CAREER: Understanding the Evolution and Nature of Shocks and Sheets in Space Physics

主要研究者（PI）打算使用新的原位航天器观测，分析理论和数值模拟来研究冲击的性质及其相应的等离子体片。她的研究将集中在冲击如何形成接近太阳，演变，然后通过太阳风传播到地球和超越。PI的目标具体涉及研究冲击如何在日光层中形成和演变，等离子体流如何表现，哪种机制加速太阳高能粒子（SEP），确定可能的冲击源，冲击如何在结构化太阳风中传播，是什么导致了日光层粒子组成的观测变化，以及是什么决定了太阳，日冕，和日光层磁场。冲击存在于太阳系的任何地方，从靠近太阳到太阳系的外缘。据信，它们会将粒子加速到极高的能量（如SEP），这是一种主要的空间天气危害，对载人和无人空间飞行任务的设计和运行构成严重关切。PI对冲击的性质及其从太阳传播到地球时如何演变的研究将提高空间天气预报能力。PI还将制定一个创新的讲习班计划，指导空间科学领域的年轻女性，这将鼓励这一代表性不足的群体更多地参与。

The Principal Investigator (PI) intends to investigate the nature of shocks and their corresponding plasma sheets using new in situ spacecraft observations, analytic theory, and numerical modeling. Her research will focus on how shocks form close to the Sun, evolve, and then propagate through the solar wind to Earth and beyond. The PI's goals specifically involve studying how shocks form and evolve in the heliosphere, how plasma flows in sheets behave, which mechanism(s) accelerate solar energetic particles (SEPs), identifying the probable sources of shocks, how shocks propagate in the structured solar wind, what causes the observed variability in heliospheric particle composition, and what determines the structure of solar, coronal, and heliospheric magnetic fields.Shocks are present everywhere in the solar system, from close to the Sun to the outer edges of the solar system. They are believed to accelerate particles to extremely high energies (as in SEPs), which are a major space weather hazard and pose serious concerns for the design and operation of both manned and unmanned space missions. The PI's study of the nature of shocks and how they evolve as they propagate from the Sun to the Earth will provide improved space weather forecasting capability. The PI will also develop an innovative workshop program for mentoring young women in space science, which promises to encourage greater involvement of this underrepresented group.