By Domenico Trotta (Imperial College London)
Shock waves, i.e., abrupt transitions between supersonic and subsonic flows, are present in a large variety of astrophysical systems, and are pivotal for efficient energy conversion and particle acceleration in our universe [1]. Despite decades of research, the mechanisms by which particles are accelerated at shocks are a matter of debate, and are crucial to several applications, ranging from explaining acceleration of cosmic rays to the highest energies [2] to the study of space weather phenomena [3].
Shocks in the heliosphere are unique, being directly accessible by spacecraft exploration, thus providing the missing link to the remote observations of astrophysical systems. Interplanetary (IP) shocks are generated because of solar activity phenomena, such as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), and play an important role in the energetics of the heliosphere where they propagate [4].
The ground-breaking NASA Parker Solar Probe (PSP, [5]) and ESA Solar Orbiter [6] missions are probing the previously unexplored inner heliosphere, providing datasets with unprecedented resolutions.
We used such novel observational window to report direct PSP observations of a CME-driven shock as close to the Sun as 0.07 A, making it the closest to the Sun direct observation of a shock wave to date. The shock then reached Solar Orbiter at 0.7 AU, enabling us to study the evolution of the shock throughout its propagation in the heliosphere.
We characterized the shock and its environment. At PSP, we found a sharp shock with moderate strength, and investigated how switchbacks, fundamental constituents of the near-Sun environment, are processed by the shock crossing. In contrast, the Solar Orbiter observations revealed a very structured shock transition, with shock-accelerated protons with energies of up to 2 MeV. The differences between the two shocks are due to both evolution effects and the large-scale geometry of the event, crossed by the spacecraft in two points only. This study elucidates how the local features of IP shocks and their environments can be very different as they propagate through the heliosphere.
See full publication for further information:
Trotta et al., ApJ, 962, 2 (2024), DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad187d
References:
[1] Bykov et al., SSRv, 2015, 14 (2019)
[2] Amato&Blasi, Adv. Sp. Res., 62, 10 (2018)
[3] Klein&Dalla, SSRv, 212, 1107 (2017)
[4] Reames et al., ApJ, 483, 512 (1997)
[5] Fox et al., SSRv, 204, 7 (2016)
[6] Muller et al., A&A, 642, A1 (2020)
This resource is a collation of PhD student adverts from the MIST Community.
Please note that the list is not exhaustive and is not intended to be an accurate capture of all studentships in the MIST community.
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Autumn MIST this year will be held on Tuesday 28 November 2023 at the Geological Society in London (Burlington House, London W1J 0BG). Please note the change of date and venue due to an unexpected booking cancellation.
Registration
Registration is now open and can be completed here: https://onlinestore.ucl.ac.uk/conferences-and-events/faculty-of-mathematical-physical-sciences-c06/ucl-centre-for-systems-engineering-f63/f63-autumn-mist-meeting-2023. Please note that you will be required to register with the UCL Online Store before you can purchase registration.
The programme and abstract book can be viewed here. All talks will be hybrid, and the poster session will be in-person. All attendees can view posters in an online repository.
Poster and Talk Uploads
If you are presenting a poster or a talk then please upload them to the links provided. Please upload all talks and posters by Tuesday 21st November 2023 23:59 GMT with the following format “AutumnMIST23_surname”. The poster and talk repository will be shared at a later date to all registered attendees.
Name Tags
For this year’s Autumn MIST, we will not be providing name badges and lanyards. Instead we would like for everyone to bring your favourite lanyard and name badges and reuse those. We would also like to have a lanyard amnesty where people can bring a spare lanyard for those who may have forgotten or do not have a lanyard. There will be a small number of stickers available on the day to make your own name tag if needed.
Code of Conduct
All attendees must follow the MIST/RAS Code of Conduct, which can be found here: https://www.mist.ac.uk/community/conduct-and-support. Details on reporting breaches of the code of conduct will be provided on the day. Thank you in advance for contributing to a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.
MIST Buddies
We are aware that Autumn MIST welcomes a range of attendees, many of whom are new to the community and may be attending their first conference. We are trialling a MIST Buddies scheme this year that informally partners new members with their peers, with an emphasis on PhD students. The purpose of the partnerships is to give new community members a contact point for the day and someone that can give them a helping hand in networking and getting to know the community.
We would love to hear from you if you are (a) a new member that would like a partner or (b) willing to be a MIST Buddy.
To get involved please complete the following form by Tuesday 21 November: https://forms.gle/cv8mwRYK98wZnQuQ8.
Thank you in advance for helping make the community more welcoming and supportive.
Extra Information for Students
You can find a short guide on essential tips for PhD students here: https://www.mist.ac.uk/students-corner/344-tips-for-autumn-mist-2023.
If you have any questions or would like any further information on Autumn MIST 2023, please contact MIST council at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..