Space Research Institute GrazAustrian Academy of Sciences

CERN, Geneve, June 2006

Helmut O. Rucker

Exploring the Planets and Moons in our Solar System

Space Research Institute GrazAustrian Academy of Sciences

CERN, Geneve, June 2006

Exploring the Planets and Moons in our Solar System

• The interplanetary medium, the solar wind and its interaction with magnetized planets

Space Research Institute GrazAustrian Academy of Sciences

CERN, Geneve, June 2006

Exploring the Planets and Moons in our Solar System

• The interplanetary medium, the solar wind and its interaction with magnetized planets

• Space missions to the outer planets

Space Research Institute GrazAustrian Academy of Sciences

CERN, Geneve, June 2006

Exploring the Planets and Moons in our Solar System

• The interplanetary medium, the solar wind and its interaction with magnetized planets

• Space missions to the outer planets

• Specific aspects of magnetospheric physics – radio emission

Space Research Institute GrazAustrian Academy of Sciences

CERN, Geneve, June 2006

Exploring the Planets and Moons in our Solar System

• The interplanetary medium, the solar wind and its interaction with magnetized planets

• Space missions to the outer planets

• Specific aspects of magnetospheric physics – radio emission

• Volcanoes and icy worlds

Space Research Institute GrazAustrian Academy of Sciences

CERN, Geneve, June 2006

Exploring the Planets and Moons in our Solar System

• The interplanetary medium, the solar wind and its interaction with magnetized planets

• Space missions to the outer planets

• Specific aspects of magnetospheric physics – radio emission

• Volcanoes and icy worlds

• Space Missions to the terrestrial planets

Space Research Institute GrazAustrian Academy of Sciences

„

CERN, Geneve, June 2006

Helmut O. Rucker

The interplanetary medium,the solar wind and its interaction with

magnetized planets

The central star of our solar system – the Sun

Mass loss by theexpanding solar atmosphere, i.e. the solar wind:~ 10 E6 tons per second

Viewgraph: Helmet streamer

The solar wind = expanding atmosphere of the Sun highly conducting plasma, radially propagating (300 km/s < v < 2000 km/s)

swv

The interplanetary magnetic field is a solar magnetic fielddrawn out of the Sunby the highly conducting solar wind plasma.Due to the solar rotationa spiral structure is formed.

IMFB

The solar wind = expanding atmosphere of the Sun highly conducting plasma, radially propagating (300 km/s < v < 2000 km/s)

sw

sun

v

rtan

Parker spiral:

7.83)5.9(

6.43)0.1(

450

1086.2

)400,8638.25/(2

1

16

AUr

AUr

kmsv

s

s

sw

sun

sun

Solar wind average properties at r ~ 1 AU:

Different types of solar wind (sw):

Fast sw: 400 < v < 800 km/s, Helium 3 – 4 %Slow sw of minimum type: 250 < v < 400 km/s, Helium < 2 %Slow sw of maximum type: 250 < v < 400 km/s, Helium ~ 4 %Coronal mass ejections (CMEs): 400 < v < 2000 km/s, Helium(++) ~ 30 %

Solar wind average properties at r ~ 1 AU:

Dipole structure

20 sinrr

DM

2

1

)(

nm

TTnk

c

cv ie

V

psonic

Interaction between the solar wind and planetary magnetic field

Solar wind bulk flow = super-sonic flow

= super-Alfvenic flow0

BvA

Bow shock:

Transition of solar wind plasmadescribed by theRankine Hugoniot equations

bulk speedparticle densityPlasma pressureplasma temperature

Interaction between the solar wind and planetary magnetic field

3D schematics of the terrestrial magnetosphere

magnetopauseboundary conditions:

0

2/cos 0222

nB

Bnmv

Magnetic reconnection

Magnetic reconnection

Magnetic reconnection

Courtesy Prange, 2006

Courtesy Prange, 2006

1st reconnection = start of the cycle

Courtesy Prange, 2006

Courtesy Prange, 2006

Courtesy Prange, 2006

transportover the poles

Courtesy Prange, 2006

Courtesy Prange, 2006

2nd reconnection

Courtesy Prange, 2006

impulsiveacceleration

Release of energy( the stretched configurationcontains additionalenergy to accelerateplasma)

Courtesy Prange, 2006

ejection ofplasma intothe magnetotail

Courtesy Prange, 2006

returning of a« magnetic loop »back to the dayside

Courtesy Prange, 2006

Courtesy Prange, 2006

ClusterDouble StarThemisMMS

EarthDynamic Explorer )

UV - 130 nm(Courtesy . L. Frank)

SaturnHST-STIS

UV - 130 nm(R. Prangé & L Pallier)

JupiterHST-STIS

UV - 150 nm(R. Prangé & L Pallier)

PLANETARY AURORAE

a fascinating phenomen at and around the magnetis poles of magnetized planets

EarthDynamic Explorer )

UV - 130 nm(Courtesy . L. Frank)

SaturnHST-STIS

UV - 130 nm(R. Prangé & L Pallier)

JupiterHST-STIS

UV - 150 nm(R. Prangé & L Pallier)

PLANETARY AURORAE

a fascinating phenomen at and around the magnetis poles of magnetized planets

Summary:

Prospect for tomorrow:Saturn, seen by Cassini