Office: National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, VA

vt.edu Email: dweimer

Research Group: Space@VT

Personal web page

Title: Research Professor

Education:
Ph.D. University of Iowa
Teaching Interests:
Space Science

Research Interests:
Ionospheric electrodynamics High latitude ionospheric electric fields, currents, and heating Modeling of neutral density in thermosphere (upper atmosphere) in response to auroral heating Solar wind and interactions with magnetosphere and ionosphere

Selected Grants:

• Grant ATM-0817751 from the National Science Foundataion is funded by the Upper Atmosphere Research Section through the National Space Weather Program, and titled "NSWP: A New Empirical Model for Prediction of Ground-Level Geomagnetic Perturbations." The objective of this research project is to construct a computer model that can predict the variations in the magnetic field that occur at the surface of the Earth that are caused by currents in the ionosphere. These currents in turn are a result of the interaction between the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) with the Earth's magnetosphere. The predictive capability uses real-time measurements of the IMF in the "upstream" solar wind, sunward from the Earth. Real-time predictions are presented at mist.nianet.org/weimerGeomag
• Grant NNX09AJ58G was awarded by NASA to investigate the flow of energy into the thermosphere during geomagnetic storms, and its later dissipation, along with the resulting changes in exospheric temperature and the altitude profile of the neutral density. One objective is to develop a method for calculating the change in the thermospheric temperature during geomagnetic storms. These temperature calculations can be used a model of the upper atmosphere, at the edge of space, called the thermosphere. Predictions of the changes in the neutral density may lead to improvements in satellite drag predictions.

Selected Publications:

• Weimer, D. R., B. R. Bowman, E. K. Sutton, and W. K. Tobiska, “Predicting global average thermospheric temperature changes resulting from auroral heating,” J. Geophys. Res., vol. 116, no. A01312, pp. doi:10.1029/2010JA015685, 2011.
• Weimer, D. R., C. R. Clauer, M. J. Engebretson, T. L. Hansen, H. Gleisner, I. Mann, and K. Yumoto, “Statistical maps of geomagnetic perturbations as a function of the interplanetary magnetic field,” J. Geophys. Res., vol. 115, no. A10320, pp. doi:10.1029/2010JA015540, 2010.
• Weimer, D. R. and J. H. King, “Improved Calculations of IMF Phase-Front Angles and Propagation Time Delays,” J. Geophys. Res., vol. 113, no. A01105, pp. doi:10.1029/2007JA012452, 2008.
• Weimer, D. R., “Improved ionospheric electrodynamic models and application to calculating Joule heating rates,” J. Geophys. Res., vol. 110, no. A05306, pp. doi:10.1029/2004JA010884, 2005.