Space and planetary physics

我们提议开展一系列广泛的研究项目，这些项目将回答有关太阳系及其内行星的重要问题。我们还将通过太阳风研究太阳和行星际空间之间的联系，以及它们如何影响地球周围的空间。太空中充满了少量的带电热粒子，称为等离子体，还有磁场，所以我们所做的大部分工作都是将基本的等离子体物理学应用到太空中。在我们的工作中，我们将研究等离子体中发生的一些基本过程，包括通过重连接释放磁能和粒子在激波中的加速。我们将研究太阳风是如何由太阳产生的，它是如何向地球演变的，以及如何使用不同的监测位置来预测地球上的情况。我们将继续对67P/丘留莫夫-格拉西门科彗星的等离子体过程和复杂性进行定量评估，并将我们的模型与旁边飞行的罗塞塔号宇宙飞船的数据联系起来。我们将利用卡西尼号宇宙飞船比以往任何时候都更接近土星的数据来了解这颗巨大行星的内部磁场。我们将研究太阳系中最小的行星水星的磁场，并考虑能量是如何从太阳风转移到巨行星的，以及这与地球有何不同。这些都是值得研究的重要课题，不仅因为它们为我们尚未完全理解的基本物理过程提供了新的见解，还因为它们对我们的生活、其他科学领域以及它们告诉我们的关于宇宙的信息的影响。我们在等离子体物理学方面的工作既与地球上的实验室工作有关，也与许多天体物理对象（如恒星和星系之间的空间）有关。我们对巨行星和卫星的研究有助于我们更好地描述系外行星上及其周围发生的过程。在所有这些工作中，我们将使用理论模型和计算机模拟，以及来自深空或行星轨道上的航天器的测量。在很多情况下，测量都是由我们在帝国理工学院建造的仪器完成的。其中大多数测量的是太空中的磁场。磁场在所有的等离子体中都很重要，而且太空中充满了等离子体——但它在告诉我们行星和卫星的内部也很重要。测量太空中的磁场非常困难，因为它们非常小，所以与设计、制造和运行这些仪器的工程师密切合作，对我们的科学研究有很大帮助。作为这项提议的一部分，我们还将开发下一代微型磁场仪器，我们希望在未来的小型任务中围绕地球或其他行星飞行。这一发展非常重要，它使我们能够利用现有的新技术，尽可能制造出最小、最轻、最低功耗和最精确的仪器。这样，我们就为未来的科学奠定了基础。

We propose to carry out a broad series of research projects which will answer important questions about our solar system and the planets within it. We will also study the links between the Sun and interplanetary space through the solar wind, as well as how they affect space around the Earth. Space is filled with small amounts of hot charged particles, called a plasma, along with a magnetic field, so much of the work we do is fundamental plasma physics applied to space.In our work we will study some fundamental processes that occur in plasmas, including the release of magnetic energy by reconnection and the acceleration of particles at shock waves. We will look at how the solar wind is created by the Sun and how it evolves towards the Earth, as well as how different monitoring locations can be used to predict conditions at Earth. We will pursue our quantitative assessment of the plasma processes and complexity at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, linking our models with data from the Rosetta spacecraft flying alongside. We will use data from the Cassini spacecraft as it travels closer to Saturn than ever before to learn about the giant planet's internal magnetic field. We will study the magnetic field of the smallest planet in the solar system, Mercury, as well as considering how energy is transferred from the solar wind to the giant planets and how this is different from the Earth.These are important topics to study not just because they provide new insight into fundamental physical processes which we do not fully understand, but also because of their effects on our lives, on other areas of science and of what they tell us about our Universe. Our work on plasma physics is related to both laboratory work on the Earth as well as many astrophysical objects such as stars and the space between the galaxies. Our work on giant planets and moons helps us to better characterise the processes that occur on and around exoplanets. In all this work we will use theoretical models and computer simulations as well as measurements from spacecraft in deep space or in orbit around planets. In many of these cases, the measurements are made by instruments that we have built here at Imperial College. Most of these measure the magnetic field in space. The magnetic field is important in all plasmas, and space is filled with plasma - but it is also important in telling us about the interiors of planets and moons. Measuring the magnetic fields in space is very difficult because they are so small, so our science is greatly helped by working closely with the engineers who design, build and run the instruments. As part of this proposal, we will also develop the next generation of miniature magnetic field instruments, which we hope to fly on future, small missions around the Earth or other planets. This development is important so that we can take advantage of new technologies that have become available to make the smallest, lightest, lowest power and most accurate instruments possible. In this way, we lay the groundwork for the science of the future.