Space Physics
We present the implementation of coupling the EUropean Heliospheric FORcasting Information Asset (EUHFORIA) and the improved Particle Acceleration and Transport in the Heliosphere (iPATH) model and simulate the widespread solar energetic…
Using the horizontal neutral wind observations from the MIGHTI instrument onboard NASA's ICON (Ionospheric Connection Explorer) spacecraft with continuous coverage, we determine the climatology of the mean zonal and meridional winds and the…
Mirror modes are ubiquitous in space plasma and grow from pressure anisotropy. Together with other instabilities, they play a fundamental role in constraining the free energy contained in the plasma. This study focuses on mirror modes…
Under quasi-radial interplanetary magnetic fields (IMF), foreshock turbulence can have an impact on the magnetosheath and cusps depending on the location of the quasi-parallel shock. We perform three-dimensional simulations of Earth's…
The Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter radar (MSIS) model family has been developed and improved since the early 1970's. The most recent version of MSIS is the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) MSIS 2.0 empirical atmospheric model.…
Plasma jets are ubiquitous in the Earth's magnetotail. Plasma jet fronts (JFs) are the seat of particle acceleration and energy conversion. JFs are commonly associated with dipolarization fronts (DFs) representing solitary sharp and strong…
Deciphering the genesis and evolution of the Martian polar caps can provide crucial understanding of Mars' climate system. The growing scientific interest for the exploration of Mars at high latitudes, and the need of minimizing the…
Space weather observations and modeling at Mars have begun but they must be significantly increased to support the future of Human Exploration on the Red Planet. A comprehensive space weather understanding of a planet without a global…
Experimental investigations of the fine plasma structure of interplanetary shocks are extremely difficult to conduct due to their small thickness and high speed relative to the spacecraft. We study the variations in the parameters of…
A technique by which a spacecraft can interact with flows of ionized gas in space (the solar wind or interstellar medium) to be accelerated to velocities greater than the wind velocity is explored. Inspired by the dynamic soaring maneuvers…
Space plasmas are three-dimensional dynamic entities. Except under very special circumstances, their structure in space and their behavior in time are not related in any simple way. Therefore, single spacecraft in situ measurements cannot…
We present a study of the acceleration efficiency of suprathermal electrons at collisionless shock waves driven by interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), with the data analysis from both the spacecraft observations and test-particle…
Challenging space missions include those at very low altitudes, where the atmosphere is source of aerodynamic drag on the spacecraft that finally defines the missions lifetime unless way to compensate for it is provided. This environment is…
Operating satellites in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) benefits the already expanding New Space industry in applications including Earth Observation and beyond. However, long-term operations at such low altitudes require propulsion systems to…
We present our approach to modeling over 20 years of the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere system using version 5 of the Grand Unified Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling Simulation (GUMICS-5). As input we use 16-s resolution magnetic field…
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can trigger geomagnetic storms and induce geoelectric currents that degrade the performance of terrestrial power grid operations; in particular, CMEs are known for causing large-scale outages in electrical…
We constrain Europa's tenuous atmosphere on the subsolar hemisphere by combining two sets of observations: oxygen emissions at 1304 {\AA} and 1356 {\AA} from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) spectral images, and Galileo magnetic field…
The induction of electric currents in electric power distribution networks is a well-known effect of Earth-directed eruptive events. Inspired by recent studies showing that the rate of power-grid anomalies may increase after exposure to…
Radio waves provide a useful diagnostic tool to investigate the properties of the ionosphere because the ionosphere affects the transmission and properties of High Frequency (HF) electromagnetic waves. We have conducted a transionospheric…
Although mass and energy in Jupiter's magnetosphere mostly come from the innermost Galilean moon Io's volcanic activities, solar wind perturbations can play crucial roles in releasing the magnetospheric energy and powering aurorae in…