GEM: Combining Remote and In Situ Observations in the Plasma Sheet

在美国国家科学基金会和美国国家航空航天局之前的支持下，已经开发出一种技术，用于推断地球磁层等离子体层中的离子密度、温度和压力。本项目将(1)从根本上改进利用grad(p) = j x B关系的电离层-磁层制图；(2)扩大遥感技术，包括(a)原位测量和(b)磁层电场；(3)研究等离子体片离子源和南北向输运；(4)研究等离子体薄片离子进入、损失和填充率；(5)研究了等离子体薄片两侧黎明-黄昏不对称的原因，这有助于确定竞争太阳风进入机制的作用；(6)研究磁鞘离子和电子加热。为了开展这项研究，来自电离层和现场观测的数据将与三维等离子体平衡建模以及包括全离子和电子动力学过程的二维模拟相结合。该项目将把理论家/建模者和观察者联系起来。此外，该项目将培训一名暑期大学生空间物理分析技术和科学规划。

Under previous NSF and NASA support a technique has been developed for inferring the density of ions, the temperature and the pressure in the plasma sheet of Earth's magnetosphere. This project will (1) radically improve the ionosphere-magnetosphere mapping using grad(p) = j x B relationship; (2) expand the remote sensing technique to include (a) in situ measurements and (b) the magnetospheric electric field; (3) study plasma sheet ion sources and transport for northward and southward IMF; (4) investigate plasma sheet ion entry, loss, and filling rates; (5) study the causes of the dawn-dusk asymmetry in the plasma sheet flanks, which could help determine the roles of competing solar wind entry mechanisms; and (6) investigate magnetosheath ion and electron heating. To carry out the study, data from the ionosphere as well as in situ observations will be combined with 3D plasma equilibrium modeling as well as 2D simulations that include full ion and electron kinetic processes. The project will connect theorists/modelers and observers. In addition, the project will train a summer college student on space physics analysis techniques and scientific programming.