IIHE invited seminar: Space Weather and Solar Energetic Particles

by Dr Mark Dierckxens (Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB))

Friday 10 Oct 2014, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/Brussels

1G003 (VUB)

abstract: Space weather is the field of research studying the influence of the ever changing conditions in space on the environment near Earth and other planets. The main driver behind these changes is the 11-year cycle of magnetic activity of the Sun. Violent eruptions like solar flares and coronal mass ejections that predominantly occur during solar maximum can result in geomagnetic and radiation storms. The latter are due to sudden particle flux increases called Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs). These phenomena can cause damage to critical electronics on spacecraft, disrupt communication, navigation, and electrical power grids, and can be harmful to astronauts in space and to crew and passengers on flights following polar routes. During this talk, I will discuss the causes and consequences of space weather with an emphasis on SEPs, and will show some details on the research performed and forecast tools developed at the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy in the scope of the EU FP7 COMESEP project.

Slides Space_weather_seminar_200141001.pdf