Daniel is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, specializing in magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere coupling. He mainly works with data from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN), using it along with other instruments to probe the effects of ionospheric flows on the upper atmosphere. Daniel completed a Masters in Astrophysics at Aberystwyth University, UK, …
Living Planet Fellowship research project carried out by Daniel Billet. The Earth’s upper polar atmospheric region is constantly bombarded with energy input from the interaction between the magnetosphere and the solar wind. This controls immediately visible phenomena like the aurora borealis and australis, but also results in changes to the composition and dynamics of the atmosphere itself. …
The SWARM+ Ionosphere Science Coordination Meeting will bring together ESA and Swarm science experts to share and discuss the state-of-the science results and knowledge gained from Swarm-based ESA projects over the last 3 years, focussing on physics of the Earth’s ionosphere, and its interactions with the lower atmosphere. The meeting will also contribute to the …
We are all familiar with the bolts of lightning that accompany heavy storms. While these flashes originate in storm clouds and strike downwards, a much more elusive type forms higher up in the atmosphere and shoots up towards space. So, what are the chances of somebody taking photographs of these rarely seen, brief ‘transient luminous …
The project is also called Swarm Space Weather Variability of Ionospheric Plasma (Swarm-VIP). The Swarm-VIP project aims at advancing our understanding and characterisation of ionosphere processes in order to better model and potentially predict the behaviour of the ionosphere. In particular, the project members work on the development of a semi-empiric model and improving the …
Using information from ESA’s Swarm satellite constellation, scientists have made a discovery about how energy generated by electrically-charged particles in the solar wind flows into Earth’s atmosphere – surprisingly, more of it heads towards the magnetic north pole than towards the magnetic south pole. Read the full story. This research was supported by the ESA …
“The challenges of COVID-19 made travel unavailable, but nonetheless the Living Planet Fellowship provided an excellent opportunity to interact and collaborate with fellow scientists performing diverse research with the ESA satellite missions. I am grateful for the opportunity provided by the ESA Living Planet Fellowship to both perform research with the Swarm satellite measurements and …
Living Planet Fellowship research project carried out by Devin Huyghebaert. The Swarm SuperDARN ICEBEAR Collaboration – Turbulent E-region Aurora Measurements (SSIC-TEAM) project will focus on the Farley-Buneman Instability (FBI) and its effects on plasma density irregularity and turbulence generation in the E-region ionosphere. A better understanding of the FBI is required due to its potential for …
The goal of the 4D-Earth-Swarm project, supported by ESA, is to improve our understanding of the rapid (interannual) changes in the geomagnetic field, as recorded by the three satellites of the Swarm mission of ESA – as well as earlier satellite missions such as CHAMP and Oersted, and ground-based observatories. The project is planned for …
A sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) is a large-scale meteorological phenomenon in the winter stratosphere, which involves a rapid rise in the polar temperature by a few tens of kelvins in several days. SSWs are triggered by an injection of stationary planetary waves from the troposphere. These events are rare in the Southern Hemisphere, therefore they …
