Solutions to Exercises 3rd edition Space Physics

1 Chapter 1
1.1 Define a plasma. Discuss the importance of the density. Is there a limit for the relative
or the absolute size of the neutral component?
Suggested answer: Traditionally, a plasma is defined as an at least partly ionized gas. Phy-
sically, the important aspect of a plasma are mobile charges, thus the idea of a plasma can
be extended to metals and semiconductors. Since mobility of the charges is a basic concept,
density is important if the plasma is not fully ionized: in a tenuous medium, charges can move
freely according to the outer fields while in a very dense medium the motion of the charges
is determined by the interactions with the neutrals but not by the fields. The relative size of
the neutral component is unimportant as long as the interactions between charged particles
and neutrals are infrequent and the neutrals do not determine the motion of the charges.

1.2 Which parameters are used to characterize a plasma? Briefly discuss their physical mea-
ning.
Suggested answer: The most important parameters temperature and density which both give
a measure for the mobility of the charges: temperature for the particle speed and density
for the collision rates. Additional parameters include the Debye length as the characteristic
spatial scale over which particles in a plasma exert electrostatic forces on each other. The
Debye length increases with decreasing density and increasing temperature.

1.3 Which energies/temperatures can be used to classify a plasma?

Suggested answer: For space plasmas, the most important one is the binding energy which
separates neutral gases from fully ionized gases. If we look into the interior of stars, the
Fermi energy also becomes important which separates degenerate (non-Maxwellian) and non-
degenerate (Maxwellian distribution function) plasmas.

1.4 What do you need to explain a magnetosphere? What determines its spatial extent?
Suggested answer: Ingredients are a magnetic field and the solar wind. If the solar wind were
missing, we just would have a dipole field without structures and dynamics. If the planetary
magnetic field were missing, the solar wind would be deflected around the planet by the
ionosphere.

1.5 Describe the basic features of a magnetosphere. How do these properties change if the
axis of the magnetic field changes with respect to the solar wind direction; if the terrestrial
magnetic field decreases; if solar wind pressure and speed increase?
Suggested answer: The basic features of the magnetosphere are (a) the magnetopause as
equilibrium between solar wind and terrestrial magnetic field; (b) the cusps, where the ma-
gnetosphere is open and solar wind can penetrate into it; (c) the tail which extends in the
anti-sunward direction. For the change of the axis of the geomagnetic field, we consider only
the extreme case of a the axis being shifted into the plane of ecliptic. If rotation axis of the
planet and axis of the dipole are parallel, one pole would be directly hit by the solar wind
all the time (pole-on magnetosphere). If only the field axis is shifted but not the rotation
axis, magnetospheric configuration would be highly variable (oscillation between pole-on and

1
Earth-like). Examples for illustration can be taken from Chapter 9. A decreasing planeta-
ry magnetic field would lead to a smaller magnetosphere: with the unchanged solar wind,
the point of equilibrium between magnetic field and solar wind moves towards the planet
while the structure would remain unchanged. For increasing solar wind speed/pressure, the
magnetosphere also would shrink because the magnetopause is shifted towards the planet.

1.6 Why is space dominated by plasmas?

Suggested answer: The dominant source of space plasmas are the solar and stellar wind, which
already are ionized because of the stars high temperatures and the hard electromagnetic
radiation emitted by them.

1.7 Where in the near-Earth environment do plasmas exist? Would we miss them if they
were neutral matter instead?
Suggested answer: Natural plasma populations in the near-Earth environment are (a) light-
ning bolts, which are part of the global electric circuit, their loss would have consequences
for atmospheric chemistry and dynamics; (b) the ionosphere, its loss would affect radio
communication; (c) the molten core of Earth, the loss of its plasma properties would imply
a stop of the MHD dynamo and thus a decay of the geomagnetic field.

1.1 Chapter 2: Charged Particles in Electromagnetic Fields

2.1 Describe the concept of the guiding center. What is the reason for drifts?
Suggested answer: The concept of the guiding center allows a simple description of the particle
motion separating it into two parts: the gyro-motion and the motion of a fictitious guiding
center which is the momentary center of the gyro-orbit. The general motion of the particle
is described by the guiding center, its momentary location always is within one gyro-radius
of the guiding center. The motion of the guiding center can result from direct forces on the
particle, for instance an electric field, or from a drift.
Drifts occur when the gyro-radius varies during the gyration. This can happen if the
magnetic field changes (such as in gradient drift) or if the particle is accelerated during the
gyro-period (such as in E~ B-drift
~ ~
or ~g B-drift). In all cases the deviation from the circular
orbit does not allow for a closed gyro-orbit the resulting offset after one gyration period
corresponds to the drift.

2.2 What is an adiabatic invariant? Describe examples.

Suggested answer: Adiabatic invariants are constants of motion. They exist in periodic moti-
ons in slowly varying outer circumstances. Formally, the are related to the constancy of the
action integral over one period of motion.
A mechanical example is the period of motion of a pendulum with varying length of the
string: if the latter changes only weakly during one swing, the ration between the pendulums
energy and frequency is a constant of the motion, that is an adiabatic invariant.
In space physics, adiabatic invariants are related to the gyration period: if a magnetic
field varies only weakly on the spatial scale of the gyro-radius, the first adiabatic invariant
leads to the constancy of the magnetic moment. The main application of this invariant is the
magnetic mirror.
The second adiabatic invariant is related to the particle motion parallel to the magne-
tic field. Here the field properties vary only weakly on the length scale parallel to the field
traversed by a particle during one gyration. If the motion is oscillatory along the field, the

2
product of field parallel momentum and distance between the reflection points is an invari-
ant of the motion. Application is the acceleration of particles between converging magnetic
mirrors (Fermi acceleration).
The third adiabatic invariant is related to the temporal variation of the magnetic field:
if this is only small during one gyration, the magnetic flux through the area enclosed by the
drift orbit of the particle is constant. An application in the terrestrial atmosphere is the flux
invariant of the radiation belt particles drifting around the earth.

2.3 Derive the general drift equation

!
F~ B~ 1 F~ ~
B F~
~vF = 2
= = ~tB
qB c m B c m

and discuss the conditions under which it can be applied.

Suggested answer: a simple way to derive the drift formula is the transformation into a frame
of reference moving with the drift speed given in the equation. A more formal derivation
starts from the solution of the equation of motion

q ~
m~v = q~v B
~ + F~ ~+F
~v = ~v B (1)
m m
with the external force F~ being independent of time. This is an inhomogeneous ordinary
differential equation of first order with the inhomogeneity F~ /m. With a = q/m and ~b = F~ /m
its components read

vx = a(vy Bz vz By ) + bx ,
vy = a(vz Bx vx Bz ) + by ,
vz = a(vx By vy Bx ) + bz . (2)

Since the components are coupled, we do not get three independent differential equations but
a system of three coupled equations.
To solve the homogenous part of (1) we can rewrite the equation into a form ~v = A~v :

0 aBz aBy
~v = aBz 0 aBx ~v = A~v . (3)
aBy aBx 0

We make an exponential ansatz ~v = ~v0 et . This implies ~v = ~v0 et . Inserting into (3) yields
~v0 = A~v0 Such an equation gives an eigenvalue problem, that is an equation defining the
eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a matrix. The Eigenvalues can be obtained from

aBz aBy
!
|A E| = aBz aBx = 0 (4)
aBy aBx
or

aBz aBy
aBz aBx = 3 + a3 Bx By Bz a3 Bx By Bz a2 By2 a2 Bz2 a2 Bx2
aBy aBx
= 3 a2 B 2 = 0 (5)

and thus
1 = 0 and 2,3 = ia|B| = ic . (6)

3
The eigenvector for 1 can be determined from

0 aBz aBy u1
!
aBz 0 aBx u2 = 0 . (7)
aBy aBx 0 u3

It is thus defined by a linear system of equations:

0 = Bz u2 By u3
0 = Bz u1 + Bx u3
0 = By u1 Bx u2 . (8)

Solving this system yields

Bx
~u1 ~ .
= By = B (9)
Bz
The first eigenvalue and -vector thus describe the field parallel motion. For 2 = ic the
eigenvector can be determined from the relation

ic aBz aBy u1
!
aBz ic aBx u2 = 0 . (10)
aBy aBx ic u3

The resulting linear system of equations

0 = iBu1 + Bz u2 By u3 ,
0 = Bz u1 iBu2 + Bx u3 ,
0 = By u1 Bx u2 iBu3 (11)

gives the eigenvector

...
~u2 = ... (12)
....

2.4 Derive an expression for the gyro-radius andp frequency of a relativistic particle. The
relativistic momentum is p = mo v, where = 1 v 2 /c2 and mo is the rest mass. What is
the expression for the magnetic moment of a relativistic particle? Show that the relativistic
magnetic moment is conserved.
Suggested answer: The expression for the relativistic equation of motion is F~ = dt
d
(m0~v ) = p~ .
With the Lorentz force the equation of motion becomes

m0~v = q~v B
~ (13)

which is the same as in the non-relativistic case except for the factor m0 instead of m.
Thus the solution for gyro-radius and cyclotron frequency also are the same except for m0
instead of m:
|q|B p m0 v
c = and rL = = . (14)
m0 |q|B |q|B
The
H expression for the magnetic moment can be derived from the first adiabatic invariant
J1 = p1 dq using p = m0 and q = rL as generalized coordinates:
2
m0 v Wkin,
= = . (15)
2B B

4
2.5 How is the magnetic moment defined. Give examples for magnetic moments. Why is the
magnetic moment an important physical quantity?
Suggested answer: A moving charge is a current and thus according to Amperes law it creates
a magnetic field. A gyrating particles corresponds to a ring current. Similar to the current in
a long straight coil it gives rise to a magnetic field similar to that of a dipole. Its magnetic
moment is current times area encircled by the current: = |I|A.
The magnetic moment is an important quantity in space physics because it is one of the
adiabatic invariants: it stays constant, even if the magnetic field changes weakly during the
gyration. This constancy of the magnetic moment is used, for instance, in the description of
magnetic mirrors.

2.6 Show that ~j 0 = ~j in the derivation of Ohms generalized law

 
~j = E ~ + ~v B
~ .

~ In the rest frame of

Suggested answer: Ohms law in the observers rest frame reads ~j = E.
~ 0
a plasma moving with speed ~v relative to the observer it reads j = E~ 0 . If conductivity is
high, i.e. E/B  1, the fields are transformed according to

~0 = E
E ~ + ~v B
~ ~0 = B
andB ~ (16)

~ 2 is much smaller than B.

because in the latter equation the term ~v E/c ~ In addition, high
conductivity combined with the requirement of changes occurring at speed slow compared to
the speed of light, reduces Amperes law to B ~ = 0~j. The current in the plasmas rest
frame therefore is
~0 = B
0~j 0 = B ~ = 0~j . (17)

2.7 Derive Coulombs law from Gauss law of the electric field
I Z
~ dS
~= %c 3 %c
E d ~r or E = . (18)
0 0
O(V ) V

Suggested answer: We integrate over a sphere centered at charge Q with radius r and and
obtain for the electric field on the spheres surface

~ = Q
E ~er . (19)
40 r2
Now assume a second charge q on the surface of the sphere. The electric field exerts a force
F~ = q E
~ and thus q is attracted (or repulsed, depending on the sign of the charges) with the
Coulomb force
1 qQ
F~coul = ~er . (20)
40 r2

2.8 Why does

p Wkin
rL = = = 1021 m (21)
eB ceB
give a maximum Larmor radius?
Suggested answer: The correct expression for the Larmor radius considers only the field
parallel energy. Thus if the total kinetic energy is considered, the above equation gives a

5
maximum Larmor radius. If the filed parallel component of the motion does not vanish, the
kinetic energy perpendicular to the field is reduced and consequently also the Larmor radius.

2.9 Solve the equation of motion

F~ = q~v B
~ . (22)

Suggested answer: This is the homogenous part of the equation of motion in exercise 2.3 and
has been solved there.

2.10 Develop a simple (numerical) model for the depletion of the radiation belt. Start with
the information from examples 5 and 8, assume losses to occur at a height of 1.05 Earth
radii from the center of Earth (about 300 km height in the atmosphere) and that during each
bounce period 2% of the remaining particles are scattered into the loss cone.
Suggested answer:

2.11 Determine the gyro-radii and frequencies for electrons and protons moving with thermal
speeds in the following fields: (a) the Earths magnetosphere with ne = np = 104 cm3 ,
Te = Tp = 103 K, B = 102 G; (b) the core of the Sun with ne = np = 1026 cm3 , Te =
Tp = 107.2 K, B = 106 G; (c) the solar corona with ne = np = 108 cm3 , Te = Tp = 106 K,
B = 1 G; (d) the solar wind with ne = np = 10 cm3 , Te = Tp = 105 K, B = 105 G.
Suggested answer: The relavant equations for thermal speed, Larmor radius and cyclotron
frequency are r
2kB T mv |q|B
vth = , rL = and c = . (23)
m |q|B m
The numbers then are

electrons protons
vth [m/s] rL [m] c [1/s] vth [m/s] rL [m] c [1/s]
(a) 5.5 104 1.3 103
(b) 2.2 107 5.1 105
(c) 5.5 106 1.3 105
(d) 5.5 106 1.3 105

2.12 A particle gyrates in a homogeneous magnetic field. (a) Determine the size of a volume
V which contains an amount of magnetic energy equal to the particles kinetic energy. (b)
Determine the height of a cylinder with this volume and a base given by the Larmor orbit.
(c) Discuss this result.
Suggested answer: (a) The magnetic energy density is B = B 2 /20 or in cgs-units B B =
B 2 /8. With the kinetic energy of the particle Wkin = mv 2 /2 the volume containing the
same amount of magnetic energy must be

Wkin mv 2
Vsame = = 4 2 . (24)
B B
(b) With the Larmor radius rL = mv/(|q|B) (all energy is in the motion perpendicular to
the field) the volume of a cylinder with base Larmor orbit is

2 m2 v2
hm mv 2 hm
V = rL h = h 2 2
= 2 2
= 2 Vsame . (25)
|q| B |q| B 8q

To caontain the same energy, the cylinder therefore must have a height h = 8q 2 /m. ....

6
2.13 In the equatorial plane, the Earths magnetic field can be described as B = Bo (RE /r)3
with Bo = 0.3 G, RE being the Earths radius, and r being the geocentric distance. Determine
the time a particle with pitch angle 90 needs to drift around the Earth in the equatorial
plane. What is the meaning of this time? Determine the period for electrons and protons
with an energy of 1 keV drifting in a height of 5rE above the center of the Earth. Compare
with the drift due to the gravitational field and the period of an uncharged particle (e.g. a
satellite) in the same orbit.
Suggested answer:

2.14 A proton of cosmic radiation is trapped between two magnetic mirrors with Rm = 5.
Initially, it has an energy of 1 keV and v = vk in the meridional plane between the two
mirrors. Each mirror moves with vm = 10 km/s towards the other. Draw a sketch of the
configuration. Determine the acceleration of the proton. (a) Does the acceleration continue
until the mirrors are in contact with each other or does the particle escape? Determine the
maximum energy acquired by the particle. Determine the maximum energy for other pitch
angles, too. (b) How long does the particle need to acquire maximum energy? (Hint: assume
the mirrors to be planes moving with speed vm and show that the energy gain in each
interaction is 2vm . How many interactions are required for the particle to acquire maximum
speed?)
Suggested answer:

2.15 The magnetic field of a magnetic mirror varies as Bz = Bo (1 + z 2 ) along the axis.
(a) At z = 0 an electron has a speed of v 2 = 3vk2 = 1.5v2
. Where does reflection occur?
(b) Determine the motion of the guiding center. (c) Show that the motion is sinusoidal.
Determine the frequency. (d) Determine the longitudinal invariant belonging to this motion.
Suggested answer: (a) The mirror point is determined from the constancy of the magnetic
moment:
2
mv,0 mv 2 v2
= Bmp = 2 Bo = 1.5Bo . (26)
2Bo 2Bmp v
Thus at the reflection point it is

1 + 2 zmp = 1.5 or zmp = 2 /2 . (27)

(b)

2.16 A particle of mass m and charge q is at rest in a uniform magnetic field B. ~ At time
~
t = 0, a uniform electric field perpendicular to B is switched on. Show that the maximum
energy gain is 2m(E/B)2 .
Suggested answer: The geometrical situation is quite similar to the Wien-Filter discussed
in example 3, the only difference is the electrons initial speed. In this case, the electron
~ acts on it, accelerating it. As the electrons speed
is initally at rest. Thus only a force q E
~
increases, the Lorentz force q~v B becomes increasingly important forcing the electron into
a curved orbit. The resulting motion is a special form of the E ~ B ~ drift with the electron
speed being maximal at one turning point of its orbit (as usual) and being zero at the other:
the path is a cycloid. At the turning point with non-vanishing speed the electrons kinetic
energy is maximal. Here its motion is perpendicular to both the magnetic and the electric
field. In the gyrocenters rest frame the force exerted by the electric field cancels that of the
magnetic field, qE = qvR B and the electrons speed thus is vR = E/B. The gyrocenter, on
the other hand, moves with the drift speed vD = E/B into the same direction. Thus in the

7
laboratory frame, the electron speed is vR + vD = 2E/B, corresponding to a kinetic energy
of Ekin = 2mE 2 /B 2 .

2.17 A solar proton with energy 1 MeV starts with an initial pitch angle of 85 at 2.5 solar
radii. The interplanetary magentic field decreases as r2 . Determine the protons pitch angle
at Earths orbit (213 solar radii) from the conservation of the magnetic moment.
Suggested answer: The magnetic moment is conserved:
2
mv sin2 85 sin2 Earth
= = const or = (28)
2B Bsun 1 2


Bsun 213

which gives Earth = 0.001 which is essentially field parallel. Thus without any interfering
processes such as scattering all particles injected from the Sun would arrive almost field-
parallel. Note that the change in pitch angle is independent of particle energy.

2.18 A 10 keV particle is trapped inside the radiation belt at a height of 106 km above
the surface of the Earth in a magnetic field of about 106 T. Determine the drift speeds for
the curvature and the gradient drift. Compare to the drift caused by the gravitational field.
Suggested answer:

2.19 One model for particle acceleration in solar flares uses the second adiabatic invariant. A
shock propagates outward through a magnetic field loop of sinusoidal form. Particles gyrate
on this loop and bounce back and forth from the shock front. Develop a model for particle
acceleration.
Suggested answer: The acceleration can be described by the second adiabatic invariant, vk s =
const. If we neglect all effects such as focussing in diverging and converging magnetic field or
scattering,. The geometry is

h H

with H as the height of the loop and h(t) as the height of the shock in the corona. If we
describe the loop by a cosine, we have a symmetric situation. In a cartesian system, the path
can be described by x = W t with t [, ] and W the width of the loop and y = H cos t.
The path length then is
+x
Z rp +x
Z rp q
s= |~r | dt = W 1 + H 2 sin2 t/W 2 dt = (29)
xrp xrp

2 Chapter 3: Magnetohydrodynamics
3.1 Explain the difference between convective and partial derivatives. Find examples to
illustrate the differences.
Suggested answer:

8
3.2 Recall simple hydrodynamics and give other examples of the momentum balance. Discuss
the different forms and compare with the NavierStokes equation.
Suggested answer:

3.3 Derive the hydrostatic equation from the NavierStokes equation. Which terms do you
need?
Suggested answer:

3.4 Give a quantitative discussion of the stability of a sunspot (all important numbers are
given in Tab.6.1).
Suggested answer:

3.5 Is the filament sketched in Fig. 3.5 realistic? Why does it not dissolve towards the sides
(remember, it is a plasma, not a solid body)?
Suggested answer:

3.6 What is the meaning of viscosity and Reynolds number? What are the formal differences
between hydrodynamics and magnetohydrodynamics? What are the differences in substance?
Suggested answer:

3.7 Explain the consequences of stationary flows parallel and oblique to the magnetic field.
Suggested answer:

3.8 Why has pressure the unit of an energy density?

Suggested answer:

3.9 Show that

Bz
Bz = Bz tanh , where = x
2Hp Bx
is a solution of
Bz
+ Bz2 = const .
x 2
Suggested answer:

3.10 Show that in an ideal, non-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic plasma the ratio between
the electric and the magnetic energies is (v /c)2 .
Suggested answer:

3.11 Determine the dissipation times for a copper block (side length 10 cm, conductivity
260 A/Vm) and the interstellar medium (linear dimension 1021 m, conductivity 2.6 V/Am).
Compare with the age of the universe (about 1018 s).
Suggested answer:

3.12 Determine the Debye length and the number of particles inside a Debye sphere for
electrons and protons moving with thermal speeds in the following fields: (a) the Earths
magnetosphere with n = 104 cm3 , T = 103 K, B = 102 G; (b) the core of the Sun with
n = 1026 cm3 , T = 107.2 K, B = 106 G; (c) the solar corona with n = 108 cm3 , T = 106 K,
B = 1 G; and (d) the solar wind with n = 10 cm3 , T = 105 K, B = 105 G.
Suggested answer:

9
3 Chapter 4: Plasma Waves
4.1 Explain, in your own words, the important quantities characterizing a wave. What are
group and phase speeds?
Suggested answer:

4.2 Show that in an electron plasma wave the energy contained in the electron oscillation
exceeds the energy in the ions by the mass ratio mi /(Zi me ).
Suggested answer:

4.3 On re-entry into the Earths atmosphere, a spacecraft experiences a radio blackout due
to the shock developing in front of the spacecraft. Determine the electron density inside the
shock if the transmitter works at 300 MHz.
Suggested answer:

4.4 Show that the maximum phase speed of a Whistler wave is at a frequency = ce /2.
Prove that this is below the speed of light.
Suggested answer:

4.5 Show that if a packet of Whistler waves with a spread in frequency is generated at a given
instant, a distant observer will receive the higher frequencies earlier than the lower ones.
Suggested answer:

4.6 Show that if the finite mass of the ions is included, the frequency of Langmuir waves in
a cold plasma is given by 2 = pe
2 2
+ pi .
Suggested answer:

4.7 How would you use pulse delay as a function of frequency to measure the average plasma
density between the Earth and a distant pulsar?
Suggested answer:

4.8 Determine the Alfven speeds and the electron plasma frequencies for the situations
described in Problem 3.12.
Suggested answer:

4.9 Use Fig. 4.4 to describe the properties of magnetohydrodynamic waves propagating
~ o for vA > vs and vA < vs .
parallel to B
Suggested answer:

4.10 Show that in an Alfven wave the average kinetic energy equals the average magnetic
energy.
Suggested answer:

4.11 Discuss an Alfven wave with ~kkB~ o . (a) Determine the dispersion relation under the
assumption of a high but finite conductivity (the displacement current nevertheless can be
ignored). (b) Determine the real and the imaginary parts of the wave vector for a real fre-
quency.
Suggested answer:

10
4 Chapter 5: Kinetic Theory

5.1 Describe the meaning of the mean free path. What are the physical and formal differences
in a neutral gas and in a plasma?
Suggested answer:

5.2 The solar wind is a proton gas with a temperature of about 1 million K. Plot the
distribution function and determine the most probable speed and energy. Compare with the
flow speed of 400 km/s and the kinetic energy contained in the flow.
Suggested answer:

5.3 A spacecraft measures the proton distribution in the solar wind. Above an energy of
about 20 keV, the distribution can be described as a power law in E with E 4 . Plot the
distribution and compare with the results of Problem 5.2. What kind of distribution is this?
Suggested answer:

5 Chapter 6: Sun and Solar Wind

6.1 Explain the basic conservation laws across a shock front. What are the differences between
a gas-dynamic and a hydrodynamic shock?
Suggested answer:

6.2 Explain the differences between a fast and a slow shock.

Suggested answer:

6.3 Derive
1 usowi  p 2 n p o
s= + 1 + ln + 2 + 1
2 
for the length of the archimedian spiral.
Suggested answer:

6.4 Consider a 10 MeV proton in interplanetary space. Determine its gyro-radius, gyration
period, and the wave numbers of Alfven waves in resonance with the proton (assume different
pitch angles: 10 , 30 , and 90 ). Compare with the same values for a 1 MeV electron.
Suggested answer:

6.5 For an observer on Earth, calculate the length of the magnetic field line to the Sun and
its longitude of origin (connection longitude). Do the same for an observer at 5 AU. (Assume
a plane geometry with the field line confined to the plane of ecliptic.)
Suggested answer:

6.6 Imagine a slow solar wind speed starting on the Sun. 30 east of this stream, a fast
stream with twice the speed of the slow stream originates. Where would they meet? (Simple
assumption of an Archimedian magnetic field spiral.)
Suggested answer:

6.7 An electron beam with c/3 propagates through the interplanetary plasma and excites
a radio burst (cf. example 15). Assume a decrease in plasma density 1/r2 . Calculate the

11
frequency drift under the assumption that the electron beam propagates radially. How do
these results change if the curvature of the Archimedian field line, along which the electrons
propagate, is considered? How would the curvature of the field line influence the frequency
drift of a type II burst in front of an interplanetary shock?
Suggested answer:

6.8 A magnetic loop on the Sun has a parabolic shape with B = Bo (1 + s2 /H 2 ) with
H = 30 000 m being the height of the loop and s the distance from the top of the loop.
Calculate the bounce period of particles with a speed of 2c/3. As the particles interact with
the atmosphere at the mirror points, they create hard X-rays. What is the time interval
between two subsequent elementary bursts?
Suggested answer:

6.9 The plasma instrument on an interplanetary spacecraft detects a sudden increase in

plasma density. No other changes in plasma or field are observed. Is this a shock?
Suggested answer:

6.10 The plasma instrument on an interplanetary spacecraft detects a discontinuity with

a jump in plasma density from 4 cm3 to 8 cm3 and a jump in plasma flow speed from
400 km/s to 700 km/s (all quantities in the spacecraft frame). Determine the shock speed.
What is the meaning of this speed? Suggested answer:

6.11 Assume average solar wind properties at Earths orbit: proton density 7 cm3 , elec-
tron density 7.5 cm3 , He2+ density 0.25 cm3 , flow speed 400 km/s almost radial, proton
temperature 2 105 K, electron temperature 1 105 K, magnetic field 7 nT. Calculate the
flux densities and the flux through a sphere with radius 1 AU for the following quantities:
protons, mass, radial momentum, kinetic energy, thermal energy, magnetic energy, and radial
magnetic flux.
Suggested answer:

6 Chapter 7: Energetic Particles

7.1 Determine the Larmor radius, gyro-period, and speed of galactic cosmic rays with an
energy of 10 GeV in a 5 nT magnetic field. Compare with the same values for a solar proton
with an energy of 10 MeV. Determine the travel time between the Sun and the heliopause
at 100 AU for a straight path and a path following an Archimedian magnetic field line.
Suggested answer:

7.2 Assume a Galton board with n rows of pins. For each pin, the possibility of a deflection
to the left or right is 0.5. (a) Give the probability distribution in the nth layer. (b) Show that
for large n this distribution converges toward the bell curve. Give the standard deviation.
(c) Write a small computer program to simulate a Galton board. Compare the runs of your
simulation with the expected result for a different number of rows. Alternatively, simulate
the results for a Galton board with 5 rows and 100 balls by tossing a coin. Compare with
the expected results.
Suggested answer:

7.3 Get an idea about changes of time scales in diffusion. Imagine a horde of ants released
at time to = 0 onto a track in the woods. The speed of the ants is 1 m/min, their mean free

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path 10 cm. How long do you have to wait until the number of ants passing your observation
point at 1 m (10 m, 100 m) is largest? How do your results change if you get faster ants
(10 m/min, 50 m/min) or ants moving more erratically (mean free paths reduced to 5 cm,
1 cm). Can you imagine different populations of ants characterized by different speeds and
different mean free paths reaching their maximum at the same time at the same place? (More
realistic numbers for interplanetary space: particle speeds of 0.1 AU/h, 1 AU/h, and 6 AU/h,
distances of 0.3 AU, 1 AU, 5 AU, and mean free paths of 0.01 AU and 0.1 AU).
Suggested answer:

7.4 In interplanetary space, propagation should be described by the diffusionconvection

equation instead of a simple diffusion equation. The flow speed of the solar wind is about
400 km/s. Calculate profiles with the diffusionconvection equation with the numbers given
in the parentheses for Problem 7.3. Compare with solutions of the simple diffusion model.
Discuss the differences: how do they change with particle speed and mean free paths and
why? (Note: Solving this problem you should get an idea about the influence of convection.
And this influence is quite similar when additional processes in the transport equation are
considered too.)
Suggested answer:

7.5 Explain the shape of () in Fig. 7.11 for isotropic scattering. Why is it not a straight
line?
Suggested answer:

7.6 Shock acceleration is important for many of the particle populations discussed in this
chapter. Describe them and find arguments for the differences, in particular the maximum
energy gained by the different populations.
Suggested answer:

7.7 In Fig. 7.4 the composition slowly evolves from one characteristic of flare acceleration
to another one characteristic of shock acceleration. Can you explain this slow evolution in
terms of a -like solar acceleration, a continuous acceleration of particles at the shock, and
interplanetary propagation?
Suggested answer:

7.8 An interplanetary shock propagates with a speed of 800 km/s in the space craft frame
into a solar wind with a speed of 400 km/s. The ratio of upstream to downstream flow speed
in the shock rest frame is 3, and the upstream diffusion coefficient is 1021 cm2 /s. Determine
the characteristic acceleration time. Determine the power-law spectral index for times longer
than the acceleration time.
Suggested answer:

7.9 A shock propagates with a speed of 1000 km/s through interplanetary space. The solar
wind speed is 400 km/s. The particle instrument on a spacecraft observes an exponential
intensity increase by two orders of magnitude starting 3 h prior to shock arrival. Determine
the diffusion coefficient in the upstream medium (losses from the shock can be ignored, the
shock is assumed to be quasi-parallel).
Suggested answer:

7.10 Perpendicular transport in modulation: compare the travel path of a particle at r =

80 AU if the particle has to follow the Archimedian spiral around the Sun for one winding

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of the spiral or if it travels the same distance straight along a radial, that is perpendicular
to the spiral.
Suggested answer:

7 Chapter 8: Magnetosphere
8.1 Determine the magnetic flux density and the direction of the field for your home town
(assume a simple dipole field). Compare with Fig. 8.3. To which L-shell is your home town
connected magnetically? Determine also the cut-off rigidity and the Strmer unit for this
rigidity.
Suggested answer:

8.2 A 10 keV proton with an equatorial pitch angle of 40 moves from L = 6 to L = 1.5.
Assume a dipole field and calculate the energy gained by Fermi acceleration (second adiabatic
invariant) during this motion.
Suggested answer:

8.3 Assume a sinusoidal variation with period T = 1 h in the solar wind speed with an ampli-
tude of 40 km/s around an average of 400 km/s. Determine the speed of the magnetopause
and the maximum and minimum stand-off distances.
Suggested answer:

8.4 Strmer orbits are calculated for a terrestrial dipole field. Give a qualitative statement
about the errors made in neglecting the actual shape of the magnetosphere. Try to consider
the influence of the shifted dipole as well as the different topologies in the noon and midnight
directions.
Suggested answer:

8.5 Fig. 8.48 shows the inward L-shell diffusion of energetic electrons. Try to estimate the
diffusion coefficient for this process (assume that the energy of the particles does not change
during the inward motion).
Suggested answer:

8.6 The magnetopause is determined as the equilibrium between the gas-dynamic pressure
of the solar wind and the magnetic pressure of the geomagnetic field. The magnetic pres-
sure of the interplanetary magnetic field is neglected as is the gas-dynamic pressure of the
plasmasphere. Determine the error due to this approximation.
Suggested answer:

8.7 Give an order of magnitude estimate of the ChapmanFerraro current.

Suggested answer:

8 Chapter 9: Planetary Magnetosphares

9.1 Determine the energies of electrons and protons in resonance with the waves in the
foreshock of the different planets. Use the numbers given in Fig. 9.11.
Suggested answer:

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9.2 Confirm the calculated stand-off distances given in Table 9.3(assume that the solar wind
density decreases as r2 ).
Suggested answer:

9.3 Discuss the relationship between the spin period and the magnetic moment of the planet
in terms of the magnetohydrodynamic dynamo. Would this relationship be in agreement with
the assumption of a similar process working in all planets?
Suggested answer: The source of the magnetic field energy is the rotational energy. Thus for
a given planet, the energy contained in the rotation increases as the angular speed increases
and we would expect the magnetic field strength to increase with the rate of rotation, that
is to decrease with the spin period. In the solar system spin periods and dipole moments are
ordered as follows:
Spin period () Dipole moment ()
Jupiter Jupiter
Saturn Saturn
Neptune Uranus
Uranus Neptune
Earth Earth
Mars Mercury
Mercury Mars
Venus Venus
Deviations from the rule occur at Neptune and Uranus and at Mars and Mercury. In the
former pair, deviation is weak and both planets ar peculiar in such that the angle between
their axis of rotation and the magnetic fields dipole axis is around 50 . The deviation between
Mars and Mercury is more pronounced and more significant: Marss spin period is close to
one day, thus we would expect a dipole moment close to that of Earth instead it is observed
to be almost 3 orders of magnitude smaller. Thus Mars is the planet with strongest deviation
from the rule in our current understanding because it is lacking the liquid core required for
the magnetohydrodynamic dynamo to work. The martian magnetic field probably is a field
remnant from the origin of the planet.

9.4 Discuss the possibility of aurorae and their shapes and detectability on other planets.
Use your knowledge about the aurorae on Earth.
Suggested answer: Aurora requires the precipitation of energetic particles either along open
field lines or from some reconnection region in the magnetosphere. To be visible in the
optical, this precipitation should occur on the night side of the magnetosphere. All Earth-
like magnetospheres should exhibit aurorae similar to that on Earth. The situation is different
for pole-on magnetospheres.

9.5 Describe and discuss the plasma sources in the different magnetospheres.
Suggested answer: Plasmas in a magnetosphere stem from three different sources: the solar
wind, the planetary atmospheres, and the planets satellites. Solar wind plasma is convected
into the magnetosphere during open magnetospheric conditions. A planetary atmosphere
becomes a source of magnetospheric particles if at high altitudes neutral atmospheric particles
become ionized and are transported by the magnetic field into the magnetosphere.

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