CAREER: Time Domain Structures in the Earth's Magnetosphere

This CAREER project addresses a major challenge in understanding the near-Earth space environment. Studies of the region of space surrounding Earth often focus on phenomena that are either very large (several times the Earth's diameter or larger) or very small (down to kilometers or meters) phenomena. However, what is still unknown is how the small phenomena affect things on a larger scale.

This study addresses this challenge by studying small (meters in size) structures known as "Time Domain Structures" (TDS), which are thought to be associated with plasma waves and strong electric currents in space. The main objective is to map out where TDS is likely to occur in near-Earth space and under what conditions, allowing us to understand their relation to larger phenomena in space.

This work gives us a better understanding of space weather, which can lead to disruption of radio and cellular communications, GPS navigation, satellites, and the electric power grid. The PI will develop a cross-disciplinary, research-focused intermediate-level undergraduate course on the space environment. A public outreach project will convert the solar and space data into sounds to be shown in a local planetarium, an opportunity to attract more participation in space physics.

The project aims to determine the distribution of time domain structures (TDS) in the magnetosphere as a function of solar wind and geomagnetic conditions, magnetospheric current systems and boundaries, as well as their characteristic changes associated with local mesoscale conditions. The three scientific objectives are: 1) Determine how the distribution of time domain structures in the magnetosphere changes with changing solar wind and geomagnetic conditions. 2) Determine how the distribution of time domain structures compares with magnetospheric current systems and boundaries. 3) Determine how the characteristics of time domain structures change by region and how the local mesoscale conditions change the behavior.

The team will address these by generating statistical maps of SWD measurements and comparing them with maps of other plasma parameters. These maps will be binned by solar wind conditions and geophysical activity indices. Additionally, detailed studies of events observed in different regions of the Earth's magnetosphere will be performed to determine the mesoscale context for the SWD observations.

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.