Seminar

The magnetosphere of a giant planet is a large region of space surrounding it, primarily formed by the interaction between solar wind and the planet's intrinsic magnetic field, which is generated by its internal dynamo. Such interactions give rise to various fascinating phenomena, including planetary aurorae. The rapid rotation of a giant planet further complicates the development of these interactions. This study focuses on the large- and meso-scale fluctuations of giant planetary magnetospheres, including Kelvin-Helmholtz and interchange instabilities. As most of the magnetospheric environment is difficult to probe with global data coverage, computational methods provide us with more opportunities to study different processes under varying interplanetary conditions. We present a global three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of Saturn and Jupiter's magnetospheres to investigate the mass and energy transportation associated with these large- and meso-scale fluctuations.

Additional information: Mr. Zhiqi ZHENG, lostzzq@connect.hku.hk