GEM: Cusp Particle Energization from Waves

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

This project will add important new features to the PI's model for entry of magnetosheath ions and electrons into the magnetosphere in the cusp. The improved model will have more realistic magnetic and electric field parameters. It will also utilize recent magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) simulations of the magnetosheath to more accurately characterize the sheath. The third major improvement will be to incorporate wave-particle interactions that result in energization of the particles. The project will utilize data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites and the Polar satellite (NASA International Solar Terrestrial Program mission). After the model improvements have been implemented, the model will be used in conjunction with the satellite data to investigate two important topics concerning the cusp. The first topic is the understanding of the processes that limit the spatial size of the cusp, both in latitude and longitude. The second topic is to determine to what extent wave-particle interactions heat the particles and alter their distributions. The project is relevant to the Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) Focus Group on cusp physics. The results are expected to also have impacts in other areas of space physics where particle energization by waves is thought to be important.