The Sun is an active star that emits radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum. At radio wavelengths, large-scale eruptions can produce intense bursts of radio waves associated with accelerated electrons and shocks. In collaboration with Trinity College Dublin, we operate a number of instruments dedicated to studying solar radio bursts and their effects on Earth at the Rosse Observatory in Birr Castle, Co. Offaly, Ireland. The observatory includes the Irish Low Frequency Array , eCallisto solar radio burst monitors operating at 10-400 MHz, ionospheric monitors, and a magnetometer (the magnetometer is operated with DIAS Geophysics). We use these instruments in coordination with observations from spacecraft such as ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter and NASA’s Parker Solar Probe to study the Sun and its impacts on Earth and the wider Heliosphere.
Solar Orbiter
Solar Orbiter is an ESA/NASA mission to examine how the Sun creates and controls the Heliosphere, the vast bubble of charged particles blown by the solar wind into the interstellar medium. The spacecraft combines in situ and remote sensing instruments to gain new information about the solar wind, the heliospheric magnetic field, solar energetic particles, transient interplanetary disturbances and the Sun’s magnetic field.
We are involved in writing software and scientific support for the Solar-Telescope Imaging X-rays (STIX) instrument. This instrument will enable us to obtain X-ray images and spectra emitted by solar flares and to study fundamental processes in solar flares, such as energy release and electron acceleration and propagation.
Solar Eruption Forecasting
Solar flares and coronal mass ejections originate in magnetic fields of the Sun’s atmosphere. Using measurements of the Sun’s surface magnetic field from spacecraft such as NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, we develop methods to characterise and monitor magnetic fields in sunspots (e.g., via the Horizon 2020 FLARECAST project). These enable us to examine the changing topology of sunspots as they emerge, flare and decay. We are also developing techniques to improve the forecasting of solar flares using ensemble-based techniques, and investigating the first steps towards CME onset prediction using machine learning.
Geomagnetic Storms
Solar wind streams and coronal mass ejections can cause storms in the Earth’s magnetosphere called geomagnetic storms. These storms can be associated with beautiful auroral displays but they can also cause unwanted electrical currents to flow through ground-based systems, such as power grids.
We have set up the Magnetometer Network of Ireland (MagIE) to monitor geomagnetic storms in near-realtime and to give warnings of geomagnetic storms in Ireland. We have also developed theoretical models to predict the electric fields and currents generated in response to magnetic variations across Ireland and the UK, in collaboration with the British Geological Survey and the UK Met Office.
SolarMonitor.org
SolarMonitor.org is a leading on-line tool which automatically reads, calibrates and displays solar data from numerous ground- and space-based observing platforms. SolarMonitor not only acts as a source for distributing data, but provides secondary products such as region flaring probabilities, which are essential to satellite operators, human space-flight, military operations, and the communications industry in general. We have received over 20 million visitors to the site since its launch.
Solar Physics and Space Weather research at DIAS is supported by the Irish Research Council , Enterprise Ireland/ESA/PRODEX, Science Foundation Ireland and the European Commission/Horizon 2020.
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
@albertocaniz91, a PhD student of Solar Physics at DIAS and Trinity College Dublin has also been part of the organising committee for our Astrophotography competition. In his free time Alberto is a very passionate photographer... (1/2) Retweeted by
DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
We're back!!! 🎉🎉🎉 Our first event of 2021 will be hosted online on Monday January 25th at 20:00 CET, streaming live on our YouTube channel! @ciara_a_maguire and @AstroJoeC will tell us all about radio stars! 📡✨ So grab a drink, get comfortable, and join us! Retweeted by
DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Kicking of new links between @DIASAstronomy and @DCUPhysics @DCU_CFAR this morning. We’ll virtually be hosting eight 3rd year Physics & Astronomy students working on @I_LOFAR, SolarMonitor.org and FERMI for the next 3 months. Looking forward to working with new students! Retweeted by
DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
PhD Studentship now available to work with @cm_jackman on planetary magnetospheres! Application deadline 31 January. More information here: dias.ie/phd-planetary-… 🌞🪐
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Solar Physics and Space Weather
Group Head: Prof. Peter Gallagher
Schrödinger Fellow: Dr Eoin Carley
Research Fellows: Dr Sophie Murray, Dr Shane Maloney
Research Students: Aoife Maria Ryan, Pearse Murphy, Ciara Maguire, Brendan Clarke, John Malone-Leigh, Luis Alberto Cañizares, David McKenna, Jeremy Rigney
Refereed Publications: SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System
Solar Radio Physics
The Sun is an active star that emits radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum. At radio wavelengths, large-scale eruptions can produce intense bursts of radio waves associated with accelerated electrons and shocks. In collaboration with Trinity College Dublin, we operate a number of instruments dedicated to studying solar radio bursts and their effects on Earth at the Rosse Observatory in Birr Castle, Co. Offaly, Ireland. The observatory includes the Irish Low Frequency Array , eCallisto solar radio burst monitors operating at 10-400 MHz, ionospheric monitors, and a magnetometer (the magnetometer is operated with DIAS Geophysics). We use these instruments in coordination with observations from spacecraft such as ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter and NASA’s Parker Solar Probe to study the Sun and its impacts on Earth and the wider Heliosphere.
Solar Orbiter
Solar Orbiter is an ESA/NASA mission to examine how the Sun creates and controls the Heliosphere, the vast bubble of charged particles blown by the solar wind into the interstellar medium. The spacecraft combines in situ and remote sensing instruments to gain new information about the solar wind, the heliospheric magnetic field, solar energetic particles, transient interplanetary disturbances and the Sun’s magnetic field.
We are involved in writing software and scientific support for the Solar-Telescope Imaging X-rays (STIX) instrument. This instrument will enable us to obtain X-ray images and spectra emitted by solar flares and to study fundamental processes in solar flares, such as energy release and electron acceleration and propagation.
Solar Eruption Forecasting
Solar flares and coronal mass ejections originate in magnetic fields of the Sun’s atmosphere. Using measurements of the Sun’s surface magnetic field from spacecraft such as NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, we develop methods to characterise and monitor magnetic fields in sunspots (e.g., via the Horizon 2020 FLARECAST project). These enable us to examine the changing topology of sunspots as they emerge, flare and decay. We are also developing techniques to improve the forecasting of solar flares using ensemble-based techniques, and investigating the first steps towards CME onset prediction using machine learning.
Geomagnetic Storms
Solar wind streams and coronal mass ejections can cause storms in the Earth’s magnetosphere called geomagnetic storms. These storms can be associated with beautiful auroral displays but they can also cause unwanted electrical currents to flow through ground-based systems, such as power grids.
We have set up the Magnetometer Network of Ireland (MagIE) to monitor geomagnetic storms in near-realtime and to give warnings of geomagnetic storms in Ireland. We have also developed theoretical models to predict the electric fields and currents generated in response to magnetic variations across Ireland and the UK, in collaboration with the British Geological Survey and the UK Met Office.
SolarMonitor.org
SolarMonitor.org is a leading on-line tool which automatically reads, calibrates and displays solar data from numerous ground- and space-based observing platforms. SolarMonitor not only acts as a source for distributing data, but provides secondary products such as region flaring probabilities, which are essential to satellite operators, human space-flight, military operations, and the communications industry in general. We have received over 20 million visitors to the site since its launch.
Astronomy and 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
New co-authored paper out today on @arxiv led by @Brendan_PClarke at @DIASAstronomy identifying signatures of quasi-periodic particle acceleration in a solar flare - from low-frequency radio to hard X-ray arxiv.org/pdf/2102.04267… 🌞 Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
“How close are we to finding life beyond the solar system?” rte.ie/brainstorm/201…
This is stunning- @ESASolarOrbiter sends images of Venus, Earth & Mars from the centre of our solar system. Venus is bigger since it’s closer to the sun. Lots more data to come as we explore the sun. And Irish involvement from @enbio_eu @DIASAstronomy & CAPTEC. #spaceinsociety twitter.com/ESASolarOrbite… Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Ready to apply to become a YGT at @ESA? esa.int/About_Us/Caree… Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Reach for the Stars in 2021! We are pleased to announce our astro-photography competition in partnership with @IrishTimes and sponsored by @helloalicepr Learn more: dias.ie/reachforthesta… Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
@albertocaniz91, a PhD student of Solar Physics at DIAS and Trinity College Dublin has also been part of the organising committee for our Astrophotography competition. In his free time Alberto is a very passionate photographer... (1/2) Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
We're back!!! 🎉🎉🎉 Our first event of 2021 will be hosted online on Monday January 25th at 20:00 CET, streaming live on our YouTube channel! @ciara_a_maguire and @AstroJoeC will tell us all about radio stars! 📡✨ So grab a drink, get comfortable, and join us! Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Delighted to strengthen the (already very strong) links with @DIASAstronomy ! twitter.com/petertgallaghe… Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Meet the Judges of our Astrophotography Competition. First up is @EoinCarley of @DIASAstronomy. Eoin is a Schrödinger Research Fellow, currently working on observation of solar eruptions and flares using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR). Learn more: dias.ie/2020/12/16/rea… Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Kicking of new links between @DIASAstronomy and @DCUPhysics @DCU_CFAR this morning. We’ll virtually be hosting eight 3rd year Physics & Astronomy students working on @I_LOFAR, SolarMonitor.org and FERMI for the next 3 months. Looking forward to working with new students! Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Please get in touch with me directly if you have any questions about this PhD opportunity! twitter.com/DIASAstronomy/… Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
PhD Studentship now available to work with @cm_jackman on planetary magnetospheres! Application deadline 31 January. More information here: dias.ie/phd-planetary-… 🌞🪐
My paper " @LOFAR observations of a jet-driven piston shock in the low solar corona" has been accepted by @AAS_Publishing !! Check it out here arxiv.org/abs/2101.05569 on @arxiv @IrishResearch @tcddublin @DIASAstronomy Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
Physics graduates - have you applied for our Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship Fund yet? Visit iop.org/bellburnellfund for more info on how to apply. Deadline for applications is Friday 22 Jan. #BellBurnellFund Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics
In March @PresidentIRL honoured 10 recipients of the SFI President of Ireland Future Research Leaders Award. To celebrate #IWD2020 some of the awardees shared their experience as #WomeninSTEM #12DaysofIrishScience @sonicanegrao @TheMastersonLab @cm_jackman sfi.ie/research-news/… Retweeted by DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics