The solar wind is a stream of charged particles (plasma) which flows supersonically away from the Sun. A magnetized planet carves out a “cavity‟ in the solar wind, known as a magnetosphere. Plasma can accumulate within magnetospheres in a number of ways, but the physics underpinning the stability of these systems dictates that this material cannot accumulate forever – the plasma created within or entering a magnetosphere must eventually be transported throughout the system, and ultimately lost from it.
Our group study magnetospheres including at Mercury, Earth, Jupiter and Saturn, comparing and contrasting the difference that solar wind influence, planetary rotation rate, planetary magnetic field strength, and internal plasma sources can make to magnetospheric dynamics. We have a special interest in the process of magnetic reconnection and in diagnosing how plasma is transported and lost in magnetospheres.
Planetary Space Weather:
Space Weather describes environmental conditions in space that can have an impact on Earth and other planets. In Earth’s magnetic environment, regular Space Weather-driven disturbances can dump huge amounts of energy into the upper atmosphere and impact everything from satellite communications to electricity power grids. Space is a variable and highly dynamic environment with direct implications for life on Earth, and understanding the intermittency and variable size of Space Weather disturbances is the first key to mitigating their effects. Space Weather in our solar system can be measured in a multitude of ways, including: (i) space-based satellite observation to sample magnetic field and plasma conditions in the solar wind and planetary magnetospheres, (ii) ground-based or space-based instrumentation including auroral cameras, radio telescopes, X-ray telescopes and ground magnetometer chains. We have data stretching back for decades and the quality, resolution and scope of data is increasing every year. This provides both an unprecedented opportunity for a system-level view of Space Weather, but also an enormous challenge to data assimilation and interpretation.
Our group use the latest data analytics techniques including machine learning to analyse huge volumes of data from spacecraft including Cassini (Saturn), Galileo, Voyager and Juno (Jupiter), MESSENGER (Mercury), Cluster and Wind (Earth).
Auroral Emissions:
The visible auroral emissions at Earth are commonly referred to as the northern and southern lights. Many other planets in our solar system also display beautiful and dynamic auroral emissions and these provide a window on energetic plasma processes at work in those magnetospheres. Jupiter has the most powerful auroral emissions in our solar system, including at ultraviolet, infrared, X-ray, and radio wavelengths. We study the currents which produce these emissions and how they are driven.
Our group use data from X-ray telescopes like Chandra, XMM-Newton, and NuSTAR, as well as Ultraviolet images of planetary aurorae from the Hubble Space Telescope. Furthermore, we are using the I-LOFAR radio telescope in Birr Co. Offaly to study Jupiter’s radio emissions and to compare with other ground-based observatories such as Nancay and Nenufar and with the NASA Juno spacecraft in orbit at Jupiter.
Dr Pauline McGinnis is a Research Fellow working on the ERC-funded EASY project studying ejection and accretion Structures in young stellar objects dias.ie/2019/09/06/dr-…
Happy International Women's Day from all of us in DIAS Astrophysics. Our group includes many great women leading the way in space physics and astrophysics.
Dr Caitriona Jackman @cm_jackman leads the Planetary Magnetospheres Research Group working on data-intensive space physics from ESA and NASA spacecraft dias.ie/2019/11/27/pro…
Dr Sophie Murray @drsophiemurray is a solar and space weather expert working at DIAS and TCD, leading a number of international space weather forecasting activities dias.ie/2018/10/31/ast…
One year ago today... What a thrill to meet President Higgins and other @scienceirel awardees. Myself and my team have been working hard (from home) for the past year and we look forward to returning to in-person collaboration @DIASAstronomy in the not-too-distant future! twitter.com/PresidentIRL/s…Retweeted by
DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Today marks the 'International day of Women and Girls in Science'. Below you can meet some DIAS's past and present women leading innovation and empowering women and girls across the world!
Our CEO Eucharia Meehan will be chatting with @HeritageHubIRE later today on this topic Retweeted by
DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Planetary Magnetospheres
Group Leader: Dr Caitriona Jackman
Research Fellows: Dr. Alexandra Fogg, Dr. Corentin Louis, Dr. Tadhg Garton (visiting from University of Southampton)
Research Students: Seán McEntee, Dale Weigt (visiting from University of Southampton), James Waters (visiting from University of Southampton)
Publications: from the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System
Planetary Magnetospheres:
The solar wind is a stream of charged particles (plasma) which flows supersonically away from the Sun. A magnetized planet carves out a “cavity‟ in the solar wind, known as a magnetosphere. Plasma can accumulate within magnetospheres in a number of ways, but the physics underpinning the stability of these systems dictates that this material cannot accumulate forever – the plasma created within or entering a magnetosphere must eventually be transported throughout the system, and ultimately lost from it.
Our group study magnetospheres including at Mercury, Earth, Jupiter and Saturn, comparing and contrasting the difference that solar wind influence, planetary rotation rate, planetary magnetic field strength, and internal plasma sources can make to magnetospheric dynamics. We have a special interest in the process of magnetic reconnection and in diagnosing how plasma is transported and lost in magnetospheres.
Planetary Space Weather:
Space Weather describes environmental conditions in space that can have an impact on Earth and other planets. In Earth’s magnetic environment, regular Space Weather-driven disturbances can dump huge amounts of energy into the upper atmosphere and impact everything from satellite communications to electricity power grids. Space is a variable and highly dynamic environment with direct implications for life on Earth, and understanding the intermittency and variable size of Space Weather disturbances is the first key to mitigating their effects. Space Weather in our solar system can be measured in a multitude of ways, including: (i) space-based satellite observation to sample magnetic field and plasma conditions in the solar wind and planetary magnetospheres, (ii) ground-based or space-based instrumentation including auroral cameras, radio telescopes, X-ray telescopes and ground magnetometer chains. We have data stretching back for decades and the quality, resolution and scope of data is increasing every year. This provides both an unprecedented opportunity for a system-level view of Space Weather, but also an enormous challenge to data assimilation and interpretation.
Our group use the latest data analytics techniques including machine learning to analyse huge volumes of data from spacecraft including Cassini (Saturn), Galileo, Voyager and Juno (Jupiter), MESSENGER (Mercury), Cluster and Wind (Earth).
Auroral Emissions:
The visible auroral emissions at Earth are commonly referred to as the northern and southern lights. Many other planets in our solar system also display beautiful and dynamic auroral emissions and these provide a window on energetic plasma processes at work in those magnetospheres. Jupiter has the most powerful auroral emissions in our solar system, including at ultraviolet, infrared, X-ray, and radio wavelengths. We study the currents which produce these emissions and how they are driven.
Our group use data from X-ray telescopes like Chandra, XMM-Newton, and NuSTAR, as well as Ultraviolet images of planetary aurorae from the Hubble Space Telescope. Furthermore, we are using the I-LOFAR radio telescope in Birr Co. Offaly to study Jupiter’s radio emissions and to compare with other ground-based observatories such as Nancay and Nenufar and with the NASA Juno spacecraft in orbit at Jupiter.
Our group’s work is supported by funding from Science Foundation Ireland.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Eileen Flood @EileenFloodRyan is a Technical Officer, proving technical support for researchers and students in the Astrophysics Section.
Maria Moutzouri @MMoutzouri is a PhD Student studying shocks around massive stars using radio telescopes dias.ie/cp-geophysics/…
Aoife Ryan @aoife_m_ryan is a DIAS/TCD PhD student using LOFAR to study the structure of the solar corona dias.ie/2018/10/25/ast…
Ciara Maguire @ciara_a_maguire is a PhD Student at DIAS/TCD using LOFAR to study solar radio bursts and shocks in the solar corona dias.ie/2018/12/14/cia…
Dr Alexandra Fogg studios the solar wind and how it interacts with the Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere dias.ie/2021/01/15/ast…
Camile Stock is a DIAS/TCD PhD Student working in the star formation group dias.ie/2017/10/19/ast…
Marie Nelisson is a Hamilton Scholar PhD Student working in the star formation group dias.ie/2018/10/25/ast…
Prof. Antonella Natta is an Honorary Professor at DIAS working on star and planet formation, circumstellar disks dias.ie/2010/08/19/ast…
Dr Pauline McGinnis is a Research Fellow working on the ERC-funded EASY project studying ejection and accretion Structures in young stellar objects dias.ie/2019/09/06/dr-…
Happy International Women's Day from all of us in DIAS Astrophysics. Our group includes many great women leading the way in space physics and astrophysics.
Dr Caitriona Jackman @cm_jackman leads the Planetary Magnetospheres Research Group working on data-intensive space physics from ESA and NASA spacecraft dias.ie/2019/11/27/pro…
Dr Sophie Murray @drsophiemurray is a solar and space weather expert working at DIAS and TCD, leading a number of international space weather forecasting activities dias.ie/2018/10/31/ast…
Gain advanced knowledge of #astrophysics, general #relativity, computational science &data analysis. Join our MSc in Astrophysics and Relativity webinar on Tuesday, 23rd March 2021 @ 5pm. Register 👉bit.ly/3kPc46s or visit dcu.ie/dc742 #WeAreDCU Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Our paper on LOFAR Observations of a Jet-driven Piston Shock in the Low Solar Corona is now available on @AAS_Publishing ... doi.org/10.3847/1538-4… Check it out! @IrishResearch @tcddublin @DIASAstronomy @LOFAR Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
One year ago today... What a thrill to meet President Higgins and other @scienceirel awardees. Myself and my team have been working hard (from home) for the past year and we look forward to returning to in-person collaboration @DIASAstronomy in the not-too-distant future! twitter.com/PresidentIRL/s… Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Meet the Judges of our "Reach for the Stars" Astrophotography competition! @petertgallagher is Head of @DIASAstronomy & has spent the past two decades studying the Sun its impacts on the Earth. To learn more and submit an entry see dias.ie/reachforthesta… #DIASdiscovers Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
For anyone looking for a bit of lockdown reading... Please be our guest 📡🌞 arxiv.org/abs/2102.05552 @IrishResearch @ASTRON_NL @I_LOFAR @DIASAstronomy @DIAS_Dublin @TCD_physics #DIASdiscovers #iamaphysicist #solareclipse Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and to celebrate, we’ll be retweeting your selfies all day. So tweet us a picture telling us what you do in physics and share using #IAmAPhysicist. #WomenInScience #WomeninSTEM #WomeninScienceDay #WomeninPhysics Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Today marks the 'International day of Women and Girls in Science'. Below you can meet some DIAS's past and present women leading innovation and empowering women and girls across the world! Our CEO Eucharia Meehan will be chatting with @HeritageHubIRE later today on this topic Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Remembering our last in-person public event, which was one year ago today. A lecture by @hfalcke of @Radboud_Uni who delivered a lecture on the 'The First Image of a Black Hole'. You can watch it back here: youtu.be/mkg_OGjWARI #DIASdiscovers #WatchWednesday Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics