Random exam stuff

Question 1

Order states of matter from low energy to high energy

Answer 1

Gas, Liquid, Solid, Plasma

Question 2

Plasma is unstable or stable

Answer 2

Unstable

Question 3

In shocks does entropy increase or decrease?

Answer 3

increases

Question 4

Magnetic field normal to the shock increases or decreases

Answer 4

stays the same

Question 5

For a spacecraft at L1 the orbit around the run will have a lower or higher or the same angular velocity compared to earth?

Answer 5

The same

Question 6

Reconnection is where {parallel, anti-parallel, perpendicular} magnetic field lines are forced
{toward, away from} each other, {connecting, separating} forming an X configuration, where the
field lines are cut and connected to those on the other side then expelled in a direction
{perpendicular, parallel} to the flow.

Answer 6

anti parralal, towards, connecting, perpendicular

Question 7

Ion production in the ionosphere is {proportional, inversely
proportional} to this intensity of UV radiation

Answer 7

proportial

Question 8

During a geomagnetic storm, the ring current {decreases, stays the same, increases}, as a
consequence of {Ampere’s Law, Faraday’s Law, Newton’s Law, Gauss’s Law, Coulomb’s Law}, a
{electric, gravitational, magnetic} field will generated in a plane {perpendicular, parallel} to the
current, which will {add to, subtract from} the Earth’s.

Answer 8

increases, amperes, magnetic, perpendicular, subtract from

Question 9

The Kp index is {planetary, localised} index used for geomagnetic activity.

Answer 9

Planetary

Question 10

Geomagnetic induced currents occur due to the {ring, auroral electrojet, magnetopause, crosstail} currents.

Answer 10

auroral electrojet

Question 11

Non ionising radiation can (a) cause thermal damage (b) free electrons from atoms (c)
displace atoms (d) cause pair production

Answer 11

a,c

Question 12

Surface charging is caused by (a) solar photons with energies > 5 eV (b) radiation belt
electrons with energies > 1 MeV (c) ring current electrons with energies < 300 keV (d) solar
energetic particles (e) solar photons with energies < 5 eV

Answer 12

a,c

Question 13

Match Particle energy ranges (a) Particle radiation energy ranges (b) Solar Energetic
Particles (c) Radiation Belt Electrons (d) Ring Current Electrons.
(1) GeV-TeV (2) eV - 100 keV (3)
100 keV - 10 MeV (4) MeV - GeV.

Answer 13

1a 4b 3c 2d

Question 14

Q3 - Wave particle acceleration happens when (a)The bounce frequency of the particles have
similar frequencies to the waves (b)The gyration frequency of the particles has a much higher
frequencies than the waves(c)The drift motion is much lower frequencies than the waves.

Answer 14

a

Question 15

Q2 - A model is more accurate if it has a (a) lower MSE (b) higher MSE.
Q3 - A model is more accurate if it has (a) a lower HSS (b) a higher HSS.

Answer 15

a,b

Question 16

What is zero at reflection point perpendicular or parralel energy?

Answer 16

parralel

Question 17

Before calculating velocity from kinetic energy what do you need to check?

Answer 17

Whether kinetic energy is bigger then rest energy– then need to use special relativity

Question 18

if given a distance in RE what does it mean

Answer 18

From center of the earth

Question 19

4.5 RE calculate ring current what value do you use and why?

Answer 19

3.5 as need to do distance from manometer- which is on top of the earth

Question 20

What are the two ways to measure how the energy from the solar wind gets transferred into the earths magnetosphere?

Answer 20

Kinetic energy flux and Poynting flux

Question 21

What is kinetic energy flux

Answer 21

The energy carried by the bulk motion of the solar wind particles-the energy is transferred through them slamming into the magnetosphere

Question 22

What is the Poynting flux

Answer 22

The electromagnetic energy coming from the field of the solar wind- causes reconnection

Question 23

What passes more energy poyton flux or kinetic energy?

Answer 23

poyton flux

Question 24

Effect of waves on satellites(3)

Answer 24

Surface charging
drag
signal interference

Question 25

Effect of particles on satellites (4)

Answer 25

SEE surface charging deep charging gradual degradation of components e.g solar cells

Question 26

What effects does space weather have on earth (4)

Answer 26

GIC Radio Blackouts- aircraft GPS lack of accuracy Northern lights

Question 27

What effects to GIC have on earth? (2)

Answer 27

Pipelines burning transformers

Question 28

What causes GIC?

Answer 28

Time varying magnetic fields, i.e. geomagnetic storms

Question 29

What is a geomagnetic storm?

Answer 29

magnetosphere is compressed

Question 30

How do you know when a geomagnetic storm has started in regards to dst?

Answer 30

Sudden decrease in dst

Question 31

Explain first plasma criteria

Answer 31

for plasma to be quasi stable charatritstic length has to be bigger then the debye length

Question 32

Explain second plasma criteria

Answer 32

For plasma to be elecrically sheilded need enough particles in the debye sphere to maintain plasma quasi neutrality

Question 33

How is bulk velocity and thermal velocity linked to parralel and perpendicular velocity

Answer 33

Bulk is the average of the parralel and perpendicular velocity, thermal is the spread.

Question 34

What are group and phase velocity the speeds of

Answer 34

waves not particles

Question 35

How is Vrms related to everything?

Answer 35

another way of caclualting thermal velocity

Question 36

When is a wave non-dispersive?

Answer 36

When group velocity is phase velocity as all the phase velocities are equal

Question 37

what are the factors that effect magnotepause?

Answer 37

balance of dynamic to magnetic pressure

Question 38

how to deal with disturbances in atmosphere

Answer 38

use multiple frequenceies to estimate nowcast

Question 39

What do SEP's do to communication and transport

Answer 39

aircraft divert

Question 40

What are stream interaction regions part of

Answer 40

Fast solar wind

Question 41

What are alven waves and their mach number?

Answer 41

Another mode of information transfer- mach number is information speed limit

Question 42

What causes geomagnetic storm?

Answer 42

Bulk of the solar wind

Question 43

From a geomagnetic storm what are the two points that you get SEP's

Answer 43

at the beginning when they are accelerated at launch When the CME hits earth will also accelerate some SEPs and cause SEP events

Question 44

What is magnetopause shadowing?

Answer 44

When the dayside magnetopause is compressed so much that alot of radiation atoms get out