Download Suggested 5 Year Strategic Goals

NASA Living with a Star Program
Targeted Research & Technology
Steering Committee
LWS Targeted Research &
Technology Update for SHINE
August 3-7, 2009
Lika Guhathakurta
LWS Lead Program Scientist
LWS TR&T Strategic Plan
based on the LWS TR&T Science Definition Team report of November 2003
LWS is a systematic, goal-oriented research program
targeting those aspects of the Sun-Earth system that
affect life and society.
The TR&T component of LWS is to provide the theory,
modeling, and data analysis necessary to enable an
integrated, system-wide approach to LWS science.
TR&T
Supports:
Focused Science Teams
Strategic Capabilities
Cross-cutting Workshops
Summer Schools
Heliophysics Postdoctoral
Fellows
LWS TR&T Strategic Plan
Vision for TR&T depends on successful implementation of an approach that:
Encourages and enables teamwork toward solving specific LWS science
and applications problems through the creation of Focused Science Topic
working groups and substantial Strategic Capability development efforts;
Supports data analysis and the development of theories and models in
TR&T target areas that clearly have potential societal benefits;
Requires deliverables with clear relevance to the program's goals;
Gives particular emphasis to cross-disciplinary research;
Supports synergistic activities such as workshops and summer schools to
facilitate cross-disciplinary activities and to foster an infrastructure for
mentoring and developing careers in LWS science areas;
Supports the development of selected strategic capabilities that lead
directly to LWS science applications;
Supports model testing and validation using available data and
Supports the development of tools and data environments that better
enable the achievement of LWS goals and objectives.
LWS TR&T Strategic GOALS
Solar Storms ...deliver the understanding and modeling required for
useful prediction of the variable solar particulate and radiative
environment at the Earth, Moon, Mars, and throughout the solar system
Sun Climate ...deliver the understanding of how and to what degree
variations in the solar radiative and particulate output contribute to
changes in global and regional climate over a wide range of time scales
Near Earth Radiation ...deliver the understanding and modeling
required for effective forecasting/specification of magnetospheric
radiation and plasma environments
Ionosphere-Thermosphere ...deliver understanding and predictive
models of upper atmospheric and ionospheric responses to changes in
solar electromagnetic radiation, and to coupling above and below
TR&T Steering Committee
New Membership for 2010 to be
solicited
has broad science and application
community representation and
rotating membership, and will
advise and support NASA
Headquarters in:
Establishing
and
continually
updating targets and top-level
priorities;
Measuring the progress of the
program in meeting science goals
and objectives;
Providing
mechanisms
for
monitoring how well products that
result from the program are
transferred into societal benefits.
Agency Liasion:
NOAA (Terry Onsager)
NSF (Paul Bellaire)
AFSOR (?)
CCMC (Michael Hesse)
Neal Zapp (SRAG/JSC)\
Proposals and Awards
155 current awards with average funding level of
$121,000
26% of these have separately funded coInvestigators
Most have 3 year duration (SC - 5 year duration)
ROSES 2008
105 proposals submitted for TR&T & 3 Strategic
Capability
34 proposals selected from TR&T & 2 in SC in
March 2009 for a total of 4.5 M & .7 M resp.
Partnership opportunity with Planetary Division one Focus Topic
LWS TR&T Focus Topics
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Determine the solar origins
of the plasma and magnetic
flux observed in an ICME
Shock acceleration of SEPs
by interplanetay CMEs
Predict emergence of solar
active regions before they are
visible
Exploring the magnetic
connection between the
photosphere and low corona
Measure the Properties of the
Solar Dynamo that Affect
Solar Irradiance and Active
Region Generation
Determine the topology and
evolution of the open
magnetic field of the Sun
connecting the photosphere
through the corona to the
heliosphere
Mechanism for solar wind
heating and acceleration
Understand how flares
accelerate particles near the
Sun (i.e., through shocks and/or
reconnection) and how they
contribute to large SEP events
Prediction of the Interplanetary
Magnetic Field Vector Bz at L1
Use Inner Heliospheric
Observations to Better
Constrain Coronal Mass
Ejection (CME) and Solar
Energetic Particle (SEP) Event
Models
Relate solar-energetic
particles to their origin at the
sun and inner heliosphere
Solar wind plasma entry
and transport in the
magnetosphere
Effects of ionosphericmagnetospheric plasma
redistribution on storms
Toward combined models of
acceleration, loss and transport
of energetic electrons and
protons in the magnetosphere
Integrate Non-MHD/Kinetic
Effects on Magnetic
Reconnection, Particle
Energization, and Plasma
Heating into Global Models
Determine the mechanisms
responsible for the formation
and loss of new radiation
belts in the slot region in
response to geo-effective
solar wind structures
Storm effects on global
electrodynamics and middle
and low latitude ionosphere
Investigate the global
distribution, sources and effects
of large electron density
gradients at middle and low
latitudes
Determine the sources of daily
variability in the thermosphere
and ionosphere
Determine and Quantify the
Responses of
Atmospheric/Ionospheric
Composition and Temperature
to Solar XUV Spectral
Variability and Energetic
Particles
Quantify the response of
thermospheric density and
composition to solar and
high latitude forcing
Atmospheric abundance of
greenhouse gases and
dynamics of the upper
atmosphere
Solar origins of irradiance
variations
Solar Modulation of the galactic
cosmic rays and the production
of cosmogenic isotope archives
of long-term solar activity, used
to interpret past climate changes
Quantify the sensitivity of
regional and global climate
to solar forcing in the full
context of the interactive
climate system
Extreme Space Weather
Events in the Solar System
LWS TR&T Focus Teams:
Instructions for TR&T Focus Team Members and Leaders
2008
Measure the Properties of the Solar Dynamo that Affect Solar Irradiance and Active Region
Generation
Use Inner Heliospheric Observations to Better Constrain Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) and
Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) Event Models
Integrate Non-MHD/Kinetic Effects on Magnetic Reconnection, Particle Energization, and
Plasma Heating into Global Models
Determine and Quantify the Responses of Atmospheric/Ionospheric Composition and
Temperature to Solar XUV Spectral Variability and Energetic Particles
2007
Exploring the Magnetic Connection Between the Photosphere and Low Corona
Solar Modulation of the Galactic Cosmic Rays and the Production of Cosmogenic Isotope
Archives of Long-term Solar Activity, Used to Interpret Past Climate Changes.
Toward Combined Models of Acceleration, Loss and Transport of Energetic Electrons and
Protons in the Magnetosphere
Determine the Sources of Daily Variability in the Thermosphere and Ionosphere
Prediction of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field Vector Bz at L1
Extreme Space Weather Events in the Solar System
TR&T website: http://lws-trt.gsfc.nasa.gov
LWS TR&T Strategic Capability:
2008
•Living With A Star (LWS) Strategic Capability, Abstracts of selected proposals.
(NNH08ZDA001N-LWSSC)
•Integrated Model of the Atmosphere and Ionosphere
•Solar Spectral Irradiance Models on Multiple Time Scales for Coupling to
Atmospheric/Climate Models
2006
•3D Model of an Active Region Coronal Magnetic Field
A primary goal of the LWS Program is the development of first-principles-based
predictive and specification models for the coupled Sun-Earth system. Such models are
essential for making progress on the science priorities and to assist in the interpretation
and linking together of the data that will be produced by the LWS missions, other NASASEC missions, and ground-based facilities. Models serve multiple purposes. They act
as tools for science investigations, as prototypes and test beds for first-principles-based
prediction and specification capabilities, as frameworks for linking disparate data sets at
vantage points throughout the HP system, and as strategic planning aids for testing new
mission concepts.
These efforts can leverage existing modeling resources, but will also likely require
significant new code development and possibly multi- institutional collaborations. The
primary function of such code development is to provide a tool for science and a
prototype operational tool. Proposals for strategic capabilities are competed separately
from the targeted investigations efforts.
HELIOPHYSICS POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Applications are invited to a new postdoctoral fellowship program designed to train the next generation of researchers in the emerging field of Heliophysics. The
program is sponsored by the NASA Living With a Star (LWS) program and administered by the UCAR Visiting Scientist Programs office.
Heliophysics embraces all science aspects of the Sun-Earth connection, and includes many of the basic physical processes that are found in our solar system,
the laboratory, and throughout the universe. These processes generally involve the interactions of ionized gases (plasmas) with gravitational and electromagnetic (both radiation and DC) fields, and with neutral matter. The physical domain of interest
ranges from deep inside the Sun to the Earth’s upper atmosphere, to the magnetospheres of the other planets, and extends out to the boundary between the
solar wind and interstellar medium. Within this broad science discipline, LWS is a program designed to develop the scientific understanding required for the
Nation to address effectively those aspects of the Sun-Earth system that affect life and society. Detailed information on LWS, its science interests, programmatic
structure, and space missions can be found at: http://lws.gsfc.nasa.gov.
Two major topics of focus for LWS are the science of space weather and of the Sun-climate connection. Preference will be given to applicants whose proposed
research addresses one of these two foci; but any research program relevant to LWS will be considered. Since the goal of the LWS postdoctoral program is to
train Sun-Earth system researchers, preference will also be given to research projects that cross the traditional Heliophysics subdomains of the Sun,
heliosphere, magnetosphere, and ionosphere/upper atmosphere, as well as sun-climate investigations.
In order to succeed at such cross-disciplinary research, the host institution and the mentoring scientists(s) will play critical roles. Consequently,
applicants must select a host scientist, who must be different from the candidate’s PhD advisor (preferably at a different institution), and coordinate
a joint application with the host scientist and institution. Potential host scientists are required to submit letters of intent and vitaes
as part of the selection process. Hosts are expected to mentor the fellow, provide a reasonable office environment, which may include a workstation,
and any other unique research costs. To assist applicants, a list of possible hosts may be found at: http://www.vsp.ucar.edu/HeliophysicsScience.
Please note that this list is not exclusive. Any U.S. research institution, including universities, government centers, and profit or non-profit
organizations may serve as a host institution.
Applicants to this postdoctoral program are expected to have had a PhD for no more than five years at the start of tenure. A UCAR steering committee selects
the fellows. Additional details about this program, including the selection criteria used by the steering committee may be found at:
http://www.vsp.ucar.edu/HeliophysicsScience.
Qualified scientists and hosts are encouraged to apply by sending the following materials to the UCAR Visiting Scientist Programs office:
Postdoctoral Applicants:
•Cover letter identifying the name of this program
•CV including publication list
•Names/contact information of four professional references (one from thesis advisor, but not from potential host).
•PhD dissertation abstract, including title.
•Titled project description, not to exceed five pages including figures and appendices but not references. Proposals must describe actual research project. Applicants are encouraged
to coordinate with host in writing proposal.
•Statement of relevance to the NASA Living with a Star program, not to exceed one page. See http://lws.gsfc.nasa.gov.
Host Applicants:
•Letter of intent to host applicant and plans for mentoring (2-page limit)
•CV including publications (1-page limit)
•List of current and pending research support
•U.S. citizenship is not required for application to this Program, but the selected postdoctoral fellows must be hosted at a U.S. research institution.
Appointed scientists are employees of UCAR. The two-year fellowships include a fixed annual salary and benefits: health & dental insurance, paid time off, paid holidays, mandatory
participation in TIAA/CREF retirement fund, and life insurance. A relocation allowance is provided as well as an allowance for travel to scientific conferences and other support costs.
The deadline for applications is January 8, 2010.
TR&T NRA Amendment Released on July 21 2009
Amendment No. 11 to the NASA Research Announcement (NRA) entitled
"Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2009,"
NNH09ZDA001N, Released February 13, 2009
Amendment of Appendix B.6: Living With a Star Targeted Research and Technology
Amendment of Appendix B.7: Living With a Star Targeted Research and Technology: Strategic Capability
This amendment presents the final text for Appendix B.6, Living With a Star Targeted Research and Technology, which replaces the prior
version in its entirety.
This amendment also announces that Appendix B.7, Living With a Star Targeted Research and Technology: Strategic Capability, will not be
solicited in ROSES 2009. The six Strategic Capabilities projects now on-going in LWS TR&T Program fully utilize the available budget, therefore
proposals will not be solicited this year. Proposals may be solicited next year in ROSES 2010.
The goal of NASA’s Living With a Star (LWS) Program is to develop the scientific understanding needed for the United States to effectively
address those aspects of Heliophysics science that may affect life and society. The LWS Targeted Research and Technology (TR&T) program
element solicits proposals leading to a physics-based understanding of the integral system linking the Sun to the S
olar System, including the impact on the heliosphere, planetary magnetospheres, and ionospheres. The TR&T program’s objectives can be
achieved by data analysis, theory, and modeling, and the development of tools and methods (e.g., software for data handling). This program
element contains three components: (1) Focused Science Topics, (2) Sun-Climate Theme, (3) Tools and Methods. The maximum duration of
these awards are 4 years, 3 years, and 2 years, respectively. In addition, there is the Cross-Discipline Infrastructure Building category for
which the maximum duration is 2 years.
The major changes to Appendix B.6 from last year’s LWS TR&T solicitation include: (1) the addition of the new Sun-Climate theme to
foster cross-disciplinary investigations of connections between solar forcing and climate; (2) proposals to the Focus Science Topics
category (only) must include a section entitled "Proposed Contributions to the Focus Team Effort" which should be listed in the table of
contents; and (3) proposals to the Tools and Methods category (only) must include explicit language stating the deliverables, delivery
site(s), and schedule.
For Appendix B.6 Notices of Intent to propose (NOIs) are still due September 18, 2009, and proposals are still due October 16, 2009.
The web link for the above program is at:
And this takes you to LWSTRT page: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId=%7bC71ABB20527A-8606-56C7-1280A2383760%7d&path=open
Further information about this program element is available from Dr. Madhulika Guhathakurta, Heliophysics Division, Science Mission
Directorate, Telephone: (202) 358-1992, Email: [email protected].
Strategic Plan for Climate Change Goal
Physical Phenomena
(actual processes):
Deep
Solar
Interior
Quiet Sun
Mesosphere
Irradiance
Stratosphere
CZ
Active
Regions
Particles
(e.g. temperature,
chemistry,
dynamics,
precipitation)
Troposphere
GCR
Earth Surface
Strategic
Solar
Models
Capabilities
(required models):
FST
(required
science):
Climate Change
Solar
Processes
Irradiance
Observations
& Models
Whole Atmosphere
Models
Utility of
Proxy
Records
First
Principles
Irradiance
Model
Atmospheric
Coupling
Greenhouse
Gas Effects on
Upper Atm.
Climate
Sensitivity
to Solar
Forcing
Forcing
Mechanisms
Heliosphere Model
Global MHD
Flare, CME
Produced
IMF, particles
Magnetosphere
Solar topics
Solar cycle
dynamo
Magnetosphere
Convection & Particle Model
Plasma irregularity model
Flare produced
X-ray, UV, EUV
Short-term
variability
Upper-Atmosphere
Space-Weather
Effects
IonosphereThermosphere
Ionosphere/Thermosphere GCM
Long-term
X-ray, UV
EUV variability
Lower atmosphere Model
Solar-radiation Model
Solar Heliosphere
LowerAtmosphere
(< 90 km)
Magnetosphere
• Understand and model
Understand and model the
magnetospheric convection
solar sources of radiation
and current systems
Understand steady-state and
transient solar wind conditions • Understand inflow and
outflow to/from ionosphere
at the magnetopause
Ionosphere-Thermosphere
Spatial and temporal
variation of electron density
Global distribution and
occurrence of plasma
irregularities
ITM topics
Lower Atmosphere
Understand lowerupper atmospheric
coupling
Rad Belt, Plasma
Space-Weather Effects
Solar-Heliosphere Models
Solar and
Interplanetary
Topics
Ionospheric Outflow Model
SW Entry Model
Active regions,
CME, IP Shock
Source
Populations
Heliospheric
propagation
Solar
Dynamo
- solar wind
- ionosphere
SW/IMF Drivers
SEP/SEEs
Solar WindMagnetosphereIonosphere
Interaction
Global Convection and
Magnetic Field Model
Global corona
Solar wind
Stream-stream
High-speed stream
Plasma/Particle Models
- Plasmasheet
- Plasmasphere
- Radiation Belt
- Ring Current
Transport
- convection/flow
- energization
- diffusion
- reconnection
RadBelt / Plasma topics
ULF/VLF Transport Model
Solar-Heliosphere Models
TR&T within LWS and NASA
Sentinels
Ionosphere
Storm
Probes
SDO
Past
Missions
TR&T
Radiation
Belt
Storm
Probes
Other
Theory &
Modeling
Programs
Existing
Facilities
Other
Science
Missions
Understand
Model
Forecast
Space
Weather
Climate
Exploration
Missions
Coupling Sun, heliosphere, galactic
environment, and planetary climate
Dynamos in stars and planets
Radiative and electromagnetic couplings
Heliophysics Text Books
The sub-disciplines within Heliophysics have a rich variety of available
textbooks, but no textbooks currently exist that present the diverse materials
from their common physical principles, and help teachers well-versed in one
discipline to teach the directly related areas within other disciplines.
Three affordable textbooks will be produced for each year of the Summer
School. The books will be aimed for senior level undergraduates, graduate
students and beginning postdoctoral students in all of the sciences related to
climate physics, space physics, and heliospheric and solar physics, plus
relevant branches of astrophysics and plasma physics. The three textbooks
will cover all of the topics in heliophysics.
NOTE: The Heliophysics textbooks will be published by Cambridge
University Press. All appendices will be online. The physical textbooks will
not have 'numerical modeling descriptions' nor 'problem sets'.
Description, table of contents and provisional textbook covers:
http://www.vsp.ucar.edu/HeliophysicsScience/
Heliophysics I:
“Space Storms and Radiation: Causes and Effects”
Cambridge Press: Hardback (ISBN-13: 9780521110617)
Now published - available from July 2009
1) Prologue
2) Introduction to heliophysics
3) Creation and destruction of magnetic field
4) Magnetic field topology
5) Magnetic reconnection
6) Structures of the magnetic field
7) Turbulence in space plasmas
8) The solar atmosphere
9) Stellar winds and magnetic fields
10) Fundamentals of planetary magnetospheres
11) Solar-wind magnetosphere coupling: an MHD
perspective
12) On the ionosphere and chromosphere
13) Comparative planetary environments
On-line Appendices:
1) Data archives, modeling sites, space weather
forecasts
2) Descriptions on packages for numerical modeling
3) Problem sets
Heliophysics II:
“Plasma Physics of the Local Cosmos”
Cambridge Press: Hardback )
Expected- Winter 2009 /2010
1) Perspective on heliophysics
2) Introduction: space storms and radiation
3) In situ detection of energetic particles
4) Radiative signatures of energetic particles
5) Observations of solar and stellar eruptions, flares,
and jets
6) Models of coronal mass ejections and flares
7) Shocks in heliophysics
8) Particle acceleration in shocks
9) Energetic particle transport
10) Energy conversion in planetary magnetospheres
11) Energization of trapped particles
12) Flares, CMEs, and atmospheric responses
13) Energetic particles and manned spaceflight
14) Energetic particles and technology
On-line Appendices:
1) Data archives, modeling sites, space weather
forecasts
2) Descriptions on packages for numerical modeling
3) Problem sets
Heliophysics III:
“Evolving solar activity and climate of space and earth”
Cambridge Press: Hardback )
Expected- Summer 2010
1) Formation, evolution, and demise of stars and their planets
2) Planetary habitability on astronomical time scales
3) Long-term evolution of magnetic activity of Sun-like stars
4) Astrophysical dynamo actions and stellar dynamo models
5) Solar internal flows and dynamo action
6) Planetary fields and dynamos
7) The evolving heliosphere and its particle environment
8) Solar spectral irradiance: measurements and models
9) Long-term evolution of the geospace climate
10) Planetary ITM-magnetosphere processes and the solar
cycle
11) Waves and transport processes in planetary atmosheres
12) Climate couplings via (photo-)chemistry
13) Records of climate and climate drivers
14) External influences on planetary climates
15) Climate models of Earth and planets
16) Heliophysics - epilogue
On-Line Appendices:
1) Data archives, modeling sites, space weather forecasts
2) Descriptions on packages for numerical modeling
3) Problem sets