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Solar-Terrestrial Physics Lab
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A lab that uses simulations to explore plasma phenomena in space from the Sun to the Earth.
AboutAbout the lab
Solving the space between the Sun and Earth as a single system.
The Solar-Terrestrial Physics Lab regards the space between the Sun and Earth as a single system and studies the physical phenomena that occur there.
By combining observation, theory, and numerical simulation, the lab works to understand large-scale phenomena in a system where the solar wind, magnetosphere, and ionosphere are connected.
According to the lab website, people who know little about magnetospheric phenomena need not hesitate to join, and the necessary knowledge and skills are naturally acquired in the course of research life.
The lab also welcomes people who feel, "I don't really understand it, but let's just give it a try."
Key terms
- Magnetosphere
- The "cavity" region around the Earth that the solar wind cannot enter because of the Earth's magnetic field. The shielding is not perfect.
- Ionosphere
- A region formed when the upper atmosphere is ionized by ultraviolet radiation. The ionization amounts to at most about 0.1% of the whole atmosphere.
- Field-aligned current
- A current that flows along magnetic field lines and carries information between the solar wind, magnetosphere, and ionosphere regions.
- Reconnection
- A phenomenon in which magnetic field lines reconnect (magnetic reconnection). The "frozen-in" condition, in which plasma and magnetic field lines move together, breaks down.
ResearchResearch themes
Solar-terrestrial physics is a field that studies the effects on Earth of high-energy particles and magnetic fields coming from the Sun. By combining global numerical simulations with analysis of observational data, the lab studies plasma convection in the magnetosphere and ionosphere, field-aligned currents, substorms, and related phenomena, with the goal of extracting the essential physical processes behind them.
*Illustrative imageMagnetospheric convection from the perspective of magnetic field topology
The lab organizes the picture of reconnection, in which magnetic field lines reconnect, and theoretically predicts magnetic flux circulation other than the Dungey cycle. It builds the magnetosphere for northward interplanetary magnetic field using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations, and verifies the results with observations.
*Illustrative imageNumerical simulation of theta aurora
The lab reproduces the theta aurora, which can appear in the polar cap in the shape of the Greek letter Θ, using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations, and compares the results with satellite observations. It pursues both research on reproducing the aurora more realistically and research on verifying those results with observations.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Solar-Terrestrial Physics Lab consist of faculty, master's students, and undergraduate students.
- Associate ProfessorMasakazu Watanabe
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: “Mercury’s magnetosphere during BepiColombo’s third flyby (annotated) ESA501746” European Space Agency / CC BY-SA 3.0 igo (cropped)
- Magnetospheric convection from the perspective of magnetic field topology: “Anatomy of Earth's magnetosphere ESA518009” European Space Agency / CC BY-SA 3.0 igo (cropped)
- Numerical simulation of theta aurora: “Aurora Seen From Space by NASA” NASA -- US government agency / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling and Space Weather Science Lab): “Aurora Borealis In North Texas (4)” Rollingskyphoto / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Space and Terrestrial Electromagnetism Lab): “Surlari Geomagnetic Observatory, Three-axis magnetometer Bartington” Victor Blacus / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Deep Earth Physics Lab): “June 2014 magnetic field” ESA/DTU Space / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Atmospheric Fluid Dynamics Lab): “PSM V53 D324 General circulation of atmosphere” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
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