This project aims to investigate the Bursty Bulk Flows (BBFs) within the Earth’s nightside magnetosphere and their effects on the ionosphere and thermosphere. The BBF dynamics is an outstanding magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere (MIT) coupling problem associated with sudden magnetic field topology reconfiguration and explosive current formation, particle acceleration, and energy release in the magnetosphere. The simulation-observation results of this project will significantly deepen our understanding of magnetosphere-upper atmosphere coupling processes in the nightside transition region. We use a two-way coupled global MHD-PIC model within the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) and comprehensive multi-instrument observations in this project. The electron velocity distribution function evolution during a substorm-time BBF propagation is investigated in Wang et al., 2024.
(Top) Bz contours at the magnetotail with 400 km/s velocity contours highlighting BBFs. (Bottom) Electron velocity distribution functions from the dipolarization front to the end of the BBF. From Wang et al., 2024.