This project will utilize a combination of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulation studies and data analysis to examine the phenomenon known as ?sawtooth injections? in the magnetosphere. , There is considerable controversy regarding sawtooth events, particularly the conditions that cause the magnetosphere to enter into the global quasi-periodic sawtooth oscillation. Based on case studies of sawtooth events with data observations, it has been reported that sawtooth events can occur during steady solar wind driving conditions, solar wind with pressure pulses, fluctuating interplanetary magnetic field or even more complicate solar wind driver conditions. There are, however, difficulties in decoupling the effects of solar wind pressure pulses and magnetic field changes and this has impeded progress on this topic. To overcome such data analysis problems, this project will use a global MHD model to examine how solar wind pressure pulses and magnetic field changes affect the occurrence of sawtooth events.
This project will support the development of a young, woman scientist though collaborations with expert colleagues at Virginia Tech, Goddard Space Flight Center, and the University of Michigan. The understanding developed through this research will also benefit the National Space Weather program by improving our understanding of storm-time processes and our ability to model and forecast storms.
