Study of Acceleration and Transport of Energetic Ions in the Heliosphere via Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENA)

研究人员将通过将观测与模拟进行比较，对日光层中高能离子通过高能中性原子（ENA）的加速和传输进行研究。这项研究包括日光层及其直接的星际环境。主要工作是继续模拟太阳风终端激波处及以外的异常宇宙线和内日球层共转相互作用区的主要离子群产生ENA。此前，研究人员已经表明，在空间等离子体研究中使用高能中性原子（ENA）可以提供整个日光层中高能带电粒子分布所需的全球视图，特别是在空间任务不易进入的区域。该方法补充了所有现有的现场调查。模拟ENA的产生需要对母离子群体进行建模。离子群体的建模需要了解离子加速和运输以及周围的磁场配置。比较模拟的ENA分布与观察到的，然后，提供了一个自洽的离子加速和输运的全局视图。研究的主要目标是更现实的ACR和CIR模拟，模拟ENA的其他内部日光层离子群体的生产，并模拟ACR，CIR和其他群体的高能氦原子的生产。由于亚利桑那大学是一所以学生为中心的研究型大学，该项目将涉及一名本科生和一名研究生的参与。

The investigators will perform a study of acceleration and transport of energetic ions in the heliosphere via energetic neutral atoms (ENA) by comparing observation with simulation. The study encompasses the heliosphere and its immediate interstellar environment. The main effort is to continue development of simulations of the production of ENA by the dominant ion populations of the anomalous cosmic rays (ACR) at and beyond the termination shock of the solar wind and of the corotating interactions regions (CIR) in the inner heliosphere. Previously, the investigators have shown that the use of energetic neutral atoms (ENA) in the study of space plasma can provide the needed global view of the distribution of energetic charged particles in the entire heliosphere, especially in regions not easily accessible to space missions. The approach complements all existing in situ investigations. Simulating the production of ENA requires modeling the parent ion population. Modeling of the ion populations needs understanding of ion acceleration and transport as well as the ambient magnetic-field configuration. Comparing simulated distribution of ENA with the observed, then, provides a self-consistent global view of ion acceleration and transport. The main goals of the research are more realistic ACR and CIR simulations, simulation of production of ENA by other inner heliospheric ion populations, and simulation of production of energetic helium atoms in ACR, CIR and other populations. Since the University of Arizona is a student-centered research university, the project will involve the participation of one undergraduate and one graduate student.