Collaborative Research: Local Time Extent of Dayside Magnetopause Reconnection and Controlling Factors

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Reconnection of magnetic fields is a fundamental physical process that can accelerate particles and inject energy into systems. In the geospace environment, there are many unanswered questions about how such processes work and impact the space around Earth. This project will investigate the process on the dayside of the Earth in the outer regions of the magnetosphere. Understanding this process is important for predicting and preparing for space weather impacts, particularly to satellites that can be damaged by accelerated particles in the harsh radiation environment in space. The project will support an early career scientist, graduate students, and provide mentorship for undergraduate students.This project will characterize the local time extent of dayside active magnetopause reconnection and investigate what controls dayside reconnection. Specifically, it will address: (1) What is the local time extent of active reconnection?; (2) How is the extent related to local magnetopause current sheet conditions?; and (3) How is the extent related to upstream solar wind conditions? Conjunctions of in-situ and remote-sensing observations will be used. Specifically, NASA’s Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms mission and Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission will be used to identify reconnection events and NSF’s Super Dual Auroral Radar Network will be used to measure the extent of reconnection. Local magnetopause conditions will be obtained from space-ground conjunctions. The solar wind conditions will be provided by spacecraft including NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer, Global Geospace Science Wind satellite, and Geotail, and NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory.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.