Harnessing mega-constellations to probe space weather globally

近地空间不断变化的条件导致了空间天气。这通过我们所依赖的技术对我们的日常生活构成了威胁。空间天气对关键的电力、通信、导航和运输系统产生影响。因此，监测和预测气候变化至关重要。驱动全球空间天气的过程还没有被很好地理解。地球磁场和从太阳吹来的带电粒子之间的相互作用在太空中形成了一个保护层，称为磁层。太空天气的发生是因为这个保护罩既不完美也不静态。能量穿透我们的磁层，并分布到磁层内的不同区域。但全球的反应大于各部分的总和。局部进程本身无法解释整体响应。相反，太空天气现象似乎是从复杂系统本身产生的。为了更好地了解导致太空天气的原因，需要一个全球的方法。需要大量的卫星群一起工作，称为星座。通过传统的太空任务实现这一目标过于昂贵。卫星运营商现在正在发射用于通信服务的商业巨型星座。这些卫星由数百到数千颗低地球轨道卫星组成。这个轨道位于大气层顶部和磁层之间的交界处。太空天气如何在这些区域之间调解仍然是一个悬而未决的问题。所以巨型星座是太空天气监测的完美场所。这些卫星通过测量地球磁场来确定自己的方位。但这些仪器也可以探测到太空天气的特征。因此，这项研究将利用巨型星座作为监测太空天气的工具。巨型星座在太空中提供了数量空前的全球分布观测点。我将开发新的处理工具来使用这些数据。这些将提取和解决不断变化的电流调解空间天气。计算机模拟将测试可达到的极限。这些结果将为未来用于空间天气监测的巨型星座设计提供信息。机器学习还将应对分析太空“大数据”的挑战。我将把从其他领域发展出来的方法应用于空间气象科学。这将减少用于分析和识别现有模式的数据量。它们将广泛应用于当前和未来的任务、设施和模拟。我与一个大型星座运营商合作，将这些方法付诸实践。这将建立目前超级星座的空间气象能力。我将从这些数据中得出一个新的全球活动指数。这将消除目前使用的错误和偏差。实时生成该指数的管道将产生新的太空天气警报。专门的活动还将进一步推动对太空天气驱动因素的科学研究。这与即将到来的太阳活动增加相吻合。这些活动将集中在强烈的太空天气事件中出现的波浪上。就像乐器一样，这些波受到环境的处理和引导。这形成了一个复杂的管弦乐队，环绕着我们的星球。但我们不知道这个交响乐的全球性质及其在太空天气中的重要性。巨型星座将最终揭示不同波的结构。因此，我将确定它们对空间辐射、大气加热和地面电流的影响。这将促进我们对这些波如何影响太空天气的理解。这项研究将通过利用巨型星座来彻底改变太空天气监测。它将产生能力的阶梯式变化。全球数据将揭示太空天气如何运作，提高我们预测它的能力。因此，该奖学金将增强我们减轻对社会的威胁的能力。

The changing conditions in near-Earth space cause space weather. This poses a risk to our everyday lives through the technology we rely upon. Space weather impacts on crucial power, communications, navigation, and transport systems. Monitoring and forecasting it is thus vital.The processes that drive space weather globally are not well understood. The interplay between Earth's magnetic field and charged particles blowing from the Sun forms a protective shield in space, known as the magnetosphere. Space weather occurs because this shield is neither perfect nor static. Energy penetrates our magnetosphere and gets distributed to different regions inside it. But the global response is greater than the sum of its parts. Local processes alone cannot explain the overall response. Instead, space weather phenomena appear to emerge from the complex system itself. To better understand what causes space weather requires a global approach.Large groups of satellites working together, known as constellations, are required. Achieving this through traditional space missions is too expensive. Satellite operators are now launching commercial mega-constellations for communications services. These consist of hundreds to thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit. This orbit is at the interface between the top of our atmosphere and the magnetosphere. How space weather is mediated between these regions is still an open question. So mega-constellations are perfectly placed for space weather monitoring. The satellites use measurements of Earth's magnetic field to orient themselves. But these instruments can detect the signatures of space weather also. This fellowship will thus harness mega-constellations as a tool for monitoring space weather.Mega-constellations provide an unprecedented number of globally distributed observation points in space. I will develop new processing tools to use this data. These will extract and resolve the ever-changing electrical currents mediating space weather. Computer simulations will test the limits of what is achievable. These results will inform requirements on future mega-constellation designs for space weather monitoring. Machine learning will also combat the challenges of analysing "big data" in space. I will adapt methods developed from other fields for use in space weather science. These will reduce the amount of data to analyse and identify patterns present. They will have broad applications across current and upcoming missions, facilities, and simulations.I have partnered with a mega-constellation operator to put these methods into practice. This will establish the current space weather capabilities of mega-constellations. I will derive a new global activity index from this data. This will eliminate the errors and biases in those currently used. A pipeline producing this index in real-time will yield new space weather warnings.Dedicated campaigns will also further scientific research into what drives space weather. These coincide with the upcoming increase in solar activity. The campaigns will focus on waves that emerge during intense space weather events. Like a musical instrument, these waves are processed and guided by their environment. This forms a complex orchestra that encompasses our planet. But we do not know the global nature of this symphony and its importance in space weather. The mega-constellation will at last reveal the structure of the different waves. I will thus determine their effects on space radiation, atmospheric heating, and currents in the ground. This will advance our understanding of how these waves contribute to space weather.This fellowship will revolutionise space weather monitoring by harnessing mega-constellations. It will yield a step-change in capability. Global data will unveil how space weather works, improving our ability to predict it. The fellowship will thus boost our ability to mitigate this threat to society.