Collaborative Research: Local Time Extent of Dayside Magnetopause Reconnection and Controlling Factors

磁场的重新连接是一个基本的物理过程，可以加速粒子并向系统注入能量。在地球空间环境中，关于这种过程如何工作并影响地球周围的空间，有许多悬而未决的问题。该项目将调查地球日侧磁层外层区域的过程。了解这一过程对于预测和准备应对空间天气影响，特别是对卫星的影响非常重要，因为在恶劣的空间辐射环境中，加速粒子可能对卫星造成损害。该项目将支持一位早期的职业科学家，研究生，并为本科生提供指导。该项目将描述当地时间白天活跃的磁层顶重新连接的范围，并调查是什么控制了白天重新连接。具体地说，它将解决：(1)活跃重联的当地时间范围是多少？(2)该范围与当地磁层顶电流片条件有何关系？(3)该范围与上游太阳风条件有何关系？将使用现场观测和遥感观测相结合的方法。具体地说，NASA在亚暴任务和磁层多尺度任务期间的事件和大尺度相互作用的时间历史将被用来识别重新连接事件，NSF的超级双极光雷达网络将被用来测量重新连接的程度。局地磁层顶条件将从天地交汇处获得。太阳风条件将由航天器提供，包括NASA的高级组成探测器、全球地球空间科学风卫星和GeoTail，以及NOAA的深空气候观测站。该奖项反映了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。

Reconnection of magnetic fields is a fundamental physical process that can accelerate particles and inject energy into systems. In the geospace environment, there are many unanswered questions about how such processes work and impact the space around Earth. This project will investigate the process on the dayside of the Earth in the outer regions of the magnetosphere. Understanding this process is important for predicting and preparing for space weather impacts, particularly to satellites that can be damaged by accelerated particles in the harsh radiation environment in space. The project will support an early career scientist, graduate students, and provide mentorship for undergraduate students.This project will characterize the local time extent of dayside active magnetopause reconnection and investigate what controls dayside reconnection. Specifically, it will address: (1) What is the local time extent of active reconnection?; (2) How is the extent related to local magnetopause current sheet conditions?; and (3) How is the extent related to upstream solar wind conditions? Conjunctions of in-situ and remote-sensing observations will be used. Specifically, NASA’s Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms mission and Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission will be used to identify reconnection events and NSF’s Super Dual Auroral Radar Network will be used to measure the extent of reconnection. Local magnetopause conditions will be obtained from space-ground conjunctions. The solar wind conditions will be provided by spacecraft including NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer, Global Geospace Science Wind satellite, and Geotail, and NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory.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.