Hungarian Researchers' Development Advances Space Weather Research

The term 'space weather' refers to processes occurring in Earth's vicinity, primarily driven by the Sun. During periods of high solar activity—such as the one we are currently experiencing—this environment can undergo extreme changes in a short time. These conditions can threaten the operation of satellites orbiting our planet and the technologies that rely on them, such as GPS navigation, telecommunications, and the internet.

The European Space Agency (ESA) operates several satellites that continuously monitor space weather processes in Earth's vicinity. "The data collected this way allow us to better understand these processes, improve their predictability, and ultimately make near-Earth space safer for the space industry," said Tamás Bozóki, a research fellow at the institute.

In autumn 2022, the HUN-REN Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science became the first institution in the region to join the ESA Swarm DISC (Data Innovation and Science Cluster) consortium, which focuses on processing measurement data from the ESA-operated Swarm satellite constellation. Hungarian researchers are now working to understand the exact processes that occur during the onset and dissipation of extreme space weather conditions, which could improve the predictability of such events. "We can also help satellite operators prepare for these extreme events, such as radiation storms. With new space weather data products, they can develop contingency protocols or design more resilient satellites," Tamás Bozóki added.

This time, the team has been tasked with developing data products that characterise ultra-low frequency (ULF) wave activity. These waves play a crucial role in energising high-energy particles that pose a threat to satellites. "We found that the typical locations where these waves appear closely follow the movements of the outer boundary of the cold plasma sheath surrounding the Earth, known as the plasmasphere. This result suggests that the outer boundary of the plasmasphere plays a key role in the generation and/or propagation of these waves," he emphasised.

The algorithm they developed not only reliably detects these waves but also provides a comprehensive characterisation of them. The resulting dataset and accompanying documentation are now freely available on ESA's dedicated website. Their first paper presenting the results has been published in Space Physics, a journal in the Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR) series.

"However, the work of HUN-REN EPSS researchers does not end here—they continue to develop innovative applications of Swarm measurements and are actively preparing for ESA's upcoming NanoMagSat and SMILE missions," added Balázs Heilig, Deputy Director for Space Research at HUN-REN EPSS.

The objective of the Sino-European SMILE mission is to study the response of the magnetosphere and ionosphere to geomagnetic storms and substorms through in-situ measurements and newly developed remote sensing imaging techniques. Researchers at HUN-REN EPSS will contribute to understanding the formation, evolution, and effects of substorms based on data from the Swarm and NanoMagSat constellations, as well as ground-based measurements.