| NSF Org: |
AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | February 12, 2016 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | February 12, 2018 |
| Award Number: | 1502436 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Lisa Winter
AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | March 1, 2016 |
| End Date: | February 29, 2020 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $124,062.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $124,062.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2017 = $46,948.00 FY 2018 = $40,622.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1 SILBER WAY BOSTON MA US 02215-1703 (617)353-4365 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
Boston MA US 02215-1300 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS |
| Primary Program Source: |
01001718DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01001819DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
The Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) Program is a broad-based, community-initiated research program on the physics of the Earth's magnetosphere and the coupling of the magnetosphere to the atmosphere and to the solar wind. The work of GEM is accomplished in a series of campaigns and focus groups that solve specific problems leading to the construction of a global Geospace General Circulation Model (GGCM) with predictive capability. This project will contribute essential results to this goal pertaining to understanding the role of the magnetospheric plasma distribution and density in determining the efficiency of the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling. In addition, the project supports the development of independent research careers for two early-career space physics scientist. It also will offer educational opportunities for undergraduate students both at University of California Berkeley and University of Michigan Ann Arbor.
The ultimate goal of this project is the development and validation of a global model capable of reproducing accurate plasmasphere dynamics and the self-consistent effects of the plasmasphere on the dayside reconnection rate and overall magnetopause dynamics. Utilizing existing state-of-the-art models, two different approaches for incorporating the plasmasphere in a global MHD model will be developed and evaluated using multipoint spacecraft measurements from the THEMIS, Van Allen Belts Probes, and LANL satellites missions. The best, and fully validated, approach will then be used to model three different storm events and measure the reconnection rates in a variety of ways with and without inclusion of the plasmasphere.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Although the Earth’s space environment is close to a vacuum in comparison to the thick troposphere in which humans live, there are diverse plasma populations with real and potentially serious effects on spacecraft, space operations, and power grids on the Earth. This near-Earth space environment can have two sources of plasma, the solar wind and plasma coming from the outer parts of the Earth’s atmosphere that becomes ionized from the sun’s UV light. This region is called the ionosphere.
The bulk of the energy the drives the Earth’s space environment is extracted from the flowing solar wind. It has been proposed that plasma from the ionosphere can sometimes act to fortify the Earth’s space environment and prevent energy from coupling into the Earth’s system. The role of plasma sourced from the ionosphere on the transfer of energy from the sun is the focus of this project. Spacecraft measurements as well as numerical simulations were used to study the role of this plasma population. In the end it was found that plasma from the ionosphere can slow the transfer of energy.
These results are significant and are important components of physics that need to be incorporated into models of the space environment to ensure for safe operations of satellites and human activities.
During the course of the project four undergraduate and graduate students from Boston University were involved in the research project. One student was awarded the “Student Researcher of the Year” award from the Center for Space Physics at Boston University for his contributions to the work. The award provided students an opportunity to become involved in professional space research. Through involvement, the students also worked within a research team where they had experience working in a group setting and giving technical presentations in front of a group. After graduation, all four of the students continued on to graduate school or jobs in the STEM fields.
Last Modified: 07/29/2020
Modified by: Brian M Walsh
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