Space Science Reviews

https://link.springer.com/journal/11214

List of Papers (Total 571)

Understanding Active Region Origins and Emergence on the Sun and Other Cool Stars

The emergence of active regions on the Sun is an integral feature of the solar dynamo mechanism. However, details about the generation of active-region-scale magnetism and the journey of this magnetic flux from the interior to the photosphere are still in question. Shifting paradigms are now developing for the source depth of the Sun’s large-scale magnetism, the organization of...

The Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS) on the Europa Clipper Mission

Characterizing Europa’s subsurface ocean is essential for assessing Europa’s habitability. The suite of instruments on the Europa Clipper spacecraft will, among others, magnetically sound Europa’s interior by measuring the ocean’s induced magnetic field. This magnetic field is generated in response to the Jovian time-varying magnetic environment in which Europa is immersed...

Investigating Europa’s Radiation Environment with the Europa Clipper Radiation Monitor

We present an overview of the radiation environment monitoring program planned for the Europa Clipper mission. The harsh radiation environment of Jupiter will be measured by a dedicated Radiation Monitor (RadMon) subsystem, yielding mission accumulative Total Ionizing Dose (TID) and instantaneous electron flux measurements with a 1-Hz cadence. The radiation monitoring subsystem...

Observationally Guided Models for the Solar Dynamo and the Role of the Surface Field

Theoretical models for the solar dynamo range from simple low-dimensional “toy models” to complex 3D-MHD simulations. Here we mainly discuss appproaches that are motivated and guided by solar (and stellar) observations. We give a brief overview of the evolution of solar dynamo models since 1950s, focussing upon the development of the Babcock–Leighton approach between its...

Trojan Asteroid Satellites, Rings, and Activity

The Lucy mission will encounter five Jupiter Trojans during its mission with three of the five already known to be multiple systems. These include a near-equal-mass binary, a small and widely separated satellite, and one intermediate-size satellite system. This chapter reviews the current state of knowledge of Trojan asteroid satellites in the context of similar satellite systems...

Simulations of Solar and Stellar Dynamos and Their Theoretical Interpretation

We review the state of the art of three dimensional numerical simulations of solar and stellar dynamos. We summarize fundamental constraints of numerical modelling and the techniques to alleviate these restrictions. Brief summary of the relevant observations that the simulations seek to capture is given. We survey the current progress of simulations of solar convection and the...

Origin and Evolution of Enceladus’s Tidal Dissipation

Enceladus possesses a subsurface ocean beneath a conductive ice shell. Based on shell thickness models, the estimated total conductive heat loss from Enceladus is 25–40 GW; the measured heat output from the South Polar Terrain (SPT) is 4–19 GW. The present-day SPT heat flux is of order $100\text{ mW}\,\text{m}^{-2}$ , comparable to estimated paleo-heat fluxes for other regions of...

Venus Evolution Through Time: Key Science Questions, Selected Mission Concepts and Future Investigations

In this work we discuss various selected mission concepts addressing Venus evolution through time. More specifically, we address investigations and payload instrument concepts supporting scientific goals and open questions presented in the companion articles of this volume. Also included are their related investigations (observations & modeling) and discussion of which...

Stellar Activity Cycles

The magnetic field of the Sun is generated by internal dynamo process with a cyclic period of 11 years or a 22 year magnetic cycle. The signatures of the Sun’s magnetic cycle are observed in the different layers of its atmosphere and in its internal layers. In this review, we use the same diagnostics to understand the magnetic cycles of other stars with the same internal...

Turbulent Processes and Mean-Field Dynamo

Mean-field dynamo theory has important applications in solar physics and galactic magnetism. We discuss some of the many turbulence effects relevant to the generation of large-scale magnetic fields in the solar convection zone. The mean-field description is then used to illustrate the physics of the $\alpha $ effect, turbulent pumping, turbulent magnetic diffusivity, and other...

Magma Ocean, Water, and the Early Atmosphere of Venus

The current state and surface conditions of the Earth and its twin planet Venus are drastically different. Whether these differences are directly inherited from the earliest stages of planetary evolution, when the interior was molten, or arose later during the long-term evolution is still unclear. Yet, it is clear that water, its abundance, state, and distribution between the...

Mineralogy of the Venus Surface

Surface mineralogy records the primary composition, climate history and the geochemical cycling between the surface and atmosphere. We have not yet directly measured mineralogy on the Venus surface in situ, but a variety of independent investigations yield a basic understanding of surface composition and weathering reactions in the present era where rocks react under a...

Jupiter Science Enabled by ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer

ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) will provide a detailed investigation of the Jovian system in the 2030s, combining a suite of state-of-the-art instruments with an orbital tour tailored to maximise observing opportunities. We review the Jupiter science enabled by the JUICE mission, building on the legacy of discoveries from the Galileo, Cassini, and Juno missions...

Future Directions for the Investigation of Surface-Bounded Exospheres in the Inner Solar System

Surface-bounded exospheres result from complex interactions between the planetary environment and the rocky body’s surface. Different drivers including photons, ion, electrons, and the meteoroid populations impacting the surfaces of different bodies must be considered when investigating the generation of such an exosphere. Exospheric observations of different kinds of species, i...

The Europa Clipper Magnetometer

Global-scale properties of Europa’s putative ocean, including its depth, thickness, and conductivity, can be established from measurements of the magnetic field on multiple close flybys of the moon at different phases of the synodic and orbital periods such as those planned for the Europa Clipper mission. The Europa Clipper Magnetometer (ECM) has been designed and constructed to...

Exploring the Interior of Europa with the Europa Clipper

The Galileo mission to Jupiter revealed that Europa is an ocean world. The Galileo magnetometer experiment in particular provided strong evidence for a salty subsurface ocean beneath the ice shell, likely in contact with the rocky core. Within the ice shell and ocean, a number of tectonic and geodynamic processes may operate today or have operated at some point in the past...

Surface Geology of Jupiter’s Trojan Asteroids

The surface geology of Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids is one of the scientific investigations of the NASA Lucy mission. A dedicated Geology Working Group will implement these studies using primarily panchromatic and color imaging data and complement the interpretation of these data with theoretical models, such as collisional evolution models. The Lucy Science Team will also rely on...

The Ionospheric Connection Explorer - Prime Mission Review

The two-year prime mission of the NASA Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) is complete. The baseline operational and scientific objectives have been met and exceeded, as detailed in this report. In October of 2019, ICON was launched into an orbit that provides its instruments the capability to deliver near-continuous measurements of the densest plasma in Earth’s space...

Physical Models for Solar Cycle Predictions

The dynamic activity of stars such as the Sun influences (exo)planetary space environments through modulation of stellar radiation, plasma wind, particle and magnetic fluxes. Energetic solar-stellar phenomena such as flares and coronal mass ejections act as transient perturbations giving rise to hazardous space weather. Magnetic fields – the primary driver of solar-stellar...

Mean Field Models of Flux Transport Dynamo and Meridional Circulation in the Sun and Stars

The most widely accepted model of the solar cycle is the flux transport dynamo model. This model evolved out of the traditional $\alpha \Omega $ dynamo model which was first developed at a time when the existence of the Sun’s meridional circulation was not known. In these models the toroidal magnetic field (which gives rise to sunspots) is generated by the stretching of the...

Complex Systems Methods Characterizing Nonlinear Processes in the Near-Earth Electromagnetic Environment: Recent Advances and Open Challenges

Learning from successful applications of methods originating in statistical mechanics, complex systems science, or information theory in one scientific field (e.g., atmospheric physics or climatology) can provide important insights or conceptual ideas for other areas (e.g., space sciences) or even stimulate new research questions and approaches. For instance, quantification and...

Energetic Electron Precipitation Driven by Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves from ELFIN’s Low Altitude Perspective

We review comprehensive observations of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave-driven energetic electron precipitation using data collected by the energetic electron detector on the Electron Losses and Fields InvestigatioN (ELFIN) mission, two polar-orbiting low-altitude spinning CubeSats, measuring 50-5000 keV electrons with good pitch-angle and energy resolution. EMIC wave...

Small-Scale Dynamos: From Idealized Models to Solar and Stellar Applications

In this article we review small-scale dynamo processes that are responsible for magnetic field generation on scales comparable to and smaller than the energy carrying scales of turbulence. We provide a review of critical observation of quiet Sun magnetism, which have provided strong support for the operation of a small-scale dynamo in the solar photosphere and convection zone...