Probing Planetary Magnetospheres, Ionosphere, and Atmospheres (PPMIA)

Chief Co-ordinator - Dr. Jayashree Bulusu & Members

The planetary plasma environments serve as natural laboratories for exploring the dynamics of space plasma in our solar system. The variable nature of each planet with respect to their origin, geometry, position in the solar system, and interaction with solar wind makes these planets candidates for investigations and future space explorations. The motivation of this program is to unfold the atmospheric, ionospheric, and magnetospheric processes of other planetary systems like Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn with an eye on analogy and applicability to Earth observations. Decades of observations from planetary missions have proven evidence of the direct interaction of solar wind with the atmospheres and ionospheres of planets like Mars and Venus which do not have a sustained magnetic field. Yet these planets possess ionospheres and induced magnetospheres, which also exhibit a spectrum of plasma waves. A detailed study is being carried out at present to understand how the lack of a global magnetic field affects the plasma dynamics of these two planets. 

On the other hand, efforts are being made to model and analyze the field data from planetary missions like JUNO, and CASINNI which have provided the opportunity to explore the interaction of solar wind with planets Jupiter and Saturn. These planets are similar to that of Earth in terms of a sustained magnetic field. These giant planets and their satellites contribute further to the plasma environment of these planets. With adequate observations of multiple parameters like the electric field, magnetic field, and plasma properties, the uniqueness of each planetary body and its satellite can be realized which can unravel more fundamental aspects of the solar system itself.