STFC Consolidated Grant: Plasma environments in the solar system

This consolidated grant supports a programme of STFC-funded research into the physics of various plasma environments within our solar system. The programme is thus divided into four distinct projects, the aims of which are as follows:

- Project 1 aims to determine the extent to which internal magnetospheric processes disrupt the solar wind control of large-scale magnetospheric dynamics and ensuing space weather, by considering phenomena that decouple the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere system.

- Project 2 will investigate lunar dust charging and dynamics as well as collective behaviour of dusty plasmas applicable to other bodies in the solar system (e.g. Saturn's rings, comets). This will be done by further development of a 3D particle-in-cell simulation developed at Lancaster that will include all relevant forces, distributions and fields to fully capture the physics.

- Project 3 will exploit data from Mars- and Saturn-orbiting spacecraft to study magnetic flux ropes, a phenomenon linked to the loss of planetary atmospheres from unmagnetised bodies, to understand their role in solar-planetary coupling.

- Project 4 will identify how energy from the Sun affects Saturn, through the study of Saturn's auroral emissions observed by Cassini and the Hubble Space Telescope under the extremes of solar cycle activity.

Space Weather stakeholders

As awareness of the societal and economic impact of space weather grows, so do the demands to develop operational forecast models to enable infrastructure operators to manage exposure to the space weather hazards and mitigate the risks of system failure. The outputs of the programme work (notably Project 1) will be crucial to current international efforts in modelling the energisation and convective transport of particles into the inner magnetosphere. The applicants (and wider SPEARS group) have an excellent track record of engagement with space weather research, industry and high-level government stakeholders and will exploit established knowledge exchange routes to maximize the impact of our research outputs in these groups.

Schools students and the public

SPEARS researchers have a strong track-record of engaging with non-specialist audiences (the public, schools audiences, the media and policy-makers). We shall exploit our exiting networks and expertise to communicate the proposed research to wider audiences, with particular emphasis on engaging with school students and their teachers via close institutional links to the South Lakes Teaching School Alliance (SLTSA) which includes 8 secondary schools, one special school, one FE College and the University of Cumbria working in close partnership to achieve curriculum collaboration and school improvement. RCUK Schools University Partnership Initiative (SUPI) funding is enabling Lancaster to work in partnership with the SLTSA, to provide the opportunity to gain first hand experience of research from a research-intensive university. Applicants and researchers associated with this consolidated grant application will therefore benefit from (i) institutional efforts to create a structured and strategic mechanism for engagement; (ii) investment and support to provide dedicated training for early career researchers to become effective and inspirational communicators of research; (iii) support for direct, and regular engagement with secondary level students to enhance and enrich the school and postgraduate curriculum; (iv) opportunities to support teachers in their professional development and hence increase their confidence in using research findings to enhance their teaching. These institutional aims perfectly complement the project-specific outreach activities proposed in the case for support and we expect to benefit from SUPI support and resources.