Understanding the fundamental space plasma physics which causes space weather

探索奖助金研究计划的目标都与了解近地空间中称为磁层的区域的能量传输有关。具体地说，这项研究将解决空间物理学中最重要的两个悬而未决的问题：范艾伦辐射带中所谓的卫星“杀手”电子加速到光速的显著比例，以及磁层亚风暴中能量的爆炸性释放。自从50年前詹姆斯·范·艾伦与探险家詹姆斯·范·艾伦偶然发现这种辐射以来，是什么将电子加速到接近光速的速度，这个问题一直没有答案。作为宇宙中的一个基本粒子加速过程，这个问题还具有更广泛的天体物理重要性，以及技术重要性，因为许多卫星故障和异常都与这种辐射引发的放电有关。事实上，这是国际与恒星生活(ILWS)计划的高度优先事项，加拿大是该计划的积极参与者，也是2012年8月启动的NASA辐射带风暴探测器任务的重点(提出者是Co-I)。这笔发现赠款还将使在亚风暴中爆炸能量释放后的过程能够进行地面监测。亚暴负责创造了最壮观的北极光显示，这项研究将与NASA THEMIS任务(提出者是Co-I)合作完成。我们将通过协调研究，结合来自Carisma阵列中的卫星和地面磁力计(提出者是PI)的数据，以及来自加拿大航天局(CSA)资助的加拿大地球空间监测计划中的地面光学、雷达和GPS仪器的支持数据，以前所未有的细节来描述能量传输的特征。拟议的研究方案还与加拿大即将在其他卫星飞行任务中发挥作用的科学目标具有重要的协同作用，这些卫星飞行任务包括CSA牵头的增强型极地流出探测器(e-POP)小卫星飞行任务和欧洲航天局3颗卫星的集群星座飞行任务(均将于2013年发射)。

The objectives for this Discovery Grant research program are all related to understanding energy transport in a region of near-Earth space called the magnetosphere. Specifically, the research will address two of the most important outstanding questions in space physics: the acceleration of so-called satellite "killer" electrons in the Van Allen radiation belts to significant fractions of the speed of light, and the explosive release of energy in the magnetospheric substorm. The question of what accelerates electrons to speeds close to the speed of light remains unanswered since the accidental discovery of this radiation by James Van Allen with Explorer 1 fifty years ago. This question also has broader astrophysical importance as a fundamental particle acceleration process in the universe, as well as technological importance since a number of satellite failures and anomalies are linked to discharging triggered by this radiation. Indeed, this is a high priority for the International Living With A Star (ILWS) program in which Canada is an active participant as well as the focus for the NASA Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission launched in August 2012 (proposer is a Co-I). This Discovery Grant will also enable the ground-based monitoring of the processes following the explosive release of energy in a substorm. The substorm is responsible for creating the most spectacular displays of the northern lights and this research will be completed in partnership with the NASA THEMIS mission (proposer is a Co-I). We will target the characterization of energy transport in unprecedented detail using coordinated studies combining data from satellites and ground-based magnetometers in the CARISMA array (the proposer is the PI), as well as supporting data from ground-based optical, radar and GPS instruments in the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) funded Canadian Geospace Monitoring program. The proposed research program also has important synergy with science targets for forthcoming Canadian roles in other satellite missions including the CSA-lead enhanced Polar Outflow Probe (e-POP) small satellite mission and the 3 satellite European Space Agency SWARM constellation mission (both to be launched in 2013).