Date/Time: February 26th (Wednesday) noon

Where: Center for Atmospheric Sciences Class Room (Phenix 123)

Speaker: Xia Cai

From: Virginia Tech and National Institute of Aerospace

Topic: Heavy ions in the Earth’s magnetosphere - Where do they come from?

Abstract:

It is widely known that the Sun and the Earth are closely connected. The Sun emits not only light and heat, but also streams of charged particles that make up solar wind. Around the Earth, a cavity called magnetosphere is formed to protect us from the harsh interplanetary environment. The magnetosphere is a dynamic region affected by both solar wind and lower atmosphere activity. Consequently, it is composed of light ions from solar atmosphere and heavy ions from terrestrial atmosphere. Recently it is reported that the concentration of heavy ions such as oxygen ions could increase tremendously during active magnetosphere such as magnetic storms. However, how do those oxygen ions enter the magnetosphere is still under debate. In this talk, I will show the observations of oxygen ions in the magnetosphere, discuss how those heavy ions impact the magnetosphere dynamics, and explore what are the possible entry mechanisms.

Parking Information

Directions for External Guests to HU:

To park your car, please first goto the main gate of the university -- if you tell the officers at the gate that you are visiting the atmospheric sciences dept and need to park, they should be able to guide you from there.

The campus map is here:

https://www.hamptonu.edu/visitor/parking.cfm