Effects (1) and (3) potentially offer a new form of control in these types of rf discharges, where the ion flux can be increased while keeping the average ion energy on the grounded electrode constant. This is in contrast with the opposite control mechanism recently identified in Donkó et al (2009 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 025205), where by changing the phase angle between applied voltage harmonics the ion flux can be kept constant while the ion energy (and bias voltage) varies. (10.1088/0022-3727/45/39/395203)
  DOI : 10.1088/0022-3727/45/39/395203
• On application of quantum cascade lasers for plasma diagnostics : A Review
  
  • Röpcke J.
  • Davies P.B.
  • Lang N.
  • Rousseau Antoine
  • Welzel S.
  Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, IOP Publishing, 2012, 45, pp.423001. Over the past few years mid-infrared absorption spectroscopy based on quantum cascade lasers operating over the region from 3 to 12 µm and called quantum cascade laser absorption spectroscopy or QCLAS has progressed considerably as a powerful diagnostic technique for in situ studies of the fundamental physics and chemistry of molecular plasmas. The increasing interest in processing plasmas containing hydrocarbons, fluorocarbons, nitrogen oxides and organo-silicon compounds has led to further applications of QCLAS because most of these compounds and their decomposition products are infrared active. QCLAS provides a means of determining the absolute concentrations of the ground states of stable and transient molecular species at time resolutions below a microsecond, which is of particular importance for the investigation of reaction kinetics and dynamics. Information about gas temperature and population densities can also be derived from QCLAS measurements. Since plasmas with molecular feed gases are used in many applications such as thin film deposition, semiconductor processing, surface activation and cleaning, and materials and waste treatment, this has stimulated the adaptation of QCLAS techniques to industrial requirements including the development of new diagnostic equipment. The recent availability of external cavity (EC) QCLs offers a further new option for multi-component detection. The aim of this paper is fourfold: (i) to briefly review spectroscopic issues arising from applying pulsed QCLs, (ii) to report on recent achievements in our understanding of molecular phenomena in plasmas and at surfaces, (iii) to describe the current status of industrial process monitoring in the mid-infrared and (iv) to discuss the potential of advanced instrumentation based on EC-QCLs for plasma diagnostics. (10.1088/0022-3727/45/42/423001)
  DOI : 10.1088/0022-3727/45/42/423001
• Seasonal TEC Variability in West Africa Equatorial Anomaly Region
  
  • Zoundi Christian
  • Ouattara Frédéric
  • Fleury Rolland
  • Amory-Mazaudier Christine
  • Lassudrie-Duchesne Patrick
  European Journal of Scientific Research, EuroJournals, 2012, 77 (3), pp.309-319. This paper presented the seasonal variability of TEC/ GPS data recorded at Ouagadougou a West Africa GPS station located near the magnetic equator. Seasonal data TEC time variations are compared to those of TEC derived from IGS GPS network maps. The present study showed that TEC map model predicts well data TEC during equinoctial months and fairly well during solstice months. The best prediction is obtained during spring and the worst during winter. The analysis of seasonal TEC profiles highlighted that model accuracy shows seasonal variations with respect to the complexity of TEC time variations. This work pointed out that model accuracy depends not only on the integration of station data in IGS GPS network data but also on the presence of daytime multi-peaks and/or the presence and the amplitude of night time peak. Solstice and summer data TEC analysis showed that those present F2 layer annual anomaly.
• Transition from Weak to Strong Cascade in MHD Turbulence
  
  • Verdini Andrea
  • Grappin Roland
  Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society, 2012, 109, pp.025004. The transition from weak to strong turbulence when passing from large to small scales in magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence with guide field is a cornerstone of anisotropic turbulence theory. We present the first check of this transition, using the Shell-RMHD, which combines a shell model of perpendicular nonlinear coupling and linear propagation along the guide field. This model allows us to reach Reynolds numbers around 106. We obtain surprisingly good agreement with the theoretical predictions, with a reduced perpendicular energy spectrum scaling as k^-2 at large scales and as k_⊥^-5/3 at small scales, where critical balance between nonlinear and propagation time is reached. However, even in the strong regime, a high level of excitation is found in the weak coupling region of Fourier space, which is due to the rich frequency spectrum of large eddies. A corollary is that the reduced parallel spectral slope is not a definite test of the spectral anisotropy, contrary to standard belief. (10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.025004)
  DOI : 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.025004
• Afterglow kinetics in oxygen pulsed discharges
  
  • Guerra V.
  • Marinov Daniil
  • Guaitella Olivier
  • Rousseau Antoine
  , 2012.
• Entropy Generation across Earth's Collisionless Bow Shock
  
  • Parks G. K.
  • Lee E.
  • Mccarthy M.
  • Goldstein M. L.
  • Fu S. Y.
  • Cao J.B.
  • Canu Patrick
  • Lin N.
  • Wilber M.
  • Dandouras I.
  • Rème H.
  • Fazakerley A.
  Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society, 2012, 108, pp.061102. Earth's bow shock is a collisionless shock wave but entropy has never been directly measured across it. The plasma experiments on Cluster and Double Star measure 3D plasma distributions upstream and downstream of the bow shock allowing calculation of Boltzmann's entropy function H and his famous H theorem, dH/dt<=0. The collisionless Boltzmann (Vlasov) equation predicts that the total entropy does not change if the distribution function across the shock becomes nonthermal, but it allows changes in the entropy density. Here, we present the first direct measurements of entropy density changes across Earth's bow shock and show that the results generally support the model of the Vlasov analysis. These observations are a starting point for a more sophisticated analysis that includes 3D computer modeling of collisionless shocks with input from observed particles, waves, and turbulences. (10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.061102)
  DOI : 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.061102
• Larger Size Planar Wire Arrays with a Modified Central Plane and Their Applications on Zebra with LCM
  
  • Safronova Alla S.
  • Esaulov A.
  • Kantsyrev Viktor L.
  • Chuvatin Alexandre S.
  • Coverdale C.
  • Jones B.
  • Shlyaptseva V. V.
  • Weller Michael E.
  • Stafford A.
  • Shrestha Ishor
  • Osborne Glenn C.
  • Keim S. F.
  , 2012, 57 (12), pp.BO5.00009.
• Radiative properties of mixed nested cylindrical wire arrays on Zebra at UNR
  
  • Weller Michael E.
  • Safronova Alla S.
  • Kantsyrev Viktor L.
  • Esaulov A. A.
  • Coverdale C. A.
  • Chuvatin Alexandre S.
  • Ouart N. D.
  • Williamson Kenneth M.
  • Shrestha Ishor
  • Osborne Glenn C.
  • Shlyaptseva V. V.
  • Keim S. F.
  • Stafford A.
  High Energy Density Physics, Elsevier, 2012, 8 (2), pp.184-189. The dynamics of mixed nested cylindrical wire arrays were studied at the UNR Zebra generator with our existing theoretical and experimental tools to better understand the contributions of each array to the emitted radiation. In particular, experimental results of mixed brass (70% Cu, 30% Zn) and Al (5056, 5% Mg) nested cylindrical wire arrays are analyzed and compared. The loads used brass in the inner array and Al in the outer array, or alternately, Al in the inner array and brass in the outer array, with a mass ratio of 1:1 (outer to inner). Consequently, radiative properties of K-shell Al and Mg ions and L-shell Cu and Zn ions are compared as functions of the placements of the brass and Al wires on the inner and outer arrays. Results show that the placement of brass and Al, whether on the inner or outer array, dramatically affects the intensity of the X-ray emission. Specifically, the ratio of Cu L-shell to Al K-shell emissions changed from 4 when Al is in the outer array to 40 when brass is in the outer array, and the total radiated yield was highest when the brass was on the outer array (18 kJ, versus 15 kJ when brass is on the inner array). Each load was fielded twice to vary the timing of the time-gated imaging and spectral diagnostics. This provides a more complete understanding of the evolution of the plasma parameters over the X-ray pulse and highlights the importance of the time-gated diagnostics. (10.1016/j.hedp.2012.03.004)
  DOI : 10.1016/j.hedp.2012.03.004
• Global model of a gridded-ion thruster powered by a radiofrequency inductive coil
  
  • Chabert Pascal
  • Arancibia Monreal J.
  • Bredin Jérôme
  • Popelier Lara
  • Aanesland Ane
  Physics of Plasmas, American Institute of Physics, 2012, 19, pp.195201. A global (volume-averaged) model of a gridded-ion thruster is proposed. The neutral propellant (xenon gas) is injected into the thruster chamber at a fixed rate and a plasma is generated by circulating a radiofrequency current in an inductive coil. The ions generated in this plasma are accelerated out of the thruster by a pair of DC biased grids. The neutralization downstream is not treated. Xenon atoms also flow out of the thruster across the grids. The model, based on particle and energy balance equations, solves for four global variables in the thruster chamber: the plasma density, the electron temperature, the neutral gas (atom) density, and the neutral gas temperature. The important quantities to evaluate the thruster efficiency and performances are calculated from these variables and from the voltage across the grids. It is found that the mass utilization efficiency rapidly decreases with the gas flow rate. However, the radiofrequency power transfer efficiency increases significantly with the injected gas flow rate. Therefore, there is a compromise to be found between these two quantities. (10.1063/1.4737114)
  DOI : 10.1063/1.4737114
• Thermodynamics of flow generation Momentum Transport, PV Homogenization and Entropy Production
  
  • Gürcan Özgür D.
  , 2012. http://canopus.cnu.ac.kr/lsap2012
• Analysis of radiation from silver HED plasma sources with the potential for lasing
  
  • Weller Michael E.
  • Safronova Alla S.
  • Kantsyrev Viktor L.
  • Esaulov A. A.
  • Stafford A.
  • Shrestha Ishor
  • Osborne Glenn C.
  • Shlyaptseva V. V.
  • Keim S. F.
  • Zunino H. A.
  • Chuvatin Alexandre S.
  • Apruzese J. P.
  • Golovkin I. E.
  • Macfarlane J. J.
  , 2012, pp.2P78. Silver (Ag) high energy density plasmas were produced using uniform and combined single planar wire array (SPWA) z-pinches. Ag SPWAs were recently introduced as an efficient x-ray radiator and have shown to create L-shell plasmas that have the highest electron temperature (>;1.8 keV) observed on Zebra so far and upwards of 30 kJ of energy output, which is of interest for future applications of inertial confinement fusion1. A set of diagnostics included fast, filtered x-ray diodes; a Ni bolometer; laser shadowgraphy and optical streak cameras; time-gated and time-integrated x-ray pinhole cameras; and time-integrated spatially resolved (TISR) and time-gated spatially-integrated (TGSI) x-ray spectrometers. In particular, a new time-gated hard x-ray spectrometer was fielded to attain first results to understand how Ag plasmas evolve in time. In addition, an important question about such Ag plasmas is whether lasing occurs in the Na-like and Ne-like soft x-ray range, and if so, at what gains? Our suite of theoretical diagnostics was expanded with HELIOS-CR code, that was utilized to study implosion characterisitcs and radiative characteristics of Ag wire arrays as well as to calculate possible lasing gains. Lastly, the results of new experiments on Zebra with the load current multiplier (LCM) at enhanced current of 1.5 - 1.7 MA were analyzed and compared to those of standard configurations. (10.1109/PLASMA.2012.6383634)
  DOI : 10.1109/PLASMA.2012.6383634
• Symmetry breaking effects of density gradient on parallel momentum transport: A new rau s * effect
  
  • Singh Rameswar
  • Singh R.
  • Kaw P.
  • Gürcan Özgür D.
  • Diamond P.H.
  • Nordman H.
  Physics of Plasmas, American Institute of Physics, 2012, 19, pp.012301. Symmetry breaking effects of density gradient on parallel momentum transport is studied via quasilinear theory. It is shown that finite &#961;*s(&#8801;&#961;s/Ln), where &#961;s is ion sound radius and Ln is density scale length, leads to symmetry breaking of the ion temperature gradient (ITG) eigenfunction. This broken symmetry persists even in the absence of mean poloidal (from radial electric field shear) and toroidal flows. This effect, as explained in the text, originates from the divergence of polarization particle current in the ion continuity equation. The form of the eigenfunction allows the microturbulence to generate parallel residual stress via &#12296;k&#8214;&#12297; symmetry breaking. Comparison with the &#8594;E×&#8594;B shear driven parallel residual stress, parallel polarization stress and turbulence intensity gradient driven parallel residual stress are discussed. It is shown that this &#961;*s driven parallel residual stress may become comparable to &#8594;E×&#8594;B shear driven parallel residual stress in small Ln region. In the regular drift wave ordering, where &#961;*s&#8810;1, this effect is found to be of the same order as the parallel polarization stress. This &#961;*s driven parallel residual stress can also overtake the turbulence intensity gradient driven parallel residual stress in strong density gradient region whereas the later one is dominant in the strong profile curvature region. The parallel momentum diffusivity is found to remain undisturbed by this &#961;*s effect as long as the turbulence intensity inhomogenity is not important. (10.1063/1.3672518)
  DOI : 10.1063/1.3672518
• Quasilinear transport modelling at low magnetic shear
  
  • Citrin Jonathan
  • Bourdelle C.
  • Cottier P.
  • Escande D.F.
  • Gürcan Özgür D.
  • Hatch D.R.
  • Hogeweij G.M.D.
  • Jenko F.
  • Pueschel M.J.
  Physics of Plasmas, American Institute of Physics, 2012, 19, pp.062305. Accurate and computationally inexpensive transport models are vital for routine and robust predictions of tokamak turbulent transport. To this end, the QuaLiKiz [Bourdelle et al., Phys. Plasmas 14, 112501 (2007)] quasilinear gyrokinetic transport model has been recently developed. QuaLiKiz flux predictions have been validated by non-linear simulations over a wide range in parameter space. However, a discrepancy is found at low magnetic shear, where the quasilinear fluxes are significantly larger than the non-linear predictions. This discrepancy is found to stem from two distinct sources: the turbulence correlation length in the mixing length rule and an increase in the ratio between the quasilinear and non-linear transport weights, correlated with increased non-linear frequency broadening. Significantly closer agreement between the quasilinear and non-linear predictions is achieved through the development of an improved mixing length rule, whose assumptions are validated by non-linear simulations. (10.1063/1.4719697)
  DOI : 10.1063/1.4719697
• An electromagnetic theory of turbulence driven poloidal rotation
  
  • Mcdevitt C.J.
  • Gürcan Özgür D.
  Physics of Plasmas, American Institute of Physics, 2012, 19, pp.102311. An electromagnetic theory of turbulence driven poloidal rotation is developed with particular emphasis on understanding poloidal rotation in finite-&#946; plasmas. A relation linking the flux of polarization charge to the divergence of the total turbulent stress is derived for electromagnetic gyrokinetic modes. This relation is subsequently utilized to derive a constraint on the net electromagnetic turbulent stress exerted on the poloidal flow. Various limiting cases of this constraint are considered, where it is found that electromagnetic contributions to the turbulent stress may either enhance or reduce the net turbulent stress depending upon the branch of turbulence excited. (10.1063/1.4764078)
  DOI : 10.1063/1.4764078
• Dynamics of neutral gas depletion investigated by time- and space-resolved measurement of xenon atom ground state density
  
  • Liard Laurent
  • Aanesland Ane
  • Chabert Pascal
  Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, IOP Publishing, 2012, 45, pp.235201. The dynamics of neutral gas depletion in high-density plasmas is investigated by time- and space-resolved measurements of the xenon ground state density. Two-photon absorbed laser induced fluorescence experiments were carried out in a helicon reactor operating at 10 mTorr in xenon gas. When the plasma is magnetized, a plasma column is formed from the bottom of the chamber up to the pumping region. In this situation it is found that two phenomena, with different time scales, are responsible for the neutral gas depletion. The magnetized plasma column is ignited in a short (millisecond) time scale leading to a neutral gas depletion at the discharge centre and to an increase of neutral gas density at the reactor walls. This is explained both by neutral gas heating and by the rise of the plasma pressure at the discharge centre. Then, on a much longer (second) time scale, the overall neutral gas density in the reactor decreases due to higher pumping efficiency when the magnetized plasma column is ignited. The pumping enhancement is not observed when the plasma is not magnetized, probably because in this case the dense plasma column vanishes and the plasma is more localized near the antenna. (10.1088/0022-3727/45/23/235201)
  DOI : 10.1088/0022-3727/45/23/235201
• Electron energy distribution function and plasma parameters across magnetic filters
  
  • Aanesland Ane
  • Bredin Jérôme
  • Chabert Pascal
  • Godyak V.
  Applied Physics Letters, American Institute of Physics, 2012, 100, pp.044102. The electron energy distribution function (EEDF) is measured across a magnetic filter in inductively coupled plasmas. The measured EEDFs are found to be Maxwellian in the elastic energy range with the corresponding electron temperature monotonously decreasing along the positive gradient of the magnetic field. At the maximum of the magnetic field, the electron temperature reaches its minimum and remains nearly constant in the area of the negative gradient of the field, where the plasma density distribution exhibits a local minimum. (10.1063/1.3680088)
  DOI : 10.1063/1.3680088
• THEMIS observation of chorus elements without a gap at half the gyrofrequency
  
  • Kurita S.
  • Katoh Y.
  • Omura Y.
  • Angelopoulos V.
  • Cully C. M.
  • Le Contel Olivier
  • Misawa H.
  Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics, American Geophysical Union/Wiley, 2012, 117, pp.11223. Using waveform data obtained by one of the THEMIS satellites, we report properties of rising tone chorus elements without a gap at half the gyrofrequency in a region close to the magnetic equator. The wave normal angle of the chorus elements is typically field-aligned in the entire frequency range of both upper-band and lower-band chorus emissions. We find that the observed frequency sweep rates are consistent with the estimation based on the nonlinear wave growth theory of Omura et al. (2008). In addition, we compare the frequency profiles of the chorus wave amplitudes with those of the optimum and threshold wave amplitudes derived from the nonlinear wave growth theory for triggering rising tone chorus emissions. The results of the comparison show a reasonable agreement, indicating that rising tone chorus elements are continually generated through a triggering process which generates elements with the optimum amplitudes for nonlinear growth. (10.1029/2012JA018076)
  DOI : 10.1029/2012JA018076
• Velocity diffusion in plasma waves excited by electron beams
  
  • Volokitin A.
  • Krafft C.
  Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, IOP Publishing, 2012, 54, pp.085002. New results provided by numerical simulations of the weak instability of a warm electron beam in a collisionless plasma are presented. The theoretical model considers the self-consistent resonant interactions of beam particles with wave packets of broad spectra; it is derived using some of the initial approximations of the standard derivation of the quasilinear diffusion equation in the weak turbulence approach, without, however, the assumption of randomly phased waves. A huge number of particle trajectories calculated over long times by a symplectic code are analyzed using various statistical algorithms. The dynamics of the beam relaxation and the saturation of the wave spectrum are studied and compared with the analytical solutions provided by the quasilinear theory of weak turbulence. The most interesting results concern the presence of strong and persistent irregularities in the wave energy spectrum at saturation, which are linked to large velocity variations observed in the particles' dynamics and to non-Gaussian local diffusion. Quantitative estimates of the diffusion coefficients are given and compared with predictions of the weak turbulence theory. (10.1088/0741-3335/54/8/085002)
  DOI : 10.1088/0741-3335/54/8/085002
• Centrifugally stimulated exospheric ion escape at Mercury
  
  • Delcourt Dominique C.
  • Seki K.
  • Terada N.
  • Moore T. E.
  Geophysical Research Letters, American Geophysical Union, 2012, 39, pp.22105. We investigate the transport of ions in the low-altitude magnetosphere of Mercury. We show that, because of small spatial scales, the centrifugal effect due to curvature of the E × B drift paths can lead to significant particle energization in the parallel direction. We demonstrate that because of this effect, ions with initial speed smaller than the escape speed such as those produced via thermal desorption can overcome gravity and escape into the magnetosphere. The escape route of this low-energy exosphere originating material is largely controlled by the magnetospheric convection rate. This escape route spreads over a narrower range of altitudes when the convection rate increases. Bulk transport of low-energy planetary material thus occurs within a limited region of space once moderate magnetospheric convection is established. These results suggest that, via release of material otherwise gravitationally trapped, the E × B related centrifugal acceleration is an important mechanism for the net supply of plasma to the magnetosphere of Mercury. (10.1029/2012GL054085)
  DOI : 10.1029/2012GL054085
• Shell-Reduced MHD: weak and strong turbulence
  
  • Grappin Roland
  • Verdini Andrea
  , 2012, 14, pp.3856. MHD turbulence with guide field B0 is studied using the shell model for Reduced MHD, with the aim of characterizing the scaling, and anisotropy of RMHD at high Reynolds number. A basic prediction of anisotropic turbulence theory (critical balance or CB) is that, in presence of large enough B0, the 1D perpendicular energy spectrum should exhibit a k&#8869;-2 scaling characteristic of weak nonlinear coupling at large scales, followed by a break and a k&#8869;-5/3 scaling at smaller scales. Previous numerical simulations never obtained such double spectra, but instead displayed single power-laws with a monotonous increase of their index when B0 was increased. In the present work we observe for the first time the double scaling, possibly thanks to the high Reynolds number reachable in shell models. A corollary of the CB theory is that a k||-2 spectrum develops in the range with strong k&#8869;-5/3 scaling, characterizing spectral anisotropy. In our study, we find that, although the basic paradigm of the CB are verified, the parallel spectrum differs, showing an over-excitation of parallel modes, due to high-frequencies of the large perpendicular eddies. This proves on the one hand that the CB theory is well adapted to the RMHD model but on the other hand that the model is richer than previously thought.