CAREER: Spreading of Three-Dimensional (3D) Magnetic Reconnection

磁重联是一种强大的力量，可以将太阳风的能量传输到地球周围的近空间区域。这项工作将研究磁重联的过程。由此产生的科学结果可能会导致预测空间天气模型的改进。这直接符合2015年发布的国家空间天气战略和行动计划的目标。该项目还将导致在波士顿大学(BU)开设“航天器任务设计”本科课程，并在波士顿大学为当地中学生设计的暑期项目中纳入空间气象课程。一名女性博士后和一名研究生将接受指导。磁场重联是太阳风-磁层耦合的主要机制。这项拟议的工作将旨在了解三维空间中磁重联的动力学。需要解决的问题是(Q1)是什么控制了太阳次磁层顶附近磁层顶重联的扩展速度，以及(Q2)边界厚度和切变流如何影响重联扩展的速度。在这种情况下，“扩展”指的是当地时间沿磁层顶边界的扩展。NSF支持的SuperDARN雷达和NASA的磁性多尺度(MMS)任务卫星观测将被用来回答这些问题。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Magnetic reconnection is a powerful force that transports energy from the solar wind into the near-space region around Earth. This work will study the process of magnetic reconnection. The resulting scientific results could lead to improvement of predictive space weather models. This fits directly into the goals of the National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan, released in 2015. The project will also lead to development of an undergraduate class at Boston University (BU) on "Spacecraft Mission Design" and incorporation of a space weather lesson in the BU UDesign summer program for local middle school students. A female post-doc and a graduate student will be mentored.Magnetic reconnection is the primary mechanism for solar wind-magnetosphere coupling. The proposed work will aim to understand the dynamics of magnetic reconnection in three-dimensional space. The questions to be addressed are (Q1) what controls the spreading rate of magnetopause reconnection near the subsolar magnetopause and (Q2) how does boundary thickness and shear flow impact the speed of reconnection spreading. In this context, "spreading" refers to the expansion in local time along the boundary of the magnetopause. The NSF supported SuperDARN radar and NASA's Magnetic Multi-Scale (MMS) mission satellite observations will be utilized to answer these questions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.