Brian A. Anderson - US grants

An integral component of the multi-agency U.S. Global Change Research Program (Our Changing Planet," Committee on Earth Sciences, 1991) is understanding and modeling the geospace environment. As part of its contribution to the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the National Science Foundation's Division of Atmospheric Sciences has established a new research initiative, Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM), with the goal of supporting basic research into the dynamical and structural properties of geospace, leading to the construction of a global geospace model with predictive capability. The subjects of the first GEM campaign are the magnetospheric boundary, the magnetosheath beyond it, and the connection from the boundary through the magnetosphere to the ionosphere. The goal of this award is to establis a method of identifying the location of the cusp by using ULF waves as a tracer of geomagnetic field lines. Using spacecraft data, wave pertinent to the magnetopause will be identified. This data will then be compared to ground-based observations.

The proposed research program involves the analysis of magnetic field data acquired by the Swedish Viking and FREJA satellites and by the DoD HILAT, Polar BEAR, DMSP-F7, and TRIAD satellites. We intend to use these data in correlation with magnetic field observations from the NASA AMPTE/CCE and MAGSAT satellites in studies of the earth's magnetospheric and ionospheric current systems, both large and small scale, as well as magnetic wave phenomena. We propose to contrast the global current systems during active storm times vs. magnetically quiet times. A remote sensing, two-dimensional, horizontal current analysis has been performed on the MAGSAT data and matched to equatorial CCE results. These results are preliminary and we propose to complete, improve and apply this analysis technique to other cases involving dynamic circuits. We propose to determine the full three-dimensional ionospheric-magnetospheric current system during northward interplanetary magnetic field conditions as well. The most significant result and, also, remaining question is the confinement of the northward Bz (NBZ) currents to above 80 degrees in the case studied and the connection (or lack of connection) of the polar currents to the auroral zone current system for other cases. We intend to study the fine scale Birkeland currents involved in auroral acceleration processes, especially in the context of the storm and substorm circuit. We propose to continue our analysis of shorter time scale disturbances involved in the transition to wave phenomena. Some of the wave field subjects to be studied include: global MHD resonant and/or driven pulsations; local and remote particle-field cyclotron interactions; multi-satellite MFE data analysis to study global perturbations caused by solar wind pressure variations; statistical analysis of ULF waves from ground and spacecraft data; ULF wave propagation, including incoherent pulsation activity; and GOES and CCE spacecraft conjunction studies of ULF events. We intend to disseminate data and information by way of scientific journal publication, presentations, and collaborative efforts with individual scientists and agency program as we have done in the past. We propose to incorporate the upcoming FREJA mission data into this analysis effort as we have done with previous magnetic field data sets. The expanded FREJA data coverage will coordinate well with other programs, especially GEM and the internation STEP programs, as well as provide a maore complete MFE data base. The high resolution realtime data will advance our fine-scale as well as large-scale current studies and the dedicated wave channels will improve our ability to evaluate wave disturbance fields.

This grant provides support for research which will make use of simultaneous observations of ultra low frequency (ULF) electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves by instruments located in the Arctic, the Antarctic and on satellites orbiting within the Earth's magnetosphere. These pulsations have frequencies of between 0.1 and 5 Hz. The ground-based instruments are (or were) in Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland, the Finnish magnetometer chain, and the Antarctic stations, Siple, South Pole, McMurdo, Casey, Mawson and MacQuarie Island. The satellites to be used are the AMPTE (Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers/CCE (Charge- Composition Explorer) and Viking (Swedish). The eventual goal of this correlative study is to enhance the utility of future ground- based observations to be used as a diagnostic tool to infer magnetospheric processes in the EMIC source region.

The objective of this project is to obtain continuous, global, real-time monitoring of the auroral size, configuration, and dynamics for use in space weather specification and warning systems and for near-term forecasting as an input to global circulation models. The method is based upon the observation that 0.1 - 100 Hz magnetic fluctuations appear to be a good identifier of the auroral oval at satellite altitudes. It may be possible then to utilize non-science grade magnetometers used for attitude determination on the suites of commerical communication and navigation satellites to provide continuous monitoring of the auroral oval. The project will undertake a more thorough investigation of the magnetic fluctuations and will examine test data from the RIDIUM attitude magnetometer to test the efficacy of the proposed method.

This is a proposal to study loss processes for radiation belt and ring current particles. The theoretical study will investigate two processes, pitch angle scattering by ion cyclotron waves and non-adiabatic particle motion. The theoretical predictions will be compared with data from particle spectormeters on several satellites.

The investigators will continue analysis of magnetic field observations acquired by satellite-borne magnetometers. The effort is an integrated team approach to advance understanding of field-aligned currents, magnetospheric and ionospheric currents, and electromagnetic waves and turbulence. The group will investigate two different research topics related to field-aligned currents: comparing predicted to measured magnetic field perturbations along a satellite orbit, and studying the relative importance of driving sources for magnetohydrodynamic fast mode waves in the magnetosphere. The first study will use measurements by the SuperDARN radar network and the AMIE numerical model. The second study will make use of multi-point observations from the AMPTE, CRRES and GOES satellites.

The investigators will continue assessing the possibility of using data from the IRIDIUM satellites to continuously monitor the location of the auroral oval. The magnetometers on the satellites measure perturbations when passing through field-aligned currents associated with auroral precipitation. The combined data from many satellites can be used to identify the instantaneous location of the auroral oval on a global basis. The auroral oval reflects the global state of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system and the field-aligned currents are the principal means by which stresses are transmitted from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere. The investigators will define the science products that can be derived from the IRIDIUM magnetometer data and perform scientific qualification studies of these products to determine their accuracy, reliability, and relation to currently available monitors of the auroral boundaries, currents, and magnetospheric dynamics. The study includes the development of algorithms for handling the data from multiple spacecraft automatically, comparison of results for individual case studies, and the negotiation of an agreement with Motorola Corp. for long-term access to the data.

The investigators will use a new technique to evaluate the global-scale distribution of Poynting flux directly from the cross product of the electric field, E, with the magnetic perturbation intensity, b. The principal means by which energy is transported from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere is by Poynting flux and particle precipitation in the high latitude polar regions. Although the Poynting flux accounts for more energy, it is the least well characterized. Except for long-term statistical studies, evaluations of the global distribution of electromagnetic energy deposition in the high latitude ionosphere depend on statistical models of ionospheric conductivity. The magnetic perturbations in this study are derived from Iridium engineering magnetometer data and the electric field is derived from coherent ionospheric scatter radars of the SuperDARN system. By this method, the investigators will evaluate the global scale Poynting flux directly on time scales of about one hour with a resolution of 2 in latitude and two hours in longitude. The overarching scientific goal of this work is to characterize the role of high latitude Poynting flux in large-scale magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. Results to date indicate that the regions of Poynting flux vary dramatically from case to case, possibly reflecting the influence of imposed solar wind conditions. The most intense Poynting flux is often concentrated in zones at auroral latitudes. In addition, the net Poynting flux over the polar cap accounts for roughly one third of the total. These results pose several issues that will be addressed. To accomplish this, the investigators will (1) Determine the partitioning of energy flux between electromagnetic and particle energy flux; (2) Identify thermospheric responses to regions of intense Poynting flux; (3) Compare the global distributions of Poynting flux with in-situ satellite determinations and incoherent scatter radar results; and (4) Investigate the influence of the neutral wind dynamo. The study will involve collaborative studies with other researchers. Comparison with results on IT dynamics obtained using other assets, particularly incoherent scatter radars is an integral component of the research. Another important element is the inter-comparison of products derived with the Iridium/SuperDARN data with other techniques including in-situ estimates of Poynting flux from DMSP satellites and smaller scale estimates of thermospheric properties and thermosphere/ionosphere response from other resources including incoherent scatter radars.

The flux of relativistic electrons in the outer radiation belt changes dramatically during the course of a geomagnetic storm. The flux reaches a level that can cause disruption of spacecraft operations and endanger human activities in space. This project will identify the mechanism of the flux changes. In general, a time varying electric field is required to cause temporal variations of particle populations and in the case of storm time relativistic electrons ULF waves in the 1-10 min period have been suggested as the source of that electric field. The specific objective of project is to find the mode and amplitude of storm time ULF waves using in-situ measurements from satellites and correlative measurements on the ground. Magnetic and electric field measurements from the Polar and GOES spacecraft and ground magnetometers are used to determine the frequency, amplitude, polarization, and spatial structure of ULF waves in the Pc 3-5 bands (period 10-600 s). The amplitude of the wave is compared with the flux of electrons measured by spacecraft in order to verify the causal relationship between waves and electrons. Previous studies of the relationship between electron flux and ULF waves were based on waves observed on the ground. Ground observations are limited in that they do not provide direct measure of the electric field and they are strongly screened by the ionosphere. By contrast, in-situ measurements by satellites provide direct information on the electric field and other properties of the wave. Once the wave properties are understood they can be used to model the effect of ULF waves on the radiation belt particles. This will lead to a better prediction of the behavior of the variations of particle fluxes, which is a high-priority goal of National Space Weather Program (NSWP).

The Standalone WIreless Magnetometer System (SWIMS) will meet critical needs in ionosphere-magnetosphere (M-I) research by providing the technology required to create the next generation of networks consisting of more than 100 ground magnetometer stations. Geomagnetically active times are both the most important and most challenging to study and at present we do not have the infrastructure needed follow the M-I system's electrodynamics during magnetic storms. This leaves a fundamental gap in our understanding. New observational capabilities are needed that can follow ionospheric electrodynamics through highly active periods with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to resolve both the global and smaller scale features of the dynamics. The SWIMS project will develop a new, low cost, high performance magnetometer and stand-alone observatory technology that can be deployed with minimum logistical support and maintenance. A SWIMS installation would consist of up to three solar/battery powered Sensor Modules (SM) that are linked via wireless, radio frequency (RF) connection to a Central Node (CN). The CN can also be solar/battery powered and provides communication to a central data facility. The CN communicates status information and science data via land line where available or via cell phone/satellite link when necessary.

There are two technical problems that need to be solved. First, an observatory architecture is needed that is easy to install and maintain. Second, a system is needed that can tolerate and discriminate against transient local magnetic contamination. SWIMS addresses these challenges as follows. New magnetometer: SWIMS uses new Mirror Image Differential Induction Amplitude Magnetometer (MIDIAM) technology with demonstrated performance that meets the needs of ground observations of ionospheric electrodynamics. The MIDIAM sensor and electronics are readily adaptable to low power applications and production in quantity while maintaining performance comparable to existing science-grade magnetometers required for the ground magnetometer science. Wireless: SWIMS solves sensor cabling and logistical (power) constraints by using a wireless system that is self-contained, using a solar/battery power system and a low power RF link in a single stand-alone SM. The technology will allow wireless installation over distances up to 300 yards between SMs and the CN which also communicates via wireless links to the central data facility. This completely standalone system is essential to reduce deployment and operations costs for future networks consisting of hundreds of sites. Multiple sensors: Because the MIDIAM is low cost and because each SM is wireless, SWIMS can use more than one SM at a single site to mitigate noise issues. Analysis of signals from multiple sensors allows for the removal of local noise sources, such as vehicles.

Under this project a prototype SWIMS system of three sensor modules communicating via local RF link to a CN will be developed and tested.

The magnetosphere and its coupling to the ionosphere is very complex and dynamic. Global-scale physics-based simulations using global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models are one of the principal tools used to study the system, and establishing the extent to which the simulations reproduce the behavior of the natural system is essential to assessing the state of our predictive capabilities. The global configuration and energy transport rate are reflected in the electric currents flowing along the lines of magnetic force between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere. These currents, referred to as Birkeland currents, can be observed using the magnetic perturbations observed by the Iridium communications satellites as well as other satellites such as those of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), the Danish Oersted satellite and the German CHAMP (CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload) satellite. This project will quantitatively compare the observed current systems with the results of MHD simulations.

There are two primary tasks. The first step is to determine the quantitative dependencies of the Birkeland current distributions and intensities on the controlling physical parameters, such as the interplanetary magnetic field carried by the solar wind and the ionospheric conductance generated by solar Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. The second step will be to evaluate how well the simulations capture the dependencies of the currents on the system drivers. Magnetometer data from the constellation of more than 70 low-altitude, polar-orbiting Iridium satellites has been acquired since February 1999. Magnetic field observations from the DMSP, Oersted, and CHAMP satellites are also available during this time. Proven techniques are in place to derive the global Birkeland current distributions using all of these data. The project will use approximately 1000 intervals from 1999 to the present having stable solar wind conditions. In parallel with the data analysis effort, the project will use MHD simulations that include the effects of the ring current in the inner magnetosphere to model the currents. These simulations will be run at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) using the Space Weather Modeling Framework developed at the University of Michigan and Rice University. The comparison of the statistical model with the simulations will make it possible to determine quantitatively how well the simulations capture the dependence of the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere interaction on the physical parameters.

This is a three year research project to use data from the new SuperDARN radar at Wallops Island, as well as DMSP and Iridium satellite data to investigate and elicit the origins of what is known as Subauroral Polarization Streams (SAPS). The overarching science question is related to magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, that is whether the ionosphere passively responds to the situation in the magnetosphere or whether the ionosphere should be considered as more tightly coupled to the magnetosphere so that it influences the whole magnetosphere-ionosphere response to the solar wind drivers. Specific science goals that will be addressed include 1) Quantifying the dawn-dusk asymmetry in the return flow including its variation with IMF clock angle; 2) Quantifying the asymmetry in intensity and latitude of particle precipitation and its relationship to: the return flow intensity, the Birkeland currents, and the IMF clock angle; 3) Determining whether inner magnetospheric convection including ring current physics can account for the observed distributions of flows and Birkeland currents or whether MHD physics without ion drift physics can account for the observed distribution of return flows.

The intellectual merit of this effort lies in significantly advancing our understanding of the storm-time Magnetosphere-Ionosphere system and the mid-latitude electrodynamics that occur during active times. This understanding is needed to advance the fundamental science understanding of geomagnetic storms but also has application to practical areas of importance such as communications and navigation for which strong ionospheric electric fields are of paramount concern. This project also continues an informal partnership between APL and the physics department at Augsburg College that consists in providing summer research opportunities for undergraduate students from Augsburg at APL via the JHU/APL Student Summer Internship program. M-I coupling during magnetic storms is one of the important physical processes that affect the upper atmospheric electrodynamics of the polar region. Thus, the research project will contribute to the larger research goals of the International Polar Year Program at NSF.

This is a five year project led by the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU APL) to establish a facility to provide a global measurement of the field-aligned Birkeland electric currents that flow between the Earth?s magnetosphere and ionosphere. Field aligned currents are a fundamental aspect of the coupling between the magnetosphere and ionosphere but our current ability to measure these is severely limited by lack of adequate data coverage. This proposal will remedy this situation in a spectacular and highly efficient fashion. It will provide the first ever global, continuous observations of the Birkeland currents over both the northern and southern Polar Regions with sufficient time resolution Global coverage is provided by utilizing the existing Iridium constellation of more than 70 satellites in low altitude (780 km), polar (86 degree inclination) orbits evenly distributed among six equally spaced orbit planes. This commercial satellite network is operated to provide global communication services. It is owned by Iridium Satellite LLC (ISLLC) and is operated by Boeing Service Company (BSC) out of their Satellite Network Operations Center in Leesburg, VA. As part of their attitude control system the satellites all carry vector magnetometers that provide on-board magnetic field measurements of ~30nT accuracy at below second cadence. Currently, however, the magnetic field data are sub-sampled and bundled in a large engineering data packet for transmission to the ground only once every 200 seconds on average. This corresponds to latitude spacing between measurements of ~12 degrees and as a result data have to be collected for ~2hours to obtain global maps of field-aligned current estimates at ~1degree latitude resolution. This project will perform an upgrade to the Iridium satellites flight software and ground data systems that will send 10 to 100 times more magnetometer data to the ground to yield continuous, near real-time measurements of the global Birkeland currents with a latitude resolution of ~0.12 to ~1.2 degrees and a re-visit interval of just 9 minutes. In addition to the flight software modifications and development of an additional AMPERE satellite operations ground system that will be carried out in collaboration with BSC and ISLLC, an AMPERE science data center will be established at JHU APL for routine data processing, science product generation, providing community data services, and offering real-time monitoring. The new observational data set will enable investigation of a large number of important outstanding science questions and, thus, will transform the field of magnetosphere-ionosphere system science.

The new facility will serve a wide section of the space physics community and will enable and enhance a wide range of space physics research project, both observational and theoretical. In addition, the project has broader societal benefit in that it provides a valuable observational asset for space weather monitoring and forecasting as well as for space weather model validation and data assimilation. The project exploits and expands a unique partnership between scientists and commercial satellite operators that is certain to inspire and open the door for similar initiatives in the future.

The project addresses three main questions: (1) What is the dependence of auroral precipitation on field-aligned current (Birkeland current) density, the ionospheric plasma properties and the EUV ionization; (2) what are the distributions of auroral precipitation associated with different distributions of Birkeland currents; and (3) how well does the Knight relationship actually compare to direct observations of the Birkeland currents? The tools to be used for this study will be the database of stable Birkeleand currents derived from the magnetometer data from the Iridium satellite constellation. The Birkeland current data will be used in combination with data from a variety of spacecraft, including TIMED, Polar, Cluster, and DMSP.

Field-aligned currents, also called Birkeland currents, provide the primary mechanism by which the magnetosphere is coupled to the ionosphere. Understanding how the current systems, both upward currents and downward currents, depend on the details of the charged particle precipitation and the accelerating voltage is critical to our ability to successfully model magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and being able to generate realistic forecasts of the processes for space weather events.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Attention selects which aspects of sensory input are brought to awareness. Because attention is a limited resource, which stimuli are attended has important implications for effective goal- directed behavior, survival, and well-being. Attentional selection can proceed in voluntary fashion, according to context-specific goals. At the same time, however, certain kinds of stimuli receive attentional processing involuntarily, overriding goal-directed attention allocation. Such stimuli are said to capture attention. It is well establised that physically salient stimuli capture attention, and that ongoing priorities influence attentiona selection involuntarily through contingent attentional capture. Recently, my colleagues and I have shown that valuable stimuli, previously associated with the delivery of reward, also capture attention involuntarily, independently of salience and ongoing priorities. We have referred to this phenomenon as value-driven attentional capture, and the proposed project will investigate the mechanisms by which learned value influences attentional priority in this way. Aim 1 will probe the mechanisms of selection in value-driven capture using human eye tracking. Through Aim 2, the neural mechanisms of value-driven capture will be assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and Aim 3 will investigate the role of value-driven capture in drug addiction. The results will provide a better understanding of the ways in which reward learning influences attentional priority, which represents one of the most critical roles that attention plas in promoting survival. Although attention to reward-predicting stimuli will often be adaptive, it can also become maladaptive when attention to rewarding stimuli conflicts with ongoing goals. In this way, the proposed project will also have important implications for clinical syndromes in which both attention and reward have been critically implicated, including drug addiction, obesity, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; these implications will be explored directly in Aim 3. Finally, the proposed project will provide outstanding cutting-edge training in cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging methodology, and related technical skills, and will continue to develop my strong background in behavioral psychophysics. This award will provide support to complete my dissertation research and prepare me for the next step in my scientific career. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed project investigates the role of reward learning in involuntary attention allocation. Attending to rewarding stimuli is a critical function of the human brain; several clinical conditions, including drug addiction, obesity, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder, are characterized by disorders of cognitiv control that are thought to involve disordered reward learning. This project will contribute to the basic-research foundations for clinical research into the causes and treatments of these conditions. The findings of the proposed project will also speak to the mechanisms by which people attend to and are distracted by stimuli in their environment, which has public safety implications for issues such as distraction while driving.

Project researchers have found there is a scientific as well as public need for persistent Earth and space remote sensing applications. The availability of dense global measurements could enable new techniques in geosciences for imaging the Earth, yielding important observations that could test theoretical models and improve understanding of the planet. Constellations of satellites could additionally be used to provide observations on climate, aurora, radiation belts, albedo clouds, lightning, radiation belts, gravity-hydrology and space weather among many other topics. By placing sensors as ride-along packages on constellations of existing satellite there is the potential to increase the coverage, distribution and amount of data that could be used for scientific and public benefits.

Placing additional instruments on existing satellites could ameliorate the need for costly satellite programs. Global imaging capabilities, possible through this technology have the potential to mitigate global issues that impact the public including but not limited to; monitoring of volcanic ash clouds for airplane flights or global monitoring of crop health and the global carbon cycle. Data streams from this technology may provide necessary data for improved weather prediction, climate, space weather and disaster response and recovery.

The Earth?s magnetic field interacts with the supersonic solar wind of charged particles from the Sun to create the magnetosphere. The magnetosphere is the high altitude extension of Earth?s magnetic field, and spans the region of space where the geosynchronous satellites orbit the Earth. Our magnetosphere responds dramatically, even violently, to solar storms resulting in geomagnetic storms and drives the electric currents that cause aurora borealis and intensify the Van Allen radiation belts. The electric currents that flow between Earth?s uppermost atmosphere and the high-altitude magnetosphere are a reflection of the state of the entire region of Earth?s space environment and their measurement allows us to study the system. The Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE) is the first ever system providing continuous, global measurements of these central electric currents and their dynamics as Earth?s magnetosphere responds to solar storms. AMPERE measures these currents by collecting the magnetic field data from all of the Iridium satellites, sampling the field from each satellite once every 20 seconds. There are 66 satellites in the Iridium constellation and AMPERE acquires data around the clock from every single one. With AMPERE we now have a system in place to provide continuous 24/7 pictures of what is really happening to near-Earth space, much like weather radars track the actual progress of weather fronts and major storm systems. Iridium is a private sector constellation of satellites, owned by Iridium Communications. AMPERE is the first-of-its-kind partnership between the commercial sector and research scientists to achieve something that the government could not have accomplished on its own. The expansion of this achievement under AMPERE-II will yield the first capability to observe the electrodynamics of near-Earth space with the global, continuous coverage necessary to resolve geomagnetic storms. It places the scientific community in position to make major advances across a range of challenges in magnetosphere and ionosphere science. AMPERE-II will harness the full potential of these new data to transform our understanding of Earth?s interaction with near-space and increase our ability to cope with the effects of solar storms.

Electric power is the cornerstone technology on which virtually all other infrastructures and services depend. Yet it is particularly vulnerable to adverse space weather effects. Protecting the nation?s power grids from the potential catastrophic effects of space weather is increasingly recognized as a critical element of ensuring the sustainability of modern society. Currents induced in the power grid during geomagnetic storms can actually melt the copper windings of transformers at the heart of most power distribution systems. Replacement of failed transformers can take weeks or months. Sprawling power lines act like antennas, picking up the currents and spreading the problem over a wide area. Accurate understanding and reliable prediction of the electric currents in the Earth?s magnetosphere and ionosphere that cause this space weather effect are crucial. If utility operators know a geomagnetic storm is coming and just how bad it?s going to be, they can take measures to reduce damage?e.g., disconnecting wires, shielding vulnerable electronics, or powering down critical hardware. A few hours without power is better than weeks or worse. AMPERE data continues to be the only global, continuous source for observations of the energy input into the ionosphere via electric currents that are critical for developing improved specification and forecasting of the ionospheric current systems that pose a potential hazard to the power grid. This makes the AMPERE project a critical component in our first line of defense against this potential space weather hazard.

AMPERE-II will provide key observations and derived products of the global Birkeland currents at timescales within geomagnetic storms and substorms together with analysis tools to enable and facilitate research by the broader community to make major advances on important science questions on magnetosphere and ionosphere coupling and dynamics, including: How does the M-I system respond to driving by plasma and magnetic fields of CMEs? What is the M-I system response to solar wind high-speed streams? What are the stages and sequences of activity onset and electrodynamic reconfigurations? What do they tell us about underlying governing processes? How are radiation belt dynamics and high-altitude magnetic reconnection related to and governed by global electrodynamics? What are the consequences of high-latitude electrodynamic forcing for the thermosphere and ionosphere? To maximize the use of AMPERE-II by the research community, the project will carry out a number of engagement activities, including: Forming an AMPERE Users Group as an open forum for updates, questions, requests, and discussion; Establishing an AMPERE Core Users Team as an advisory team to recommend/review new products, validation analyses, and organize workshops; Hosting a series of Science Mini-workshops for focused collaborative science discussion as well as Student Workshops envisioned as 2.5 day events of student science investigations and tutorials.

The scientific work proposed here will carry out the research and development necessary to create a new, unique set of high-latitude electro-dynamic, ionospheric-thermospheric-­‐magnetospheric cyberbased tools and products that will be available to the entire geosciences community. In combination, the data products from this project will allow the derivation of a first principle electromagnetic solution for the auroral ionosphere. Project will develop a new set of data resources for the geoscience community in the form of a complete electromagnetic solution of the auroral ionosphere and will focus on developing the ?Data Infrastructure for Communities? component of the EarthCube Integrative Activities. The project will thus allow access to not only the desired derived products, but also provide support for other modeling efforts by allowing access to the database of input data and intermediary products. The system will also be designed to be extensible, allowing additional data products and models to be integrated into the system. The system will fully support existing standards that are used in the broader geosciences community such as the Data Access Protocol (DAP).The research undertaken in this proposal will enable transformative research in two otherwise separated fields: magnetosphere-­‐ionosphere and neutral atmosphere.

The MIAC project addresses the complete electromagnetic solution of the auroral ionosphere, through an implementation that matches the goals of the EarthCube program. The intent is to develop a series of interlocking web services that provide access to the underlying MIAC datasets (AMPERE, SuperDARN and SuperMAG), that apply the science algorithms to derive the desired electro-­ dynamic products, and provide data translation and visualization services. This mesh of services will be open to the community and will allow users to access any individual service. The research undertaken in this project will enable transformative research in two otherwise separated fields: magnetosphere-­‐ionosphere and neutral atmosphere through a) the high-­‐latitude electro-­‐dynamics couple to the incoming solar wind and magnetosphere along magnetic field lines; b) the changes in the ionosphere and thermosphere at high latitudes provide changes to the conductivities throughout the polar region, which then effect the dynamics in the magnetosphere; c) the electrodynamic energy and momentum inputs get deposited in the upper atmosphere and launch neutral winds that then couple to ion velocities and transport compositional changes to the mid and low latitudes; d) the winds and composition couple to waves impinging from the lower atmosphere.

Extreme solar storms threaten society, in part, via Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) which damage power transmission systems. A space weather extreme event would devastate the US, costing more than $2T and leaving hundreds of millions without electricity for more than a month. The National Space Weather Action Plan calls for an immediate increase in research and improvements to our predictive capabilities to address this threat. This proposed work will make use of NSF funded data sources (AMPERE, SUPERMAG, and EarthScope) to improve existing models with in the Space Weather Modeling Framework and to generate a new tool for GIC prediction that could easily be transitioned to operations at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.

Comprehensive Hazard Analysis for Resilience to Geomagnetic Extreme Disturbances (CHARGED) applies experts in various disciplines to create a fully coupled, physics-based model of GICs that includes the magnetosphere, ionosphere, and solid Earth together with validation against state-of-the art globally distributed observations. The Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) will be improved with realistic particle precipitation and ionospheric conductance physics. A global 3D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) model will be used to propagate the ionosphere signal through the ground while accounting for the oceans and variable lithosphere conductivity. This model will be validated using the best available in-situ and remote data to determine its predictive accuracy. The relationship between solar driving and GICs will be explored for both historical and idealized extreme events. The project will yield fundamental new understanding of the processes leading to extreme GIC events (solicitation target 1), and expand our capability to model and forecast GIC hazards (target 2). The resulting coupled system could form a natural extension to the operational SWMF version currently at NOAA.

The most dynamic electromagnetic energy and momentum exchange processes between the upper atmosphere and the magnetosphere take place in the polar regions as evidenced by the aurora. Energy deposited into the upper atmosphere as a result of these processes causes dramatic global disturbances, including global temperature and neutral mass density enhancement and plasma density changes. These near-Earth space environment disturbances can negatively impact radio communication, navigation, positioning, and satellite tracking. In response to the research community's need for tools to combine heterogeneous data from ground-based and space-based instrumentation to better specify electromagnetic energy and momentum deposition from the magnetosphere, the project will develop and deploy an open-source Python software to optimally fuse these data sets.

The project will empower individual investigators by providing easy access to a powerful data analysis tool and reanalysis data products. The proposed dissemination activities are intended to promote grassroots development of an open-source and open-data collaborative cohort, to catalyze a cultural change within the geospace community necessary for it to fully benefit from opportunities of the Big Data era. The project will serve to broaden the education and training experiences of one postdoc, two graduate and several undergraduate students at the researcher's institutions by engaging them in a multi-faceted project. The proposed software and infrastructure will be used to develop graduate course material.

Inspired by recent advancements in geospace observing capabilities and the opportunities of Big Data, the proposal aims (1) to develop and deploy an open-source Python software and associated web-applications for Assimilative Mapping of Geospace Observations that are interoperable with established geospace community data resources and standards, and (2) to create fully reproduceable, validated reanalysis data products that can be accessed from established data repositories to maximize the scientific return on the program investment from the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies. The capabilities of existing data assimilation and data analysis tools, developed as part of the researcher's earlier EarthCube pilot project, will be extended to take advantage of the latest development and findings in the geospace sciences. The proposed web application service and software will automate data collection, pre-processing, and quality control steps to mitigate hurdles for non-experts.

The Assimilative Mapping of Geospace Observations software will provide a coherent, simultaneous and inter-hemispheric picture of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling by optimally combining diverse geospace observational data in a manner consistent with first-principles and with rigorous consideration of the uncertainty associated with each observation. Through workshops organized in partnership with community science working groups, the researchers will engage the geospace community in the collaborative geospace system science campaigns and science-driven process of data product validation using the common, accessible, expandable data analysis tools.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Attention selects which aspects of sensory input receive cognitive processing and thereby influence behavior. Drug addiction alters the attentional system, resulting in prominent attentional biases towards drug cues. Such drug-related attentional biases are related to the broader phenomenology of addiction, including craving and relapse. There has been long-standing interest in implementing attentional bias measures in clinical settings, either as a predictive measure to inform treatment decisions or as a target of treatment. However, a major barrier to the realization of this goal is that current means of assessing these biases are not sufficiently precise to support clinical utility, which has stifled progress in this area. Mirroring this complexity, and underscoring the need for clarity, debate has arisen concerning the role of learning history in the guidance of attention more broadly. Persistent attentional biases have been linked to reward history, learning from aversive outcomes, and outcome-independent selection history (e.g., familiarity). Emerging accounts of such experience-dependent attentional biases disagree about the nature of the underlying mechanism(s) involved. If we do not understand the variety of influences of learning history on attention at a fundamental level, how can we understand how these influences contribute to addiction-related attentional biases? The proposed research directly addresses this need by identifying, isolating, and measuring multiple hypothesized components of the attentional biases that characterize addiction, providing the precision necessary for more accurate predictions of patient outcomes and more targeted efforts to improve these outcomes through attentional bias modification. Specific Aim 1 will distinguish between common and distinct attentional priority signals arising from reward learning and reward-independent selection history, probing both the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying each of these sources of priority. Specific Aim 2 will identify the cognitive profile and neural mechanisms underlying attentional biases attributable to aversive conditioning, which together with Specific Aim 1 will provide a comprehensive picture of the multifaceted nature of experience-dependent attention. The overarching goal of the proposed research is to characterize multiple distinct components of experience-dependent attentional bias that contribute to attentional biases evident in drug-dependent individuals. These fundamental components of attentional bias will provide a much more precise window into the attentional processes that are relevant to our understanding of addiction than existing measures can offer. It is anticipated that the knowledge gained from the proposed research with provide a foundation for overcoming fundamental limitations in the clinical utility of attentional bias measures, allowing for fruitful exploration of this aspect of addiction in the context of improving assessment and treatment.

The Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE), developed from Jun 2008 to May 2013, and continued as AMPERE-II through Feb 2020, provided the first global, continuous measurements of the electric currents in the near Earth space environment using the satellites of the Iridium constellation. Global, continuous observations from 1 Jan 2010 provided a wealth of science products for over 85 papers covering a wide range of magnetosphere-ionosphere science. Following the success of these previous projects, this award is to support the collection of data from the Iridium NEXT satellites and the development of data products as community resources. In eight launches from Jan 2017 through Jan 2019 the new generation of 75 Iridium NEXT satellites were launched by Iridium Communications Inc. and all NEXT Space Vehicles (SVs) were successfully commissioned and are operating nominally.

The data collected from the NEXT Space Vehicles that are designed to support data collection for AMPERE, will be used to monitor the near-Earth space environment for space weather events, with specific focus on the electric currents at the poles. It will be applied to a variety of phenomena including examination of geomagnetic storms and geomagnetically induced currents. Data is downlinked and transferred to The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) as each NEXT SV was commissioned and has continued with >99% continuous acquisition and higher sampling rate than previous data sets. This data is openly available to the scientific community and used to understand and monitor space weather for research purposes. The data is also being used in support of NASA and ESA missions and data products are made available at the NSF-NASA funded Community Coordinated Modeling Center.

The AMPERE-NEXT data set has a higher sampling rate than on Block 1 (8 s/sample on NEXT vs 19.4 s/sample on Block 1). Calibration analyses identified multiple contamination signals which required substantial effort to calibrate under AMPERE-II. Nonetheless, the final accuracy of the calibrated data has been shown to be 3 to 4 times better than from Block 1, consistent with the high precision knowledge provided by the star camera system on NEXT. AMPERE-III will provide key observations and derived products of the global Birkeland currents together with analysis tools to enable and facilitate research by the broader community to make major advances in each area. The new capabilities provided by AMPERE-III are: C1. AMPERE-NEXT acquisition through the ascending phase of Cycle 25; C2. Second-generation processing dramatically improving baselines for all AMPERE data; C3. Model & simulation inter-comparison tools hosted at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center; C4. Joint analysis/display tools with SuperMAG and SuperDARN; C5. Regional inversions in global products; C6. Inter-hemispheric comparison products; C7. Custom products for Iridium transition epoch.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.