Plasma flows, electric fields and currents in the Earth’s ionosphere

地球电离层中的等离子体流、电场和电流

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-03741
• 负责人: Koustov, Alexandre
• 金额: $ 2.4万
• 依托单位: University of Saskatchewan
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=614593
• 关键词: Plasma; flows; electric; fields; currents

As the solar wind and the embedded interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) stream past the Earth, the charged-particle plasma in the Earth’s magnetosphere (the magnetic field region surrounding the Earth) is driven into continuous motion. The magnetospheric voltage generated by such motion produces currents that flow along magnetic field lines to the ionosphere only ~100 km above the Earth. The current then flows horizontally in the ionosphere before returning upward to the magnetosphere. The currents, voltages, and high-energy particles accelerated from the magnetosphere into the ionosphere not only are hazardous to astronauts and satellite electronics such as GPS systems in space, but also cause power blackouts and lead to pipeline corrosion and rupture on the ground. The proposed research program is aimed at studying the voltage patterns and currents in space and on the ground. This will be done by careful analysis of data collected by: (a) the international Super Dual Auroral Radar Network of radars (SuperDARN); (b) the versatile and powerful incoherent scatter radar at Resolute Bay (including both the Canadian and US portions); (c) the ongoing international satellite missions with strong Canadian participation, e-POP and Swarm. Several key topics in space physics will be addressed: (1) the dependence of the ionospheric voltages upon variations in the solar wind and IMF conditions; (2) the patterns of plasma flows related to a special type of aurora borealis, namely polar cap arcs; (3) plasma density patches travelling across the polar regions from dayside to nightside; (4) the effects of voltages and currents on the operation of radio communication systems in the Canadian High Arctic. This research program focuses on training both undergraduate and graduate students for work in satellite, aerospace and related industries, as well as for agencies performing environmental monitoring and protection.

随着太阳风和嵌入式星际磁场（IMF）经过地球，地球磁层中的带电粒子等离子体（地球周围的磁场区域）被驱动到连续运动中。这种运动产生的磁层电压会产生沿磁场线流向电离层的电流，仅在地球上方约100 km。然后，电流在电离层中水平流动，然后再返回到磁层。从磁层加速到电离层的电流，电压和高能颗粒不仅对宇航员和卫星电子（如太空中的GPS系统）有害，还会导致电力停电并导致管道腐蚀和地面破裂。 拟议的研究计划旨在研究太空和地面上的电压模式和电流。这将通过仔细分析收集的数据来完成： （b）在果汁湾（包括加拿大和美国部分）的多功能且强大的不连贯的散点雷达； （c）正在进行的国际卫星任务，具有强大的加拿大参与，电子流行和群。将解决空间物理学的几个关键主题：（1）电离层电压对太阳风和IMF条件中变化的依赖性； （2）与特殊类型的极光北极相关的等离子体流量的模式，即极地盖弧； （3）从白天到夜间穿越极地地区的血浆密度斑块； （4）电压和电流对加拿大高北极地区无线电通信系统运行的影响。该研究计划的重点是培训本科生和研究生在卫星，航空航天和相关行业的工作，以及进行环境监测和保护的机构。