Project description DEENESFRITPL Improved space weather models at high latitudes The polar ionosphere is a dynamic region that readily responds to changes in solar irradiance, the solar wind, the magnetosphere and space plasma. Understanding the physical processes that give rise to the scintillation of radio wave signals that cross the ionosphere is key to determining space weather. The EU-funded POLAR-4DSpace project plans to investigate how auroral particle precipitations and geomagnetic activity create plasma irregularities at high latitudes and how these affect the global navigation satellite system. The project integrates in situ measurements of plasma from sounding rockets, numerical simulations and statistical analysis with ground- and satellite-based observations at both hemispheres. The results will provide a valuable foundation for developing accurate space weather models that will increase the security of operations in the polar regions. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Ionosphere is the partially ionized, outermost part of the Earth’s atmosphere. Its dynamics is inherently complex and affected by dynamic conditions in the solar wind. In the polar regions, it is directly coupled to the Earth’s magnetosphere and space plasma. The polar ionosphere is subject to the auroral particle precipitation, instabilities and turbulence, which all influence the energy transfer through the ionosphere and lead to plasma density irregularities which lead to scintillations of trans-ionospheric radio signals. Irregularities span over a large range of scales, from thousands of kilometers down to centimeters, making their investigation a highly challenging task. The state of ionosphere at high latitudes is a crucial aspect of the space weather, which has important impact on today’s society, in particular in the context of increasing shipping, aviation, and other operations in the Arctic. Understanding processes in the polar ionosphere, their technological impacts, and laying foundations for robust models for forecasting space weather effects are one of the major goals in space science. This project will determine the role of auroral particle precipitations and geomagnetic activity for the development of plasma irregularities at high latitudes, and their impacts on the global navigation satellite systems. Through an integrated approach, combining in-situ measurements by sounding rockets with novel multi-payloads, cutting-edge numerical simulations, and statistical studies with ground- and satellite-based observations at both hemispheres, it will provide groundbreaking understanding of plasma irregularities in the polar ionosphere, give insight into the energy transfer in the ionosphere, and lay foundations for the space weather models that will improve security of operations in the polar regions. The project is across scientific domains: it deals with the Earth’s Ionosphere, the near-Earth space environment, and fundamental processes in plasma physics. Fields of science social sciencessocial geographytransportnavigation systemssatellite navigation systemglobal navigation satellite systemengineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technologynatural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomygalactic astronomysolar physicsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesplasma physicsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyobservational astronomyx-ray astronomy Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2019-COG - ERC Consolidator Grant Call for proposal ERC-2019-COG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant Coordinator UNIVERSITETET I OSLO Net EU contribution € 1 999 111,00 Address Problemveien 5-7 0313 Oslo Norway See on map Region Norge Oslo og Viken Oslo Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITETET I OSLO Norway Net EU contribution € 1 999 111,00 Address Problemveien 5-7 0313 Oslo See on map Region Norge Oslo og Viken Oslo Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
