CAREER: Quantifying Radiation Belt Precipitation and Atmospheric Impacts through D-region Ionosphere Imaging

职业：通过 D 区电离层成像量化辐射带降水和大气影响

• 批准号: 2044846
• 负责人: Robert Marshall
• 金额: $ 60.54万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-02-01 至 2026-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2044846&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Quantifying; Radiation; Belt; Precipitation

High energy particles from the Sun constantly bombard the Earth. Many are trapped by the Earth’s magnetic field in a region called radiation belt, which extends from an altitude of about 640 to 58,000 km. These trapped high energy particles can come down to the upper atmosphere at polar region (a process called particle precipitation), interacting with atmospheric molecules to create the colorful aurora. Some very high energy particles can come further down, depositing energy into the atmosphere and altering the chemistry, and affecting global energy balance and circulation. The effects of these high energy particles are not well understood because of lack of measurements of the particles lost from the radiation belt into the atmosphere.This CAREER project outlines an integrated research and education initiative to quantify particle losses from the radiation belts and their effects in the upper atmosphere, using an affordable, large-scale imaging technique. Radiation belt precipitation forms a critical link between the magnetosphere, ionosphere, and atmosphere. The Principal Investigator (PI)'s research goal is to quantify the flux, spectra, spatial and temporal scales of energetic particle precipitation (EPP) events, their chemical effects in the upper atmosphere, and their effects on radiation belt populations. In pursuit of these research goals, the PI will: i) establish a low-cost, autonomous very-low-frequency observation network across Canada to observe variations due to EPP in the mid- to high-latitude D-region ionosphere; ii) refine and improve our understanding of EPP signatures and processes and their relationship to radiation belt losses using an ensemble Kalman Filter-based inversion technique; and iii) validate results using operational spacecraft data. The PI's education goal is to build a robust undergraduate and graduate education and training program in space physics and engineering at CU Boulder by: i) advising PhD and undergraduate students while maintaining the PI's track record for recruiting and supporting female and underrepresented students; ii) incorporating research outcomes into the graduate space physics curriculum through a new upper-level graduate course; iii) providing research experience opportunities to high school students; and iv) promoting broader understanding of space physics in the non-technical community through a new campus-wide undergraduate course on the space environment and its effects and a new textbook covering this course material.Quantifying precipitating fluxes will also lead to improved Space Weather nowcasting and forecasting and has implications for spacecraft design and operations in the radiation belts; orbital dynamics and drag in Low Earth Orbit; and radiation safety for high-altitude aircraft.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.

来自太阳的高能粒子不断地轰击地球，许多粒子被地球磁场捕获在一个称为辐射带的区域，该区域的高度从大约 640 公里到 58,000 公里，这些被捕获的高能粒子可以降落到高层大气。在极地地区（称为粒子降水的过程）与大气分子相互作用，产生多彩的极光。一些能量非常高的粒子可以进一步下降，将能量沉积到大气中并改变化学性质，并影响全球能量平衡和循环效应。由于缺乏对从辐射带损失到大气中的粒子的测量，这些高能粒子的具体情况还没有得到很好的了解。该职业项目概述了一项综合研究和教育计划，以量化辐射带的粒子损失及其对上层的影响辐射带降水形成了磁层、电离层和大气之间的关键联系，其研究目标是量化通量、光谱、空间和时间尺度。高能粒子沉淀（EPP）事件、它们对高层大气的化学影响以及它们对辐射带种群的影响 为了实现这些研究目标，PI 将： i) 在加拿大各地建立一个低成本、自主的甚低频观测网络来观测变化。由于中高纬度 D 区电离层中的 EPP；ii) 使用基于集合卡尔曼滤波器的反演技术完善和提高我们对 EPP 特征和过程及其与辐射带损失的关系的理解；以及 iii) 验证结果；使用运行航天器数据。 PI 的教育目标是通过以下方式在 CU Boulder 建立一个强大的本科生和研究生教育和培训项目：i) 为博士生和本科生提供建议，同时保持 PI 招募和支持女性和代表性不足的学生的记录 ii)通过新的高级研究生课程将研究成果纳入研究生空间物理课程；关于空间环境及其影响的全校本科课程以及涵盖该课程材料的新教科书。量化降水通量还将改进空间天气临近预报和预报，并对辐射带和辐射带中的航天器设计和操作产生影响；该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

A Method for Imaging Energetic Particle Precipitation With Subionospheric VLF Signals

一种利用亚电离层 VLF 信号对高能粒子降水进行成像的方法

• DOI: 10.1029/2022ea002460
• 发表时间: 2023-01
• 期刊: Earth and Space Science
• 影响因子: 3.1
• 作者: Gasdia, Forrest;Marshall, Robert A.
• 通讯作者: Marshall, Robert A.