Rapid Radiation Belt Scattering in Electromagnetic Turbulence

地磁风暴期间辐射带电子通量的快速变化继续挑战我们对空间天气的理解。为了更好地理解这些变化，该项目研究了动力学阿尔文波（KAWs）如何影响内磁层中的高能电子传输。将采用一种新的方法，利用美国宇航局货车艾伦探测器数据（与美国宇航局BARREL气球使命的选定会合间隔）和三维流体动力学模拟。一名研究生和博士后研究员将得到这项工作的支持。这项研究将探索湍流波场和这些场拓扑中可能发生散射的机制。这将通过分析来自货车艾伦探测器航天器的场和粒子测量值以及对从混合数据理论形式主义产生的湍流波场中的电子分布进行粒子模拟来实现。这些分析将（1）确定湍流KAW波场拓扑结构如何驱动外辐射带电子的快速散射，以及（2）从统计波场测量和通过模拟导出的传输速率量化该散射过程对外辐射带传输的贡献。这项研究也将得到一些共轭货车艾伦探针的分析支持，高海拔气球事件的高能降水在这些wavefields.This奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

Rapid variations in radiation belt electron fluxes during geomagnetic storms continue to challenge our understanding of space weather. To better understand these variations, this project investigates how kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) affect energetic electron transport in the inner magnetosphere. A novel approach will be taken which utilizes NASA Van Allen Probes data (with select conjunction intervals from the NASA BARREL balloon mission) and 3-D fluid-kinetic simulations. A graduate student and post-doctoral researcher will be supported by the work.This research will explore the turbulent wavefields and the mechanisms through which scattering in these field topologies may occur. This will be achieved through the analysis of fields and particle measurements from the Van Allen Probes spacecraft and particle simulations for distributions of electrons in turbulent wavefields generated from a hybrid data-theory formalism. These analyses will (1) determine how turbulent KAW wavefield topologies drive rapid scattering of outer radiation belt electrons and (2) quantify from statistical wave field measurements and transport rates derived via simulations, the contribution of this scattering process to outer radiation belt transport. This research will also be supported by analyses of a number of conjugate Van Allen Probes-high altitude balloon events of energetic precipitation in these wavefields.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.