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Table of contents

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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