Faculty Career Development Including Kinetic Physics of the Magnetotail and Teaching Enhancement

教师职业发展，包括磁尾运动物理学和教学增强

• 批准号: 9506594
• 负责人: Cynthia Cattell
• 金额: $ 25万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1995
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1995-08-01 至 2001-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9506594&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Faculty; Career; Development; Including; Kinetic

This proposal is designed to support the early career development of the Principal Investigator in her position as a new faculty member in the School of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Minnesota. This position requires both excellence in scientific research, excellence in teaching, course development, and community outreach activities. The research component of the proposal is focused on the kinetic physics of the Earth's magnetotail, including data analysis, numerical studies, and both inputs to and comparisons with various theoretical models of the magnetosphere. Previous studies of electric field data in the magnetotail have shown that the variable part of the field is usually one to two orders of magnitude larger than the background field. These variable fields, including waves and large amplitude spikes, will have a large effect on particle distributions as has been shown in preliminary numerical studies. It is proposed to characterize statistically the parameters of the waves and spikes using data from the ISEE-1 and Geotail spacecraft. The results will be used to provide empirical dissipation coefficients for use in MHD simulations and global models and to develop a more realistic electric field model for inclusion in the numerical study of particle trajectories in the magnetotail. The particle distributions will then be compared to those observed on the AMPTE/IRM spacecraft (as well as other plasma data). As part of this comparison, the nature of the complex distributions observed at the plasma sheet boundary will be examined including effects such as acceleration of electron beams in slow mode shocks and the mapped location of the auroral zone/polar cap convection boundary. The educational component will be focused primarily in two areas, both of which have very high priority for the School of Physics and Astronomy. The first is improvement in the lower division physics with calculus class which is the main introductory physics clas s for engineers, physicists, and chemists with approximately 1200 students per quarter. Modification of this course and TA training for the course are an ongoing effort. The second is inclusion of undergraduates in research which has been a longstanding priority for the PI. In addition, there are many ongoing projects including local efforts to improve K-12 science teaching, development of new undergraduate courses, and outreach activities to share the excitement of physics research with the community in which the PI will participate, particularly in the later years of the proposal.

本提案旨在支持首席研究员作为明尼苏达大学物理与天文学院新教员的早期职业发展。该职位要求在科研、教学、课程开发和社区外展活动方面都有卓越的表现。该提案的研究部分侧重于地球磁尾的动力学物理，包括数据分析，数值研究，以及与各种磁层理论模型的输入和比较。以往对磁尾电场数据的研究表明，磁场的可变部分通常比背景场大一到两个数量级。这些可变场，包括波浪和大振幅尖峰，将对粒子分布产生很大的影响，这已经在初步的数值研究中显示出来。提出了利用ISEE-1和Geotail航天器的数据统计表征波和尖峰参数的方法。这些结果将用于提供MHD模拟和全局模型的经验耗散系数，并为磁尾中粒子轨迹的数值研究提供更现实的电场模型。然后将粒子分布与在AMPTE/IRM航天器上观察到的结果（以及其他等离子体数据）进行比较。作为比较的一部分，将研究在等离子体片边界观察到的复杂分布的性质，包括慢模式冲击中电子束的加速和极光区/极帽对流边界的映射位置等影响。教育部分将主要集中在两个领域，这两个领域对物理和天文学院来说都是非常重要的。首先是通过微积分课对低级别物理进行改进，微积分课是工程师、物理学家和化学家的主要入门物理课程，每季度约有1200名学生。本课程的修改和课程助教的培训正在进行中。第二是让本科生参与研究，这是PI长期以来的优先事项。此外，还有许多正在进行的项目，包括改善K-12科学教学的地方努力，开发新的本科课程，以及与PI将参与的社区分享物理研究的兴奋的外展活动，特别是在提案的后期。