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If a Langmuir probe is located inside the sheath of a negatively charged spacecraft, there is a risk that the probe characteristic is modified compared to that of a free probe in the ambient plasma. We have studied this probe-in-spacecraft-sheath problem in the parameter range of a small Langmuir probe (with radius rLP<λD) using a modified version of the orbit motion limited (OML) probe theory. We find that the ambient electron contribution Ie(ULP) to the probe characteristic is suitably analyzed in terms of three regions of applied probe potential ULP. In region I, where the probe is negatively charged (i.e., ULP1, where U1 is the potential in the sheath at the probe position), the probe characteristic Ie(ULP) is close to that of OML theory for a free probe in the ambient plasma. In the probe potential range ULP>U1, there is first a transition region II in applied potential, U1LP2, in which the key factor to determine the shape of Ie(ULP) is a potential minimum UM between the probe and the ambient plasma. This minimum gives the depth Upl-UM of a potential barrier that prevents the lowest energy ambient electrons from reaching the probe. For a high enough positive probe potential, in region III, the barrier becomes small. Here, Ie(ULP) again approaches OML theory for a free probe. The boundary U2 between regions II and III is somewhat arbitrary; we propose a condition on the barrier, Upl-UMBTe/e, as the definition of region III. The main findings in this work are qualitative rather than quantitative. The existence of the transition region points to that special care must be taken to extract plasma parameters from measured I(ULP) as the probe characteristic is likely to depart from usual OML in crucial respects: (1) the ambient plasma potential Upl falls into the transition region, but there is no obvious knee or other feature to identify it, (2) there is in this region no exponential part of Ie(ULP) that can be used to obtain Te, instead, (3) the probe size is important in determining the curve shape. We have tentatively applied our simplified probe-in-sheath model to real probe data from the Cassini spacecraft, taken in the dense plasma of Saturn's magnetosphere. We propose that our model gives a better description than OML of measured Langmuir probe sweeps in space plasmas where the Langmuir probe is situated within the spacecraft sheath, i.e., for long Debye lengths. The understanding of these probe sweep effects in such regions may improve by self-consistent particle simulations of the spacecraft environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma from the Earth’s magnetosheath has previously been observed inside the magnetosphere. Inhomogeneities in the magnetosheath plasma, here called plasmoids, can impact the magnetopause and doing so set up a polarizing field that allows it to penetrate the magnetopause and enter the magnetosphere. A set of simulations of plasmoids with different dimensions is presented in this paper. For plasmoids that are longer than those previously published, waves propagating upstream from the barrier are found. It is also found that the penetration process causes the part of the plasmoid that is upstream of the barrier to rotate. The role of plasmoid width and cross sectional shape in penetration is studied, and for plasmoids that are less than half an ion gyroradius wide, the plasmoid is compressed to obtain a vertically oriented elliptical cross section, regardless of the initial shape. When the initial plasmoid width exceeds the ion gyroradius, the plasmoid still penetrates through a mechanism involving a potential that propagates upstream from the magnetic barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectral densities of electrostatic fluctuations in plasmas where both the ion and electron distribution are described by simple pole expansions are calculated, for both one-dimensional and isotropic three-dimensional plasmas. Examples of electric field and density fluctuations are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed measurements of the ion velocity distribution function are used to test representations of the electrostatic degrees of freedom of slightly non-Maxwellian plasmas. It is found that fluid theory does not describe the data very well because there exist multiple closely spaced kinetic electrostatic modes. New wave branches appear that theoretically should persist as weakly damped modes even with T[sub e]∼T[sub i]. Both a sum over discrete dispersion relations and the Case–Van Kampen spectral representation can be used to provide working descriptions of the data, but the latter has certain advantages. © 2002 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the formation of narrow high frequency electric field spikes in plasma density gradients using one-dimensional particle in cell simulations. Description of the particle in cell simulations; Importance of plasma density gradient for the spike formation; Methods for calculating the dispersion relations.

Presents a method for parametrization and expansion of distribution functions. Finite number of simple poles in the expansion; Dispersion relations for a wide class of distributions; Maxwell-like low velocity region with the high-velocity tail following an inverse power law; Smaller Landau damping for a given degree in the power law.

Investigates the electric field spikes formed by electron beam-plasma interaction in plasma density gradients. Wave propagation along the density gradient present at the high potential side; Formation of the spike when the electric field is well below the threshold for modulation instability.

The existence of parallel electric fields is an essential ingredient of auroral physics, leading to the acceleration of particles that give rise to the auroral displays. An auroral flux tube is modelled using electrostatic Vlasov simulations, and the results are compared to simulations of a proposed laboratory device that is meant for studies of the plasma physical processes that occur on auroral field lines. The hot magnetospheric plasma is represented by a gas discharge plasma source in the laboratory device, and the cold plasma mimicking the ionospheric plasma is generated by a Q-machine source. In both systems, double layers form with plasma density gradients concentrated on their high potential sides. The systems differ regarding the properties of ion acoustic waves that are heavily damped in the magnetosphere, where the ion population is hot, but weakly damped in the laboratory, where the discharge ions are cold. Ion waves are excited by the ion beam that is created by acceleration in the double layer in both systems. The efficiency of this beam-plasma interaction depends on the acceleration voltage. For voltages where the interaction is less efficient, the laboratory experiment is more space-like. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from the Cluster spacecraft during their magnetopause crossing on 25 January 2002 are presented. The magnetopause was in a state of slow non-oscillatory motion during the observational period. Coherent structures of magnetosheath plasma, here typified as plasmoids, were seen on closed magnetic field lines on the inside of the magnetopause. Using simultaneous measurements on two spacecraft, the inward motion of the plasmoids is followed from one spacecraft to the next, and it is found to be in agreement with the measured ion velocity. The plasma characteristics and the direction of motion of the plasmoids show that they have penetrated the magnetopause, and the observations are consistent with the concept of impulsive penetration, as it is known from theory, simulations, and laboratory experiments. The mean flux across the magnetopause observed was 0.2%-0.5% of the solar wind flux at the time, and the peak values of the flux inside the plasmoids reached approximately 20% of the solar wind flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dispersion relations for ion-acoustic-like waves in plasmas with and without superthermal particles are calculated using a simple pole expansion of the distribution function for the ions. It is found that slow weakly damped modes exist in two-temperature plasmas, and the conditions when these modes appear are investigated. For plasmas with equal ion and electron temperatures weakly damped modes are found when there is a depletion of the high-energy tails. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]