GEM: Plasma Pressure and Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Mapping in the Substorm Growth Phase

该项目将把地球磁层和磁尾的力平衡磁场模型与对THEMIS和Cluster航天器数据的分析结合起来。 目标是研究磁层亚暴生长阶段内磁层的结构。 该项目将提供准确绘制电离层和磁尾之间磁场线的新能力。 准确地绘制磁场配置是重要的，因为等离子体可以自由地沿沿着磁场线流动，而不会受到来自磁场的力。 该项目是加州大学洛杉矶分校和洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室的科学家合作开展的，将开发一个以跨极冠电势为参数的磁场配置统计模型。 这一参数化模型将提供给空间科学界，预计将用于磁层物理学研究的许多领域。 研究的很大一部分将由研究生进行。

This project would combine a force-balanced magnetic field model of Earth's magnetosphere and magnetotail with the analysis of data from the THEMIS and Cluster spacecraft. The goal is to investigate the configuration of the inner magnetosphere during the growth phase of a magnetospheric substorm. The project will provide a new capability to accurately map magnetic field lines between the ionosphere and the magnetotail. It is important to accurately map the magnetic field configuration because plasma is free to stream along magnetic field lines without experiencing a force from the magnetic field. The project is a collaborative effort between scientists at the University of California-Los Angeles and Los Alamos National Laboratory.The project will develop a statistical model of the magnetic field configurations parameterized by the cross-polar cap electric potential. This parameterized model will be made available to the space science community and is expected to of use in many areas of magnetospheric physics research. A significant portion of the research will be conducted by a graduate student.