• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.47-51
• /
• 2015

Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs) in cosmic ray intensity observed during the period of 1997-2012 have been studied with energetic solar features and disturbances in solar wind plasma parameters and it is seen that all the GLEs have been found to be associated with coronal mass ejections, hard X-ray solar flares and solar radio bursts. All the GLEs have also been found to be associated with sudden jumps in solar proton flux of energy of ${\geq}60Mev$. A positive correlation with correlation coefficient of 0.48 has been found between the maximum percentage intensity (Imax%) of Ground Level Enhancements and the peak value of solar proton flux of energy (${\geq}60Mev$). All the Ground Level Enhancements have been found to be associated with jumps in solar wind plasma velocity (JSWV) events. A positive correlation with correlation coefficient of 0.43 has been found between the maximum percentage intensity (Imax %) of Ground Level Enhancements and the peak value of solar wind plasma velocity of associated (JSWV) events. All the Ground Level Enhancements have been found to be associated with jumps in solar wind plasma pressure (JSWP) events. A positive correlation with correlation coefficient of 0.67 has been found between the maximum percentage intensity (Imax %) of Ground Level Enhancements and the peak value of solar wind plasma pressure of associated (JSWP) events and of 0.68 between the maximum percentage intensity (Imax %) of Ground Level Enhancements and the magnitude of the jump in solar wind plasma pressure of associated (JSWP) events.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
• /
• 2008.03a
• /
• pp.583-588
• /
• 2008

A spacecraft propulsion system utilizing the energy of the solar wind was reviewed. The first plasma sail concept was proposed by Prof. Winglee in 2000, and that was called M2P2(mini-magnetospheric plasmapropulsion). However, the first M2P2 design adopting a small(20-cm-diamter) coil and a small helicon plasma source design was criticized by Dr. Khazanov in 2003. He insisted that: 1) MHD is not an appropriate approximation to describe the M2P2 design by Winglee, and with ion kinetic simulation, it was shown that the M2P2 design could provide only negligible thrust; 2) considerably larger sails(than that Winglee proposed) would be required to tap the energy of the solar wind. We started our plasma ssail study in 2003, and it is shown that moderately sized magnetic sails can produce sub-Newton-class thrust in the ion inertial scale(${\sim}70$ km). Currently, we are continuing our efforts to make a feasibly sized plasma sail(Magnetoplasma sail) by optimizing the magnetic field inflation process Winglee proposed.

• International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics Korean Journal of Geophysical Research
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.6-23
• /
• 1994

A disconnection event (DE) of the cometary plasma tail is one of most spectacular phenomena observed in comets. Yet, for years it has remained one of the great unsolved problems I astronomy and space physics. The solar wind is thought to play a major role in the creation of comet plasma tail (type Ⅰ) disconnection events. The goal of this paper is to present a mechanism that explains the disconnection event in terms of the local conditions at the comet. Comparison of the solar wind conditions and 16 DEs in Halley's comet shows that DEs are associated primarily with crossings of the heliospheric sector boundary and apparently not with any other properties of the solar wind, such as a high speed stream[Yi et al., 1994]. A 3-dimensional resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulation in this paper supports this association by showing that only front-side magnetic reconnection between the reversed interplanetary magnetic fields that exist when a comet crosses the heliospheric sector boundary [Niedner and Brandt, 1978] could reproduce the morphology of a DE, including ray formation [Brandt, 1982].

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.68-68
• /
• 2017

Measurements of solar wind speed near the Sun (< 0.1 AU) are important for understanding acceleration mechanism of solar wind as well as space weather predictions, but hard to directly measure them. For the first time, we provide 2D solar wind speed maps in the LASCO field of view using three consecutive days data. By applying the Fourier convolution and inverse Fourier transform, we decompose the 3D intensity data (r, PA, t) into the 4D one (r, PA, t, v). Then, we take the weighted mean along speed to determine the solar wind speeds that gives V(r, PA, t) in every 30 min. The estimated radial speeds are consistent with those given by an artificial flow and plasma blobs. We find that the estimated speeds are moderately correlated with those from slow CMEs and those from IPS observations. A comparison of yearly solar wind speed maps in 2000 and 2009 shows that they have very remarkable differences: azimuthally uniform distribution in 2000 and bi-modal distribution (high speed near the poles and low speed near the equator) in 2009.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.209-216
• /
• 2006

Ion acoustic solitary wave in a plasma consisting of electrons and ions with an external magnetic field is reinvestigated using the Sagdeev's potential method. Although the Sagdeev potential has a singularity for n < 1, where n is the ion number density, we obtain new solitary wave solutions by expanding the Sagdeev potential up to ${\delta}n^4$ near n = 1. They are compressiv (rarefactive) waves and shock type solitary waves. These waves can exist all together as a superposed wave which may be used to explain what would be observed in the solar wind plasma. We compared our theoretical results with the data of the Freja satellite in the study of Wu et al. (1996). Also it is shown that these solitary waves propagate with a subsonic speed.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.317-319
• /
• 2001

The response of the earth's magnetosphere to the variation of the solar wind parameters and Interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) has been stud}ed by using a high-resolution, three-dimension magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation when the WIND data of velocity Vx, plasma density, dynamic pressure, By and Bz every 1 minute were used as input. Large electrojet and magnetic storm which occurred on October 21 and 22 are reproduced in the simulation (fig. 1). We have studied the energy transfer and tail reconnect ion in association with geomagnetic storms.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2014

Quite recently, it has been suggested that the interaction of the solar wind with Mercury results in the variation in the solar wind velocity in the Earth's neighborhood during inferior conjunctions with Mercury. This suggestion has important implications both on the plasma physics of the interplanetary space and on the space weather forecast. In this study we have attempted to answer a question of whether the claim is properly tested. We confirm that there are indeed ups and downs in the profile of the solar wind velocity measured at the distance of 1 AU from the Sun. However, the characteristic attribute of the variation in the solar wind velocity during the inferior conjunctions with Mercury is found to be insensitive to the phase of the solar cycles, contrary to an earlier suggestion. We have found that the cases of the superior conjunctions with Mercury and of even randomly chosen data sets rather result in similar features. Cases of Venus are also examined, where it is found that the ups and downs with a period of ~ 10 to 15 days can be also seen. We conclude, therefore, that those variations in the solar wind velocity turn out to be a part of random fluctuations and have nothing to do with the relative position of inner planets. At least, one should conclude that the solar wind velocity is not a proper observable modulated by inner planets at the distance of 1 AU from the Sun in the Earth's neighborhood during inferior conjunctions.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.92.2-92.2
• /
• 2011

In view of the planned NASA's and ESA's Solar Probe Plus and Solar Orbiter missions, respectively, to probe the inner heliosphere and the Sun's corona, it is timely to investigate outstanding problems associated with the solar wind. Among them is the temperature anisotropy problem. As the solar wind expands into the interplanetary space, the density and magnetic field decreases radially, thus leading to temperature anisotropy ($T_{\parallel}{\gg}T_{\perp}$). However, the measured temperature anisotropy can at times be characterized by $T_{\perp}$ > $T_{\parallel}$, while at other times the measured $T_{\parallel}/T_{\perp}$ is much milder than predicted by adiabatic theory. Physical reasons remain poorly understood. This notwithstanding, it is known from plasma physics that for $T_{\perp}$ > $T_{\parallel}$ electromagnetic ion-cyclotron (EMIC) and mirror instabilities are excited, while for $T_{\parallel}$ > $T_{\perp}$, fire-hose instability is excited. By constructing the threshold conditions for various instabilities, one may construct a closure relation that may be useful for modeling the solar wind. In the present paper we discuss theoretical construction of the anisotropy-beta relation by means of quasi-linear theories of these instabilities. The present work complements previous efforts on the basis of linear theory, hybrid simulations, and empirical fits of observations.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.17-26
• /
• 2011

Bow shock, formed by the interaction between the solar wind and a planet, is generated in different patterns depending on the conditions of the planet. In the case of the earth, its own strong magnetic field plays a critical role in determining the position of the bow shock. However, in the case of Mars of which has very a small intrinsic magnetic field, the bow shock is formed by the direct interaction between the solar wind and the Martian ionosphere. It is known that the position of the Martian bow shock is affected by the mass loading-effect by which the supersonic solar wind velocity becomes subsonic as the heavy ions originating from the planet are loaded on the solar wind. We simulated the Martian magnetosphere depending on the changes of the density and velocity of the solar wind by using the three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic model built by modifying the comet code that includes the mass loading effect. The Martian exosphere model of was employed as the Martian atmosphere model, and only the photoionization by the solar radiation was considered in the ionization process of the neutral atmosphere. In the simulation result under the normal solar wind conditions, the Martian bow shock position in the subsolar point direction was consistent with the result of the previous studies. The three-dimensional simulation results produced by varying the solar wind density and velocity were all included in the range of the Martian bow shock position observed by Mariner 4, Mars 2, 3, 5, and Phobos 2. Additionally, the simulation result also showed that the change of the solar wind density had a greater effect on the Martian bow shock position than the change of the solar wind velocity. Our result may be useful in analyzing the future observation data by Martian probes.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.45.1-45.1
• /
• 2010

Using SOHO particle and EUV detection and radio spectrograms from both ground-based and spaceborne instruments, we have studied the first phase of major solar energetic particle (SEP) events associated with wide and fast coronal mass ejections (CMEs) centered at different solar longitudes. Observations support the idea that acceleration of SEPs starts in the helium-rich plasma of the eruption's core well behind the CME leading edge, in association with coronal shocks and magnetic reconnection caused by the CME liftoff; and those "coronal" components dominate during the first ~1.5 hour of the SEP event, not yet being hidden by the CME-bow shock in solar wind. At magnetic connection to the eruption's periphery, onset of SEP emission is delayed for a time of the lateral expansion that is visualized by global coronal (EIT) wave. The first, "coronal" phase of SEP acceleration is followed by a second phase associated with CME-driven shock wave in solar wind, which accelerates high-energy ions from a helium-poor particle population until the interplanetary shock slows down to below 1000 km/s. Based on these and other SOHO observations, we discuss what findings can be expected from STEREO in the SOHO era perspective.