Light Recordings from Near-Earth Synchrotron Radiating Plasma Currents
Abstract
Synchrotron radiation in the visible is produced by an intense particle beam (currents) in the presence of a magnetic field in the direction of relativistic electron acceleration. Among the properties of synchrotron radiation are: high brightness and high intensity many orders of magnitude more than X-rays; a high level of polarization (linear or elliptical); high collimation, i.e. small angular divergence of the beam; and high brilliance, exceeding other natural and artificial light sources by many orders of magnitude. For example, a brilliance larger than 1018 photons/s/mm2/mrad 2 /0.1%BW, where 0.1%BW denotes a bandwidth 1-3 ω centered around frequency ω. The properties of Birkeland currents from intense solar storms lasting decades but separated by millennia are: 56 pairs of currents (as in the penumbra of a dense plasma focus) enveloping the Earth on their passage through space. For the Earth, the electron flow is towards Antarctica. Both particle-in-cell simulations and man-made ground recordings indicate ground illumination of meter to decameter wide white lines fanning out at the poles,.
Supported by National Nuclear Security Administration.- Publication:
-
APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- October 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011APS..DPPUP9088P