Near-Saturn Magnetic Field Environment

Near-Saturn Magnetic Field Environment

Sulaiman, Ali Haidar

Springer International Publishing AG

11/2016

97

Dura

Inglês

9783319492919

15 a 20 dias

This thesis focuses on the very high Mach number shock wave that is located sunward of Saturn's strong magnetic field in the continuous high-speed flow of charged particles from the Sun (the solar wind).
Introduction to Space Plasmas.- Definition and Characteristics of Plasmas.- Plasma vs Neutral Gas.- Single Particle Motion.- Magnetohydrodynamics.- The Induction Equation and Flux Freezing.- Kinetic Description.- Applicability of MHD and Kinetic Simulations of Plasmas.- Collisionless MHD Waves.- Fundamentals of Shock Waves.- Collisionless Shock Waves.- State Variables and Control Parameters.- Criticality.- Particle Dynamics and the DC Electric Field.- Shock Frames of Reference.- Quasi-parallel Shocks.- The Sun-Saturn Connection.- The Solar Wind.- Properties at 10 AU.- The Kronian Environment.- Spacecraft Encounters.- Saturn's Magnetosphere.- Dungey vs Vasyliunas Cycles.- The KSM Coordinate System.- Cassini Observations of Saturn's Dayside Environment.- Motivation of this Thesis.- Spacecraft and Instrumentation.- The Cassini-Huygens Spacecraft.- Cassini Fluxgate Magnetometer.- Calibration.- Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) Instrument.- Cassini Ion Mass Spectrometer (CAPS/IMS).- Magnetic Field Characterisation of Saturn's Bow Shock.- Introduction.- Size and Shape.- Determination of the Shock Normal.- Saturn as a Unique Laboratory for Collisionless Shocks.- Scope and Limitations of this Chapter.- Characterisation of Saturn's Bow Shock.- Determination of the Alfven Mach Number.- Parameter Space.- Shock Relative Overshoot and Variability.- Conclusion.- Quasi-perpendicular High Mach Number Collisionless Shocks.- Introduction.- Method.- Determination of the Foot Length and Shock Speed.- Observations.- Results and Discussion.- An Attempt to Reconcile with .- Conclusion.- The Magnetic Structure of Saturn's Magnetosheath.- Introduction.- Observations.- Data Selection.- Upstream Conditions and the Overall Configuration of the Magnetic Field in Saturn's Magnetosheath.- Results.- MHD Simulations.- Correspondence between observations and predictive model.- Discussion.- Summary and Perspective.- Bibliography
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