Duration
30h Th, 15h Pr
Number of credits
| Master in space sciences, research focus | 5 crédits | |||
| Master in space sciences, professional focus | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Planetary magnetospheres and Aurorae
Polar aurorae do not only exist on Earth. They also appear on other planets and other objects in our Solar System and even in other planetary systems. These phantom-like displays are the most impressive evidence of permanent interaction between the planets and their spatial environment. In most cases, this interaction results from the combination of the Sun-Magnetosphere-Ionosphere. Other combinations exist and are just as effective at producing aurorae. We will explore the Solar System looking for such combinations.
A large part of the course is devoted to the Planeterrella experiment. This experiment illustrates many aspects of plasma physics as applied to auroras and planetary magnetospheres. Students will have the opportunity to work with the apparatus during practical sessions. The final examination will include an individual presentation of the results of this experiment (carried out in groups).
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
List of subjects discussed in the course
General introduction
Magnetic dipole
Solar wind
Magnetospheric plasma
The heliosphere
Particles motions in a magnetized plasma
Planetary magnetic fields
Magnetopause currents
The auroral process
Planeterrella operation
Planetary magnetospheres and aurorae in the solar system (Jupiter, Saturn, ...)
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Corequisite: SPAT0055 (or SPAT0048)
(It might be useful to follow courses SPAT0001, SPAT0029)
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Problems and practical work
Students will have the opportunity to conduct the Planeterralla experiment, which is a simulator of auroras and magnetospheric configurations. Using the equipment provided, they will be able to verify laws such as Paschen's law and determine the origin of auroral emissions (using a multi-channel spectrometer). An individual report on this experiment will be presented during the oral examination.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Blended learning
Additional information:
A recorded version (MP4) of all lectures is available on Vimeo (links provided).
If it is not possible to organize practical work sessions based on the use of planeterrella, these group work sessions will be replaced by individual analysis of an article to be selected from a list made available to students. These articles are available on eCampus in pdf format.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Presentations updated during the academic year, as well as copies of chapters from reference books, can be downloaded in PDF format from eCampus.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
Further information:
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
- Remote
oral exam
Additional information:
The oral examination consists of a presentation of the individual report on the Planeterrella experiment, in French or English. Students have approximately 15 minutes to present the content of their report, what they have learnt from it, and to attempt to link it to the material covered in the course.
Questions will be asked about both the report and the material covered in the course. Assessment will be based on:
- the mastery of the material presented (20%),
- the highlighting of links with the course (15%),
- the quality and care of the presentation (15%) and
- the relevance of the answers to the questions (50%).
In case of remote oral examination, use of MS Teams (backup solution).
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
It is highly recommended to attend the face-to-face classes.
All movies available for download on eCampus or Vimeo must be viewed.
Contacts
Prof Denis Grodent
Laboratory for Planetary and Atmospheric Physics
Space sciences, Technologies and Astrophysics Research (STAR) Institute
Université de Liège
Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique
Quartier AGORA (B5c)
Allée du Six Août, 19C
B-4000 Liège, Belgium
d.grodent@uliege.be
Office: B5c (Astrophysique et Géophysique) - 0/5
Association of one or more MOOCs
Items online
PDF version of the slides presented during the classes.
PDF version of the slides presented during the classes.