Observational tests of auroral theories from a new generation of space and ground-based instrumentation.

空间环境研究涉及跨越太阳外层、太阳风、行星磁层和行星大气的耦合系统。这个系统包括由太阳风携带的大量能量流，当太阳风遇到地球磁层时，它被转化为高达1万亿瓦的电能。这种能量的很大一部分进入了我们的高层大气，在那里它可以主导大气动力学和化学，并以极光的形式在上面投射出巨大而动态的可见显示。此外，与这种能量转移相关的太阳风驱动的“空间天气”可能会对轨道上和地面上的技术系统产生毁灭性的影响，影响配电、通信、导航等。

Space Environment research addresses the coupled system that spans the outer layers of the sun, the solar wind, planetary magnetospheres, and planetary atmospheres. This system includes a massive flow of energy carried by the solar wind which, upon encountering the earth's magnetosphere, is converted to up to a trillion Watts of electrical energy. A substantial part of this energy finds its way into our upper atmosphere, where it can dominate atmospheric dynamics and chemistry, and upon which it projects a vast and dynamic visible display in the form of the aurora. Also, solar-wind-driven "space weather" associated with this energy transfer can have a devastating impact on technological systems in orbit as well as on the ground, affecting power distribution, communications, navigation, and more.