Alfven waves, transverse incompressible magnetic oscillations, have been proposed as a possible mechanism to heat the Sun's corona to millions of degrees by transporting convective energy from the photosphere into the diffuse corona. We report the detection of Alfven waves in intensity, line-of-sight velocity, and linear polarization images of the solar corona taken using the FeXIII 1074.7-nanometer coronal emission line with the Coronal Multi-Channel Polarimeter (CoMP) instrument at the National Solar Observatory, New Mexico. Ubiquitous upward propagating waves were seen, with phase speeds of 1 to 4 megameters per second and trajectories consistent with the direction of the magnetic field inferred from the linear polarization measurements. An estimate of the energy carried by the waves that we spatially resolved indicates that they are too weak to heat the solar corona; however, unresolved Alfven waves may carry sufficient energy.

Alfven Waves in the Solar Corona

1. Introduction 2. Radial velocities 3. Astrometry 4. Timing 5. Microlensing 6. Transits 7. Imaging 8. Host stars 9. Brown dwarfs and free-floating planets 10. Formation and evolution 11. Interiors and atmospheres 12. The Solar System Appendixes References Index.

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The Exoplanet Handbook

JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE): An ESA mission to orbit Ganymede and to characterise the Jupiter system

Transport Processes in the Plasma

In November and December 2012 the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaged Europa’s ultraviolet emissions in the search for vapor plume activity. We report statistically significant coincident surpluses of hydrogen Lyman-α and oxygen OI130.4 nm emissions above the southern hemisphere in December 2012. These emissions are persistently found in the same area over ~7 hours, suggesting atmospheric inhomogeneity; they are consistent with two 200-km-high plumes of water vapor with line-of-sight column densities of about 1020 m−2. Nondetection in November and in previous HST images from 1999 suggests varying plume activity that might depend on changing surface stresses based on Europa’s orbital phases. The plume was present when Europa was near apocenter and not detected close to its pericenter, in agreement with tidal modeling predictions.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/343/6167/171.full.pdf

Transient Water Vapor at Europa’s South Pole

The most salient features of the Bose-Einstein condensation of a magnetically confined alkali vapor is the diluteness of the gas and the extremely weak effective interactions. From a theoretical point of view, the interesting aspect is the potential formulation of the many-body quantum theory for a non-uniform and potentially non-equilibrium system founded entirely on microscopic physics. The crucial postulate is the rapid attenuation of many particle quantum correlations in the dilute system which can be motivated from universal considerations. In principle, it will be possible to provide direct comparison between theory and experiment over all temperature scales with no phenomenological parameters — a challenge facing the theoretical community in the near future. The dilute gas experiments provide an exciting stage on which to build bridges linking the theory of complex and collective phenomena in superconducting and superfluid systems, with the single particle microscopic physics described in quantum optics and laser physics.

Quantum Kinetic Theory for a Bose-Einstein Condensed Alkali Gas

The hybrid kinetic model approach supports comprehensive simulation of the interaction between different spatial and energetic elements of the Europa moon-magnetosphere system with respect to variable up- stream magnetic field and flux or density distributions of plasma and energetic ions, electrons, and neutral atoms. This capability is critical to improved interpretation of the existing measurements for surface and atmospheric composition from previous missions and to planning of future missions. The simulations are based on recent models of the atmosphere of Europa [1,2]. The hybrid model allows us to take into account the finite gyroradius effect and to estimate correctly the ions velocity distribution and the fluxes along the magnetic field in opposite the MHD simulation with the Maxwellian velocity distribution for background and pickup ions. The hybrid model also allows us to investigate the effects of the electron pressure on plasma wake structure that was already done for Jovian torus Io interaction [3]. Photoionization, electron-impact ionization and charge exchange are included in our model. The temperature of the background electrons and pickup electrons was also included into the generalized Ohm’s law. The background plasma contains O, S thermal ions and energetic ions [5]. The pickup ions were created from the atmosphere. The majority of O2 atmosphere is thermal with an extended non-thermal population [1]. The moon is modeled in this initial work as a weakly conducting body. The first results of 3D hybrid kinetic simulation of Europa’s environment in absence of the induced magnetic dipole moment were presented in [6]. In this report we discuss the results of the hybrid kinetic simulation of Europa’s environment in presence of the induced magnetic dipole moment. References [1] Cassidy, T.A., R.E. Johnson, M.A. McGrath, M.C. Wong, J.F. Cooper, The spatial morphology of Europa’s near-surface O2 atmosphere, Icarus, 191, 755-764, 2007. [2] Shematovich, V.I., R.E. Johnson, J.F. Cooper, M.C. Wong, Surface-bounded atmosphere of Europa, Icarus, 173, 480-498, 2005. [3] Lipatov, A.S. and M.R. Combi, Effects of kinetic processes in shaping Io’s global plasma environment: A 3D hybrid model, Icarus, 180, 412-427, 2006. [4] Kabin, K., et al., On Europa’s magnetospheric interaction: A MHD simulation of the E4 Flyby, JGR, 104, 19983-19992, 1999. [5] Paterson, W.R. et al., Galileo plasma observations at Europa: Ion energy spectra and moments, JGR, 104, 22779-22791, 1999. [6] Lipatov, A.S. et al., Jovian’s plasma torus interaction with Europa: 3D Hybrid kinetic simulation. First results, PSS (submitted), 2009.

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Jovian's plasma torus interaction with Europa. Effects of induced dipole moment: 3D hybrid kinetic simulation

Energetic proton and electron measurements by the ongoing Cassini orbiter mission are expanding our knowledge of the highest energy components of the Saturn magnetosphere in the inner radiation belt region after the initial discoveries of these belts by the Pioneer 11 and Voyager 2 missions. Saturn has a neutron exosphere that extends throughout the magnetosphere from the cosmic ray albedo neutron source at the planetary main rings and atmosphere. The neutrons emitted from these sources at energies respectively above 4 and 8 eV escape the Saturn system, while those at lower energies are gravitationally bound. The neutrons undergo beta decay in average times of about 1000 seconds to provide distributed sources of protons and electrons throughout Saturn's magnetosphere with highest injection rates close to the Saturn and ring sources. The competing radiation belt source for energetic electrons is rapid inward diffusion and acceleration of electrons from the middle magnetosphere and beyond. Minimal losses during diffusive transport across the moon orbits, e.g. of Mimas and Enceladus, and local time asymmetries in electron intensity, suggest that drift resonance effects preferentially boost the diffusion rates of electrons from both sources. Energy dependences of longitudinal gradient-curvature drift speeds relative to the icy moons are likely responsible for hemispheric differences (e.g., Mimas, Tethys) in composition and thermal properties as at least partly produced by radiolytic processes. A continuing mystery is the similar radial profiles of lower energy (<10 MeV) protons in the inner belt region. Either the source of these lower energy protons is also neutron decay, but perhaps alternatively from atmospheric albedo, or else all protons from diverse distributed sources are similarly affected by losses at the moon' orbits, e.g. because the proton diffusion rates are extremely low. Enceladus cryovolcanism, and radiolytic processing elsewhere on the icy moon and ring surfaces, are additional sources of protons via ionization and charge exchange from breakup of water molecules. But one must then account somehow for local acceleration to the observed keV-MeV energies, since moon sweeping and E-ring absorption would remove protons diffusing inward from the middle magnetosphere. Although the main rings block further inward diffusion from the inner radiation belts, the exospheric neutron-decay source, combined with much slower diffusion of protons relative to electrons, may produce an innermost radiation belt in the gap between the upper atmosphere and the D-ring. This innermost belt will first be explored in-situ during the final proximal orbits of the Cassini mission.

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20110013459/downloads/20110013459.pdf

Saturn Neutron Exosphere as Source for Inner and Innermost Radiation Belts

In a recent paper, Sittler et al., (2010) presented new results on the T9 encounter by the Cassini spacecraft when it passed through Titan s induced magnetotail. Two crossings were observed, but the first crossing, event 1, is thought to be out flowing ionosphere plasma. T9 is ideal for CAPS IMS probing of the ionosphere, since the ion densities at the higher altitudes of the T9 flyby approx. 10,000 km, allows measurements to be made down to 1 eV without saturating its detectors. Sittler et al., (2010) reported possible detection of NH4+ ions, but favored the detection of CH5+ and C2H5+ ions. In this report we investigate both the medium mass resolution (straight through (ST)) and high mass resolution (linear electric field (LEF)) composition data from the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS). We present a more in depth analysis of the composition data and make comparisons with ionospheric models including nitrogen chemistry such as that by Vuitton et al. (2007). The LEF data does not support NH4+ identification, but favors a CH5+ and C2H5+ identification, but also molecular ions C2N+ and CH2NH2+ are chemically allowed possibilities.

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Ion Composition of Titan's Ionosphere Observed during T9 Magnetotail Crossing

The understanding of the relative intensity variations in cosmic ray ions and electrons with respect to solar modulation is a grand challenge for cosmic ray modulation theory. Although effects of the heliospheric neutral sheet, gradient-curvature drifts, and merged interaction regions provide qualitative explanations for observed solar cycle variations of high energy protons and ions, these effects do not account for the anomalously high intensities of high energy galactic electrons at 22-year intervals of the solar magnetic solar cycle. From the similar modulation responses of protons and heavy ions it does not appear that cosmic ray pressure effects, dominated by protons, can account for the charge-sign asymmetry of cosmic ray modulation. External factors including modulation in the heliosheath and polar linkage to the interstellar magnetic field are examined as potential causes of symmetry breaking for electron modulation with respect to the solar magnetic polarity at solar minimum.

John F. Cooper

Papers

Quantum Kinetic Theory for a Bose-Einstein Condensed Alkali Gas

Jovian's plasma torus interaction with Europa. Effects of induced dipole moment: 3D hybrid kinetic simulation

Saturn Neutron Exosphere as Source for Inner and Innermost Radiation Belts

Ion Composition of Titan's Ionosphere Observed during T9 Magnetotail Crossing

Polar Rain Entry of Galactic Electrons into the Inner Heliosphere