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Space and Solar Physics

Space is not empty! Space science covers everything from Earth's surface to the Sun and then out into the galaxy. The range of space physics studied here is from Earth's ionosphere to the Sun's surface to the outer boundaries of the heliosphere and solar system, where the Sun's ``solar wind'' interacts with the local interstellar medium. As such it includes the solar corona and solar wind (sometimes called the interplanetary medium), the ionospheres and magnetospheres of Earth and the other planets, and the "Space Weather" that results from interactions between the Sun and Earth.

Space physics is essential for understanding humanity's local environment and solar system. It is also crucial for modern astrophysics, since space plasmas are the only extraterrestrial plasmas available for detailed in situ study and comparison of theory with data. Plasma physics is the basic underlying sub-discipline of physics. The reason is that these regions all contain plasmas, the so-called "Fourth State of Matter", in which atoms are either partially or fully ionized into electrons and ions, thereby being strong influenced by electromagnetic waves and vice-versa.

Current Research Areas

1. Space Physics Phenomena - development and testing of theories for space phenomena, especially related to solar activity (e.g., flares and coronal mass ejections/CMEs), radio emissions, and the outer heliosphere.
   
   
2. Instruments and Space Missions.
   
   
3. Prediction of Space Weather - especially radio and particle signatures.

People

Dr Iver Cairns (Australian Professorial Fellow)
Dr Stuart Knock (Honorary Associate)
Mr D. Konkolewicz (Complex Systems Scholar)
Dr Zdenka Kuncic (Lecturer)
Dr Bo Li (Research Fellow)
Dr Ben McMillan (Research Fellow)
Mr Jeremy Mitchell (PhD Student)
Ms Amaal Mohamed (PhD student)
Ms Alix Nulsen (Honors Student)
Prof. Peter Robinson (Federation Fellow)
Dr Sergey Vladimirov (Australian Professorial Fellow)
Dr Xingqiu Yuan (Research Fellow)

Click image to view larger version (91 KB)
Figure 1. Dynamic spectrum showing radio emission due to solar activity.

Figure 2. Dynamic spectra showing radio emission from the outer heliosphere due to interplanetary shocks.

Figure 3. Photograph of a solar flare on the Sun's surface.