The universe is in shock

The SHOCK Project

The name SHOCK was created as an acronym for “Solar and Heliospheric Collisionless Kinetics. A team of researchers from four European countries – The Czech Republic, France, Italy and Great Britain – worked on a project worth 2 million EUR; financed from EU funds since the beginning of 2012. Over the past three years cooperation of leading experts sharing their data, the research of space plasma has leaped forward. With contributions from Pavel Trávníček and Petr Hellinger, senior scientific workers of the Astronomical Institute of The Czech Republic and masters in their fields, developed new methods, applicable particularly in the field of numerical modelling of space plasma. The entire project schedule can be found at http://project-shock.eu/.

Academics, scientists, and Sprinx Systems

The research was conducted not only on the grounds of scientific institutions, but also in an academic environment. Students of post-graduate study programs and their teachers became partners with scientists of the National Research Centre in France and the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Involved universities – the UK University of London, the Scottish University of St. Andrews, and the Italian Università degli Studi di Firenze - have a long tradition in their countries and they boast international acclaim. An Equally successful colleague in the research is SprinxHPC, a Czech division of Sprinx Systems, on which shoulders the smooth running of the technical background of the project.
Each institution had its own approach to the research. The different methodologies and techniques interacted, which made it possible to connect different concepts and distribute the work among researchers according to their leading research orientation.

Virtual Mission Laboratory (VML)

There has been great support available not only to the researchers, but also to a wide professional community; thanks to the unique Virtual Laboratory Mission web portal, which was developed by Sprinx Systems for the purpose of this project. The data located on this portal can be displayed by the user in their raw form, as well as, in the form of a virtual simulation from the satellite’s point of view. A space designated for scientific data sharing along with the possibility of its subsequent visualization was used in the Virtual Laboratory Mission mainly by the research team, but the application can also serve as a data source for other scientists or university students who would otherwise have difficulties finding such information. The scientists will use the data for further research and the students get the opportunity to work with them. You can try working with the application at http://amalka.asu.cas.cz/esa/.

Reserved for data

The basic data for the numerical model settings was collected by experts mainly from real measurements of Cluster (ESA) and Messenger (NASA) missions, as well as, other international missions – Themis, WIND, and Helios. Unstructured simulated data is inserted into the VML web interface. It is then recalculated using sophisticated formulas and presented to the user in the form of graphical visualizations. The user holds the key to an understanding of elementary processes governing the solar system’s plasma dynamics.

Mystery of turbulences and solar wind

Based on the analysis of physical phenomena in space plasma, the SHOCK project brought an understanding of solar wind behaviour. A stream of particles flowing from the corona of the Sun to the outer boundaries of the Solar System, as well as, the related knowledge about turbulences, heating, and acceleration of particles.
 
The 2-D hybrid simulation shows physically unstable particles next to strong plasma turbulences. The turbulence can transmit energy from the electromagnetic fields to the particles, increasing the temperature of the solar wind. The energy transfer finally leads to energizing and overall heating of the plasma.
 
 
 

What is next?

In the following years, the results of the SHOCK project will positively affect the preparation of satellite missions planned by the European Space Agency (e.g. Solar Orbiter) and by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (e.g. Solar Probe Plus). The Mission Virtual Laboratory technical platform is prepared for these missions, and both agencies – ESA and NASA – can take advantage of the knowledge gained and verified by SHOCK.
The discovered mechanisms through which the Sun affects space weather can be considered invaluable progress for the exploration of the Solar System. Thanks to the knowledge of these specific events that may affect the areas of telecommunication systems and electric power distribution network, we can prevent and prepare for various problems.