Magnetic Separatrix Identification and Measurement of Flow Across It

摘要9423489里昂 这是一个研究太阳风能量如何进入地球磁层的项目。 能量转移的速率由电场控制，电场沿着分界线，分界线是磁层表面开放和闭合磁场线之间的边界。 在这项研究中，将利用地面观测来测量穿过分界线的磁力线重联率。 分界线的运动和穿过分界线的等离子体流必须同时测量。 研究人员将使用雷达和光学技术测量这些量，其时间分辨率足以解决与极光亚暴的增长和扩展阶段有关的变化。 其结果将用于检验磁层中等离子体对流的模型，并评估重联理论的准确性。 还将研究与极光亚暴和昼侧瞬变效应有关的重连率的变化。 ***

Abstract 9423489 Lyons This is a project to investigate how energy from the solar wind enters Earth's magnetosphere. The rate of energy transfer is controlled by the electric field along the separatrix, which is the boundary between open and closed magnetic field lines at the surface of the magnetosphere. For this study, ground-based observations will be used to measure the rate of reconnection of magnetic field lines across the separatrix. Both the motion of the separatrix and the flow of plasma across it must be measured simultaneously. The investigators will measure these quantities using radar and optical techniques with a time resolution sufficient to resolve changes associated with the growth and expansion phases of auroral substorms. The results will be used to test models of plasma convection in the magnetosphere and to evaluate the accuracy of reconnection theories. The variation in reconnection rate associated with auroral substorms and dayside transient effects will also be studied. ***