Space and Planetary Physics

Supervisor

Professor Jim Wild

Description

Space weather describes the changing properties of near-Earth space, which influences the flow of electrical currents in this region, particularly within the Earth’s ionosphere and magnetosphere. Space weather results from solar magnetic activity, which waxes and wanes over the Sunspot cycle of 11 years, due to eruptions of electrically charged material from the Sun's outer atmosphere. Particularly severe space weather can affect ground-based, electrically conducting infrastructures such as power transmission systems, pipelines and railways. Ground-based networks are at risk because rapidly changing electrical currents in space, driven by space weather, cause rapid geomagnetic field changes on the ground. These magnetic changes give rise to electric fields in the Earth that cause geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) to flow to or from the Earth, through conducting networks, instead of in the more resistive ground. Railway infrastructure, safety-critical systems, and operations can be affected by induced electrical currents during extreme space weather. Studies of railway operations outside the UK have shown that induced and/or stray currents from the ground during strong magnetic storms result in increased numbers of signalling anomalies in track currents.  Meanwhile, induced direct current flowing in overhead line equipment has the potential to stop train movement.

In this project, you will investigate the level of GIC in UK rail infrastructure for the first time by undertaking a comparison of naturally-occurring geomagnetic activity with rail GIC measurements. The outcomes of this project will increase our understanding of the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to the space weather hazard.

The successful candidate should hold a minimum of a UK MPhys Degree at 2:1 level or equivalent in a physics-based subject. The candidate is expected to successfully work as part of a team, and to complete research suitable for the award of a PhD in Physics, including publications in high impact peer-reviewed journals. 

Funding is available on a competitive basis. Please contact Professor Jim Wild for further information.

Supervisor

Dr Adrian Grocott

Description

The Earth experiences ‘space weather’ that impacts the planetary environment in a variety of ways. These impacts are a recognised environmental hazard, as detailed in the UK National Risk Register. A major impact arises due to the deposition of energy in the atmosphere by Joule heating whereby charged particles, under electromagnetic forcing from the solar wind and magnetospheric dynamics, collide with the neutral constituents of the atmosphere. This can lead to atmospheric uplift (which affects satellite drag, position control and lifetime), excitation of thermospheric winds (which can couple to the lower atmosphere, affecting weather and climate) and triggering of atmospheric gravity waves (which can transport energy and momentum throughout different layers of the atmosphere and across the globe).

This project utilises a range of international space physics facilities to study the characteristics, variability, dynamics, and drivers of Joule heating. In particular, it will employ ionospheric plasma measurements and computational models to determine the importance of ionospheric electric fields in our efforts to model Joule heating. The ultimate goal of the project is to produce a state-of-the-art model to forecast the Joule heating response to changes in the solar wind and geomagnetic activity.

As a PhD student in Lancaster’s “Space and Planetary Physics” (SPP) group you will conduct cutting-edge research in the company of world-leading scientists. You will develop and exploit skills in computer-based data analysis and computational modelling techniques, and deliver oral presentations and written accounts of your work. To this end you will receive a programme of training in the scientific and technical background required to conduct your research, and in the written and oral presentation skills required to disseminate your results to the national and international scientific community. You will also benefit from an internship at the Met Office, which performs operational space weather forecasts for the UK.

Applicants should hold a minimum of a UK honours Degree at 2:1 level or equivalent in a subject such as Physics or Geophysics.

This is a NERC-funded project available through Lancaster’s ENVISION Doctoral Training Programme. The closing date for applications is Friday 17th January 2020. Please see http://www.envision-dtp.org/projects/ for eligibility requirements and further details on the ENVISION programme including how to apply.

Please contact Dr. Adrian Grocott (a.grocott@lancaster.ac.uk) for further information.

Supervisor

Dr Sarah Badman

Description

We are entering a new era of understanding of giant planet environments thanks to the Juno mission at Jupiter, and concurrent Hubble Space Telescope images of Jupiter’s UV aurora. The combination of these measurements allow us to probe how the vast magnetosphere responds to changes in the external (e.g. solar wind) and internal (e.g. the volcanic moon Io) conditions. This project will exploit the available data to investigate the mechanisms and timescales of Jupiter’s magnetospheric dynamics.

The successful candidate should hold a minimum of a UK MPhys Degree at 2:1 level or equivalent in a Physics-based subject. The candidate is expected to successfully work as part of a team, and to complete research suitable for the award of a PhD in Physics, including publications in high impact peer-reviewed journals. 

Funding is available on a competitive basis. Please contact Dr Sarah Badman for further information.

Supervisor

Dr Licia Ray

Description

Jupiter’s upper atmosphere is connected to the local plasma environment allowing the two regions to exchange energy and angular momentum. We still don’t understand the mass flow out of the atmosphere though, which is directly affected by energy inputs into the atmosphere. This outflow can alter magnetospheric dynamics and modify coupling. We will address aspects of this interaction through the development of MI coupling theory and numerical models.

The successful candidate should hold a minimum of a UK MPhys Degree at 2:1 level or equivalent in a Physics-based subject. The candidate is expected to successfully work as part of a team, and to complete research suitable for the award of a PhD in Physics, including publications in high impact peer-reviewed journals. 

Funding is available on a competitive basis. Please contact Dr Licia Ray for further information.

Supervisor

Dr Chris Arridge

Description

The magnetospheres of the giant planets are influenced by planetary ring systems and natural satellites, populations of dust, neutral gas, plasma, and radiation belts, and the host planet’s atmosphere, all embedded within the supersonic solar wind. The challenge of unravelling how these elements interact, and what physical processes are at work has been studied for over 40 years using spacecraft and ground-based observatories. Most recently, the Cassini-Huygens mission at Saturn/Titan, and the Juno mission at Jupiter have been providing data to answer these questions. The challenges of understanding these systems include processing and comparing 100s of GB of data; accounting for sampling, resolution and other instrumental biases; and inferring the state of processes in large-scale systems with limited spacecraft trajectories. In this project, the physics of Jupiter’s magnetosphere will be investigated using data from previous space missions (e.g., Galileo), numerical models, remote observations of the Aurora, and new data from Juno. The project will involve applying techniques from data science, such as machine learning, clustering, modelling, and statistical inference.

Funding is available on a competitive basis. Interested candidates should contact Dr Chris Arridge (c.arridge@lancaster.ac.uk) for further information. Applicants are normally expected to have the equivalent of a first (1) or upper second class (2.1) degree in Physics, Astrophysics or a related discipline.