Rockets, Stars & Jars
Talk Outline
Why Space Plasma Physics?
I. Mass Spectrometers
VMASS: The 1st TOF MS [1987]
HELIX: The 2nd TOF MS [1999]
NASA patent disclosure [2003]
Mass Market Mass Spec?
II. Space Plasma Physics
Space Physics
The Magnetosphere in 1965
NASA/POLAR satellite orbit [1996]
A keV detector’s view of M’sphere
Trapped H+
MeV electrons in the wrong place!
Where are these energetic particles coming from?
A. Space Plasma Cyclotrons
A sychro-cyclotron
Drift Motion in B-field Gradients
1 MeV electrons in Cusp
Stochastic Cyclotron Acceleration
But SDC doesn’t explain Earth
But The Quadrupole Cusp...
Quadrupole Cosmic Scales
B. Space Plasma Linacs
Nature abhors charge separation: Parallel Electric Field Theory
Heuristics for Parallel-E Formation: Bouncing keeps H+ & e- apart.
Necessary Conditions for E|| in Space
Herbig-Haro Objects: YSO Stars with Accretion Disks
Blazar Galaxies and Schematic Jet
PowerPoint Presentation
Can SLINAC power blazar jets?
Stochastic Cyclotron & SLINAC Accelerator Conclusions
III. Laboratory Plasma Accelerators
1st Experimental Setup w/electrode
Arcs and Sparks=> Equator Potential
2nd Lab Setup w/Biassed Magnet
Characteristics of Discharge
3rd Lab Setup w/ Pyrex Bell Jar
Saturn’s Rings in the Lab?
The 4th Wheaton Belljar Setup
Toroidal DC-glow discharge 2/17/03
Conclusions
Some References
The Magnetosphere in 1990
Slide 46
Slide 47
Slide 48
Author: Dr. Robert Sheldon
E-mail: r*bs@rbsp.info
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