Heliospheric and Planetary Research 2020-2023

We will conduct a programme of research concerning the solar wind in the inner heliosphere and the dynamics of the rings and satellites of Saturn.

The Parker Solar Probe spacecraft was launched in August 2018, and will spend 7 years sampling the Sun's plasma, the solar wind, from closer and closer to the solar surface. In the last part of its mission it will be less than 10 solar radii from the Sun, and then could be truly said to be "touching the Sun." This incredibly challenging mission will revolutionize our view of how the Sun's plasma flows from the corona and fills the space of what is called the heliosphere. The solar wind is also the link between the Sun and the Earth, driving the Space Weather that controls the Earth's magnetosphere, and which can have profound effects on technological systems such as satellites and communication networks. The solar wind is hot (much hotter than the surface of the sun), and has a supersonic flow. We will use data from Parker Solar Probe to characterize the solar wind in the inner heliosphere, and show how it changes with distance from the Sun. We will carry out a coordinated programme of research using data analysis and state-of-the-art plasma simulations to reveal the plasma dynamics of the inner heliosphere. This will help us to solve long-standing problems about coronal heating and the acceleration of the solar wind. For example, plasma turbulence is ever-present in the solar wind, and understanding how it contributes to plasma heating, through a cascade of energy from large to small scales, is a key problem in astrophysics. Our results will help us understand how the solar wind flows from Sun and fills the heliosphere. We will also use our results to understand the operation and role of fundamental plasma processes, such as turbulent dissipation, plasma instabilities and shock acceleration, in space and astrophysical plasmas.

The outer part of Saturn's main rings is a region where there is an approximate balance between forces that disrupt bodies (tides) and those that bring them together (self-gravity). Here objects can form, interact with surrounding material and even break up due to collisions. We will use the trove of Cassini images to understand these processes and the role of nearby moons. Studying these mechanisms gives a wider insight into planetary formation and evolution. Images of Saturn's moons against background stars over the duration of the mission will continue to be used to place constraint's on models of Saturn's interior while studying the moons' shapes will give us information about their internal structure.

The primary beneficiaries of the research will be members of the UK and international science community, particularly those working in the fields of space physics, solar physics, heliospheric physics, planetary physics and more generally in astrophysics. Some of the work will also be relevant to those working in plasma physics including laboratory and fusion plasmas. Since the work will involve analysis of spacecraft data the techniques may be of interest to those in the fields of data analysis, time series analysis and data science.

The research proposed in this application is largely concerned with basic scientific inquiry and the understanding of the Universe and how stars and planets evolve and interact with their surroundings. The primary impact of the research will be in the cultural sphere, as the research will increase the sum total of human knowledge about the solar system and its constituents, and will therefore enhance the sense of wonder about the world that we live in for the general public. Our research in areas such as the Saturn system, the sun and solar wind all have strong public appeal and interest. In addition, our work is strongly based on space missions which have reat potential for inspiring the general public.

The Astronomy Unit at Queen Mary has an active programme of public engagement and schools outreach, both to inform and engage the general public about our research, and to also inspire school pupils to become interested in science and to take STEM subjects post-GCSE. These engagement programmes include giving public talks, having open days and evenings at the university and a range of media work that includes TV and radio interviews. Our schools outreach programmes include summer schools, essay writing competitions (i.e. Cassini Scientist for a Day), going into schools to give talks and provide hands-on activities. In doing this we are explicitly supporting the STEM agenda through our research, which is a key government policy for building long term economic growth.

Finally, the postdoctoral researchers that we will employ on the grant will receive training and experience in a variety of skills that will be of great benefit to the wider economy if they at some stage leave academia and work in industry or the commercial sector. These skills include advanced computing and data analysis, independent problem solving, project management, report writing through authorship of scientific publications, and presentation skills obtained from conference attendance etc.