Solar Physics and Space Weather

• Solar Physics 

Study of Sun, the nearest star and its physical process through simulation, observation and modelling is the primary focus. A major focus is on space plasma processes in the Sun-Earth environment, aiming to create indigenous space weather modeling frameworks. Physics based simulation as well machine learning /AI approches are used to study the behaviour of Sun and the solar phenomena. 

• Computational Astrophysics 

This combines computational methods and algorithms for simulating and analyzing astrophysical data to discover new phenomena. Research also covers dynamical evolution of jets from Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and particle acceleration, using advanced simulations to predict observational features.

• Ionospheric Physics 

Ionosphere is the ionized region of Earth's atmosphere and crucial for all space based communication, navigation as well remote sensing satellites. The major thrust is on to understand the ionospheric characteristics, both in low latitude as well high-latitude. The coupling between Space Weather phenomena and Ionosphere is one of such challenging areas, particularly as the society is more becoming a technology driven society where any disruption in satellite system is a billon dollar problem. The researchers are actively exploring the impact in 

• Lower-Upper Atmosphere Coupling 

The Earth has both neutral atmosphere at the lower height in addition to the ionozed layers above. The interaction between these two region shapes the characteristics of both the region. The potential difference between Earth crust and Ionosphere maintain a current which modulated by thunderstorms and other phenomena. The Space Weather impacts the lower atmosphere through complex mechanism connecting Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-lower atmosphere. It addition, the energy transport to upper atmosphere by waves of various nature generated at lower atmosphere which modulate the ionosphere characteristics. The current research is focused on the study of these interaction both from both top side and bottom side.    

FACULTY