Peter A. Delamere

Bio: Peter A. Delamere is an academic researcher from University of Alaska Fairbanks. The author has contributed to research in topics: Magnetosphere & Solar wind. The author has an hindex of 34, co-authored 67 publications receiving 2757 citations. Previous affiliations of Peter A. Delamere include University of Colorado Boulder.

Flow of mass and energy in the magnetospheres of Jupiter and Saturn

Abstract: [1] We present simple models of the plasma disks surrounding Jupiter and Saturn based on published measurements of plasma properties. We calculate radial profiles of the distribution of plasma mass, pressure, thermal energy density, kinetic energy density, and energy density of the suprathermal ion populations. We estimate the mass outflow rate as well as the net sources and sinks of plasma. We also calculate the total energy budget of the system, estimating the total amount of energy that must be added to the systems at Jupiter and Saturn, though the causal processes are not understood. We find that the more extensive, massive disk of sulfur- and oxygen-dominated plasma requires a total input of 3–16 TW to account for the observed energy density at Jupiter. At Saturn, neutral atoms dominate over the plasma population in the inner magnetosphere, and local source/loss process dominate over radial transport out to 8 RS, but beyond 8–10 RS about 75–630 GW needs to be added to the system to heat the plasma.

Solar wind interaction with Jupiter's magnetosphere

Abstract: [1] We present a review of observations and theories of the dynamics of Jupiter's magnetosphere from Pioneer to New Horizons. We suggest that Jupiter's solar wind–driven magnetospheric flows are due primarily to viscous processes at the magnetopause boundary. Jupiter's magnetopause boundary is determined by a pressure balance between the solar wind dynamic pressure and the magnetospheric high-β plasma. We discuss how this plasma-on-plasma interaction generates solar wind–imposed magnetic stresses that (1) generate the dawn-dusk asymmetry in plasma flows and magnetic fields, (2) dictate the location of the magnetic x line in the tail, (3) enhance escape of Jovian plasma down the magnetotail, and (4) drive global plasma flows that are consistent with Jupiter's complex polar aurora without the requirement for a persistent region of open flux.

Modeling Variability of Plasma Conditions in the Io Torus

Abstract: Telescopic observations an in situ measurements of the Io plasma torus show the density, temperature and composition to vary over time, sometimes up to a factor of 2. While previous models of the physical and chemical processes in the Io plasma torus have reasonably modeled the conditions of the Voyager 1 era, their authors have not addressed the observed variability nor explored the sensitivity of torus conditions to input parameters. In this paper we present a homogeneous torus model parameterized by five variables (transport timescale, neutral source strength, ratio of oxygen sulfur to atoms in the source, fraction of superthermal electrons, temperature of these hot electrons). The model incorporates the most recent data for ionization, recombination, charge exchange and radiative energy losses for the major torus species (S, S(sup +), S(sup ++), S(sup +++), O, O(sup +), O(sup ++). We solve equations of conservation of mass and energy to find equilibrium conditions for a set of input parameters. We compare model plasma conditions with those observed by Voyager 1 Voyager 2, and Cassini. Furthermore, we explore the sensitivity of torus conditions to each parameter. We find that (1) torus conditions are distinctly different for the Voyager 1, Voyager 2 and Cassini eras, (2) unique torus input parameters for any given era are poorly constrained given the wide range of solution space that is consistent with the range of observed torus conditions, (3) ion composition is highly sensitive to the specification of a non-thermal electron distribution, (4) neutral O/S source ratio is highly variable with model values ranging between 1.7 for Cassini to 4.0 for Voyager 1 conditions, (5) transport times range between 23 days for Voyager 2 to 50 days for Voyager 1 and Cassini, (6) neutral source strengths range between 7 to 30 x 10(sup -4) cm (sup -3) s(sup -1) which corresponds to a net production of 0.4 to 1.3 tons/s for a torus volume of 1.4 x 10(sup 31) cm(sup 3), or 38 R(sub j)(sup 3).

The Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) Instrument Aboard New Horizons

Abstract: The Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument on New Horizons will measure the interaction between the solar wind and ions created by atmospheric loss from Pluto. These measurements provide a characterization of the total loss rate and allow us to examine the complex plasma interactions at Pluto for the first time. Constrained to fit within minimal resources, SWAP is optimized to make plasma-ion measurements at all rotation angles as the New Horizons spacecraft scans to image Pluto and Charon during the flyby. To meet these unique requirements, we combined a cylindrically symmetric retarding potential analyzer with small deflectors, a top-hat analyzer, and a redundant/coincidence detection scheme. This configuration allows for highly sensitive measurements and a controllable energy passband at all scan angles of the spacecraft.

Power transmission and particle acceleration along the Io flux tube

Abstract: [1] Io's motion relative to the Jovian magnetic field generates a power of about 1012 W, which is thought to propagate as an Alfven wave along the magnetic field line. This power is transmitted to the electrons, which will then precipitate and generate the observed auroral phenomena from UV to radio wavelengths. A more detailed look at this hypothesis shows some difficulties: Can the Alfven waves escape the torus or are they trapped inside? Where and how are the particles accelerated? In which direction? Is there enough power transmitted to the particles to explain the strong brightness of the auroral emissions in UV, IR, visible, and radio? In other words, can we make a global, consistent model of the Io-Jupiter interaction that matches all the observations? To answer these questions, we review the models and studies that have been proposed so far. We show that the Alfven waves need to be filamented by a turbulent cascade process and accelerate the electrons at high latitude in order to explain the observations and to form a consistent scheme of the Io-Jupiter interaction.

Nonlocal stability analysis of the MHD Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a compressible plasma. [solar wind-magnetosphere interaction]

Abstract: A general stability analysis is performed for the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in sheared magnetohydrodynamic flow of finite thickness in a compressible plasma. The analysis allows for arbitrary orientation of the magnetic field B0, velocity flow v0, and wave vector k in the plane perpendicular to the velocity gradient, and no restrictions are imposed on the sound or Alfven Mach numbers. The stability problem is reduced to the solution of a single second-order differential equation, which includes a gravitational term to represent coupling between the Kelvin-Helmholtz mode and the interchange mode. In the incompressible limit it is shown that the Kelvin-Helmholtz mode is completely stabilized for any velocity profile as long as the condition is satisfied, where V0 is the total velocity jump across the shear layer. Numerical results are obtained for a hyperbolic tangent velocity profile for the transverse (B0 ⊥ v0) and parallel (B0∥v0) flow configurations. Only modes with kΔ < 2 are unstable, where Δ is the scale length of the shear layer. The fastest growing modes occur for kΔ ∼ 0.5-1.0. Compressibility and a magnetic field component parallel to the flow are found to be stabilizing effects. For the transverse case, only the fast magnetosonic mode is destabilized, but if k · B0 ≠ 0, the instability contains Alfven-mode and slow-mode components as well. The Alfven component gives rise to a field-aligned current inside the shear layer. In the parallel case, both Alfven and slow magnetosonic components are present, with the Alfven mode confined inside the shear layer. The results of the analysis are used to discuss the stability of sheared plasma flow at the magnetopause boundary and in the solar wind. At the magnetopause boundary, the fastest growing Kelvin-Helmholtz mode has a frequency of 0 (V0/2Δ), which overlaps with the frequency range of geomagnetic pulsations (Pc 3-5). It is suggested that the MHD Kelvin-Helmholtz instability could serve as a dynamo process driving small-scale field-aligned currents in the presence of the sheared plasma flow in the magnetosphere.

The electron–cyclotron maser for astrophysical application

Abstract: The electron–cyclotron maser is a process that generates coherent radiation from plasma. In the last two decades, it has gained increasing attention as a dominant mechanism of producing high-power radiation in natural high-temperature magnetized plasmas. Originally proposed as a somewhat exotic idea and subsequently applied to include non-relativistic plasmas, the electron–cyclotron maser was considered as an alternative to turbulent though coherent wave–wave interaction which results in radio emission. However, when it was recognized that weak relativistic corrections had to be taken into account in the radiation process, the importance of the electron–cyclotron maser rose to the recognition it deserves. Here we review the theory and application of the electron–cyclotron maser to the directly accessible plasmas in our immediate terrestrial and planetary environments. In situ access to the radiating plasmas has turned out to be crucial in identifying the conditions under which the electron–cyclotron maser mechanism is working. Under extreme astrophysical conditions, radiation from plasmas may provide a major energy loss; however, for generating the powerful radiation in which the electron–cyclotron maser mechanism is capable, the plasma must be in a state where release of susceptible amounts of energy in the form of radiation is favorable. Such conditions are realized when the plasma is unable to digest the available free energy that is imposed from outside and stored in its particle distribution. The lack of dissipative processes is a common property of collisionless plasmas. When, in addition, the plasma density becomes so low that the amount of free energy per particle is large, direct emission becomes favorable. This can be expressed as negative absorption of the plasma which, like in conventional masers, leads to coherent emission even though no quantum correlations are involved. The physical basis of this formal analogy between a quantum maser and the electron–cyclotron maser is that in the electron–cyclotron maser the free-space radiation modes can be amplified directly. Several models have been proposed for such a process. The most famous one is the so-called loss-cone maser. However, as argued in this review, the loss-cone maser is rather inefficient. Available in situ measurements indicate that the loss-cone maser plays only a minor role. Instead, the main source for any strong electron–cyclotron maser is found in the presence of a magnetic-field-aligned electric potential drop which has several effects: (1) it dilutes the local plasma to such an extent that the plasma enters the regime in which the electron–cyclotron maser becomes effective; (2) it generates energetic relativistic electron beams and field-aligned currents; (3) it deforms, together with the magnetic mirror force, the electron distribution function, thereby mimicking a high energy level sufficiently far above the Maxwellian ground state of an equilibrium plasma; (4) it favors emission in the free-space RX mode in a direction roughly perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field; (5) this emission is the most intense, since it implies the coherent resonant contribution of a maximum number of electrons in the distribution function to the radiation (i.e., to the generation of negative absorption); (6) it generates a large number of electron holes via the two-stream instability, and ion holes via the current-driven ion-acoustic instability which manifest themselves as subtle fine structures moving across the radiation spectrum and being typical for the electron–cyclotron maser emission process. These fine structures can thus be taken as the ultimate identifier of the electron–cyclotron maser. The auroral kilometric radiation of Earth is taken here as the paradigm for other manifestations of intense radio emissions such as the radiation from other planets in the solar system, from exoplanets, the Sun and other astrophysical objects.

Understanding Kappa Distributions: A Toolbox for Space Science and Astrophysics

Abstract: In this paper we examine the physical foundations and theoretical development of the kappa distribution, which arises naturally from non-extensive Statistical Mechanics. The kappa distribution provides a straightforward replacement for the Maxwell distribution when dealing with systems in stationary states out of thermal equilibrium, commonly found in space and astrophysical plasmas. Prior studies have used a variety of inconsistent, and sometimes incorrect, formulations, which have led to significant confusion about these distributions. Therefore, in this study, we start from the N-particle phase space distribution and develop seven formulations for kappa distributions that range from the most general to several specialized versions that can be directly used with common types of space data. Collectively, these formulations and their guidelines provide a “toolbox” of useful and statistically well-grounded equations for future space physics analyses that seek to apply kappa distributions in data analysis, simulations, modeling, theory, and other work.

Asymmetric Magnetic Reconnection: General Theory and Collisional Simulations

Abstract: A Sweet-Parker-type scaling analysis for asymmetric antiparallel reconnection (in which the reconnecting magnetic field strengths and plasma densities are different on opposite sides of the dissipation region) is performed. Scaling laws for the reconnection rate, outflow speed, the density of the outflow, and the structure of the dissipation region are derived from first principles. These results are independent of the dissipation mechanism. It is shown that a generic feature of asymmetric reconnection is that the X-line and stagnation point are not colocated, leading to a bulk flow of plasma across the X-line. The scaling laws are verified using two-dimensional resistive magnetohydrodynamics numerical simulations for the special case of asymmetric magnetic fields with symmetric density. Observational signatures and applications to reconnection in the magnetosphere are discussed.