Near-Simultaneous Observations from Multiple DMSP Satellites: A New Direction in Probing the Magnetosphere

该项目将利用来自国防气象卫星计划（DMSP）的两颗（或更多）卫星的近同时通过来调查：(1)大尺度电子加速（LSEA）事件（也称为“倒v事件”）的时空结构；(2)被称为“双尖峰”的现象。DMSP卫星的偶然结合偶尔会使它们在极光区彼此相距50公里以内。卫星观测到的颗粒降水可以用来识别LSEA事件，卫星观测到的差异可以用来研究LSEA事件的演变。对许多这类事件进行统计分析，将有可能把空间结构与时间演变分开。多个DMSP通过日侧极光椭圆的实例将用于比较正午两侧的粒子降水特征。高纬度磁合并发生在北半球和南半球正午的两侧，此时行星际磁场以东西分量为主。有人认为，来自相对半球的粒子降水特征应该具有特定的特征。这个项目将确定这些特殊的签名是什么，并将阐明双尖的性质。

This project will utilize near simultaneous passes of two (or more) satellites from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) to investigate (1) the spatial and temporal structure of large scale electron acceleration (LSEA) events (also referred to as "inverted-V events" and (2) the phenomenon known as a "double cusp." Fortuitous conjunctions of the DMSP satellites occasionally bring the satellites within 50 km of one another in the auroral zone. The particle precipitation measurements from the satellites can be used to identify LSEA events and the differences observed between the satellites can be used to study the evolution of the LSEA event. Statistical analysis of many such events will make it possible to separate spatial structure from temporal evolution.Instances of multiple DMSP passes through the dayside auroral oval will be used to compare the particle precipitation characteristics on opposite sides of noon. High latitude magnetic merging takes place on the opposite sides of noon in the northern and southern hemisphere when the interplanetary magnetic field is dominated by the east-west component. It has been suggested that the particle precipitation features originating from opposite hemispheres should have particular signatures. This project will determine what those particular signatures are and will elucidate the nature of the double cusp.