Space Physics
It is well known that the cosmic ray intensity observed at the Earth's surface presents an 11 and 22-yr variations associated with the solar activity cycle. However, the observation and analysis of this modulation through ground muon…
We use Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN observations of the upstream solar wind, and Mars Express observations of ionospheric electron densities and magnetic fields, to study how the topside ionosphere ($>$ 320 km) of Mars is affected…
The nature of solar wind turbulence at large scale is rather well understood in the theoretical framework of magnetohydrodynamics. The situation is quite different at sub-proton scales where the magnetic energy spectrum measured by…
In this work we deepen and complement the analysis on the dynamics of Low Earth Orbits (LEO), carried out by the authors within the H2020 ReDSHIFT project, by characterising the evolution of the eccentricity of a large set of orbits in…
The turbulent-like process associated with ionospheric instabilities, has been identified as the main nonlinear process that drives the irregularities observed in the different ionospheric regions. In this complementary study, as proposed…
In weakly collisional space plasmas, the turbulent cascade provides most of the energy that is dissipated at small scales by various kinetic processes. Understanding the characteristics of such dissipative mechanisms requires the accurate…
Measurements of Ion velocity distributions are one of basic goals of space plasma studies. There is variety of ion and electron spectrometers (e.g. Wuest et al, 2007, Young et al., 2007, Zurbuchen and Gershman, 2016, Vaisberg et al, 2016).…
An interval of exceptional solar activity was registered in early September 2017, late in the decay phase of solar cycle 24, involving the complex Active Region 12673 as it rotated across the western hemisphere with respect to Earth. A…
The study of the interaction between solid objects and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) fluids is of great importance in physics as consequence of the significant phenomena generated, such as planets interacting with stellar wind produced by their…
Helical distributed chaos in magnetic field has been studied using results of direct numerical simulations (dominated by magnetic helicity), of a laboratory experiment with plasma wind tunnel and of solar wind measurements (dominated by…
Little is known about the origin of the high-energy and sustained emission from solar Long-Duration Gamma-Ray Flares (LDGRFs), identified with the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO), the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM), and now Fermi. Though…
Fluctuations of solar wind magnetic field and plasma parameters exhibit a typical turbulence power spectrum with a spectral index ranging between $\sim -5/3$ and $\sim -3/2$. In particular, at $1$ AU, the magnetic field spectrum, observed…
We consider the radial evolution of perpendicular ion heating due to the violation of magnetic moment conservation caused by Alfven and kinetic Alfven wave turbulence. This process, referred to as stochastic heating, can be quantified by…
Analysis of 15314 electron velocity distribution functions (VDFs) within $\pm$2 hours of 52 interplanetary (IP) shocks observed by the \emph{Wind} spacecraft near 1 AU are introduced. The electron VDFs are fit to the sum of three model…
Parker spiral theory predicts the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) will have components of opposite polarity radially toward the Sun and tangentially antiparallel to the solar rotation (i.e. in GSE coordinates, with Bx/By<0). This theory…
Low Work Function Tethers (LWT) is long conductors with a segment coated with a material that has loosely-bounded electrons. Unlike a standard bare tether equipped with an active electron emitter, LWTs close the electrical circuit (cathodic…
A novel technique is presented for describing and visualizing the local topology of the magnetic field using single-spacecraft data in the solar wind. The approach merges two established techniques: the Grad-Shafranov (GS) reconstruction…
Similar to the enhanced low-dose-rate sensitivity (ELDRS) effect of ionization damage, an enhanced low-flux senstivity (ELFS) effect has been reported in ions/neutron irradiation on n-type silicon or PNP transistors. However, the existing…
Context. Solar outflows are a considerable source of free energy which accumulates in multiple forms like beaming (or drifting) components and/or temperature anisotropies. However, kinetic anisotropies of plasma particles do not grow…
Solar ionizing factors are responsible for modulation of interstellar neutral gas and its derivative populations inside the heliosphere. We provide an overview of the current state of knowledge about them for heliospheric particles inside…