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Space Fluid Environment Lab
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A lab that explores the space environment through the behavior of space plasma.
AboutAbout the lab
Unraveling the behavior of the plasma that fills the universe.
With space plasma as its keyword, the Space Fluid Environment Lab studies a wide range of cosmic fluid environments, from the space around Earth to distant high-energy astronomical objects.
Outer space is filled throughout with plasma, an electrically conducting fluid.
The effects of solar activity reach the space environment around Earth through plasma, and the behavior of plasma is also the key to understanding spectacular astronomical phenomena.
The lab also focuses on developing propulsion technology for spacecraft by controlling plasma.
Key terms
- Plasma
- An electrically conducting fluid. Outer space is filled with it throughout.
- Collisionless shock
- A shock wave in space in which collisions between particles hardly occur. Its structure becomes very complex.
- Cosmic rays
- High-energy charged particles observed in outer space and on the ground.
- Relativistic plasma
- A plasma with extremely high energy whose phenomena cannot be understood without taking the effects of relativity into account.
NewsLab news
Paper on ion acceleration experiments using high-intensity lasers published; press release issued
Paper on numerical experiments of pickup-ion-modified shocks published
Paper by a PhD student published (4/10)
ResearchResearch themes
The lab investigates how the plasma that fills space behaves through shock waves, waves, and turbulence. Using theory, modeling, and computer simulations, it addresses the acceleration of cosmic rays and phenomena around high-energy astronomical objects.
*Illustrative imagePhysics of Collisionless Shocks
Shock waves in space have very few collisions between particles, and their structure is complex. The detailed mechanisms of the large-amplitude waves and high-energy particles generated near them are not yet understood. The lab is working to clarify the physics of collisionless shocks through theory, simulations, and large-scale laser experiments.
*Illustrative imageTurbulence and Nonlinear Waves in Space Plasmas
Waves and turbulence in space plasmas are characterized by very strong nonlinearity. The lab investigates their origin and fundamental properties through theory, modeling, computer simulations, and analysis of satellite data using machine learning.
*Illustrative imageAcceleration and Transport of Cosmic Rays
Cosmic rays span a very wide range of energies, and the processes that give rise to the features of their distribution are still not clear. The lab studies their generation and transport in the complex electromagnetic field structures of space through theory, modeling, and simulations.
*Illustrative imageRelaxation Processes in Relativistic Plasmas
For plasmas around high-energy astronomical objects, the effects of relativity must be taken into account. The lab studies the excitation of large-amplitude waves and how these waves efficiently accelerate particles over long periods of time, using theory, modeling, and simulations.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Space Fluid Environment Lab consist of faculty, postdoctoral researchers, PhD, master's, and undergraduate students, and professors emeritus.As of 2026
- ProfessorShuichi Matsukiyo
- Assistant ProfessorShogo Isayama
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Mars Disappearing Solar Wind- MAVEN Visualizations (SVS5200 - maven solar wind close 19470 print)” NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio - USRA/Kel Elkins, NASA/GSFC/Greg Shirah, KBR Wyle Services, LLC/Dan Gallagher, University of Colorado Boulder/Willow Reed, University of Iowa/Jasper Halekas, University of Colorado Boulder/Skylar Shaver, University of California, Berkeley/Abigail Azari, UCLA/Yingjuan Ma, University of California, Berkeley/Shannon Curry, NASA/GSFC/Nancy Neal-Jones / Public domain (cropped)
- Physics of Collisionless Shocks: “Vela Supernova Remnant - Noirlab2406a” CTIO/NOIRLab/DOE/NSF/AURA Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF’s NOIRLab), M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF’s NOIRLab) / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Turbulence and Nonlinear Waves in Space Plasmas: “A solar wind streams flowing from small coronal holes hit Earth's magnetic field” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Acceleration and Transport of Cosmic Rays: “Vela Supernova Remnant by Harel Boren ( )” Harel Boren / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Relaxation Processes in Relativistic Plasmas: “PSR J b orbiting pulsar PSR J” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (先進宇宙ロケット工学研究室): “Milky way in Elbrus” oliwok / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (非平衡プラズマ力学研究室): “IPT-plasma-jet” Endeavour88 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (核融合プラズマ物性制御工学研究室): “Soldering practice object for tokamak construction, in park of Tsukuba Expo Center” Syced / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (物質
移動反応工学研究室): “Hydrogen (Element - 1)” James St. John / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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