Auroral Kilometric Radiation, Substorms, and Related Phenomena: Satellite Conjunction and Conjugate Studies at South Pole

近地环境（地球空间）主要是由地球磁场组织的，它与太阳风（带电粒子，等离子体，从太阳以很大的速度流动）和行星际磁场（扩展的太阳磁场）相互作用。地球空间充满了等离子体，主要来自太阳风。地磁场和太阳风等离子体这两个主要参与者的相互作用产生了许多电磁现象，如美丽的电离层极光（北方和南方极光）、自然电磁辐射、场向电流和电离层电流，这些现象在它们最强烈的极地地区显著出现并被观察到。研究这些现象非常重要，因为它们影响卫星仪器及其与地面中心的通信。该奖项将研究和建立远程卫星观测到的极光千米辐射（AKR）与地面AKR信号之间的关系，并将测试关于这些现象如何联系的现有理论。所采用的方法是，在预期与集束卫星高分辨率波浪仪器连接期间，在南极操作无线电接收器，以便能够在两个地点同时测量AKR精细结构。在日本Geotail和加拿大ePOP卫星上以及在南极进一步观测一致的AKR将补充这些测量。所有这些研究只能从南极洲进行--因为由于人为的无线电频率干扰，在北方半球无法定期观测到类似AKR的信号，也因为共轭卫星/地面-在极光纬度进行的基础观测需要南极测量。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查进行评估，被认为值得支持的搜索.

The near-Earth environment (Geospace) is mostly organized by the Earth's magnetic field, which interacts with the solar wind (charged particles, plasma, flowing with a great speed from the Sun) and interplanetary magnetic field (extended Sun's magnetic field). Geospace is populated by plasma that mostly originates from the solar wind. Interaction of these two major players - geomagnetic field and solar wind plasma produces many electromagnetic phenomena such as beautiful ionospheric aurorae (Northern and Southern lights), natural electromagnetic radiation, field-aligned and ionospheric currents, that prominently appear and are observed in the polar areas where they are most intense. Studying these phenomena is a matter of high importance since they affect both satellite instrumentation and their communication with the ground centers. The number of satellites flying Geospace continues to grow every year.This award will study and establish the relationship between Auroral Kilometric Radiation (AKR) observed by distant satellites and ground-level AKR-like signals, as well as will test current theories on how these phenomena are connected. The methodology is to operate radio receivers at South Pole during anticipated conjunctions with the Cluster satellite high-resolution wave instrument and enabling simultaneous measurements of AKR fine structure at both locations. Further observations of coincident AKR on the Japanese Geotail and Canadian ePOP satellites and at South Pole will complement these measurements. All this research can only be done from Antarctica - because AKR-like signals cannot be regularly observed in the Northern hemisphere due to man-made radio frequency interference, as well as because conjugate satellite/ground-based observations at auroral latitudes require Antarctic measurements.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.