GEM: Understanding the Global Aspects of Plasma Heating in Earth's Magnetosphere

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

This project will investigate how various modes of transport (steady convection and bursty bulk flows/dipolarization fronts) influence the inner magnetosphere and ring current. Observations in the plasma sheet from THEMIS and in the night side radiation belts from the Van Allen Probes will be used to determine how various transport modes affect local properties of the ring current. The evolution of energy spectra, pitch angle distributions and pressure will be examined for the different forms of interaction. One goal will be to determine the relative importance of adiabatic and non-adiabatic acceleration. This study will involve multiple events. In separate but related studies IMAGE HENA observations will be used to determine globally evolving ring current and plasma sheet pressures. This will be done by comparing the spectral and spatial evolution of H and O ions during convection and substorms. Finally a 3D particle trajectory tracing code will be used in the time evolving fields from the Rice Convection Model to evaluate non-adiabatic acceleration mechanisms. HENA observations will be used to determine plasma pressures at synchronous orbit and these will be used as input to the RCM. The resulting pressures from RCM will be compared with the global pressures in the ring current region. This research will support a post-doctoral researcher and provide early career development for a female scientist.