CAREER: Kinetic Theory and Simulation of Magnetospheric Plasmas

磁层的大尺度演化受到相当小的过渡区域的强烈影响，例如磁层顶和磁尾内的离子级电流层。发展磁层模型的主要障碍之一是这些区域的等离子体物理还没有得到很好的理解。有明确的证据表明，离子和电子动力学物理都可以在这些电流层中发挥重要作用。这一课题的研究一直受到进行真实动力学模拟的计算困难和精确计算这些区域内等离子体线性稳定性的理论挑战的阻碍。该项目将采用多种理论方法和先进的动力学模拟来克服这些限制，并提高对磁层内电流片的理解。这项工作将采用一种平衡的方法，包括线性动力学理论、使用成熟方法的平行动力学模拟，以及研究先进的模拟技术，这些技术可能为解决这些难题提供显著的优势。特别感兴趣的应用将包括磁层顶和磁尾内磁重联的开始和发展，以及电子物理在预计作为重联层一部分形成的慢模冲击中的作用。理论结果将与卫星观测结果进行比较。科学结果将产生更广泛的影响，因为电流片的物理学和相关过程，如磁重联，在空间、天体物理学和实验室等离子体的广泛应用中具有重要意义。该项目还将具有很强的教育成分，并向空间和实验室等离子体的其他研究人员传播新的科学知识和模拟代码。该研究项目与本科和研究生水平的教育相结合。该计划将帮助在爱荷华大学建立等离子体模拟设施，该设施将用于教学和研究。与洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室（LANL）的学生实习协议进一步加强了教育计划。学生将有机会使用世界上最先进的计算设备，并有机会与等离子体模拟领域的顶尖专家进行互动。

The large-scale evolution of the magnetosphere is strongly influenced by fairly small transition regions such as the ion-scale current layers at the magnetopause and within the magnetotail. One of the major obstacles to developing models of the magnetosphere is that the plasma physics in these regions is not well understood. There is clear evidence that both ion and electron kinetic physics can play an important role within these current layers. Research on this subject has been hampered by the computational difficulty of performing realistic kinetic simulations and the theoretical challenge of accurately computing the linear stability of the plasma within these regions. This project will employ a variety of theoretical approaches and advanced kinetic simulations to overcome these limitations and arrive at an improved understanding of current sheets within the magnetosphere. The effort will use a balanced approach comprised of linear kinetic theory, parallel kinetic simulations using proven methods, and research into advanced simulation techniques that may offer significant advantages in solving these difficult problems. Particular applications of interest will include the onset and development of magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause and within the magnetotail, and the role of electron physics in the slow-mode shocks that are expected to form as part of the reconnection layer. The theoretical results will be compared with satellite observations. The scientific results will have broader impacts because the physics of current sheets and associated processes such as magnetic reconnection are of importance in a wide range of applications in space, astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. The project will also have a strong educational component and dissemination of new scientific knowledge and simulation codes to other researchers in space and laboratory plasmas. The research program is integrated with both undergraduate and graduate level education. This program will aid in the establishment of the Plasma Simulation Facility at the University of Iowa, which will be used for both teaching and research. The educational program is further enhanced by a student internship agreement with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Students will have access to some of the most advanced computing facilities in the world and the opportunity to interact with leading experts in the area of plasma simulation.