Collaborative Research: Ground-based Imager and Magnetometer Network for Auroral STudies (GIMNAST)

NASA的THEMIS任务（亚风暴期间事件和宏观尺度相互作用的时间历史）包括支持覆盖北美极光区域的地面观测站（GBOs）扩展网络。每个观测站都配备了一台白光极光成像仪和一台磁力计，几乎可以覆盖全球范围的极光现象。该项目将延长美国管理的THEMIS-GBO网络部分的运行，因为NASA的任务正在逐步退出。THEMIS-GBO系统的加拿大部分将资助至2012年，并可选择续期/延续至2015年。该合同将使整个网络在2015年之前不间断运行。THEMIS-GBO网络的观测与美国国家科学基金会和加拿大航天局支持的其他观测设施具有很强的协同作用。这些设施包括位于Poker Flat和Resolute湾的先进模块化非相干散射雷达（AMISR），以及位于北半球的许多超级双极光雷达网络（superdam）相干散射雷达。从theis - gbo网获得的数据将提供给一般科学界，并将支持关于各种主题的科学研究，包括极光弧的出现和消失、极光弧中小尺度结构的作用、极光现象与大尺度电离层对流之间的关系、极帽弧与打开和/或关闭磁力线的关系、与太阳极小期相比，在太阳极大期与极光弧和磁亚暴特性相关的电流系统。这些研究课题都与我们对空间天气的理解以及空间天气对技术系统的影响有关。该项目将为本科生提供直接的研究经验。

NASA's THEMIS mission (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) included support for an extended network of Ground-Based Observatories (GBOs) with coverage over the North American auroral regions. Each station is equipped with a white-light auroral imager and a magnetometer providing an almost global-scale coverage of auroral phenomena. This project will extend the operation of the US-managed portion of the THEMIS-GBO network now that the NASA mission is being phased out. The Canadian portion of the THEMIS-GBO system will be funded through 2012 with option to renew/continue it until 2015. This award will enable the uninterrupted operation of the entire network until 2015. The observations made by the THEMIS-GBO network are strongly synergistic with other observational facilities supported by NSF and by the Canadian Space Agency. Among these other facilities are the Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radars (AMISR) located at Poker Flat and Resolute Bay, and the many Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) coherent scatter radars located in the northern hemisphere. Data from the THEMIS-GBO network will be made available to the general science community and will support scientific research on a wide variety of topics, including the appearance and disappearance of auroral arcs, the role of small-scale structures in auroral arcs, the relationship between auroral phenomena and the large-scale ionospheric convection, the relationship of polar-cap arcs to open and/or closed magnetic field lines, the current systems associated with auroral arcs and the properties of magnetic substorms during solar maximum as compared to solar minimum. These research topics all have relevance to our understanding of space weather and the effects space weather can have on technological systems. The project will provide direct research experience for undergraduate students.