Abstract: In this project we investigate solar system plasma turbulence from in-situ data gathered by automated platforms launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. We investigate how the features of turbulence and intermittency vary with the solar activity and estimate the corresponding impact. We use electromagnetic field and plasma data provided by a core of three ESA spacecraft, Ulysses, Venus Express and the Cluster quartet, in coherence with data from other missions like ESA's Giotto and Rosetta, NASA's THEMIS, Cassini and Mars Global Surveyor. Complementary to the satellite databases we study the fluctuations of the geomagnetic field observed on ground. A package of advanced nonlinear analysis methods will be applied on the selected data sets. Power Spectral Densities (PSD) and Probability Distribution Functions (PDF) will be computed first. In a next step we apply five higher-order methods of analysis: (i) the partition function multifractal analysis, (ii) the Rank Ordered Multifractal analysis, (iii) the wave telescope, (iv) the multi-spacecraft methods for anisotropy (v) the discriminating statistics. The targeted physical processes are: the turbulent transfer of energy and dissipation, the intermittency and multifractals, the anisotropy, and non-linearity of the solar system plasma turbulence.

Dettagli tecnici:

Struttura: INAF IAPS RM
Bando: FP7-SPACE-2012-1
Riferimento: contratto n. 313038
Inizio: 01-01-2013
Durata: 36 mesi
Coordinamento: L'Institut d'Aéronomie Spatiale de Belgique (IASB)
Partner