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Space Plasma Physics : Magnetospheres

Space Plasma Physics : Magnetospheres. Main task Space plasma physics with emphasis on magnetospheres or planetary wakes Based on data analysis preferentially from missions flying IWF instruments: e.g., Cluster, THEMIS, VEX Main research topics Space plasma processes

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Space Plasma Physics : Magnetospheres

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  1. Space Plasma Physics: Magnetospheres Main task • Space plasma physics with emphasis on magnetospheres or planetary wakes • Based on data analysis preferentially from missions flying IWF instruments: e.g., Cluster, THEMIS, VEX Main research topics • Space plasma processes • Current sheet, reconnection, waves, ballooning instability • Dynamics of magnetosphere and SW-M-I coupling processes • Plasma jets and their interaction with ambient fields • Comparative magnetospheres Refereed publications (since Jan 2013) • Total: 51 (first author: 14) Educational activities (since Jan 2013) • Master thesis: 1 • Lecturing at University of Graz, teaching at Graz University of Technology and Fachhochschule Wiener Neustadt für Wirtschaft und Technik IWF/ÖAW

  2. Who are we? • Lead: R. Nakamura Members • Staff: M. Andriopoulou, M. Delva, E. Panov, F. Plaschke, M. Volwerk, T. Zhang, (S. Kiehas, D. Korovinsky, W. Teh left) (Collab. staff: P. Boakes, M. Khodachenko, C. Möstl, Y. Sasunov, Z. Vörös) • Students: PhD: A. Alexandrova, D. Schmid; Master: R. Teubenbacher Cooperation within IWF • Plasma turbulence, Cluster analysis (Narita et al.) • Instrument/Mission plan for MMS, BepiColombo, JUICE (Jeszenszky/Magnes/Steller et al.) • Cometary science with Rosetta (Kömle et al.) • Research plan for solar system space weather (Lammer et al.) Key international collaboration • China: CAS; Germany: TU Braunschweig; Japan: JAXA, Tokyo Inst. Tech.; Russia: St. Petersburg Univ., IKI/RAS;USA: UCLA, UNH IWF/ÖAW

  3. Space Plasma Laboratories Earth’s magnetosphere • Dynamics of current sheets • Plasma jet interaction with ambient fields • Kinetic processes in reconnection region and thin current sheet • Ionospheric responses Plasma environment at Venus, Mars & Comet • Ion pick-up, low frequency waves,magnetosheath turbulence • Induced magnetosphere, “magnetotail”, flux ropes Comparison with model & simulations • Reconnection, current sheet models • Instabilities: Kelvin-Helmholtz, interchange, double-gradient Cluster THEMIS 2001-2006 2007- IWF/ÖAW

  4. Plasma Jet Structures • High-speed (super-Alfvénic/magneto-sonic) jets in the subsolar magneto-sheath impact Earth’s magnetopause with higher pressure  ionospheric effects expected • Magnetic field structures associated with different types of high-speed flow events are obtained using different analysis methods • (Plaschke et al., 2013) (Kiehas et al., 2013) (Teh et al., 2013) • Localized plasma jets play significant roles in magnetosphere dynamics IWF/ÖAW

  5. Near-Earth Magnetotail Current Sheet • Change in normal component (Bz) of current sheet around substorm onset •  More in POSTER (E. Panov) • Dipolarization front & flow bouncing: • Multiple fronts with different scales before flow-bouncing • (Nakamura et al., 2013) • Oscillatory flow braking: • Observed profile recovered in MHD models  more in Poster (Panov) • (Petrukovich et al., 2013) • Near-Earth current sheet disturbances are multi-scale in time and space IWF/ÖAW

  6. Cometary Plasma Physics • August 2014: arrival of Rosetta at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko • Plasma physics with RPC: Rosetta Plasma Consortium • Preparation study for detecting cometary plasma processes: • For different outgassing rates amplitude of water-group ion cyclotron (IC) waves in the undisturbed solar wind • Minimum level for detecting IC waves is examined using Pioneer 10 near Jupiter • Giotto flyby at 27P/Grigg–Skjellerup is used to estimate occurrence of IC waves 0.1 nT amplitude Lower limit from SW • (Volwerk et al., 2013) • Cyclotron waves during Rosetta approach phase will provide indication of the outgassing rate of the comet IWF/ÖAW

  7. Preparation for Electron-Scale Studies • Electron physics are main target in Magnetospheric Multi-Scale (MMS) • Magnetotail reconnection region with Cluster: highly structured, small normal component • New method developed to determine spin-axis offset from electron drift instrument (EDI) and applied to Cluster data  Magnetic fieldmeasurementaccuracy of 0.1nTduring entire orbit achieved • (Wang et al., 2014) • Highly structured current sheet near X-line (reconnection region) • Accuracy of 0.1 nT at MMS  X-line structures can be determined within few 10s km resolution in magnetotail IWF/ÖAW

  8. Future Plans: 2015-2018 Space plasma laboratory, Multi-scale approach (MMS, THEMIS, Cluster): • Thin current sheets: reconnection instabilities in near-Earth tail and magnetopause • Plasma jets and their interaction with ambient plasma in the magnetotail and in the magnetosheath • Comparison with model/theory Comprehensive research of induced “magnetospheres”at 67P/C-G, Mars, Venus(Rosetta, MAVEN, VEX): • Ion-pickup, mirror-mode waves, bow shock, diamagnetic cavity, current sheets • Dusty and partially-ionized plasmas in current sheets Planetary Space Weather (Cluster, THEMIS, MMS, RBSP, SWARM, STEREO, VEX, MEX, Cassini): • Responses to extreme solar events, storms/substorms • Comparative magnetotails/wakes IWF/ÖAW

  9. Weekly Space Plasma Physics Seminar Attendees of the Space Plasma Physics Seminar (25 April 2014) • Members of the Space Plasma Physics Groups (magnetospheres & heliosphere) get together with collaborators (from different teams) & guests every Friday for an informal seminar IWF/ÖAW

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