Electron Seed Population and its impact on Ring current, Ionosphere and Thermosphere dynamics ESPRIT

• Applicant: Privatdozentin Dr. Elena Kronberg
• Subject Area: Atmospheric Science
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 462853228

The terrestrial magnetic field protects us from most of the hazardous particles coming from the Sun and deep space, still magnetospheric regions confining energetic particles such as the plasma sheet, the ring current and the radiation belts are formed. These particles can potentially damage artificial satellites orbiting the Earth. In this project we will investigate: (1) What are the factors that control the electron population in the magnetospheric plasma sheet? (2) How do the enhanced energetic electron intensities (>40 keV) in the plasma sheet change the dynamics of the ring current? (3) How are the precipitating electrons from the plasma sheet and the ring current affect the content of the ionosphere and thermosphere? To answer these questions, we will develop an empirical electron phase space density model that describes the dynamics of the near-Earth magnetospheric plasma sheet using Cluster mission observations. We will use this empirical model as a boundary condition for the electron radiation belts model VERB-4D. This code with new boundary conditions will be tested on simulations of the selected magnetospheric storm events and compared with observations from multiple spacecraft missions. Using this model, we will study together with other projects how electrons in the plasma sheet affect dynamics of the ring current, radiation belts, the ionosphere and thermosphere.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 5405: Magnetosphere, Ionosphere, Plasmasphere and Thermosphere as a coupled system (MIPT)
• Co-Investigator: Professor Yuri Shprits, Ph.D.