Project Summary

1. Project Acronym

SHOCK = Solar and Heliospheric Collisionless Kinetics

2. Project Mission

To advance our knowledge of the Sun to Earth plasma system by increasing the use of kinetic simulation in the analysis of space data.

3. Project Short Description

This project is based on an intense cooperation between scientific and industrial teams, aiming at high‐tech space research findings and new technology transfer to commercial areas. This will guarantee that the outcome of this project will be exploited beyond the scope of this project.

The project brings together leading European groups working in the area of kinetic modelling of space plasma to enhance and accelerate the effective scientific exploitation of existing space plasma data sets and to maximize the scientific return of future space missions, both European and international. The fundamental concept of the project is to take advantage in the European context of the synergies between space plasma modelling and data analysis.

At the present time there is a vast store of collected data from robotic space plasma missions and also an increasing awareness that kinetic processes at small length scales and short time scales are crucial for a proper understanding of the fundamental processes which govern the dynamics of solar system plasmas from the solar corona outwards. The project will provide a focus for the increased use of kinetic simulations in enhancing space data analysis for European Space Agency (ESA) missions such as Cluster, BepiColombo, and Solar Orbiter, but also for international missions such as Themis, MMS, Solar Probe Plus. SHOCK will also refine the state of the art in research using kinetic plasma simulations of space plasma systems, so that new models are developed and exploited allowing the synergies between data analysis and code validation to emerge. The aim is to improve knowledge and understanding of the Sun to Earth plasma system, and fundamental processes such as turbulence, shocks, particle acceleration and reconnection, which have relevance for other astrophysical environments.

4. The Consortium and Acknowledgement

The research is focused on phenomena caused by the kinetic nature of space plasmas: the heliosphere, solar wind and its interaction with planets, moons, asteroids. It has been formed a consortium of members with various outstanding skills and heritage in different areas needed to accomplish goals. Six scientific groups involved in this project come from laboratories with a strong history in a variety of aspects ranging from simulations to experiments flown in space and were all involved in various space missions being run by the European Space Agency (ESA) and/or by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), or by the agency of the former eastern block called Intercosmos (ASI ASCR has built and operated Czech spacecraft Mimosa, the group has an experiment on French DEMETER and ESA's Proba 2 spacecrafts).

The research leading to the presented results has received funding from the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme FP7 under the grant agreement SHOCK (project number 284515).

5. Project Team Across Europe


View Project SHOCK Partners Network in a larger map

Are you interested in key persons behind mentioned institutions? Do not hesitate to look at them on the page of Project Team.
  • CORDIS
  • 7
  • ERA
  • ESA
  • Queen Mary
  • CNRS
  • ASU
  • Sprinx systems
  • University of St. Andrews
  • UNIFI
SHOCK