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Definition
| Sun's rotation rate basically constant, angle of spiral due to solar wind speed. Faster wind means smaller angle |
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Definition
| Regions of diploe-like field with a loop of plasma coming out of the rim. Near sun's equatorial plane. Solar wind moves slower from these than open mgf regions. |
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Definition
| Near the poles where a "ray" of plasma flows along a field line not looping back to the surface, also called coronal holes. |
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Term
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Definition
| Has Archimedean spiral structure in N-S direction because magnetic equator of sun not aligned with earth's spin axis, causes waviness of IMF. |
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Term
| Heliospheric Current Sheet |
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Definition
| Plasma that came from sun's magnetic equator that divides IMF pointing away from sun from IMF pointing towards sun. |
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Definition
| When reconfigurations of the solar mgf cause large portion of the corona to blast away from the sun and out into the heliopshere. Large-scale magnetic structures that can contain over 10^12 kg of hot coronal material. Often have a shock and a high-density "plug" of plasma in front of them due to slower solar wind plasma being "swept up". |
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Definition
| Formed when speed of an object exceeds the sound speed of the background material. |
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Definition
| Dependent on a material's density and temperature. Shockwave in interplanetary space is a good particle accelerator. |
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Definition
| Distinctive, loop-like mgf structures common in CME's. In CME's, called magnetic clouds. |
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Definition
| Fast CME's are leading cause of these. A world-wide disturbance in the magnetic field at Earth caused by an enhancement of the ring current in the magnetosphere. |
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Definition
| Region well beyond the orbit of Pluto where the solar wind interacts directly with interstellar space. |
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Definition
| Boundary between heliosphere and interstellar medium (ISM). About 100 AU away. |
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Definition
| Formed between supersonic flow of the solar wind and ISM. 90 AU from the sun. |
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Term
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Definition
| ISM, mix of electrically neutral atoms and magnetized plasma. |
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Term
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Definition
| Tear-drop shape caused by velocity different between heliosphere and ISM, with a termination shock inside the heliopause. |
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Term
| How Long it Takes to Orbit Galaxy |
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Definition
| ~250,000,000 years. In 4.5 billion years, Earth's orbited galaxy 18 times. |
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Term
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Definition
| Closest star, about 4 light years (1 lightyear= 10 trillion km) away. |
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Term
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Definition
| Highly ionized atoms and other subatomic particles Nearly speed of light, mostly nuclei, electrons, positrons, MeV or GeV. Can't trace because galactic mgf's deflect charged particles. |
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Term
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Definition
| 1 of 2 sources of particles in Cosmic Rays, with particles that originate outside our heliosphere. Originate in super novae. |
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Term
| Solar Energetic Particles |
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Definition
| Particles that originate from our sun (part of cosmic rays) |
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Term
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Definition
| Energy unit equal to energy gained by an electron accelerated through a one-volt potential electric field or 1.6x10^-19 J. |
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Term
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Definition
| One per 50 years in a galaxy like the Milky Way. |
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Term
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Definition
| After a star uses all its thermonuclear fusion, outer layers collapse with a huge explosion that expels stellar material into space and causes shock waves to form. Explosion and shock waves produce particles w/ very high energy. |
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Term
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Definition
| Dying star. Shock waves continue leaving star and acceleration particles for years after initial explosion. |
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Term
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Definition
| Unusual subatomic particles created by high energy cosmic ray particles hitting atmospheric particles and creating showers of secondary particles. Decay quickly to produce muons, neutrinos and gamma rays. Muons decay to positrons and electrons. About 1000 particles per min passing through our bodies. Can kill/damage astronauts/satellites in space. |
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Term
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Definition
| Study of moving objects or bodies |
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Term
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Definition
| Change in position of a body with respect to another body or some reference frame. |
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Term
| Intertial Reference Frame |
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Definition
| Fixed reference frame. Good to define so observers and describe motion of an object. |
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Term
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Definition
| Valid and identical in all reference frames, principle of physics. |
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Term
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Definition
| Set of rules that describes quantitatively where an object is located from a specific point, called the origin. |
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Term
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Definition
| 2D region that can be describes by 2 coordinates |
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Term
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Definition
| French mathematician who developed the Cartesian plane/coordinate system. |
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Term
| Solar Ecliptic Frame of Reference |
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Definition
| Center of sun is the origin, x axis is line connecting center of sun with center of earth, z axis is perpendicular to x-line and plane that contains earth's yearly orbit around the sun. |
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Term
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Definition
| (x2-x1)/(t2-t1) or delta x over delta t in m/s. It is a scalar. |
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Definition
| An object's speed and direction of motion. It is a vector. |
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Definition
| Mathematical quantity with both magnitude (speed) and direction. |
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Definition
| Parameter with magnitude but no direction. |
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Term
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Definition
| if object is slowing down/speeding up/changing direction over time. Changing velocity over time. Vector. a= (v2-v1)/(t2-t1) or delta v over delta t |
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Term
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Definition
| Action that causes an object to change its velocity or acceleration. F= mass x acceleration. |
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Term
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Definition
| Developed laws of motion that accurately describe the motion of almost everything. (Einstein's special relativity accounts for the almost). |
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Term
| Gravitational Acceleration |
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Definition
| Is 9.8 m s^-2 near Earth's surface. |
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Term
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Definition
| The mass of Earth pulling us down to the surface. |
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Term
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Definition
| The region around an astronomical object in which phenomena are dominated or organized by its magnetic field. |
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Term
| 100 km above Earth's surface |
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Definition
| The amount of ionized gas becomes appreciable. |
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Term
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Definition
| force fields around magnets, electric currents, or moving charged particles that exert a force on other magnets. |
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Term
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Definition
| Relatively strong due to motion of molten iron inside Earth. Emerges from one hemisphere with a certain direction and points towards the opposite hemisphere. Usually north pole is where mgf points outward. |
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Term
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Definition
| A mgf where there are two magnetic poles, such as Earth. Field is two times stronger at the poles than at the equator and falls off very quickly with distance. |
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Term
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Definition
| Points where the magnetic field emerges straight out of or into the Earth. |
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Term
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Definition
| The mass of Earth pulling us down to the surface. |
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Term
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Definition
| Dipole region of Earth's magnetosphere. |
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Term
| 100 km above Earth's surface |
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Definition
| The amount of ionized gas becomes appreciable. |
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Term
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Definition
| force fields around magnets, electric currents, or moving charged particles that exert a force on other magnets. |
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Term
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Definition
| Relatively strong due to motion of molten iron inside Earth. Emerges from one hemisphere with a certain direction and points towards the opposite hemisphere. Usually north pole is where mgf points outward. |
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Term
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Definition
| A mgf where there are two magnetic poles, such as Earth. Field is two times stronger at the poles than at the equator and falls off very quickly with distance. |
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Term
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Definition
| Points where the magnetic field emerges straight out of or into the Earth. |
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Term
| Strength of mgf at equator |
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Definition
| |B| = C/r^3, were C = a constant that depends on latitude and r = distance |
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Term
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Definition
| Non-dipolae regions of Earth's magnetosphere. |
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Term
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Definition
| 6.6 Earth radii (rE) from the center of Earth |
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Term
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Definition
| Region of cold, dense plasma that essentially co-rotates with, and immediately surrounds, Earth. Dominated entirely by the geomagnetic field. consists mostly of hydrogen and helium w/ appreciable amt of oxygen atoms that have just enough energy to escape from Earth’s ionosphere. |
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Term
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Definition
| Electron-volt. Measure of kinetic energy. For a proton, 1 eV corresponds to a velocity of about 14 km s^-1 |
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Term
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Definition
| Position above or below the equator, measured in degrees |
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Term
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Definition
| Position marked by degrees, starting with 0 meridian, and extending Eastward around the globe. |
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Term
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Definition
| very sharp outer boundary to the dense plasmasphere |
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Term
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Definition
| frequently drops an order of magnitude within a very short radial distance (less than 0.5 rE) |
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Term
| Van Allen radiation belts and |
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Definition
| Often overlapping with the plasmasphere, characterized by high-energy particles that are trapped inEarth's magnetosphere. belts are particles w/ energies extending into relativistic regime. |
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Term
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Definition
| have velocities near the seed of light and carry tremendous amounts of kinetic energy. |
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Term
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Definition
| Often overlapping with the plasmasphere, characterized by high-energy particles that are trapped inEarth's magnetosphere. Ring current is made of particles w/ a peak energy of about 200 KeV. Charged particles produce an electric current that encircles Earth. |
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