Recent  

Our model calculations indicate that meteoric smoke particles (MSP) influence both the magnitude and shape of the electron temperature during artificial heating. Others have found that current theoretical models most likely overestimate heating in the D-region compared to observations. In a future study, we will compare of our results to observations of the electron temperature during heating to investigate if the presence of MSP can explain the discrepancy between model and observations.

In the present work, the lunar semidiurnal tide (M₂) was investigated in the equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) zonal drifts over Brazil from 2000 to 2007. On average, the M₂ contributes 5.6 % to the variability of the EPB zonal drifts. It was also observed a strong seasonal and solar cycle dependency, being the amplitudes of the M₂ stronger during the summer and high solar activity periods.

Exospheric Ly-a observations of UVIS/HDAC at CASSINI on its Earth swing by and TWINS are used combined, to derive the exospheric H-density profile of the ecliptic dayside between 3–15 R_e. At 10 R_e n_H = 35 cm⁻³ is found in the vicinity of the sub-solar point for quiet space weather conditions. Also a faster radial fall of the dayside H-density above 8 R_e (r⁻³) compared to lower distances 3–7 R_e (r^−2.37) is found and possibly indicates enhanced loss of H-atoms near the magnetopause and beyond.

We use a computer code to study how a particular plasma effect, the Hall effect, changes how plasma behaves and interacts with magnetic fields behind planets in the magnetotail. We find that when the scale of the Hall effect is big enough compared to the scale of the magnetotail, plasma behavior is no longer symmetric. Measurements of magnetic activity and structure vary in time and differ between opposite sides of the tail. This fits well with findings from spacecraft data and other models.

During auroral substorms the ionospheric electric currents change rapidly and a large amount of energy is dissipated. We combine ionospheric current data derived from the Swarm satellite mission with the substorm database from the SuperMAG ground magnetometer network. We obtain statistics of the strength and location of the currents relative to the substorm onset. Our results show that Low Earth Orbit satellites give a coherent picture of the main features in the substorm current system.

We used an up-to-date list of substorms, HILDCAAs and geomagnetic storms of varying intensity along with all availablegeomagnetic indices during the space exploration era to explore the seasonal features of the geomagnetic activity and their drivers. As substorms, HILDCAAs and magnetic storms of varying intensity have varying solar/interplanetary drivers, such astudy is important for a complete understanding of the seasonal features of the geomagnetic response to the solar/interplanetary events.

The ionosphere is one of the important layers of the atmosphere that affect the transmission of radio waves. In equatorial ionosphere anomaly (EIA) the lifted plasma diffuses downward on both sides of magnetic equator and creates two crests. The values of monthly zonal means of TEC are separated and shows fluctuations due to upward planetary wave propagation in equinoxes and winter. In addition, two cases of super-fountain effect (contain Halloween solar storm) were detected on zonal mean TEC.

Measurements of the electric field and neutral wind in the ionosphere are important for understanding energy flows or electric currents. With incoherent scatter radars (ISR), we can measure the velocity of the ions, which depends on both the electrical field and the neutral wind. In the paper, we are investigating methods to use ISR data to find reasonable values for both parameters. We find that electric field can be well measured down to 125 km height and neutral wind below his height.

The 2020 summer season has revealed frequent occurrences of noctilucent clouds around the Northern hemisphere at middle latitudes (45–55° N). We have found that there has been a moderate decrease in the upper mesosphere temperature between 2016 and 2020 and no dramatic changes have been observed in temperature in the summer of 2020 at the middle latitude mesopause. At the same time, water vapor concentration has significantly increased in the zonal mean H₂O value in the 2020 summer.

An original instrument was created – “DIAS” Software for detection, identification and analyzing of ionosphere anomalies from satellite spectrograms and time series rows data from instruments onboard DEMETER satellite. Using this Software, in the ISTT the research of ionosphere parameters variations caused by various anthropogenic and natural factors are provided. These scientific data processing and visualization technologies can be used for other scientific space missions.

The Sun’s magnetic field is carried across space by the solar wind – a hot plasma “stream” of ions and electrons – forming the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF). The IMF can introduce asymmetries into the Earth's magnetic field, giving plasma flowing within it a direction dependent on IMF orientation. Electric currents in near-Earth space can also influence these plasma flows. We investigate these two competing mechanisms and find that the currents can override the IMF control of the flow.

Spacecraft missions do not always record observations at the highest possible resolution: the so-called burst mode is switched on only occasionally. It is of paramount importance that processes of interest are sampled in burst mode. At the moment, many missions rely on a "scientist in the loop", that decides when to trigger burst mode by looking at preview data. Our work constitutes a first step towards making this decision automatic, to improve mission operations and decrease human bias.

The study presents long-term attitudinal changes and variability (spatial and temporal, during 2000–2017) in the coverage of snow and glaciers in one of the world’s largest mountainous regions, the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region. The western zone and high-altitude regions (above 6000 m) show no significant decline in snow cover whereas the lower altitude regions (< 6000 m) show a variable but statistically significant decline in snow cover in the central and eastern zones (5–15 %).