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

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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.