IWF/ÖAW

Main task Space plasma physics with emphasis on magnetospheres or planetary

wakes Based on data analysis preferentially from missions flying IWF

instruments: e.g., Cluster, THEMIS, VEX

Main research topics1. Space plasma processes

Current sheet, reconnection, waves, ballooning instability 2. Dynamics of magnetosphere and SW-M-I coupling processes

Plasma jets and their interaction with ambient fields Comparative magnetospheres

Refereed publications (since Jan 2013) Total: 51 (first author: 14)

Educational activities (since Jan 2013) Master thesis: 1 Lecturing at University of Graz, teaching at Graz University of

Technology and Fachhochschule Wiener Neustadt für Wirtschaft und Technik

Space Plasma Physics: Magnetospheres

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IWF/ÖAW

Lead: R. Nakamura

Members

Staff: M. Andriopoulou, M. Delva, E. Panov, F. Plaschke, M. Volwerk, T. Zhang, (S. Kiehas, D. Korovinsky, W. Teh left) (Collab. staff: P. Boakes, M. Khodachenko, C. Möstl, Y. Sasunov, Z. Vörös)

Students: PhD: A. Alexandrova, D. Schmid; Master: R. Teubenbacher

Cooperation within IWF

Plasma turbulence, Cluster analysis (Narita et al.)

Instrument/Mission plan for MMS, BepiColombo, JUICE (Jeszenszky/Magnes/Steller et al.)

Cometary science with Rosetta (Kömle et al.)

Research plan for solar system space weather (Lammer et al.)

Key international collaboration

China: CAS; Germany: TU Braunschweig; Japan: JAXA, Tokyo Inst. Tech.; Russia: St. Petersburg Univ., IKI/RAS; USA: UCLA, UNH

Who are we?

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IWF/ÖAW

Earth’s magnetosphere

Dynamics of current sheets

Plasma jet interaction with ambient fields

Kinetic processes in reconnection region and thin current sheet

Ionospheric responses

Plasma environment at Venus, Mars & Comet Ion pick-up, low frequency waves,

magnetosheath turbulence Induced magnetosphere, “magnetotail”,

flux ropes

Comparison with model & simulations

Reconnection, current sheet models

Instabilities: Kelvin-Helmholtz, interchange, double-gradient

Space Plasma Laboratories

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2007-

2001-2006

ClusterTHEMIS

IWF/ÖAW

High-speed (super-Alfvenic/magneto-sonic) jets in the subsolar magneto-sheath impact Earth’s magnetopause with higher pressure ionospheric effects expected

Magnetic field structures associated with different types of high-speed flow events are obtained using different analysis methods

Plasma Jet Structures

4

2

0

1

4x z

f

z

B B

z x

Localized plasma jets play significant roles in magnetosphere dynamics

(Plaschke et al., 2013)

(Kiehas et al., 2013)(Teh et al., 2013)

IWF/ÖAW

Change in normal component (Bz) of current sheet around substorm onset

More in POSTER (E. Panov)

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Near-Earth Magnetotail Current Sheet

Dipolarization front & flow bouncing: Multiple fronts with different

scales before flow-bouncing

Near-Earth current sheet disturbances are multi-scale in time and space

(Nakamura et al., 2013)

(Petrukovich et al., 2013)

Oscillatory flow braking: Observed profile recovered in MHD

models more in Poster (Panov)

IWF/ÖAW 6

August 2014: arrival of Rosetta at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Plasma physics with RPC: Rosetta Plasma Consortium

Preparation study for detecting cometary plasma processes:

For different outgassing rates amplitude of water-group ion cyclotron (IC) waves in the undisturbed solar wind

Minimum level for detecting IC waves is examined using Pioneer 10 near Jupiter

Giotto flyby at 27P/Grigg–Skjellerup is used to estimate occurrence of IC waves

Cometary Plasma Physics

Cyclotron waves during Rosetta approach phase will provide indication of the outgassing rate of the comet

(Volwerk et al., 2013)

Lower limit from SW 0.1 nT

amplitude

IWF/ÖAW

Electron physics are main target in Magnetospheric Multi-Scale (MMS)

Magnetotail reconnection region with Cluster: highly structured, small normal component

New method developed to determine spin-axis offset from electron drift instrument (EDI) and applied to Cluster data

Magnetic fieldmeasurementaccuracy of 0.1nTduring entire orbit achieved

Preparation for Electron-Scale Studies

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Highly structured current sheet near X-line (reconnection region) Accuracy of 0.1 nT at MMS X-line structures can be determined within

few 10s km resolution in magnetotail

(Wang et al., 2014)

IWF/ÖAW

Space plasma laboratory, Multi-scale approach (MMS, THEMIS, Cluster): Thin current sheets: reconnection instabilities in near-

Earth tail and magnetopause Plasma jets and their interaction with ambient plasma

in the magnetotail and in the magnetosheath Comparison with model/theory

Comprehensive research of induced “magnetospheres”at 67P/C-G, Mars, Venus (Rosetta, MAVEN, VEX):

Ion-pickup, mirror-mode waves, bow shock, diamagnetic cavity, current sheets

Dusty and partially-ionized plasmas in current sheets

Planetary Space Weather (Cluster, THEMIS, MMS, RBSP, SWARM, STEREO, VEX, MEX, Cassini):

Responses to extreme solar events, storms/substorms

Comparative magnetotails/wakes

Future Plans: 2015-2018

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IWF/ÖAW

Weekly Space Plasma Physics Seminar

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Attendees of the Space Plasma Physics Seminar (25 April 2014)

Members of the Space Plasma Physics Groups (magnetospheres & heliosphere) get together with collaborators (from different teams) & guests every Friday for an informal seminar