Space Physics
Dust impacts on spacecraft are commonly detected by antenna instruments as transient voltage perturbations. The signal waveform is generated by the interaction between the impact-generated plasma cloud and the elements of the…
Space launches produce ionospheric disturbances which can be observed through measurements such as Global Navigation Satellite System signal delays. Here we report observations and numerical simulations of the ionospheric depletion due to a…
The paper provides a new approach to utilizing space environmental forces in time- and energy-optimal, propellant-less spacecraft rendezvous missions. Considering the nonlinear form of the relative dynamic equations, rendezvous missions are…
In general, slow solar wind from the streamer belt forms a high plasma beta equatorial plasma sheet around the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) crossing, namely the heliospheric plasma sheet (HPS). Current Parker Solar Probe (PSP)…
We have investigated how the degree of imbalance in solar wind turbulence is modified by large-scale velocity shears in the solar wind plasma. The balance between counterpropagating Alfv\'enic fluctuations, which interact nonlinearly to…
The linear scaling of the mixed third-order moment of the magnetohydrodynamic fluctuations is used to estimate the energy transfer rate of the turbulent cascade in the expanding solar wind. In 1976 the Helios 2 spacecraft measured three…
Future in situ space plasma investigations will likely involve spatially distributed observatories comprised of multiple spacecraft, beyond the four and five spacecraft configurations currently in operation. Inferring the magnetic field…
Electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves are known to exhibit frequency chirping, contributing to the rapid scattering and acceleration of energetic particles. However, the physical mechanism of chirping remains elusive. Here, we propose a new…
We present long-term density trends of the Earth's upper atmosphere at altitudes between 71 and 116 km, based on atmospheric occultations of the Crab Nebula observed with X-ray astronomy satellites, ASCA, RXTE, Suzaku, NuSTAR, and Hitomi.…
The Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite has been making observations of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region for two decades. The TIMED Doppler Interferometer (TIDI) measures the…
Surface waves on Earth's magnetopause have a controlling effect upon global magnetospheric dynamics. Since spacecraft provide sparse in situ observation points, remote sensing these modes using ground-based instruments in the polar regions…
Geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) driven by geoelectric fields pose a hazard to ground-based infrastructure, such as power grids and pipelines. Here, a new method is presented for modelling geoelectric fields in near real time, with…
Solar Orbiter provides dust detection capability in inner heliosphere, but estimating physical properties of detected dust from the collected data is far from straightforward. First, a physical model for dust collection considering a…
The space environment encountered by operating spacecraft is populated by a continuous flux of charged particles that penetrate into electronic devices inducing phantom commands and loss of control, eventually leading to satellite failure.…
In this paper, preliminary results from the artificial neural network (ANN) based model developed at IIT Indore has been presented. One year's hourly total electron content (TEC) database has been created from the International Reference…
Equatorial ionospheric irregularities have been studied in the past and have produced interesting insights into ionospheric physics and processes. Here, we present the initial results of a long-term study of the ionosphere near the…
Study of the dynamic nature of low-latitude ionosphere during geomagnetically disturbed conditions, especially in the EIA and the magnetic equatorial regions are vital for understanding the underlying physics as well as for mitigating space…
The large-scale magnetic structure of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) has been shown to cause decreases in the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) flux measured in situ by spacecraft, known as Forbush decreases (Fds). We use…
Auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) is the paradigm of intense radio emission from planetary magnetospheres. Being close to the electron gyro frequency and/or its lower harmonics, its observation indicates the non-thermal state of the source…
This work is directed to explore the efficacy of strong and consistent correlations between the $\Delta$X component of magnetic field at two equatorial/low-latitude stations at nearly antipodal locations during geomagnetic storms. The…