GEM Postdoc: Dawnside Proton-Cyclotron Interactions and Their Implications for the Proton Aurora

这是一项为期两年的研究，旨在了解外晨兴磁层中电磁离子回旋波（EMIC）产生的动力学以及这些波在从磁层到电离层的能量转移中的作用。地球磁层中的波粒相互作用为各种等离子体种群之间以及从磁层到电离层的能量和动量传递提供了重要的机制。提出的工作将集中在质子离子回旋加速器相互作用的早晨扇区外磁层，一个空间区域，已知有利于本激波的增长。这项研究将检查在什么磁层条件下产生这些波，以及这些波在诱导低能（5 keV）质子进入高层大气中所起的作用。将采用多航天器的方法，结合极地航天器提供的局地测量和相关粒子分布，以及IMAGE航天器提供的质子极光的全球观测。提出的研究将定量地把质子极光的观测与赤道磁层中出现的波联系起来。当波致散射发生时，质子对极光能量输入的贡献将被量化。拟议的研究有几个更广泛的影响。首先，这项研究将由一位年轻的女性科学家进行，从而有助于扩大参与和增强NSF项目的多样性。拟议的工作在很大程度上依赖于对来自多个机构的数据的吸收，并建立在以前与工业界（洛克希德-马丁公司）、政府实验室（洛斯阿拉莫斯实验室）和大学之间的成功合作的基础上。加强这些伙伴关系将促进年轻科学家的教育和培训，并最终使科学界受益。

This is a two-year study to understand the dynamics of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave generation in the outer morningside magnetosphere and the role of these waves in the transfer of energy from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere. Wave-particle interactions in the Earth's magnetosphere provide an important mechanism for the transfer of energy and momentum between various plasma populations and from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere. The proposed work will focus on proton ion-cyclotron interactions in the morning sector outer magnetosphere, a spatial region that is known to be conducive to EMIC wave growth. The study will examine under what magnetospheric conditions the waves are generated and role that these waves play in inducing precipitation of low energy ( 5 keV) protons into the upper atmosphere. A multi-spacecraft approach will be employed combining local measurements of EMIC waves and associated particle distributions available from the Polar spacecraft along with global observations of the proton aurora provided by the IMAGE spacecraft. The proposed investigation will quantitatively correlate observations of the proton aurora with the occurrence of waves in the equatorial magnetosphere. The contribution of protons to auroral energy input will be quantified at times when wave-induced scattering is occurring. There are several broader impacts of the proposed research. First of all, the research will be carried out by a young, woman scientist and thus serves to broaden participation and enhance diversity in NSF programs. The proposed work relies heavily upon the assimilation of data from multiple institutions and builds upon previous successful collaborations with industry (Lockheed-Martin), government laboratories (Los Alamos) and among universities. Strengthening these partnerships will promote the education and training of a young scientist and ultimately benefit the scientific community.