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Seki Lab
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The lab explores the space environment surrounding planets, from aurora to atmospheric escape.
AboutAbout the lab
Understanding space weather and exploring the conditions for habitable planets
The lab studies plasma phenomena in the space surrounding planets.
About 100 km above the ground, the atmosphere becomes ionized, and the environment is one where space radiation flies about and electromagnetic fields and plasma interact in complex ways.
The lab combines in situ observations by scientific satellites with computer simulations.
The central themes are understanding space weather phenomena and the effect that atmospheric escape from terrestrial planets has on the habitability of their environments.
Key terms
- Space weather
- Variations in the state of the Sun's surface, interplanetary space, and planetary space environments, including changes in aurora and space radiation
- Plasma
- A gas in which atoms have separated into electrons and ions. Most of the matter in space is in this state
- Atmospheric escape
- The loss of a planet's atmosphere into space. It influences how a planet's surface environment changes over time
NewsLab news
Heavy ions of terrestrial origin found to be the key to the development of an extreme geomagnetic storm
Doctoral student receives the Outstanding Student Presentation Award at the Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2025
Student receives the Best Presentation Award (Aurora Medal) at the 156th SGEPSS Meeting
Mystery of the colors of the aurora that appeared in Japan in May 2024 solved
Prof. Seki receives the COSPAR William Nordberg Medal
ResearchResearch themes
By understanding space weather phenomena, the lab aims to support the expansion of humanity's frontier and to explore the conditions under which planets that can sustain life exist. The lab combines observations from planetary probes and scientific satellites with numerical simulations.
*Illustrative imageGeospace Environmental Variability
The solar wind, a supersonic plasma emitted from the Sun, interacts with Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field. Using multi-point satellite observations and simultaneous satellite and ground-based observations, the lab studies variations in the radiation belts, the outflow of plasma of atmospheric origin, and large-scale current structures.
*Illustrative imageSpace Radiation and Aurora on Mars
Mars has no global intrinsic magnetic field, so the solar wind and solar energetic particles penetrate down to low altitudes and produce a type of aurora different from that on Earth. The lab investigates the mechanisms that generate it through analysis of spacecraft observation data and numerical simulations.
*Illustrative imageMartian Atmospheric Escape and Climate Change
Mars is estimated to have had oceans and a warm, humid climate about 4 billion years ago, yet it is cold and dry today. Using observations from orbiters such as NASA's MAVEN and large-scale simulations, the lab studies how the atmosphere escapes into space.
*Illustrative imageIntrinsic Magnetic Fields and Atmospheric Escape
The space environment around a planet changes greatly depending on the strength of the planet's intrinsic magnetic field. By applying simulations with a proven record on Mars to a variety of magnetic field conditions, the lab seeks to clarify how magnetic field strength affects atmospheric escape.
MembersFaculty
The lab's members consist of faculty, project researchers, JSPS Research Fellows, a lab secretary, cooperating faculty members, and doctoral and master's students.As of 2026
- ProfessorKanako SekiPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorTakuya Hara
- Assistant ProfessorRyoya SakataPublications ↗
- Associate Professor (Collaborative Faculty)Ryuho Kataoka
- Assistant Professor (Affiliated Faculty)Kunihiro Keika
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RelatedLabs similar to Seki Lab
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Imada LabFaculty of Science, Department of Earth and Planetary PhysicsElucidation of Plasma Heating and Acceleration Phenomena in …The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
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: “Aurora Australis From ISS” ISS Expedition 23 crew / Public domain (cropped)
- Geospace Environmental Variability: “Aurora Seen From Space by NASA” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Space Radiation and Aurora on Mars: “Solar Storm Excites Martian Magnetosphere (SVS5502 - marsMagnetosphere VelTracersExtended 9-6-2024a jmag normal flightA noAnnotation 4k 00420 print)” NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio / Public domain (cropped)
- Martian Atmospheric Escape and Climate Change: “Mars Valles Marineris EDIT” NASA
（バイキング1号オービター） / Public domain (cropped) - Intrinsic Magnetic Fields and Atmospheric Escape: “Simulation of Mercury’s magnetic environment ESA501859” European Space Agency / CC BY-SA 3.0 igo (cropped)
- Related lab (Amano Lab): “Supernova Remnant SN 1006” X-ray: NASA/CXC/Rutgers/G.Cassam-Chenaï, J.Hughes et al.; Radio: NRAO/AUI/NSF/GBT/VLA/Dyer, Maddalena & Cornwell; Optical: Middlebury College/F.Winkler, NOAO/AURA/NSF/CTIO Schmidt & DSS / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Saito-Shinohara Lab (Space Plasma Division)): “Aurora borealis over Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska” United States Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Strang / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Shimizu Lab): “SOLAR-B artists concept” NASA/GSFC/C. Meaney / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Imada Lab): “February 16, 2024 X2 5 Solar Flare (SVS14531 - SDO )” NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio - A. J. Christensen, Scott Wiessinger / Public domain (cropped)
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