Understanding the fundamental space plasma physics which causes space weather

这个发现基金研究项目的目标都与了解近地空间中一个叫做磁层的区域的能量传输有关。具体来说，这项研究将解决空间物理学中两个最重要的悬而未决的问题：范艾伦辐射带中所谓的卫星“杀手”电子加速到光速的显著部分，以及磁层亚风暴中能量的爆炸性释放。自从50年前詹姆斯·范艾伦和探险家1号偶然发现这种辐射以来，是什么使电子加速到接近光速的问题一直没有得到解答。这个问题也具有更广泛的天体物理学重要性，因为它是宇宙中基本的粒子加速过程，同时也具有技术重要性，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）计划的重中之重，加拿大是该计划的积极参与者，也是2012年8月发射的NASA辐射带风暴探测任务的重点（提案人是Co-I）。这项发现拨款还将使地面监测亚风暴爆炸释放能量后的过程成为可能。亚风暴负责创造最壮观的北极光，这项研究将与NASA THEMIS任务合作完成（提案人是Co-I）。我们将利用协调研究，结合来自卫星和CARISMA阵列中的地面磁力计（提议者是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项目的地面光学、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。拟议的研究计划还与加拿大即将在其他卫星任务中发挥作用的科学目标具有重要的协同作用，包括csa领导的增强型极流探测（e-POP）小卫星任务和欧洲航天局的3颗卫星SWARM星座任务（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).