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This paper describes the results of a survey administered to members of the American Association of Physics Teachers and the National Earth Science Teachers Association to measure the nature and frequency of the integration of Earth and space science (E&SS) concepts into physics courses, as well as the need and interest of physics teachers to do so. Data included 92 responses from secondary physics and physical science teachers around the US. Results showed that physics teachers typically include E&SS content during the teaching of universal gravitation, circular motion, and Doppler effect, but that integration is usually limited to contextualized word problems. While the teachers surveyed are highly interested in learning more about E&SS integration, they are limited by time and a scarcity of quality resources.

In this study we report on issues related to the use of color as a third dimension on graphical representations provided to students. We find that a majority of the students sampled have a preconceived color map regarding temperature, with blue indicating low temperatures and red indicating high temperatures. Attempts to transfer this particular color map to representations of other quantities, however, may not be successful. In particular, when displaying a topographic map we found that students had a predilection to visualize a hill, regardless of the color map used. Moreover, many students ignored a systematic use of color in favor of seeing a hill in the representation. This suggests that a representation of a feature that seems obvious to an instructor may be interpreted to have a different meaning by a student. Hence, care should be taken to ensure that students interpret the use of color in figures the way the figures are intended.

Earth's magnetosheath is the region of shocked plasma that mediates coupling between the solar wind and magnetosphere. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations predict electric current closure across the magnetosheath from the bow shock to the magnetopause. These currents provide a J × B force that diverts plasma flow along the flanks of the magnetosphere. Observations by the NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission show that within the magnetosheath there are large amplitude, localized currents during periods of intense turbulence. We perform a statistical analysis of magnetic field data from the first 6 years (2015–2021) of the MMS mission during intervals when the satellites are on the dayside and generate statistical maps of electric current derived using the curlometer technique. We find that during the low magnetosonic Mach number regime (MMS < 5), the predicted current closure pattern becomes apparent for northward and southward IMF orientations, but not dawnward or duskward. For MMS > 5, results suggest that for all IMF orientations this large‐scale current closure pattern is not apparent, even after separating out quasi‐perpendicular (θbn ≥ 45°) and quasi‐parallel (θbn < 45°) bow shock conditions. Instead, the magnetosheath is dominated by small‐scale filamented current sheets that may be attributed to magnetosheath turbulence. Key Points: Evidence of large‐scale electric current closure across the magnetosheath, from the bow shock to the magnetopauseLarge‐scale electric current closure is most evident under low magnetosonic Mach number conditionsEven during calm and stable intervals, the magnetosheath exhibits turbulent current structures [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During intense geomagnetic storms, the magnetopause can move in as far as geosynchronous orbit, leaving the satellites in that orbit out in the magnetosheath. Spacecraft operators turn to numerical models to predict the response of the magnetopause to solar wind conditions, but the predictions of the models are not always accurate. This study investigates four storms with a magnetopause crossing by at least one GOES satellite, using four magnetohydrodynamic models at NASA's Community Coordinated Modeling Center to simulate the events, and analyzes the results to investigate the reasons for errors in the predictions. Two main reasons can explain most of the erroneous predictions. First, the solar wind input to the simulations often contains features measured near the L1 point that did not eventually arrive at Earth; incorrect predictions during such periods are due to the solar wind input rather than to the models themselves. Second, while the models do well when the primary driver of magnetopause motion is a variation in the solar wind density, they tend to overpredict or underpredict the integrated Birkeland currents and their effects during times of strong negative interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz, leading to poorer prediction capability. Coupling the MHD codes to a ring current model, when such a coupling is available, generally will improve the predictions but will not always entirely correct them. More work is needed to fully characterize the response of each code under strong southward IMF conditions as it relates to prediction of magnetopause location. Plain Language Summary: The magnetopause is the boundary that separates the region dominated by Earth's magnetic field from the solar wind. Plasma and magnetic field conditions are very different on either side of the magnetopause, which can cause problems for satellites when the boundary moves and they find themselves in a different region of space than expected. Numerical models of the magnetosphere are used to predict the motion of the magnetopause, which moves based on the driving of the solar wind, but such predictions do not always correspond to real‐life observations. This study compares predictions from four different models to observations from spacecraft that crossed the magnetopause during a handful of events with intense solar wind conditions, to determine the reasons that simulation results could be incorrect. The first source of error is the uncertainty in solar wind input to the models. The second source of error is a difference in the response of the codes to different solar wind parameters. Coupling the magnetosphere models to models that add the physics of specific magnetosphere regions can help to improve the accuracy of the overall predictions of magnetopause motion. Key Points: MHD models driven by OMNI solar wind can wrongly predict magnetopause motion if solar wind observed at L1 does not reach the magnetosphereThe models predict magnetopause motion better if the driver of the motion is solar wind density than when the driver is a negative interplanetary magnetic field BzCoupling the MHD codes to a ring current model for storm‐time events results in significantly better predictions of magnetopause location [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding lunar phases requires three-dimensional information about the relative positions of the Moon, Earth, and Sun, thus using a stereo display in instruction might improve student comprehension of lunar phases or other topics in basic astronomy. We conducted a laboratory (15 sections) on phases of the Moon as part of the introductory astronomy classes. Half of the laboratories were taught using stereo visualizations projected by a portable GeoWall system running the AstroWall software, while the other half of the laboratories were identical, but without stereo. We found that both sets of laboratories showed a statistically significant gain in student comprehension, but that there was no statistical difference between the stereo laboratories and the nonstereo laboratories. We conclude that there is no advantage to using a stereo display in teaching about lunar phases. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.)

Anecdotal evidence has suggested that advanced undergraduate students confuse the spiral structure of the interplanetary magnetic field with the flow of the solar wind. Though it is a small study, this paper documents this misconception and begins to investigate the underlying issues behind it. We present evidence that the traditional presentation of this concept can lead to this misconception and that it persists into graduate school. Two consistent models of plasmas that apply under different circumstances are presented during the course. Evidence suggests that students attempt to apply the models to inappropriate circumstances, which leads to a misconception. There is also evidence that a fundamental mechanics misconception contributes to students' difficulties. Finally, we argue that many of the broad conclusions of the research done at the introductory undergraduate level are applicable to upper division and graduate students. In particular, we conclude that direct instruction at this level through lecture-demonstration can leave students with misconceptions and even unintentionally reinforce those misconceptions. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2006.10.003 Byline: Ramon E. Lopez (a), Gustavo Anriquez (b), Sumeet Gulati (c) Keywords: Sustainable development; Structural change; Endogenous growth; Natural resources Abstract: In this paper, we show that the commonly observed decline in primary (natural resource using) sector output and employment shares, often termed structural change, can be explained as an endogenous response to the presence of nature's constraint. Structural change takes place even if consumer preferences are homothetic, and technological progress does not discriminate against the primary sector. Under certain conditions, structural change allows an open economy to grow with natural resource sustainability. Sustained and environmentally sustainable economic growth is possible even if the natural resource is exploited under open access. Well-defined property rights are neither necessary, nor sufficient for sustainable growth. We show that there is no unique relationship between natural resource endowment and the rate of economic growth over the long run. Resource-rich economies may grow faster or slower than resource-poor ones. Author Affiliation: (a) University of Maryland, College Park, USA (b) Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome (c) Food and Resource Economics, University of British Columbia, 337-2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Article History: Received 4 February 2004

Space science is perhaps the science topic that elicits the greatest interest in students in the United States and also worldwide. NASA has always endeavored to leverage that widespread interest to advance STEM education, not least because NASA requires a thriving STEM workforce for the future.

We examine the simulation of the January 10, 1997, magnetic storm using the Lyon--Fedder--Mobarry three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulation of the interaction of the solar wind with the magnetosphere. We explore the response of the energy coupling between the solar wind and the magnetosphere during the extreme solar wind conditions produced by magnetic cloud that hit the Earth's magnetosphere during the first half of January 10. During the early part of the event, the simulation produced substorm-like behavior marked by a loading and unloading of stored magnetic flux. However, during the period of strong, sustained solar wind energy input, the loading--unloading behavior essentially goes away and the simulation entered a directly driven phase. During this direct-driving phase the solar wind dynamic pressure controlled the ionospheric Joule heating in the simulation.

Issues concerning science education in the United States are discussed. In particular the role of the American Physical Society in educational reform at grades K-8 is examined.