Data needs to be a priority

Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability (FAIR) data are essential to heliophysics and all scientific research. The principles of FAIR data ensure the reusability and findability of data, as well as its long-term care. The goal is that data are accessible for the ongoing discovery and verification process and can be used on their own or with newly generated data in future studies leading to innovations. With the onset in the previous decades of NASA and other agencies requiring mission data to be open to the public, heliophysics has already made great strides toward FAIR data and benefited from these efforts. Continued improvements in our metadata, data archives, and data portals and the addition of DOIs for data citation will ensure data will be FAIR, enabling further scientific discoveries, reproducibility of results, longitudinal studies, and verification and validation of models. Currently, not all the data collected are findable and on open networks or archives, and not all data on archives have DOIs. Within this study, we make recommendations to prioritize resources needed to satisfy FAIR data principles, treating them as a fundamental research infrastructure rather than a simple research product.• Data collection, preparation, archiving, and accessibility need to be a priority.• Data collection, preparation, archiving, and accessibility need dedicated and sustained funding support.• Data need to be accessible through investment in infrastructure: tools to access and read the data and personnel to maintain these data and IT infrastructure.• Data need to be collected in sustained ways to enable further science and, specifically, model validation efforts

Tips for writing a good recommendation letter

Bias exists in letters of recommendation, and it is reflected in the language used to describe and evaluate different candidates for countless opportunities in academia. Professional organizations are becoming more aware of this issue, and are pursuing avenues to address it. This paper discusses the type of information, that is, useful to have on hand when writing a recommendation letter, the structure of the letter, a process to follow for proof reading, when to say no, a compilation of additional resources, and tips for people asking for recommendation letters. Specifically, we discuss common grammar mistakes, the purpose of each portion of the letter, and ways conscious and unconscious bias can influence wording and structure. This paper is intended to provide a single place where people can go to learn all of the basics needed to write a strong recommendation letter, as currently available letter writing resources in the space physics community tend to focus on one aspect of letter writing

Investigating energetic electron precipitation through combining ground-based and balloon observations

A detailed comparison is undertaken of the energetic electron spectra and fluxes of two precipitation events that were observed in 18/19 January 2013. A novel but powerful technique of combining simultaneous ground-based subionospheric radio wave data and riometer absorption measurements with X-ray fluxes from a Balloon Array for Relativistic Radiation-belt Electron Losses (BARREL) balloon is used for the first time as an example of the analysis procedure. The two precipitation events are observed by all three instruments, and the relative timing is used to provide information/insight into the spatial extent and evolution of the precipitation regions. The two regions were found to be moving westward with drift periods of 5–11 h and with longitudinal dimensions of ~20° and ~70° (1.5–3.5 h of magnetic local time). The electron precipitation spectra during the events can be best represented by a peaked energy spectrum, with the peak in flux occurring at ~1–1.2 MeV. This suggests that the radiation belt loss mechanism occurring is an energy-selective process, rather than one that precipitates the ambient trapped population. The motion, size, and energy spectra of the patches are consistent with electromagnetic ion cyclotron-induced electron precipitation driven by injected 10–100 keV protons. Radio wave modeling calculations applying the balloon-based fluxes were used for the first time and successfully reproduced the ground-based subionospheric radio wave and riometer observations, thus finding strong agreement between the observations and the BARREL measurements

Tips for writing a good recommendation letter

Bias exists in letters of recommendation, and it is reflected in the language used to describe and evaluate different candidates for countless opportunities in academia. Professional organizations are becoming more aware of this issue, and are pursuing avenues to address it. This paper discusses the type of information, that is, useful to have on hand when writing a recommendation letter, the structure of the letter, a process to follow for proof reading, when to say no, a compilation of additional resources, and tips for people asking for recommendation letters. Specifically, we discuss common grammar mistakes, the purpose of each portion of the letter, and ways conscious and unconscious bias can influence wording and structure. This paper is intended to provide a single place where people can go to learn all of the basics needed to write a strong recommendation letter, as currently available letter writing resources in the space physics community tend to focus on one aspect of letter writing

Raising awareness on mental health in the heliophysics community

To foster greater diversity, equity, and inclusion within the field of space sciences, it is crucial that we recognize and proactively address the mental health challenges experienced by our community. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness about mental health, assess the current state of our community in this regard, and explore ways to better safeguard and support our community members. We present a compelling argument for conducting surveys to evaluate the mental health and overall wellbeing of our community. Additionally, we offer several recommendations aimed to improve the mental health within our research community such as promoting honest conversations and programs on stress management and resilience building, training to notice and respond, and rethinking sick days. We recommend reevaluating our definition of success and reconsidering the existing strategies aimed at addressing the issues related to power imbalances. By promoting mental health awareness, fostering an open and supportive culture, and implementing policies that prioritize the wellbeing of all individuals, we can create an environment that is more inclusive and conducive to the thriving of every member

Generation of EMIC Waves and Effects on Particle Precipitation During a Solar Wind Pressure Intensification With Bz>0.

During geomagnetic storms, some fraction of the solar wind energy is coupled via reconnection at the dayside magnetopause, a process that requires a southward interplanetary magnetic field Bz. Through a complex sequence of events, some of this energy ultimately drives the generation of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves, which can then scatter energetic electrons and ions from the radiation belts. In the event described in this paper, the interplanetary magnetic field remained northward throughout the event, a condition unfavorable for solar wind energy coupling through low‐latitude reconnection. While this resulted in SYM/H remaining positive throughout the event (so this may not be considered a storm, in spite of the very high solar wind densities), pressure fluctuations were directly transferred into and then propagated throughout the magnetosphere, generating EMIC waves on global scales. The generation mechanism presumably involved the development of temperature anisotropies via perpendicular pressure perturbations, as evidenced by strong correlations between the pressure variations and the intensifications of the waves globally. Electron precipitation was recorded by the Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses balloons, although it did not have the same widespread signatures as the waves and, in fact, appears to have been quite patchy in character. Observations from Van Allen Probe A satellite (at postmidnight local time) showed clear butterfly distributions, and it may be possible that the EMIC waves contributed to the development of these distribution functions. Ion precipitation was also recorded by the Polar‐orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite satellites, though tended to be confined to the dawn‐dusk meridians

Recommendations on simple but transformative diversity, equity, and inclusion measures in Heliophysics over the next decade

It is well established that, in order to perform at their peak ability, a person must feel accepted, safe, and valued at work. Therefore, it is imperative to bring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts to the forefront of Heliophysics over the next decade and well beyond. This position paper outlines three specific recommendations to make the Heliophysics community more diverse, equitable, and inclusive by improving the accessibility and accountability. These recommendations are: performing consistent collection and analysis of demographic data across different agencies, reimagining undergraduate Heliophysics internships using the SOARS® model, and providing conference funding for DEI speakers whose expertise lies outside the field of Heliophysics. These targeted recommendations have a well-documented positive impact, are simple to implement, and follow other scientific communities’ recent recommendations for making the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields more diverse, equitable, and inclusive

Understanding the properties, wave drivers, and impacts of electron microburst precipitation: Current understanding and critical knowledge gaps

Microbursts are impulsive (&lt;1s) injections of very energetic to relativistic electrons (energies from a few keV to MeV) into Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere. They are important because they may represent a major loss process for the outer radiation belt (Ripoll and Claudepierre and Ukhorskiy and Colpitts and Li and Fennell and Crabtree, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 2020, 125&ndash;e2019JA026735). Understanding and quantifying the underlying causes and consequences plus relative importance of microburst precipitation represent outstanding questions in radiation belt physics and may have significant implications ranging from space weather to atmospheric chemistry. Chorus waves are the likely dominant cause of microburst precipitation, but important questions remain regarding the exact nature of the resonance generating the microbursts and the overall importance of the precipitation. These important questions are limited by lack of systematic coordination of simultaneous observations of causative waves in the magnetosphere and resulting precipitating particles at low altitudes. Multi-spacecraft missions dedicated to answering these questions, themselves required to make progress in radiation belt physics, are critical. &nbsp;</p

Thoughts from a past AGU SPA fellows committee

Community honours, such as those bestowed by professional scientific societies like the American Geophysical Union (AGU) are an important element of both individual career advancement and contributes to the historical record of scientific progress. The process by which honours are bestowed is not widely shared amongst the community. The purpose of this article is to share the recent experiences of several members of the AGU Space Physics and Aeronomy (SPA) Fellows committee. We outline the criteria for selection, the evaluation process, difficulties encountered by the committee, and steps taken to mitigate these difficulties. Of particular note is the impact of implicit bias in the award system. Steps could be taken by the awarding scientific societies to reduce the impact of these biases, but in the meantime individual award committees can employ some of the strategies we outline in this article. By sharing our experiences, we hope to improve the process of granting awards and honours for the scientists putting together award nominations, future committee members, and the scientific societies granting these awards. &nbsp;</p