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School of Physical and Chemical Sciences

Space, Solar, and Astrophysical Plasmas

Parker Solar Probe. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben The Space, Solar, and Astrophysical Plasmas group carries out research into the naturally occurring plasmas that fill the solar system and Universe beyond. We use data from a wide range of spacecraft throughout the solar system, as well as state of the art numerical simulation and cutting edge plasma theory. The group has a broad range of interests, including systems such as the Sun, solar corona, solar wind, planetary magnetospheres, the heliosphere, and fundamental processes such as turbulence, collisionless shocks, plasma waves and instabilities, reconnection, and particle acceleration, as well as the applications of this physics to space weather.

Illustration of the MMS spacecraft measuring the solar wind plasma in the interaction region with the Earth’s magnetic field. Credit: NASA. Active spacecraft missions we are involved in include Cluster, MMS, Parker Solar Probe, and Solar Orbiter.

Further information, including PhD study and job opportunities, can be found at the Space Plasma website.

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