Multipoint Magnetospheric Studies

地磁暴和磁层亚暴的能量学在空间界仍然是有争议的问题。对造成这些现象的物理过程进行多点调查尤其及时，因为地面站和磁层内分布的卫星越来越多地提供多点测量。对这些现象的理解将回答有关空间等离子体中脉冲粒子加速的基本问题。由于磁层亚暴发生在其他行星体中，可能类似于太阳耀斑，了解亚暴过程也将提供对整个太阳系发生的能量过程的宝贵见解，并将有助于空间天气预报。该项目的基础是对磁层这些现象进行遥感和现场测量的一个广泛的数据库。该项目将研究：(1)偶极与等离子体流动之间的联系，(2)亚暴期间减压锋的传播，以区分气压下降是与等离子体气泡还是稀疏波有关，(3)亚暴期间的等离子体流动逆转，以确定流动是否指示单个等离子体源(磁重联地点)或来自多个活动地点的不同贡献，以及(4)使用多分量方法的磁重联活动的传输特征。在该计划期间，该协会将继续开展辅导高中教师和学生的外展活动。

The energetics of geomagnetic storms and magnetospheric substorms continue to be controversial problems in the space community. Multi-point investigations of the physical processes responsible for these phenomena are especially timely due to the increasing availability of multi-point measurements from ground-based stations and distributed satellites within the magnetosphere. Understanding of these phenomena would answer fundamental questions on impulsive particle acceleration in space plasmas. Since magnetospheric substorms occur in other planetary bodies and may be akin to solar flares, understanding substorm process will also provide valuable insights into energetic processes occurring throughout our solar system and would assist space weather forecasting. This project is based on an extensive database from remote-sensing and in situ measurements of these phenomena in the magnetosphere. The project will examine: (1) the association between dipolarization and plasma flow, (2) the propagation of the pressure reduction front during substorms to differentiate whether the pressure reduction is associated with plasma bubble or a rarefaction wave, (3) the plasma flow reversals during substorms to determine whether or not the flows are indicative of f a single plasma source (magnetic reconnection site) or varying contributions from multiple activity sites, and (4) the transport characteristics of magnetic reconnection activity using a multi-component approach. The PI will continue to undertake outreach activity in mentoring high school teachers and students during the period of the program.