Institute of Experimental Physics
Topic
Influence of space plasma on airglow dynamics
PhD. program
Nuclear and subnuclear physics
Year of admission
2026
Name of the supervisor
RNDr. Šimon Mackovjak, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Faculty of Science, P.J. Safarik University
Annotation
The flow of plasma escaping from the Sun as solar wind is the main driver of dynamic processes in the interconnected environment of the Earth's magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere. The light emission of the upper atmosphere, known as airglow, enables the temporal and spatial visualization of these processes, particularly through the emission of atomic oxygen (OI, 630.0 nm). The aim of the work is to study specific cases and also statistical analyses of the influence of solar wind structures, especially CIRs (Corotating Interaction Regions), on the dynamics of airglow at high latitudes and also in the equatorial region. The work will focus on processing space-based and ground-based data using machine learning techniques. The knowledge gained will contribute to a better understanding of the effects of space plasma on the environment, which significantly affects satellite communications and operations and is therefore important for society as a whole.
Literature:
[1] Space Physics, Ch. T. Russell, J. G. Luhmann, and R. J. Strangeway, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2016
[2] Machine Learning Techniques for Space Weather, E. Camporeale, S. Wing, J. Johnson, Elsevier, 2018
[3] Space Physics and Aeronomy, Y. Zhang, L. J. Paxton, American Geophysical Union, 2021
Literature:
[1] Space Physics, Ch. T. Russell, J. G. Luhmann, and R. J. Strangeway, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2016
[2] Machine Learning Techniques for Space Weather, E. Camporeale, S. Wing, J. Johnson, Elsevier, 2018
[3] Space Physics and Aeronomy, Y. Zhang, L. J. Paxton, American Geophysical Union, 2021