Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
individual
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Amelia Koth, Sophomore
Lead Presenter's Name
Amelia Koth
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Heidi Nykyri
Abstract
High-energy supersonic plasma jets form when the solar wind, which is a flow of charged particles from the Sun, slows down as it encounters Earth’s magnetic shield. Occasionally, the solar wind remains at supersonic speeds as it enters this region. This forms plasma jets that propagate toward Earth; these jets can carry strong magnetic fields, drive magnetic reconnection, and potentially initiate substorms that lead to auroral activity. Previously studied plasma jets occurred when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) points southward. In contrast, this study focuses on northward IMF conditions, which are less understood, yet still capable of producing supersonic jets. Conducted within the Laboratory for Solar–Magnetosphere–Ionosphere Research (LaSMIR) in the Department of Physical Sciences, this study utilizes data from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) satellites. The goal of this research is to determine the role of jets during northward IMF by quantifying their velocity, propagation direction, location, and magnetic-field characteristics using MMS multi-spacecraft measurements.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Included in
Plasma and Beam Physics Commons, Space Vehicles Commons, The Sun and the Solar System Commons
String-of-Pearls Measurements of Supersonic Plasma Jets Using Magnetospheric MultiScale Satellites
High-energy supersonic plasma jets form when the solar wind, which is a flow of charged particles from the Sun, slows down as it encounters Earth’s magnetic shield. Occasionally, the solar wind remains at supersonic speeds as it enters this region. This forms plasma jets that propagate toward Earth; these jets can carry strong magnetic fields, drive magnetic reconnection, and potentially initiate substorms that lead to auroral activity. Previously studied plasma jets occurred when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) points southward. In contrast, this study focuses on northward IMF conditions, which are less understood, yet still capable of producing supersonic jets. Conducted within the Laboratory for Solar–Magnetosphere–Ionosphere Research (LaSMIR) in the Department of Physical Sciences, this study utilizes data from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) satellites. The goal of this research is to determine the role of jets during northward IMF by quantifying their velocity, propagation direction, location, and magnetic-field characteristics using MMS multi-spacecraft measurements.