Solar Flare and Solar Interplanetary Phenomena Investigated with High Energy Charged Particles

这笔赠款将支持科罗拉多的Climax和夏威夷的Haleakala的两个中子监测器的研究和继续运行。 这项研究将调查日光层内部三维电动过程的物理学，特别侧重于日地区域。 例如，PI的中子监测器已经发现，随着太阳系探测器向太阳的极地地区行进，在极高纬度地区，经常性的26天调制继续被观察到，超出了磁场和等离子体结构的范围（以前认为控制这些变化）。 中子监测器继续测量这些相同的变化，这意味着周期性调制的机制必须是一个全球性的大规模现象，延伸到整个日光层内部。 这一机制将在今后几年内继续实施。 此外，PI拥有最长的中子监测记录，覆盖了两个以上的太阳磁周期。 这将有助于进一步探索梯度漂移在调制到达大气层顶部的银河宇宙射线中的作用。 PI将继续长期研究宇宙射线调制的明显双峰特征，直到下一个太阳活动极小期。 最后，PI将继续支持和升级两个中子监测器。

This grant will support both research and continued operations of two neutron monitors at Climax, Colorado and Haleakala, Hawaii. The research will investigate the physics of the electrodynamical processes in three dimensions in the inner heliosphere, with special emphasis on the solar-terrestrial region. For instance, the PI's neutron monitors have discovered that as the Ulysses spacecraft travels towards the Sun's polar regions, the recurrent 26-day modulation continues to be seen to extremely high latitudes, beyond the extent of the magnetic field and plasma structures (previously thought to control these variations). The neutron monitors continued their measurements of these same variations, implying the mechanism for recurrent modulation must be a global, large-scale phenomenon, extending throughout the inner heliosphere. This mechanism will be pursued over the next few years. Further, the PI has the longest running neutron monitor records, covering more than two solar magnetic cycles. This will enable further exploration of the role of gradient drifts in the modulation of galactic cosmic rays, which reach the top of the atmosphere. The PI will continue long-term studies of the apparent bimodal character of cosmic ray modulation through the next solar minimum. Finally, the PI will continue support and upgrade of the two neutron monitors.