Radiation
belt:
1.
Which
solar wind drivers are most geoeffective at radiation belt electron
enhancements: high speed solar wind streams, CIRs, CMEs including
magnetic
cloud and shock categories? While we may know the general answer, we do not know in detail why
some CME events, the focus of this CDAW, are more geoeffective for
electrons
than others. Sub-questions: 1)How important
is
pre-conditioning of the magnetosphere? e.g.
elapsed
time since previous storm,
plasma sheet density,
etc.? WG1 & 4 overlap.
2.
Over
what solar wind conditions and L range is radial transport vs.
localized
acceleration of electrons dominant? Empirical models have been
successful at
predicting geosynchronous fluxes based exclusively on input solar wind
parameters,
assuming radial transport as the dominant energization mechanism and
parametrized L, energy-dependent
loss. ULF and VLF wave power vs. L,
correlated with
electron phase space density and solar wind conditions and timing,
needs
further correlative, superposed epoch and event study. WG1 & 4 overlap.
3.
What
processes are responsible for electron loss as a function of L and
energy? How
do electron loss rates depend
on the solar wind
driver and pre-storm electron flux (or do they)? Which loss processes
dominate
for different geomagnetic conditions? Improvement in loss models
used in both radial
transport and localized acceleration calculations requires improved
loss models
which incorporate recent improved diagonostics.
WG3
overlap.
4.
What
are solar wind conditions leading to cutoff reduction and trapping of
Solar
Energetic Particles, and solar wind plus magnetospheric conditions
leading to
loss? Examples are Nov 6 and Nov 24 01 SEP trapping events of > 12
MeV
protons (and heavy ions) in the electron slot region L=2.5 - 3, and
sudden loss
Nov 20 03. WG1 overlap.
Ring
current:
5. What is the
relative importance of the solar-wind driven enhanced magnetospheric
convection
electric field, variations in the plasma sheet population, and the
penetration
electric field (SAPs) on storm-time ring current development? WG1 & WG3 overlap.
6a. To what
extent are measurements of ring-current particle
fluxes, ring-current magnetic field and in-situ particle and field
measurements
and fluxes inferred from ENA images consistent with each other within
our
current framework of understanding?
6b. To what
extent can simulation models account for these
particle, field and ENA observations?
(We need to
identify storms in which there are simultaneous in-situ & ENA ring
current
measurements. There is good Polar/CAMMICE ion
measurements
for the 3-10-1998, 8-6-1998, and 10-29-2000 storms. Are there good ENA
measurements for the 10-29-2000 storm?)
Plasmasphere:
EROSION:
7a. Where
does plasmaspheric plasma go when it is eroded from
the outer layers of the plasmasphere?
What are the flows (both local and global) that determine the
path
eroded plasma takes?
7b. To
what extent do local plasma instabilities play a role in
the erosion
process? Does
the MHD E-field-based scenario tell the whole story?
HOT-COLD
PLASMA INTERACTIONS:
8a. Does
the plasmaspheric plasma become heated during geomagnetic activity?
8b. How
often does the presence of plasmaspheric plumes play an important
rolein the
physics of the storm-time ring current (e.g., EMIC scattering of ring
current
ions to produce sub-auroral precipitation arcs)?
8c. Is
there a causal relationship between major plasmaspheric
erosions (moving the plasmapause inside L=2) and new electron radiation
belts
forming in the slot region?
8d. If so, how long
does it take, and what are the energization mechanisms,for radiation
belt
electrons to populate the slot region after a major plasmaspheric
erosion
removes cold plasma from the slot region?
8e. What are the
details involved in the buildup of plasmaspheric hiss in newly refilled
flux
tubes?
IONOSPHERIC
COUPLING (WG3 overlap):
9a. How do the details
of spatial and temporal variations in the ionospheric conductivity
affect the
structure (both global and sub-global) and dynamics of the plasmasphere?
9b. What is the
meso-scale (0.1-0.5 RE) and small-scale (<0.1 RE) structure of the
inner
magnetospheric electric field during storms?
During recovery?
9c. How often does the
inner magnetosphere experience "good shielding"?
9d. What
are the details of the temporal and
spatial fluctuations of the region 2 current layer during storms and
substorms,
and do we have sufficiently well-developed diagnostics of this
important
current system to guide our understanding of the important processes of
shielding and penetration E-field?