Space Weather: Investigation of Substorm Trigger, Onset Location, and Intensity

研究人员将使用Polar、GeoTail、IMP 8和GO卫星的数据以及地面观测来研究磁层亚暴。具体研究课题包括：(1)亚暴触发机制；(2)同步高度磁尾伸展的空间范围和结构；(3)太阳风条件对亚暴起始位置的影响；(3)亚暴起始位置与亚暴强度之间的关系；(5)准破裂前地球同步轨道磁尾特征。这项研究利用了国际日地物理计划期间收集的高质量数据。调查人员将建立观察数据库并进行统计研究。亚暴在地球磁层的动态中起着核心作用。理解亚风暴的触发是预测空间天气的关键障碍之一。

The investigators will study magnetospheric substorms using data from the Polar, Geotail, IMP 8, and GOES satellites as well as ground-based observations. Specific research topics include (1) the substorm triggering mechanism, (2) the spatial extent and structure of the magnetotail stretching at geosynchronous altitude, (3) substorm onset location as influenced by solar wind conditions, the relationship between the pre-onset magnetotail stretching and substorm intensity, and (5) magnetotail signatures at geosynchronous orbit prior to pseudo-breakups. The study takes advantage of the high-quality data collected during the International Solar Terrestrial Physics Program. The investigators will establish a data base of observations and conduct statistical studies. Substorms play a central role in the dynamics of Earth's magnetosphere. Understanding substorm triggering is one of the key roadblocks in predicting Space Weather.