Award Abstract # 2149787
ANSWERS: Dynamics and Impacts of Electrons and Ions in the Earth?s Magnetosphere-Ionosphere System

NSF Org: AGS
Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
Recipient: THE TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Initial Amendment Date: April 22, 2022
Latest Amendment Date: April 22, 2022
Award Number: 2149787
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Mangala Sharma
msharma@nsf.gov
 (703)292-4773
AGS
 Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
GEO
 Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date: May 1, 2022
End Date: September 30, 2024 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $899,669.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $899,669.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2022 = $78,408.00
History of Investigator:
  • Liang Wang (Principal Investigator)
  • Kai Germaschewski (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Chuanfei Dong (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Dogacan Ozturk (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Jing Liao (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Princeton University
1 NASSAU HALL
PRINCETON
NJ  US  08544-2001
(609)258-3090
Sponsor Congressional District: 12
Primary Place of Performance: Princeton University
1 Nassau Hall
Princeton
NJ  US  08544-2001
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
12
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): NJ1YPQXQG7U5
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS,
Space Weather Research
Primary Program Source: 01002223DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 4444, 8092
Program Element Code(s): 575000, 808900
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.050

ABSTRACT

Understanding the Earth?s magnetosphere and its connection to the ionosphere is crucial for correctly predicting space weather events, which are a potential hazard to human-built technology such as power grids, telecommunications, and satellites. The magnetosphere-ionosphere system is characterized by plasma (electron and ion) interactions that are coupled together and inherently complex. State-of-the-art models of this system often rely on simplifications that lead to deficiencies in predicting space weather events. This project aims to improve our ability to model the complex plasma interactions in Earth?s upper atmosphere. A team of mainly early-career researchers from Princeton University, University of New Hampshire and University of Alaska will collaborate with space weather forecasters and power grid operators on this project. While space weather is fascinating, it has received less attention in K-12 STEM curricula due to its complexity and transdisciplinary nature. To make space weather information more widely available to students, the project team will focus on educator training, create engaging curricular materials, and collaborate with the NSF-funded Space Weather Underground project, which serves historically underserved groups.

This project is a modeling effort to investigate the dynamics of the Earth?s magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system, addressing the role of electrons as well as heavy ions in magnetotail reconnection and the subsequent electric driving of auroral streamers. The modeling will include self-consistent coupling between micro-instabilities and macro-transport. The team will apply new capabilities of the OpenGGCM model to evolve multi-electron-multi-ion fluid dynamics, incorporating significant kinetic physics beyond magnetohydrodynamics. They will investigate the transport of electron and ion species (H+ and O+) in the outer magnetosphere, as well as the impact on magnetotail reconnection, a controlling process in magnetospheric space weather events. The impact of magnetospheric electron dynamics and electric driving on aurora streamers, a critical M-I coupling product, will be studied in the upper atmosphere using open-source GITM model. In collaboration with a power grid operator, estimates of geomagnetically-induced current will be delivered. The team will promote K-12 STEM education through secondary educator training focused on space weather science, creation of engaging materials (including data literacy, visualization, and hands-on practices), and collaboration with the NSF-funded Space Weather Underground project. ANSWERS projects advance the nation?s STEM expertise and societal resilience to space weather hazards by filling key knowledge gaps regarding the coupled Sun-Earth system.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

Note:  When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a charge during the embargo (administrative interval).

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.

Chen, Yuxi and Dong, Chuanfei and Chen, LiJen and Sarantos, Menelaos and Burkholder, Brandon L "Interplanetary Magnetic Field B y Controlled Alfvén Wings at Earth During an Encounter of a Coronal Mass Ejection" Geophysical Research Letters , v.52 , 2025 https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL113416 Citation Details
Green, James and Boardsen, Scott and Dong, Chuanfei "Effects of the evolving early Moon and Earth magnetospheres" Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences , v.10 , 2023 https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2023.1112233 Citation Details
Liao, J. and Kistler, L_M and Mouikis, C_G and Fuselier, S_A and Hedlund, M. "Assessing the Sources of the O + in the Plasma Sheet" Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics , v.129 , 2024 https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JA032635 Citation Details
Li, Dion and Chen, Yuxi and Dong, Chuanfei and Wang, Liang and Toth, Gabor "Numerical study of magnetic island coalescence using magnetohydrodynamics with adaptively embedded particle-in-cell model" AIP Advances , v.13 , 2023 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0122087 Citation Details

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.

Print this page

Back to Top of page