Bursty Bulk Flows, Dipolarization Fronts, and Particle Energization in the Substorm Plasma Sheet

这个项目将调查磁亚暴期间地球磁尾等离子体片中的爆发性整体流、偶极锋和高能粒子通量增强。本次会议将探讨四个具体问题：（1）偶极锋与地磁变化的关系，以及地面地磁观测是否与偶极锋的振幅有关;（2）偶极锋如何形成，如何随时间演变，以及是什么控制着偶极锋的振幅;（3）亚暴期间，偶极锋在高能等离子体注入近地等离子体片中所起的作用（如果有的话）;（4）确定爆发性整体流是否在产生高能等离子体注入中起作用，或者它们是否仅仅是高能等离子体从中尾输送到近尾的方式。地球等离子体层：该项目将利用THEMIS卫星航天器提供的数据、对磁场变化的地面测量和粒子模拟，使人们更好地了解导致高能粒子注入近地等离子体层的物理过程以及这些高能粒子如何在磁层内传输。 高能粒子在空间天气现象中起着重要的作用。 这项工作还将导致更好地了解与磁重联有关的等离子体现象，磁重联不仅是地球磁层和电离层的重要过程，而且也是太阳风、其他行星磁层和天体物理等离子体的重要过程。 该项目将包括两名研究生的支持和参与。

This project will investigate bursty bulk flows, dipolarization fronts, and energetic particle flux enhancements in Earth's magnetotail plasma sheet during magnetic substorms. Four specific topics will be investigated: (1) How dipolarization fronts are related to the geomagnetic variations and whether or not magnetic observations on the ground are related to the amplitude of the dipolarization front; (2) How a dipolization front is formed, how it evolves with time, and what controls its amplitude; (3) The role dipolarization fronts play (if any) in the injection of energetic plasma into the near-Earth plasma sheet during substorms; (4) Determine whether or not bursty bulk flows play a role in creating energetic plasma injections or if they are simply the way energetic plasma is transported from the mid-tail to the near-Earth plasma sheet.The project will utilize data from the THEMIS satellite spacecraft, ground-based measurements of magnetic field variations, and particle simulations.The project will lead to an improved understanding of the physical processes that lead to the injection of energetic particles into the near-Earth plasma sheet and how those energetic particles are transported within the magnetosphere. Energetic particles play in important role in space weather phenomena. The work will also lead to improved understanding of plasma phenomena related to magnetic reconnection which is a process of importance not only in Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere but also in the solar wind, in the magnetospheres of other planets and in astrophysical plasmas. The project will include support for and participation by two graduate students.