Robin Ramstad, University of Colorado, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Measurements of Space Weather Driven Atmospheric Loss at Mars
The evolution of Mars’ climate and habitability is inextricably linked to solar activity, which has driven loss of the Martian atmosphere to space since the formation of the solar system to the present. In this talk, I present a brief overview of the in-situ orbiter measurements probing the role of the solar wind and solar ionizing radiation in driving atmospheric escape to space. The results reveal how the Martian ionosphere is interacting with the solar wind, how suprathermal escape processes function on a fundamental level, and how planetary properties contributed to Mars taking a different evolutionary path from Earth.
Rebecka Wahlén, UiO, ITS, CENSSS
ASTRA-LEO on board CENSSAT-1 BIFROST mission
CENSSAT-1 is a 16U CubeSat aiming to study the effects of space weather on Earth from a 500 km orbit, as well as monitor space debris and perform optimal control and drag based maneuvering. ASTRA-LEO is a multi-particle detector for detecting SEPs, gamma rays and thermal neutrons. The main objective of ASTRA-LEO on CENASSAT-1 is to indicate to a space event occurring from the SEP flux detected but will also detect thermal neutrons to perform space-based neutron lifetime measurements, as well as gamma-rays to detect gamma-ray bursts.
Konstantin Herbst, UiO, GEO, PHAB
Space Weather Impact on (Exo)planets
Exoplanets are as diverse as they are fascinating, but much remains to be explored. With the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observing exoplanetary atmospheres, we entered a new era of exoplanetary science in which potential atmospheric biosignatures (such as ozone, nitrous oxide, and methane) are interpreted with increasing sophistication in terms of the evolution of the star-planet systems. However, the impact of space weather is often ignored. I present a brief overview on the topic and highlight the importance of star-planet interactions for future missions.