Imperial College Space Physics Rolling Grant

我们的滚动赠款方案将开展的研究重点是日光层物理、基础空间物理和行星物理。这一切都是由我们的仪器开发工作支撑的，使我们能够设计和建造空间仪器。我们的仪器所做的测量使我们能够解释和理解不同的空间环境。在太空中观察等离子体过程为我们提供了一种研究实验室等离子体和天体物理过程中发生的基本过程的方法，而这些过程并不容易测量。我们将了解对我们近代史上最弱的太阳极小期的回应对我们的气候有什么影响。我们将了解日冕物质抛射如何在行星际空间中传播，并学会更好地预测它们将对地球上的我们产生什么影响。在基础空间物理学中，我们将更好地了解无碰撞等离子体，其中行星际空间、地球周围区域和太阳系中的其他行星是最好的例子。为此，我们将重点关注驱动这些区域动态的一些潜在的关键物理过程，例如湍流和激波物理。在行星物理学中，我们将专注于更好地理解土星磁层中出现的不同物理过程：大部分能量是来自行星的快速自转吗；或者太阳风也起到了关键作用？我们将解决土卫六的大气层是如何随时间变化的，以及它是由什么组成的，这将使我们更好地了解我们自己的大气层从最初的形成到现在是如何变化的。通过观察土星上一些冰冻的小卫星与周围环境的相互作用，我们将了解物质是如何从其表面排出气体的，然后将其与彗星排出气体以及彗星围绕太阳的轨道改变时发生的变化联系起来。我们将开发的新仪器将使我们能够在即将到来的许多航天器任务中飞行低质量和低功率的传感器。我们还将开发更小的磁力计仪器，可以在气球、着陆器和穿透器上飞行。这些飞行器与研究许多不同太阳系天体的大气和表面的计划有关，比如我们的月球，以及太阳系外的卫星，如木卫二、木卫三、土卫六或土卫二。

The research to be carried out in our rolling grant programme focuses on the physics of the heliosphere, fundamental space physics and planetary physics. This is all underpinned by our instrument development work, enabling us to design and build space instrumentation. The measurements made by our instruments allow us to interpret and understand different space environments. Observing plasma processes out in space provides us with a way to study the fundamental processes that occur in both laboratory plasmas and astrophysical ones which are not as easy to measure. We will learn what the implications are on our climate in response to the weakest solar minimum period we have had in recent history. We will understand how Coronal Mass Ejections evolve as they travel through interplanetary space and learn to forecast better what affect they will have on us on Earth. In Fundamental Space Physics we will better understand collisionless plasmas of which interplanetary space, the region around the Earth and other planets in our solar system, are prime examples. To do this we will focus on some of the underlying key physical processes that drive the dynamics of these regions, such as turbulence and shock physics. In Planetary Physics we will focus on understanding better the different physical processes which arise in Saturn's magnetosphere: is most of the energy derived from the fast rotation of the planet; or does the solar wind have a critical role to play as well? We will resolve how Titan's atmosphere changes with time and what it is made of, which will allow us to gain a better understanding of how our own atmosphere has changed from its initial formation. By observing how some of the small icy moons of Saturn interact with the environment around them we will understand how material is outgassed from their surface and then link this to cometary outgassing and the changes that occur as the orbit of the comet changes around the Sun. The new instruments we will develop will enable us to fly low mass and low power sensors on numerous upcoming spacecraft missions. We will also develop much smaller magnetometer instruments which can be flown on balloons, landers and penetrators. These vehicles are linked to plans to study the atmospheres and surfaces of many different solar system bodies, such as our Moon, as well as moons in the outer solar system like Europa, Ganymede, Titan or Enceladus.