This is a NASA grant awarded to Andrews University, a private university and non-profit educational institution located in Berrien Springs, Michigan. The $142,200 grant is for a research project that aims to provide a better understanding of the ballooning instability in the near-Earth plasma sheet by comparing THEMIS, DMSP, and ground-based observations of low-frequency waves with azimuthal structuring of electron precipitation against state-of-the-art 3D global electromagnetic gyrokinetic simulations. The research addresses key science questions related to the stability of the ballooning mode, its observational signatures, and how those signatures compare with in situ and remotely observed wave signatures. This project advances NASA's science goals to understand the connection between the solar wind and magnetospheric dynamics, as well as the agency's strategic goal to develop the capability to predict extreme and dynamic conditions in the space environment. The grant does not have a set-aside designation, indicating it was awarded through full and open competition.
Generated 4/2/25, 11:22 PM