MSSL Consolidated Grant 2013-16

这项综合拨款申请包括天体物理学、行星科学、太阳物理学、空间等离子体物理学和仪器仪表领域的相关项目组合。每个单独的项目都有明确的目标，项目通常分为三个主题：天体物理学；太阳系和仪器。在所有领域的研究都建立在我们的科学专业知识和我们提供和支持空间资产所带来的机会之上。然而，我们的计划绝不限于MSSL硬件开发，甚至不限于飞行我们硬件的任务。相反，在收集必要的数据以理解我们所解决的科学问题以及STFC认为重要的科学问题时，我们会考虑每一条可用的途径。合并拨款也为未来的任务奠定了基础，包括盖亚、JWST和太阳轨道器。在天体物理学中，我们试图更好地理解：一个被尘埃严重遮蔽的宇宙；流入黑洞的物质（各种尺度）；银河系和其他星系的动力学和形成历史；费米宇宙飞船发现的伽马射线源的性质，其中许多目前尚未确定；伽马射线暴（自然界最大的爆炸）及其周围；最大规模磁场的起源；活动星系核和恒星产生的中微子能谱；以及粒子和辐射在极端天体物理环境中的传输。在我们的太阳系研究中，我们研究：等离子体中性相互作用（对理解太阳风与大气的相互作用很重要）；太阳风对土星巨大磁层的影响；驱动北极光等现象的极光加速机制；地球保护磁鞘的各个部分，包括磁尾、亚暴、磁层顶和磁重联的作用；全球日冕波在太阳上的性质；太阳地震及其与喷发事件的关系；太阳风的形成；通量绳在太阳喷发中的作用；以及火星和月球的表面形成过程——这两个天体在这方面与地球非常不同。我们的仪器研究包括新型，小型化等离子体分析仪和<0.1K冷却器的开发。

This consolidated grant application comprises a portfolio of related projects across the fields of astrophysics, planetary sciences, solar physics, space plasma physics and instrumentation. Each individual project has clear objectives and the projects are generally grouped into three themes: Astrophysics; Solar System and Instrumentation.In all areas the research builds upon our science expertise and the opportunities comming from our provision and support of space assets. However our programme is by no means limited by MSSL hardware exploitation or even the exploitation of missions flying our hardware. Rather, every route available is considered when gathering the data necessary to understand the science questions that we address and that have been identified by STFC as being important.The consolidated grant also sets the foundation for the expoitation of future missions including Gaia, JWST and Solar Orbiter.In Astrophysics we seek to better understand: a universe that is heavily obscured by dust; inflow of material onto black holes (of all scales); the dynamics and formation history of the Milky Way and other galaxies; the nature of gamma-ray sources discovered by the Fermi spacecraft, many of which are presently un-identified; gamma-ray bursts (natures greatest explosions) and their environs; the origin of magnetic fields on the largest-scale; the energy spectra of neutrinos produced by active galactic nuclei and stars; and the transportation of particles and radiation in extreme astrophysics environments.In our Solar System Research we study: plasma-neutral interactions (important in understanding the interaction of the solar wind with atmospheres); the effect of the solar wind on Saturn's enormous magnetosphere; auroral acceleration mechanisms which drive such phenomena as the northern lights; various parts of the Earth's protective magnetic sheath including the magnetotail, substorms, magnetopause and the role of magnetic reconnection; properties of global coronal waves on the Sun; sun-quakes and there relation to eruption events; the formation of the solar wind; the role of flux ropes in solar eruptions; and surface formation processes on Mars and the Moon - two objects very different to the Earth in this respect.Our Instrumentation research includes the development of novel, miniaturised plasma analysers and <0.1K coolers.