Studies in Radiation Belt Physics

提案摘要***该提案涉及被称为磁层的近地空间区域的物理过程，磁层是地球周围的磁腔，由地球磁场在太阳风中产生。人类对近地空间的占用（如空间站）和使用（如通信卫星）的增加，以及我们对空间天气信息日益增长的需求，都表明有必要了解磁层的行为。为了了解带电粒子如何与观测到的磁层波相互作用，研究了微物理过程。需要解决的一个特殊问题是，在被称为磁暴的扰动条件下，在磁层内部产生高能（“杀手”）电子。这些电子会导致卫星故障，磁暴会破坏地球上的电网。空间天气科学旨在描述空间环境的状况，并预测诸如地磁风暴之类的恶劣条件。计算机模拟和数学分析将用于研究空间等离子体中的波粒相互作用。将利用星载仪器的粒子和波浪数据构建模型，并根据观测数据对模型解决方案进行测试。这一建议不仅旨在提高我们对磁层的基础科学知识，而且还旨在推动磁层物理学作为一门预测科学，从而在更广泛的意义上造福社会

Summary of Proposal***This proposal addresses physical processes in the region of near-Earth space called the magnetosphere, which is the magnetic cavity surrounding the Earth that is produced in the solar wind by the Earth's magnetic field. Increased occupation (e.g., space stations) and use (e.g., communications satellites) of near-Earth space by humans, and our increasing need for space weather information point to the necessity for understanding the behavior of the magnetosphere. Microphysical processes are studied with a view to understanding how charged particles interact with observed magnetospheric waves. A particular problem to be addressed is the generation of energetic (‘killer') electrons in the inner magnetosphere during disturbed conditions known as magnetic storms. These electrons can cause satellite malfunctions, and magnetic storms can disrupt power grids on Earth. The science of space weather seeks to describe the state of the space environment and to forecast severe conditions such as geomagnetic storms. Computer modeling and mathematical analysis will be used to study wave-particle interactions in space plasmas. Models will be constructed using particle and wave data from satellite-borne instruments, and the model solutions will be tested against observational data. The proposal is intended not only to advance our basic scientific knowledge of the magnetosphere, but also to advance magnetospheric physics as a predictive science and so benefit society in a broader sense.**