Studies of the Atmosphere, Ionosphere, and Plasmasphere

来自太阳的X射线和紫外线被上层大气吸收，将分子分解成带电的离子和电子，在这个过程中被加热到超过1000度的温度。除了带电粒子受到地球磁场的限制外，这种热的“等离子体”会膨胀并逃离地球。在磁力线关闭的地方，赤道地区大约四个地球半径的地方，相对较高密度的热等离子体充满了体积，称为“等离子体层”。等离子体圈在纬度上向两极延伸约60度。在地球的极冠中，电场线是开放的，等离子体向上逃逸，一些从地球上消失，但一些仍然在较大的“磁层”中的开放场线的“尾部”，由于经过的超音速太阳风的边界效应而被电场激发。其中一些能量更高的地面等离子体然后沿着磁力线返回，产生壮观的极光，并在极地高层大气中产生更多的热量。该奖项是对与等离子体层和磁层中的等离子体动力学有关的几个主题的理论研究。

The flux of X rays and ultraviolet radiation from the sun that is absorbed in the upper atmosphere breaks up molecules into electrically charged ions and electrons that are heated in the process to temperatures over a thousand degrees. This hot "plasma" expands and would escape the earth except that the charged particles are confined by the earth's magnetic field. Where the field lines are closed, which is out to about four earth radii in the equatorial regions, a relatively high density of hot plasma fills the volume, called the "plasmasphere." The plasmasphere extends about 60o in latitude towards the poles. In the earth's polar caps the field lines are open and the plasma escapes upward, and some is lost from the earth, but some, while still in the "tail" on open field lines in the larger "magnetosphere" is energized by electric fields due to a boundary effect of the passing supersonic solar wind. Some of this more highly energized terrestrial plasma then returns down the field lines and produces the spectacular aurora, and more heating in the polar upper atmosphere. This award is for theoretical studies in several topics connected with plasma dynamics in the plasmasphere and magnetosphere.