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层的耦合系统。 这个系统包括太阳风携带的大量能量流，当遇到地球的磁层时，被转换为高达万亿瓦的电能。 这种能量的很大一部分进入我们的高层大气，在那里它可以控制大气动力学和化学，并以极光的形式投射出巨大而动态的可见光。 此外，与这种能量转移相关的太阳风驱动的“空间天气”可能对轨道和地面上的技术系统产生破坏性影响，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.