GEM: The Impact of Ionospheric Ions on Magnetospheric Dynamics

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This project will examine the roll played by ions of ionospheric origin on the electrodynamics of the magnetosphere. The project will use data from the European CLUSTER satellites as well as images from the NASA IMAGE mission to look at the contributions of H+, He+, and O+ ions to the ion population in the central plasma sheet. A statistical database will be generated which will organize the results by geomagnetic activity level and substorm phase. The database will then be combined with particle tracing models to address the issue of the impact of the ions on the dynamics of the plasma sheet. One specific issue that will be addressed is the question of what roll, if any, heavy ions play in the triggering of substorms. Finally, the database will be used to compare the ion distributions during storm-time substorms and non-storm substorms. This will determine the impact of ionospheric ions on the development of geomagnetic storms. The final database will be made publicly available via the world wide web. The project will involve both graduate and undergraduate students.