Magnetic Field Curves and Magnetic Equipotential Surfaces around Crossing Electrical Wires Replacing Classical Magnetic Field Lines

This article is based on a recent model specifically defining magnetic field values around electrical wires. With this model, calculations of field around parallel wires were obtained. Now, this model is extended with the new concept of magnetic equipotential surface to magnetic field curves around crossing wires. Cases of single, double, and triple wires are described. Subsequent article will be conducted for more general scenarios where wires are neither infinite nor parallel.

Modeling Density and Anisotropy of Energetic Electrons Along Magnetic Field Lines

The electromagnetic wave growth or damping depends basically on the number density and anisotropy of energetic particles as the resonant interaction takes place between the particles and waves in the magnetosphere. The variance of both the number density and anisotropy along the magnetic field line is evaluated systematically by modeling four typically prescribed distribution functions. It is shown that in the case of ＂the positive anisotropy＂ （namely, the perpendicular temperature T⊥ exceeds the parallel temperature T｜｜）, the number density of energetic electrons always decreases with the magnetic latitude for a regular increasing magnetic field and the maximum wave growth is therefore generally confined to the equator where the resonant energy is minimum, and the number density is the largest. However, the ＂loss-cone＂ anisotropy of the electrons with a ＂pancake＂ distribution or kappa distribution keeps invariant or nearly invariant, whereas the ＂temperature＂ anisotropy with a pure bi-Maxwellian distribution or Ashour-Abdalla and Kennel＇s distributions decreases with the magnetic latitude. The results may provide a useful approach to evaluating the number density and anisotropy of the energetic electrons at latitudes where the observation information is not available.

Effect of Anode Magnetic Shield on Magnetic Field and Ion Beam in Cylindrical Hall Thruster

Numerical simulation of the effect of the anode magnetic shielding on the magnetic field and ion beam in a cylindrical Hall thruster is presented. The results show that after the anode is shielded by the magnetic shield, the magnetic field lines near the anode surface are obviously convex curved, the ratio of the magnetic mirror is enhanced, the width of the positive magnetic field gradient becomes larger than that without the anode magnetic shielding, the radial magnetic field component is enhanced, and the discharge plasma turbulence is reduced as a result of keeping the original saddle field profile and the important role the other two saddle field profiles play in restricting electrons. The results of the particle in cell （PIC） numerical simulation show that both the ion number and the energy of the ion beam increase after the anode is shielded by the magnetic shield. In other words, the specific impulse of the cylindrical Hall thruster is enhanced.

Matching characteristics of magnetic field configuration and chamfered channel wall in a magnetically shielded Hall thruster

To date, the selection of the magnetic field line used to match the chamfered inner and outer channel walls in a magnetically shielded Hall thruster has not been quantitatively studied. Hence, an experimental study was conducted on a 1.35 k W magnetically shielded Hall thruster with a xenon propellant. Different magnetic field lines were chosen, and corresponding tangentially matched channel walls were manufactured and utilized. The results demonstrate that high performance and a qualified anti-sputtering effect cannot be achieved simultaneously. When the magnetic field lines that match the chamfered wall have a strength at the channel centerline of less than 12% of the maximum field strength, the channel wall can be adequately protected from ion sputtering. When the magnetic field lines have a strength ratio of 12%–20%, the thruster performance is high. These findings provide the first significant quantitative design reference for the match between the magnetic field line and chamfered channel wall in magnetically shielded Hall thrusters.

Control of vacuum arc source cathode spots contraction motion by changing electromagnetic field

This paper investigates the magnetic field component impact on cathode spots motion trajectory and the mechanism of periodic contraction.Electromagnetic coils and permanent magnets were installed at the different sides of cathode surface,the photographs of cathode spots motion trajectory were captured by a camera.Increasing the number of magnets and decreasing the distance between magnets and cathode both lead to enhancing cathode spots motion velocity.Radii of cathode spots trajectory decrease gradually with the increasing of electromagnetic coil＇s current,from 40 mm at 0 A to 10 mm at 2.7 A.Parallel magnetic field component intensity influence the speed of cathode spots rotate motion,and perpendicular magnetic field component drives spots drift in the radial direction.Cathode spot＇s radial drift is controlled by changing the location of the ‘zero line＇ where perpendicular magnetic component shifts direction and the radius of cathode spots trajectory almost equal to ‘zero line＇.

Joint observations of the large-scale ULF wave activity from space to ground associated with the solar wind dynamic pressure enhancement

This study reports the rare ultralow-frequency(ULF) wave activity associated with the solar wind dynamic pressure enhancement that was successively observed by the GOES-17(Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) in the magnetosphere, the CSES(China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite) in the ionosphere, and the THEMIS ground-based observatories(GBO) GAKO and EAGL in the Earth's polar region during the main phase of an intense storm on 4 November 2021. Along with the enhanced-pressure solar wind moving tailward, the geomagnetic field structure experienced a large-scale change. From dawn/dusk sides to midnight, the GAKO, EAGL, and GOES-17 sequentially observed the ULF waves in a frequency range of0.04–0.36 Hz at L shells of ~5.07, 6.29, and 5.67, respectively. CSES also observed the ULF wave event with the same frequency ranges at wide L-shells of 2.52–6.22 in the nightside ionosphere. The analysis results show that the ULF waves at ionospheric altitude were mixed toroidal-poloidal mode waves. Comparing the ULF waves observed in different regions, we infer that the nightside ULF waves were directly or indirectly excited by the solar wind dynamic pressure increase: in the area of L-shells~2.52–6.29, the magnetic field line resonances(FLRs) driven by the solar wind dynamic pressure increase is an essential excitation source;on the other hand, around L~3.29, the ULF waves can also be excited by the outward expansion of the plasmapause owing to the decrease of the magnetospheric convection, and in the region of L-shells ~5.19–6.29, the ULF waves are also likely excited by the ion cyclotron instabilities driven by the solar wind dynamic pressure increase.