Earth’s Magnetosphere During Extreme Events (EEs)
Team PI
Misha Sitnov
Who Will Do What:
Sitnov: Reconstruction of primary EEs, error analysis, renormalization of reconstructions using ENA data, and its modification for no-solar wind monitor era.
Brandt: ENA reconstruction for EEs.
Merkin: Combine global MHD simulations with the data-derived equation of state for EEs.
Stephens: Validation of the empirical reconstruction, error analysis; renormalized model design and analysis.
What Are Our Expectations:
Since all team members work in the same laboratory, we expect collaboration on the project on the daily basis;
Expect to process in-house ENA data with monthly updates.
Expect to obtain the results of the global MHD modeling on a regular basis contingent of the super-computer time access.
Monthly team meetings.
Prioritize collaboration within and among FST teams, including semiannual FST workshops.
What Are Our Objectives:
To reveal distinctive features of the Earth’s magnetosphere during extreme events (EEs) through empirical reconstruction of the geomagnetic field, electric currents and plasma pressure for superstorms (Dst index<–300 nT), taking into account their statistical peculiarity as EEs
What Are Our Goals:
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Compare EE distributions of the magnetic field and currents with similar distributions for weaker storms and first-principle simulations to grasp the distinctions of EEs and their underlying physical mechanisms;
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Use error analysis and ENA observations to improve the empirical picture of EEs;
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Ingest empirical pressure to first-principles models;
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Reconstruct EEs with missing solar wind/IMF monitors
What Are Our Milestones:
Year 1: Reconstruct first few EEs and investigate their NN bins, ENA distributions and LFM-RCM picture; Study 2015 storms and validate pressure using Van Allen Probes data;
Year 2: Complete the original TS07D analysis, ENA reconstructions and LFM-RCM simulations of the Image-era EEs; Renormalize the original TS07D model error analysis and ENA data; Release the obtained magnetic field reconstructions for the use by other FST team members.
Year 3: Modify TS07D with the reduced binning space assuming studies of EEs in 1957-1991. Perform global MHD simulations of EEs using the new equation of state, taking into account the empirical plasma pressure reconstructed from TS07D and ENA analyses.
Release the new TS07D models for the use by other FST team members.
Year 4: Complete reconstruction of EEs for 1957-1991. Compare the results of the empirical and first-principles simulations (LFM-RCM and LFM with empirical pressures). Perform reanalysis of ENA and assimilation LFM and empirical models.
Mikhail Sitnov, Pontus Brandt, Slava Merkin, Grant Stephens
COIs
Slava Merkin
Pontus Brandt
Grant Stephens
Mikhail Sitnov (JHU/APL) Team PI
Pontus Brandt (JHU/APL)
Slava Merkin (JHU/APL)
Grant Stephens (JHU/APL)
