Space Physics
Interplanetary (IP) shocks efficiently modify the proton temperature anisotropy of the solar wind. Analyzing ~800 IP shocks observed by the Wind spacecraft from 1997-2024, we present a statistical study of upstream and downstream proton…
This paper develops an analytical framework for the retarding forces on macroscopic spherical probes travelling through the interstellar medium (ISM) at relativistic speeds (0.1c to 0.99c). Integrating the aberrated momentum flux of both…
Non-Gaussian tails dominate collision probability estimates in conjunction assessment, yet capturing them without Monte Carlo sampling is challenging, especially when process noise is included. We present a closed-form, grid-free solution…
Radial gradients of cosmic rays are key parameters for understanding the transport of particles in space. Solar Orbiter, launched on 2020 February 10, approaches the Sun approximately every half year, with a closest perihelion distance of…
Dynamo action refers to energy exchange processes through which magnetic fields are generated at the expense of kinetic energy of the plasma flows. Dynamos can generate magnetic fields across scales larger or smaller than the flows…
Measurements of Waves instrument onboard the Juno spacecraft suggest that narrowband kilometric radiation (nKOM; 20-141 kHz) and narrowband low-frequency radiation (nLF; 5-70 kHz) are generated within the plasma near the Io plasma torus…
Planetary magnetospheres exhibit diverse environments where Ultra-low frequency (ULF) pulsations induce nonlinear ponderomotive effects. Since suprathermal populations modeled by Kappa distributions are ubiquitous in these regions, their…
Solar wind ion reflection at collisionless shocks regulates foreshock plasma dynamics, yet the quantitative dependence of reflected ion properties on upstream and shock-related parameters remains unclear, causing difficulties in predicting…
Accurate thermospheric density prediction is crucial for reliable satellite operations in Low Earth Orbits, especially at high solar and geomagnetic activity. Physics-based models such as TIE-GCM offer high fidelity but are computationally…
The Compression and Reconnection Investigations of the Magnetopause (CRIMP) mission is a hypothesis-driven, Heliophysics Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX) Announcement of Opportunity (AO) mission concept designed to study mesoscale structures…
Voyager spacecraft (V1 and V2) provide unique in situ measurements of perturbations propagating beyond the heliopause through the very local interstellar medium (VLISM), including the shocks and pressure fronts whose origin is debated. In…
This paper presents a novel disturbance-torque-estimation-augmented model predictive control (MPC) framework to perform momentum management on NASA's Solar Cruiser solar sail mission. Solar Cruiser represents a critical step in the…
This report describes the method used to derive fluxes of the trapped proton belt along the GPS orbit (i.e., a Medium-Earth Orbit) during 2000-2010, a period almost covering a solar cycle. This method utilizes a newly developed empirical…
The Electric Propulsion Electrostatic Analyzer Experiment (\`EP\`EE) is a compact ion energy bandpass filter deployed on the International Space Station (ISS) in March 2023 and providing continuous measurements through April 2024. This…
This report presents a brief review of the 2024 Mother's Day superstorm and its impacts on the near-Earth space environment and the ground-level effects, with emphasis on the latter. Drawing upon observations from multiple sources. we…
The F-region ionospheric plasma structures are propagating high and or low electron density regions in the Earth ionosphere. These plasma structures can be observed using ground based all-sky airglow imagers which can capture faint airglow…
The solar wind flow creates a wake behind any spacecraft immersed in it. We study the properties of this wake using the spherical electrostatic probes of the Electric Fields and Waves (EFW) instruments on the Cluster satellites. The…
Electron temperature (Te) is an important parameter governing space weather in the upper atmosphere, but has historically been underexplored in the space weather machine learning literature. We present CLARE, a machine learning model for…
Observations made by the Juno spacecraft above Jupiter's polar regions have revealed that electrons accelerated toward Jupiter, which contribute to auroral emissions, are frequently accompanied by electrons accelerated away from Jupiter.…
This paper presents prototype testing and a control allocation algorithm for the Cable-Actuated Bio-inspired Lightweight Elastic Solar Sail (CABLESSail) concept aimed at performing momentum management of a solar sail. CABLESSail uses…