Project Grant 2209155

This $590,898 National Science Foundation award under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) will fund research into modeling chorus wave generation using particle-in-cell simulations. Led by New Mexico Consortium, the project aims to study chorus waves—commonly observed plasma waves in Earth's inner magnetosphere—through large-scale first-principles simulations. The simulations will use realistic magnetic field topology and plasma parameters from observations to test existing theories of chorus generation and reveal underlying nonlinear physics. By producing chorus waves with features consistent with observations, including rising tones and repetitive elements, the research seeks to advance understanding of wave-particle interactions in Earth's inhomogeneous magnetic field. The effort is intended as an important step toward developing a physics-based chorus wave model critical for reliable prediction of radiation belt dynamics and the near-Earth geospace environment. The award period is from August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2026.