COUPLING OF SOLAR WIND ENERGY INTO THE EARTH'S ENVIRONMENT [ 2002-01-01 - 2006-01-31 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: A/Prof Frederick Menk (Chief Investigator) ,  Dr Colin Waters (Chief Investigator) ,  Prof Peter Dyson (Chief Investigator)

Brief description COUPLING OF SOLAR WIND ENERGY INTO THE EARTH'S ENVIRONMENT. We will investigate energy transfer from the solar wind to the Earth's space environment, and down to low altitudes. The coupling occurs via reconnection between geomagnetic and interplanetary field lines, ultra-low frequency waves, and momentum transfer. Signatures of these processes include perturbations in the ionosphere and the geomagnetic field and these will be examined using ionospheric radars and sounders (in Tasmania, Antarctica, Canada and Alaska) and magnetometers (Antarctica and Alaska). Space weather can profoundly affect satellite, radio and terrestrial communication networks and observations of the type described here are essential to the development of realistic space weather models.

Funding Amount $580,000

Funding Scheme Discovery Projects

View this grant in the ARC Data Portal