A Consolidated Grant Proposal for Solar and Planetary Science at the University of Leicester, 2022 - 2025
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leicester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
We propose a world-class programme of research that focuses on 3 main areas of study concerned with our solar system. The first involves study of the outer environments of the planets where the gas is ionised, such that it not only feels the gravitational pull of the planet, but also interacts strongly with its magnetic and electric fields. In the second area we seek to study the origin and evolution of solar system bodies, through examination of materials from asteroid, chondrite and lunar samples, and through laboratory-based exploration of X-ray fluorescence from Mercury analogues. The third area will employ spectroscopy from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and ground observatories to explore the planetary stratospheres and tropospheres at the ice giants Uranus and Neptune.
Previous work in the first area shows that the outer environments of the planets vary widely, determined by the interaction with the plasma that blows continuously from the Sun on the outside, and the interaction with the planet and its moons on the inside. The solar wind is prone to outbursts that can lead to magnetic storms and bright auroras at Earth, as well as varying strongly over the solar cycle, and with distance from the Sun. Its interaction with the planets then depends on whether the planet is magnetised, has an atmosphere, and has active moons. We will use MESSENGER data to study Mercury close to the Sun, a planet that has a magnetic field but almost no atmosphere; use the constellation of spacecraft at Mars, more distant from the Sun, which has an atmosphere but no strong magnetic field to prevent its erosion by the solar wind; and combine multi-spacecraft and ground instrumentation at Earth, at intermediate distances having both an atmosphere and a magnetic field. We will also study the strongly magnetized giant planets Jupiter and Saturn using data from the Juno mission at Jupiter and Cassini at Saturn, combined with observations of the auroras at ultraviolet wavelengths using the Hubble Space Telescope and at infrared wavelengths using large ground-based telescopes. Auroras are caused by large-scale electric currents flowing between the outer environments and the upper ionized atmospheres, which communicate force between these regions. Overall emphasis will be on the complex physical processes that couple the solar wind on the outside, the magnetic field surrounding the planet (if any), and the planetary atmospheres or surface on the inside.
In the second area, laboratory studies, we will analyse material returned from C-class asteroid Ryugu by the Hayabusa2 mission. We will make complementary analyses on Apollo lunar regolith grains and recent, unique carbonaceous chondrite falls to build a new understanding of space weathering and C-class asteroid parent body processes. This project builds on the leading expertise we have in the microanalysis of planetary materials, through electron microscopy at ePSIC and UoL, and synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopy. Laboratory work focused on Mercury will centre on the MIXS Ground Reference Facility, a purpose-built system to allow detailed analysis of X-ray fluorescence, induced using an X-ray or electron source, for bespoke surface analogues. This laboratory facility will uniquely allow us to expand our science programme using the MIXS data from the BepiColombo mission, both in relation to the dayside surface composition goals at global and local scales on Mercury, and in terms of the nightside magnetosphere-surface interaction which produces a significant X-ray fluorescence associated with electron bombardment.
The final theme leverages Leicester's leadership of the guaranteed-time giant planets programme on the JWST, exploiting MIRI spectroscopic maps of the Ice Giants Uranus and Neptune, combined with a ground-based observation programme, to understand how stratospheric circulation, photochemistry, and tropospheric meteorology shape the atmospheres of sub-giant-sized worlds.
Previous work in the first area shows that the outer environments of the planets vary widely, determined by the interaction with the plasma that blows continuously from the Sun on the outside, and the interaction with the planet and its moons on the inside. The solar wind is prone to outbursts that can lead to magnetic storms and bright auroras at Earth, as well as varying strongly over the solar cycle, and with distance from the Sun. Its interaction with the planets then depends on whether the planet is magnetised, has an atmosphere, and has active moons. We will use MESSENGER data to study Mercury close to the Sun, a planet that has a magnetic field but almost no atmosphere; use the constellation of spacecraft at Mars, more distant from the Sun, which has an atmosphere but no strong magnetic field to prevent its erosion by the solar wind; and combine multi-spacecraft and ground instrumentation at Earth, at intermediate distances having both an atmosphere and a magnetic field. We will also study the strongly magnetized giant planets Jupiter and Saturn using data from the Juno mission at Jupiter and Cassini at Saturn, combined with observations of the auroras at ultraviolet wavelengths using the Hubble Space Telescope and at infrared wavelengths using large ground-based telescopes. Auroras are caused by large-scale electric currents flowing between the outer environments and the upper ionized atmospheres, which communicate force between these regions. Overall emphasis will be on the complex physical processes that couple the solar wind on the outside, the magnetic field surrounding the planet (if any), and the planetary atmospheres or surface on the inside.
In the second area, laboratory studies, we will analyse material returned from C-class asteroid Ryugu by the Hayabusa2 mission. We will make complementary analyses on Apollo lunar regolith grains and recent, unique carbonaceous chondrite falls to build a new understanding of space weathering and C-class asteroid parent body processes. This project builds on the leading expertise we have in the microanalysis of planetary materials, through electron microscopy at ePSIC and UoL, and synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopy. Laboratory work focused on Mercury will centre on the MIXS Ground Reference Facility, a purpose-built system to allow detailed analysis of X-ray fluorescence, induced using an X-ray or electron source, for bespoke surface analogues. This laboratory facility will uniquely allow us to expand our science programme using the MIXS data from the BepiColombo mission, both in relation to the dayside surface composition goals at global and local scales on Mercury, and in terms of the nightside magnetosphere-surface interaction which produces a significant X-ray fluorescence associated with electron bombardment.
The final theme leverages Leicester's leadership of the guaranteed-time giant planets programme on the JWST, exploiting MIRI spectroscopic maps of the Ice Giants Uranus and Neptune, combined with a ground-based observation programme, to understand how stratospheric circulation, photochemistry, and tropospheric meteorology shape the atmospheres of sub-giant-sized worlds.
Publications
Yu B
(2023)
Tianwen-1 and MAVEN Observations of the Response of Mars to an Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection
in The Astrophysical Journal
Withers P
(2022)
Observations of High Densities at Low Altitudes in the Nightside Ionosphere of Mars by the MAVEN Radio Occultation Science Experiment (ROSE)
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Wilson R
(2023)
Internal and External Jovian Magnetic Fields: Community Code to Serve the Magnetospheres of the Outer Planets Community
in Space Science Reviews
Wijsen N
(2023)
The Effect of the Ambient Solar Wind Medium on a CME-driven Shock and the Associated Gradual Solar Energetic Particle Event
in The Astrophysical Journal
Wellbrock A
(2022)
Observations of a Solar Energetic Particle Event From Inside and Outside the Coma of Comet 67P.
in Journal of geophysical research. Space physics
Wang Y
(2022)
Dependencies of GPS Scintillation Indices on the Ionospheric Plasma Drift and Rate of Change of TEC Around the Dawn Sector of the Polar Ionosphere
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Vierinen J
(2022)
Multi-instrument observations of the Pajala fireball: Origin, characteristics, and atmospheric implications
in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
Trumbo S
(2023)
Hydrogen peroxide at the poles of Ganymede
in Science Advances
Telloni D
(2022)
Linking Small-scale Solar Wind Properties with Large-scale Coronal Source Regions through Joint Parker Solar Probe-Metis/Solar Orbiter Observations
in The Astrophysical Journal
Telloni D
(2022)
Observation and Modeling of the Solar Wind Turbulence Evolution in the Sub-Mercury Inner Heliosphere
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Sánchez-Cano B
(2023)
Solar Energetic Particle Events Detected in the Housekeeping Data of the European Space Agency's Spacecraft Flotilla in the Solar System
in Space Weather
Sánchez-Cano B
(2023)
Ionosphere of Mars during the consecutive solar minima 23/24 and 24/25 as seen by MARSIS-Mars Express
in Icarus
Sánchez-Cano B
(2023)
Mars' ionosphere: The key for systematic exploration of the red planet
in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
Sánchez-Bayton M
(2022)
Morphometric and topographic data of small and medium size landforms in the Northern Circumpolar Region of Mars.
in Data in brief
Sánchez-Bayton M
(2022)
Morphological analyses of small and medium size landforms in Scandia Cavi and Olympia Undae, Northern circumpolar region of mars
in Planetary and Space Science
Sulaiman A
(2023)
Poynting Fluxes, Field-Aligned Current Densities, and the Efficiency of the Io-Jupiter Electrodynamic Interaction
in Geophysical Research Letters
Strauss R
(2024)
Jovian Electrons in the Inner Heliosphere: Opportunities for Multi-spacecraft Observations and Modeling
in The Astrophysical Journal
Stober G
(2022)
Meteor radar vertical wind observation biases and mathematical debiasing strategies including the 3DVAR+DIV algorithm
in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
Stergiopoulou K
(2022)
A Two-Spacecraft Study of Mars' Induced Magnetosphere's Response to Upstream Conditions
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Spicher A
(2022)
Interferometric Study of Ionospheric Plasma Irregularities in Regions of Phase Scintillations and HF Backscatter.
in Geophysical research letters
Sinclair J
(2023)
Long-term variability of Jupiter's northern auroral 8- µ m CH 4 emissions
in Icarus
Sinclair J
(2023)
A High Spatial and Spectral Resolution Study of Jupiter's Mid-infrared Auroral Emissions and Their Response to a Solar Wind Compression
in The Planetary Science Journal
Schillings A
(2023)
Signatures of wedgelets over Fennoscandia during the St Patrick's Day Storm 2015
in Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate
Sangha? H
(2022)
Statistical Analysis of Bifurcating Region 2 Field-Aligned Currents Using AMPERE
in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
Roman M
(2023)
Mid-Infrared Observations of the Giant Planets
in Remote Sensing
Rae J
(2022)
What are the fundamental modes of energy transfer and partitioning in the coupled Magnetosphere-Ionosphere system?
in Experimental Astronomy
Pinto M
(2022)
The BepiColombo Environment Radiation Monitor, BERM
in Space Science Reviews
Persson M
(2022)
BepiColombo mission confirms stagnation region of Venus and reveals its large extent.
in Nature communications
Palmerio E
(2022)
CMEs and SEPs During November-December 2020: A Challenge for Real-Time Space Weather Forecasting
in Space Weather
Pacios D
(2023)
Serverless Architecture for Data Processing and Detecting Anomalies with the Mars Express MARSIS Instrument
in The Astronomical Journal
Nichols J
(2022)
Relation of Jupiter's Dawnside Main Emission Intensity to Magnetospheric Currents During the Juno Mission
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Nichols J
(2023)
Jovian Magnetospheric Injections Observed by the Hubble Space Telescope and Juno
in Geophysical Research Letters
Murphy M
(2023)
A Lack of Variability between Repeated Spitzer Phase Curves of WASP-43b
in The Astronomical Journal
Milan S
(2023)
Solar Cycle and Solar Wind Dependence of the Occurrence of Large dB / dt Events at High Latitudes
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Milan S
(2022)
Influence of Off-Sun-Earth Line Distance on the Accuracy of L1 Solar Wind Monitoring
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Milan S
(2022)
Lobe Reconnection and Cusp-Aligned Auroral Arcs
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Milan S
(2023)
The Association of Cusp-Aligned Arcs With Plasma in the Magnetotail Implies a Closed Magnetosphere
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Milan S
(2023)
Solar Wind-Magnetosphere Coupling During High-Intensity Long-Duration Continuous AE Activity (HILDCAA)
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Michael C
(2024)
Evolving Phase Propagation in an Intermediate- m ULF Wave Driven by Substorm-Injected Particles
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Malsky I
(2024)
A Direct Comparison between the Use of Double Gray and Multiwavelength Radiative Transfer in a General Circulation Model with and without Radiatively Active Clouds
in The Astrophysical Journal
Lockwood M
(2023)
Universal Time variations in the magnetosphere
in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences