The Global Structure of the Heliosphere with a Realistic Time-Dependent Solar Wind

Spring 2018 RESEARCH INCUBATION AWARDEE

PI: Merav Opher, Associate Professor, Astronomy 

Co-PI: Charalampos Tsourakakis, Assistant Professor, Computer Science 

The Challenge

The heliosphere is subject to changes in the intensity of solar winds. The challenge, however, is to determine the structure of the heliosphere in real-time to track even the smallest changes in its structure since like all other uncertainties, the solar winds are somewhat unpredictable. Understanding the heliosphere and its changing structure enables the comprehension of fundamental physics of the space surrounding the earth.

The Solution

Since solar winds alter the structure of the heliosphere depending on the intensity, real-time tracking of the solar winds is fundamentally crucial. Solar winds travel past all planets before being blocked by the interstellar medium, thus forming the heliosphere.

The Process

Since little is known into the changes in the intensity of the solar wind, much research needs to be done on the instruments used by government organizations, for instance, NASA’s Maven and Juno, which inform most of our research into the heliosphere. Additionally, comparing the past and present studies on the heliosphere is crucial in identifying the discoveries that have been made over time. Essentially, recently past studies will sufficiently inform the process of tracking the global structure of the heliosphere.