Space weather and space climate research group

RESEARCH TOPIC

Cosmic space is far from being empty. Our planet is surrounded by a rarified yet highly energetic, magnetized, supersonic plasma flow. The ultimate source of this flow is the Sun's atmosphere, from which matter escapes into interplanetary space. Conditions in this outflowing plasma, the solar wind, are continuously changing. From time to time major disturbances arise in it; interacting with the Earth's magnetic field these can trigger magnetic storms. Such storms and associated high-energy solar particles represent a serious risk to our technical civilization: they may lead to extensive communication problems and electric power outages affecting large areas for extended times. This incessant variation of conditions in the Earth's cosmic environment is space weather, while the long-term variation of these conditions on decadal or longer time scales is space climate. The source of the latter is the irregular character of the Sun's 11-year magnetic activity cycles; this affects both the frequency of space storms and variations in terrestrial climate.

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Webpage of the research group: Space weather and space climate research group