In late 2015, the magnetospheric multiscale (MMS) mission, resolved the shock transition layer down to the electron-scale for the first time, using its unprecedentedly high-time resolutions of…

This is a $447,218.89 grant awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) for research related to the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. The objective is to advance the understanding of electron acceleration at collisionless shocks using MMS data. The proposed project will analyze measurements from MMS to address specific questions about where in the shock transition layer electrons are energized and how upstream conditions control the locations and characteristics of electron acceleration. This grant does not have a set-aside designation. UC Berkeley is the prime contractor, and the State of California Controller's Office is the parent organization. The research aims to leverage the large volume of MMS data to improve our scientific understanding of these important space physics phenomena.

In late 2015, the magnetospheric multiscale (MMS) mission, resolved the shock transition layer down to the electron-scale for the first time, using its unprecedentedly high-time resolutions of particle measurements (both ions and electrons), combined with all three components of magnetic and electric fields. Since then, MMS has crossed the BOW shock numerous times and accumulated a large volume of dataset. Thus, in this proposed project, we take advantage of MMS measurements and aim to advance our understanding of electron acceleration at collisionless shocks by focusing on the following specific questions: (1) where in the shock transition layer are electrons energized and what are their characteristics? (2) how do the upstream conditions control the locations and the characteristics of electron acceleration? To address these questions, we will utilize data obtained by the magnetospheric multiscale (MMS) mission. We will only use MMS data in a public archive 30 days before the step-2 deadline, i.e., 2018 january 11. The data set used in this study will include both quasiperpendicular and quasi-parallel shock crossings, with a broad range of upstream parameters including, but not limited to, alfven mach number, shock angle and plasma beta. To study behaviors of electrons, we will use 2D and 3D visualizations of the velocity distributions, pitch angle distributions and energy spectra. To identify and study associated plasma features, we will examine various data including, but not limited to, magnetic and electric fields, currents, and frequency spectra.