Solar-Wind Magnetosphere Interactions, Theory and Data Analysis

这笔拨款是为了继续一项协调计划，对现有卫星数据进行理论建模和分析，以提高对太阳风与地球磁层-电离层系统相互作用的理解。工作的关键内容包括：(A)开放磁层场构型的定量时变模拟和由此产生的太阳风电场到极帽的映射；(B)时变太阳风/IMF条件下的极帽对流模式和极帽电位下降的实证研究；(C)极光加速区上方热和超热电子居群的实证研究及其与磁尾等离子体片的映射。建模工作将分析公式的灵活性和物理清晰度与现代超级计算机的计算能力相结合。数据分析工作结合多个航天器数据集来解决理论提出的具体问题。建模和数据分析活动的密切协调对理解复杂的日地系统具有协同作用。

This grant is to continue a coordinated program of theoretical modeling and analysis of existing satellite data directed toward an improved understanding of the interaction of the solar wind with the terrestrial magnetosphere-ionosphere system. Key elements of the work include: (A) quantitative time-dependent modeling of the open magnetospheric field configuration and the resultant mapping of the solar-wind electric field to the polar caps; (B) empirical study of polar- cap convection patterns and of the polar-cap potential drop under time-variable solar-wind/IMF conditions; and (C) empirical study of thermal and suprathermal electron populations above auroral acceleration regions and their mapping to the magnetotail plasma sheet. The modeling efforts combine the flexibility and physical clarity of analytical formulations with the computational power of modern supercomputers. The data analysis efforts combine multiple spacecraft datasets to address specific questions posed by theory. The close coordination of modeling and data-analysis activities has a synergistic effect on understanding the complex solar-terrestrial system.