CAREER: Evolution of Stream Interaction Regions from 1 to 5.4 AU and the Implications for Geomagnetically Induced Currents

这个职业项目的重点是流相互作用区(SIRS)，以及它们对在地球上产生地磁感应电流(GIC)的影响。当快速的太阳风与它前面的慢太阳风相互作用时，就形成了SIRS，形成了磁压缩区域(可能形成激波，也可能不形成激波)。这些压缩区域是有效的粒子加速器，可以引发地磁风暴。这些SIR还会引起地磁感应电流，这是由地面磁强计测量的。该项目将通过启动空间天气地下计划，将这项工作与教育推广相结合，该计划为高中教师创建课程资源，并将科学设备放在教室里，对学生和科学家都有利。此外，为了增加公众对太空天气的了解，PI将开设一个名为“太阳与社会”的课程，以满足蒙大拿州的自然科学要求。PI是一名处于EPSCoR状态的早期职业女性教员，该项目是跨学科的，并由日地研究和磁层物理计划共同资助。为了更好地了解SIRS是如何随着径向距离的函数而演变的，该项目将回答以下科学问题：(1)与SIRS/CIRS相关的压缩(经常但不总是冲击)如何在1au至5.4au之间变陡？(2)由NSF/NASA支持的社区协调建模中心(CCMC)运行的WSA-ENLIL模型预测的压缩比、密度比和起始时间与在Maven和Juno的观测数据相比如何？(3)SIR的压缩比与是否存在dB/dt(GIC代理)信号之间有直接关系吗？这项提议将使用NASA近地球、近火星航天器的数据，然后使用一艘航天器在前往木星的途中的数据，以了解径向演化和共处的粒子。PI将把压缩比与他们能产生的GIC的强度和纬度联系起来。这项工作将要求协调和协调中心预测SIRS到达各航天器的时间。最后，该项目将使用SuperMAG的数据将SIR诱导的GIC与其压缩强度联系起来，并寻找纬向相关性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This CAREER project focuses on Stream Interaction Regions (SIRs), and their implications for producing geomagnetic induced currents (GICs) on Earth. SIRs are formed when the fast solar wind interacts with the slow solar wind in front of it, creating a magnetic compression region (which may or may not form a shock). These compression regions are efficient particle accelerators and can initiate geomagnetic storms. These SIRs also can cause geomagnetic induced currents, which are measured by ground-based magnetometers. The project will integrate this work with educational outreach by starting the Space Weather UnderGround program that creates curriculum resources for high school teachers and puts scientific equipment in the classroom, beneficial to both students and scientists. Additionally, to increase public understanding of space weather, the PI will create a class called “The Sun and Society” to meet the natural sciences requirement at Montana State. The PI is an early career female faculty member in an EPSCoR state and the project is interdisciplinary and co-funded by the Solar-Terrestrial Research and Magnetospheric Physics programs.To better understand how SIRs evolve as a function of radial distance this project will answer the following science questions: (1) How do compressions (often but not always shocks) associated with SIRs/CIRs steepen between 1 au and 5.4 au? How do these compressional changes relate to the co-located particle populations? (2) How do the compression ratios, density ratios, and onset timing, as predicted by the WSA- ENLIL model as run by the NSF/NASA supported Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), compare to the observed data at Maven and Juno? (3) Is there a direct relationship between the compression ratio of a SIR and if there is a dB/dt (a GIC proxy) signal? This proposal will use data from NASA spacecraft near Earth, near Mars, and then a spacecraft as it was on its way to Jupiter to understand the radial evolution and co-located particles. The PI will link the compression ratios to how strong of GICs they can produce and at what latitudes. This effort will require the CCMC to forecast the arrival times of the SIRs at the various spacecraft. Finally, the project will use data from SuperMAG to link the SIR-induced GICs to their compressional strength and look for latitudinal dependencies.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.