Projects

PhD projects in astrophysics, solar system physics and Earth observation studies available for 2010 are listed below.

Note we also have opportunities in instrumentation and systems engineering. Please contact us for details.

NERC PhD project details can be found here.

Evaluating the impact of MISR and (A)ATSR(2) cloud-top heights and wind data on the Met Office NWP and climate models
Understanding the potential of fluorescent imaging of cyanobacteria in freshwater and sea water
Automated co-registration and extraction of 3D landscape objects from high resolution imagery for humanitarian relief and environmental protection

STFC projects

Studies of the Properties of Solar Wind Electron Populations using high-resolution Cluster PEACE data	Emerging flux and the impact on the upper atmosphere of the Sun	Comparative Solar Wind Effects on Planetary Atmospheres	Cluster investigations of the sub-solar magnetopause
Physics of the auroral acceleration region	Exploring the Earth's inner magnetosphere	Investigating the Saturnian system with Cassini	The interaction of the solar wind with the non-magnetized planets Mars and Venus
Ultra Low Temperature Cryogenic Physics - The thermal transport in micro structures at very low (milli-Kelvin) temperatures	Trajectory analysis of CME bursts from automated retreivals of 4D motion fields using optical flow	Design, construction and testing of a planetary astrobiology chamber	Remote sensing of micro-organisms from orbital measurements of solar-induced fluorescence using hyperspectral and multi-angular data
Analysis of intensive care medicine data and development of a standardised system of data archive and processing.

Emerging flux and the impact on the upper atmosphere of the Sun: Prof. Louise Harra

All the activity on the Sun, on all scales, is related to magnetic fields that originate in the interior of the Sun. This flux emerges to the surface of the Sun interacting with pre-existing magnetic field. The Hinode spacecraft was launched in 2006, and UCL-MSSL is the PI institute for the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). The Hinode instrument suite has the ability to observe in incredible detail how the flux emerges in a fragmented and complex way, and then explore how this impact the atmosphere. Understanding how flux emerges and how this transports energy is the key to understanding all solar activity from solar flares, coronal mass ejections to small-scale jets and the onset of the solar wind. This PhD project will concentrate on tracking emerging as it appears and track the consequences in the atmosphere to determine the transport mechanism and how this affects the surroundings.

This project will take this work to the next level by carrying out long term studies and linking with data from STEREO, ACE and Cluster that measures the wind flowing towards the Earth and beyond.

Comparative solar wind effects on planetary atmospheres: Prof. Alan Aylward and Prof. Louise Harra

Recent studies of the Earth's thermosphere using the CHAMP spacecraft have shown there are temperature and pressure variations at harmonics of the solar rotation period of 27 days. Thus recurrent structures in the solar wind appear to be affecting the neutral atmosphere: the process for this is not currently understood. A database has been constructed of all the solar wind anomalies - CMEs, CIRs and magnetic clouds since the 1960s. These data could be compared to atmospheric ground-based and satellite observations over this time to find which of the structures in the solar wind are most 'geo-effective' in terms of producing fluctuations in thermospheric structure. The effects on the neutral atmosphere must be transferred from solar wind to neutral atmosphere via the Earth's magnetosphere. In this context, consideration of the interaction at other planets would also be possible and informative: Jupiter and Saturn also have magnetospheres, while Venus and Mars have no shielding magnetic field. Thus, clues as to the mechanism by which the energy is transferred at the Earth may come from comparing what happens at these planets. UCL has instruments on spacecraft at Saturn (Cassini), Venus (Venus Express), Mars (Mars Express), Cluster (magnetospheric) and Hinode (solar), models of the upper atmospheres of these planets, and expertise in solar and magnetospheric physics. This provides a comprehensive suite of tools for studying this phenomenon of space-to-atmosphere energy transfer at different planetary environments within the Solar System. We propose a joint studentship to study planetary solar wind-thermosphere coupling. The studentship would focus on the following areas in detail, or could be a combination of two of these areas:
Correlation of solar wind and atmospheric observations at the Earth : This component would focus on the characterisation of solar wind structures and fluctuations in terrestrial thermospheric structure which are (nearly) simultaneous with the arrival of solar wind events at the Earth. The dominant spatial / time scales for solar wind structures will be identified, as well as the corresponding dominant period for the thermospheric response.
Correlation of solar wind and atmospheric observations at other planets: Similar to above, except focussing on datasets for any or all of Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn. Jupiter is important here as a point of comparison, as its main aurorae are internally driven by rotation.

Cluster Investigations of the Sub-solar Magnetopause: Prof. Chris Owen

The ESA Cluster mission comprises 4 spacecraft flying in close formation in a near-Earth orbit. Due to the precession of the orbit, the 4 spacecraft have recently been able to sample the subsolar region of the terrestrial magnetosphere, the prime region for the interaction of the solar wind with the Earths magnetic environment. Electromagnetic field and particle data taken in these regions, including data from the 8 PEACE electron sensors designed and built at UCL/MSSL, represents the first opportunity to sample this region with the benefits of the multipoint measurements. These measurements are particularly important as the subsolar magnetopause is the prime region for the occurrence of reconnection during periods when the interplanetary magnetic field points southward. This is the region in which magnetospheric Flux Transfer Events, structures created by spatial and/or temporal-variance in the rate of reconnection, are born and evolve before they contract back towards high latitudes. Multi-point observations of this region are key to revealing the formation process for these structures, and resolve the long-standing issue of whether they are formed by multiple reconnection sites or by a burst of reconnection at a single site, and how this relates to their structure. In addition, observations from this region will enable a comprehensive study of the formation of boundary layers on either side of the magnetopause. In particular, it is likely that structure of these layers, and their extension down through the Earths magnetic cusps to the ionosphere, will depend significantly on the relative positions of the reconnection site to the magnetosheath flow stagnation point (e.g. Cowley and Owen, 1989). With the multipoint Cluster data, we will test, for example, whether multiple cusp dispersions may be formed by the changes in magnetopause particle injection properties if reconnected magnetic field lines contract across the stagnation line.

Studies of the Properties of Solar Wind Electron Populations using high-resolution Cluster PEACE data: Prof. Chris Owen

During the spring of each year, the ESA Cluster mission, comprising 4-spacecraft, spends a significant portion of each orbit outside of the Earth's bow shock and thus samples directly the electromagnetic fields and plasma of the solar wind. During periods of burst mode operations, the PEACE electron spectrometers, which were designed and built at UCL/MSSL, provide unprecedented detail of the nature of the electron populations in the solar wind. In general these can be divided into 3 populations. A 'core' population of the coldest electrons which is nearly isotropic - approximately the same flux of electrons of a given energy may be detected in any direction. A 'halo' population occurs at somewhat higher energies, and shows a slight shift in average velocity with respect to the core, and thus provides a 'heat flux' in the solar wind. Finally, a 'strahl' population is often seen as a more energetic beam of particles streaming along the magnetic field. Together these different electron populations contain information about the processes occurring at the source region on the Sun, the magnetic connections of the sampled plasma back to the Sun and on the plasma processes (e.g. turbulence, wave-particle interactions, magnetic reconnection) which may be occurring within the solar wind itself. Separating the effects of these processes is a complicated task requiring high-cadence, high resolution data of the type available from Cluster during burst modes. We will use these data to examine in detail the nature and variability of the electron populations, for example using the multi-point measurements to determine the level of variation between spacecraft. The results of this project are critical as preparation and inputs into the ESA Solar Orbiter program, for which UCL/MSSL is the Principal Investigator Institute on an international consortium providing the Solar Wind Analyser suite (SWA) of instruments, which will sample electron, proton, alpha particle and heavy ion populations at various distances down to 0.23 AU from the Sun (i.e. at less than one quarter the distance from the Sun to the Earth). In particular, UCL/MSSL will design and build the electron sensor for Solar Orbiter SWA, and this project will thus involve the student making scientific inputs to that process.

Physics of the auroral acceleration region: Dr. Andrew Fazakerley

The aurorae (northern and southern lights) are beautiful, dynamic curtains of light seen in the night skies, usually in the polar regions. They are also the source of the EarthÕs strongest radio emission, auroral kilometric radiation. Aurorae and auroral kilometric (AKR) radiation are also seen at other magnetised planets such as Jupiter and Saturn. The processes that accelerate the electrons that produce the aurorae rem ain mysterious, and spacecraft observations will are needed to test whether prevailing theories are valid. The evolution of the orbit of the ESA Cluster 4-spacecraft mission has recently enabled the spacecraft to make the first multi-point observations in the ÒAuroral Acceleration RegionÓ, at 4,000 to 12,000 km altitude at auroral latitudes. Special operations are ongoing and are being conducted with the Cluster tetrahedron oriented so as to allow simultaneous measurements at different altitudes on closely neighbouring magnetic field lines, to search for evidence of electron acceleration and the processes that cause it Ð for example, are electric potential drops along the magnetic field occurring in this region? The campaign is also designed so that some spacecraft can localise sources of emission of AKR while it is hoped that other spacecraft will fly through the sources, allowing definitive tests of the theories of AKR generation by unstable electron distributions. ClusterÕs PEACE electron instruments are provided by MSSL-UCL and are providing a key dataset in AAR studies. The proposed PhD research will involve surveying the AAR dataset, and using data from PEACE and other instruments to address questions about what exactly happens in the auroral acceleration, and how the aurorae are ultimately driven by events in the magnetosphere.

Exploring the Earth's inner magnetosphere: Dr. Andrew Fazakerley

The inner magnetosphere contains the cold plasmasphere, the suprathermal plasmasheet and ring current plasma, and the extremely energetic radiation belt particle populations. All of these populations wax and wane in response to variable solar wind conditions and internal magnetospheric processes. Moreover, these plasma populations, though covering a wide range of energies, are interlinked, through wave-particle interactions that transfer energy between them. Recent magnetospheric imaging missions have led to some progress in developing the present sketchy understanding of the behaviour of the plasmasphere and ring current, and missions are in development which will focus on the processes that create and destroy the radiation belt populations. However, little work has yet been carried out to take advantage of the observations already made by Cluster and Double Star, and in particular the Cluster inner magnetosphere campaign planned for 2011/12. The proposed PhD research will take advantage of the relatively quiet radiation levels that have coincided with solar minimum, which allow us to measure inner magnetosphere particle populations without interference from penetrating radiation. The use of the Cluster constellation will allow measurements of plasma pressure and magnetic field gradients (and hence currents), convection and corotation electric fields, and electrostatic and electromagnetic wave activity. The MSSL PEACE electron instrument data will be central to understanding wave-particle interactions processes, delineating the extent of particle populations of different energies and assessing how current systems are supported. The proposed studies will examine the plasmasphere and ring current population, the wave activity and current systems that they generate, and their responses to variations in solar wind conditions. Combined with Double Star and other spacecraft, simultaneous snapshots of conditions in widely separated parts of the inner magnetosphere will allow tests of models of the global response of the inner magnetosphere to dynamic solar wind variations.

Investigating the Saturnian system with Cassini: Prof. Andrew Coates and Dr. Geraint Jones

Since 2004, the Cassini-Huygens mission has been returning invaluable information on the planet Saturn, its moons, and ring system. MSSL is the lead co-investigator institution for the electron portion of the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer, CAPS. Data from this and related instruments are providing unique new insights into Saturn, its moons and their environs. Possible PhD research topics based on the exploitation of the CAPS dataset are numerous, and include the dynamics and internal processes of Saturn's magnetosphere in general, and the magnetosphere's interaction with the ring system, the planet's icy moons, as well as with the largest moon Titan and its thick atmosphere.

The interaction of the solar wind with the non-magnetized planets Mars and Venus: Prof. Andrew Coates and Dr. Geraint Jones

Earth and most other planets do not interact directly with the solar wind due to their possession of internal magnetic fields. However, our nearest planetary neighbours, Mars and Venus, do not have global magnetospheres, facilitating the gradual erosion of their atmospheres by the solar wind: a process with potentially great significance over geological timescales. ESA's missions Mars Express and Venus Express are providing invaluable data on this interaction at the two planets. Using data from the ASPERA instruments aboard both spacecraft, details of these interactions are to be studied, helping in our understanding of atmospheric loss and its dependence on external factors such as changing solar wind conditions.

Ultra Low Temperature Cryogenic Physics - The thermal transport in micro structures at very low (milli-Kelvin) temperatures: Dr. Ian Hepburn

Future astronomical space missions will be using cryogenic x-ray and sub-millimetre wave detectors operating in the 50 - 100 mK region. The adiabatic demagnetisation refrigerator (ADR) is the preferred method of cooling to these temperatures. MSSL has a long history of ADR development for space, delivering to the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2008 the worlds first space flight worthy ADR capable of being cooled by current space cryo-coolers, eliminating the need to carry in the spacecraft large quantities of liquid helium which limit mission duration. Current ADR systems are bulky and relatively heavy. The development at MSSL of key technologies e.g. new heat switches (magnetoresistive heat switches utilizing high purity single crystal tungsten), the tandem ADR concept and the prospect of fast ramp rate superconducting magnets offer the potential to reduce the ADR size by many orders of magnitude, potentially down to the micron size. The control of heat is a vital factor in the ADR operation which at milli-kelvin temperatures is non trivial due to electron and phonon scatter in materials and at material boundaries. It is important to have a full understanding of all thermal transport mechanisms at very low temperatures in order to be able to realise the possible next generation of milli-kelvin space coolers. This Ph.D project will investigate both theoretically and experimentally (using the cryogenics group well equipped cryogenics labs containing several milli-Kelvin ADR coolers, 4 K pulse tube cryo-coolers and associated electronics for low temperature research) the physics of thermal transport at very low temperatures and apply this to the design of a micron sized ADR cooler for future utilization in cooling detectors for space and ground based applications.

Trajectory analysis of CME bursts from automated retrievals of 4D motions fields using optical flow: Prof. Peter Muller and Dr. Sarah Matthews

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are an important source of proton events which may affect terrestrial weather and climate as well as being interesting and important phenomena in their own right. Tracking their development and eventual dispersion into the heliosphere has been difficult in the past owing to the singular monoscopic view from earth-orbiting satellites. Three years ago, NASA launched the STEREO system consisting of two identical spacecraft with two identical payloads including EUV measurements from the photosphere through to the heliosphere from the LASCO and SECCHI/COR2 instruments. CMEs appear similar in morphology to water vapour features observed in the terrestrial atmosphere at 6.7microns from geostationary satellites and aerosol smoke plumes from multi-angular instruments such as the NASA MISR (Multiangle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer). This project will examine recent advances (Boursier et al., 2009) in modelling CMEs from STEREO and assess how they compare with optical flow based techniques applied to the aforementioned continuous phenomena. The objective is to produce a 4D model of plasma from the Sun's surface through to its dispersion in the heliosphere.

Design, construction and testing of a planetary astrobiology chamber: Prof. Peter Muller and Prof. John Ward (Dept. of Structural and Molecular Biology)

There is now detailed knowledge of the conditions in the atmosphere and at the surface of several planets and moons in the solar system. The surface of Mars, the atmosphere and surface of Venus and the atmosphere and surface of Titan have been described in some detail over the last few years. In parallel with this, on Earth the microbial ecology of extreme environments has been continuing at a great pace and almost all habitats on Earth have diverse microbial colonisation. It is now pertinent to ask questions as to whether the extra-terrestrial environments on these other planets and moons could support life in the form of bacteria. Based on an existing Mars test chamber design for the ExoMars PanCam, this project will involve modification of the design and testing of a planetary astrobiology chamber to permit the assessment of whether bacterial organisms could survive in the Martian (or Titan) atmosphere. This assessment will include the use of laser fluorescence system based on an imaging system (Storrie-Lombardi, Muller et al. 2009) to monitor the state of bacteria introduced into the chamber. It is intended that the constructed chamber will be housed in the Structural and Molecular Biology Department on the main UCL campus where they have extensive microbial growth and handling facilities and expertise.

Remote sensing of Remote sensing of micro-organisms from orbital measurements of solar-induced fluorescence using hyperspectral and multi-angular data.: Prof. Peter Muller

Recently, methane has been detected from ground-based astronomical observations (Mumma et al., 2009) with seasonal fluctuations on the order of several ppb with geographical distribution suggestive of association with sites selected for the NASA Mars Science Lander. This is unexpected as the only known mechanisms at present are subterranean releases from volcanic processes or from biological organisms. Even stranger is the fact that most traces of methane disappear during particular seasons even though the half-life of this gas is some 300-600 years. It will be a major objective of the ESA ExoMars Orbiter mission in 2016. Recently, some intriguing surface features have been tracked over time which show dark material on polar dunes which has been suggested as possibly coming from a biological source (Kereszturi et al., 2009). The CRISM hyperspectral imager is capable of mapping fine spectral features down to 5-10nm and is currently operating on the NASA MRO mission. Around the Earth, hyperspectral imagers with similar spectral and spatial resolution have been operating for many years such as the NASA EO-1/Hyperion and the ESA CHRIS/PROBA. The objective will be to assess whether subtle spectral features associated with microbiological material in similar climatic regimes to Mars can be detected from Earth orbit and then whether such features can be found on Mars at specific sites which may be targets of opportunity for the ExoMars Orbiter 2018 rover.

Analysis of intensive care medicine data and development of a standardised system of data archive and processing.

Prof. Louise Harra and Dr. Kevin Fong (UCLH)

This project is to study the evolution of critically unwell patients' illnesses in the intensive care setting by making use of data analysis and archiving techniques from astrophysics. This is an exciting interdisciplinary project and the student will work jointly between the UCL Space and Climate Physics Department and University College London Hospital. Innovative and creative candidates are sought with backgrounds in physics, mathematics, computer science or medicine.

In addition, if you have any suggestions of your own we are always pleased to hear them. Details of all supervisors are given here . You can contact any supervisor for details of possible projects.

PhD projects in astrophysics, solar system physics and Earth observation studies available for 2010 are listed below. Note we also have opportunities in instrumentation and systems engineering. Please contact us for details. NERC PhD project details can be found here.