Space physics articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The connection between Mars’s global magnetospheric current systems and its ionosphere is still not well-defined. Here, the authors show a map of the magnetic fields and ionospheric currents of Mars, revealing two ionospheric currents that are driven by the solar wind and atmospheric neutral winds.

    • Jiawei Gao
    • , Shibang Li
    •  & Yongxin Pan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electric fields in the solar atmosphere are not studied as widely as the magnetic fields mainly due to small, short living signals. Here, the authors show measurement of an electric field associated with magnetic diffusion triggering an energetic event in the solar atmosphere.

    • Tetsu Anan
    • , Roberto Casini
    •  & Thomas R. Rimmele

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Most space plasmas are in turbulent state and turbulence plays an essential role in transferring energy from large to small scales. Here, the authors show direct measurements of ion cyclotron damping in the Earth’s turbulent magnetosheath plasma and the resulting ion and electron energization rates.

    • A. S. Afshari
    • , G. G. Howes
    •  & C. A. Kletzing

  • Article
    | Open Access

    When lightning generated whistler waves echo multiple times, they are called whistler echo trains. Here, the authors show lightning strokes from three thunderstorm systems responsible for long-lasting and intense whistler echo trains.

    • I. Kolmašová
    • , O. Santolík
    •  & J. Manninen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    NASA’s Cold Atom Lab has operated on the International Space Station since 2018 to study quantum gases and mature quantum technologies in Earth’s orbit. Here, Williams et al., report on a series of pathfinding experiments exploring the first quantum sensor using atom interferometry in space.

    • Jason R. Williams
    • , Charles A. Sackett
    •  & Nicholas P. Bigelow

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetic reconnection dynamics in Venus’ magnetosphere are not well-known due to limited observations. Here, the authors show direct evidence for closed magnetic topology in Venus’ magnetotail and a link between the cold ion flow in the magnetotail and its direct magnetic connectivity to the ionosphere.

    • Shaosui Xu
    • , David L. Mitchell
    •  & Moa Persson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Jovian cusps are not well-known due to limited observations. Here, the authors show that the characteristics of charged particles in the Jovian cusps are similar to those of the Earth and Saturn cusps, and Jupiter’s polar cusp is located in the dusk-side sector, contradicting Earth-based predictions of a near-noon location.

    • Y. Xu
    • , C. S. Arridge
    •  & Y. Wei

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The phenotype and function of immune cells could change during spaceflight. Here the authors use simulated microgravity, coupled to validation with spaceflight data, to assess whether there are distinct gene expression changes in resting and TLR 7/8 stimulated PBMCs and found conserved changes in IFN signalling, the cytoskeleton, IL-6 and sirtuin signalling.

    • Fei Wu
    • , Huixun Du
    •  & Daniel A. Winer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves observed on the Sun help understanding solar plasma and involved processes. Here, the authors show resolved MHD waves in the solar corona displaying MHD lensing effect.

    • Xinping Zhou
    • , Yuandeng Shen
    •  & Chengrui Zhou

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave mode conversion can occur when an MHD wave passes through a region where the plasma properties change. Here, the authors show direct observation of mode conversion from a fast-mode to a slow mode MHD wave near a 3D null point in the solar corona, which was as predicted by theory and MHD simulations.

    • Pankaj Kumar
    • , Valery M. Nakariakov
    •  & Kyung-Suk Cho

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Real-time lab analysis is key to support clinical research during space missions. Here, the authors show scant test samples can be measured in microgravity using a miniature cytometery-based analyzer, the rHEALTH ONE with specific spaceflight modifications.

    • Daniel J. Rea
    • , Rachael S. Miller
    •  & Eugene Y. Chan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Plasma created in laboratory are useful to understand the properties of atmospheric and space plasma. Here the authors report a laboratory plasma experiment in a dipole magnetic field to show the excitation of chirping whistler waves, i.e. chorus emission.

    • Haruhiko Saitoh
    • , Masaki Nishiura
    •  & Zensho Yoshida

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hypothetical dark photon (DP) dark matter (DM) and axion DM might resonantly convert into electromagnetic waves in the solar corona. Here, the authors show upper limits on the axion-photon coupling and on the kinetic mixing coupling of DPDM and photon within 30-80 MHz in the solar corona radio observations.

    • Haipeng An
    • , Xingyao Chen
    •  & Yan Luo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Both particle and wave energy exist in plasma and energy transfer leads to many interesting phenomena like turbulence, particle acceleration. Here the authors show electron-scale coherent structure resulting from energy transfer in magnetosheath using a model and data from Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission.

    • Zi-Kang Xie
    • , Qiu-Gang Zong
    •  & Per-Arne Lindqvist

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A fundamental feature of planetary magnetospheres is internal convection induced by surrounding solar wind. Here, authors offer insights into the interplay among solar wind, magnetosphere, and ionosphere, and evidence a dayside-driven convection pattern linked to magnetic-field-aligned currents.

    • Lei Dai
    • , Minghui Zhu
    •  & Graziella Branduardi-Raymont

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Jets have been found in Earth’s magnetosheath for two decades and, more recently, also in Mars. Yet, their universal existence in planetary magnetosheath remains an open question. Here, authors report the presence of anti-sunward and sunward jets at Jupiter and compare them to Earth and Mars.

    • Yufei Zhou
    • , Savvas Raptis
    •  & Lan Ma

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mesospheric ghosts are rare, faint, greenish transient luminous events. Here, the authors show metallic emissions revealed by the spectrum of a mesospheric ghost.

    • María Passas-Varo
    • , Oscar Van der Velde
    •  & Joan Montanyà

  • Article
    | Open Access

    How and via which mechanism the energy transfers between scales in imbalanced Alfvénic turbulence is an open question. Here, the authors show that the energy transfer of imbalanced Alfvénic turbulence is completed by coherent interactions between Alfvén waves and co-propagating anomalous fluctuations.

    • Liping Yang
    • , Jiansen He
    •  & Ziqi Wu

  • Comment
    | Open Access

    The exploration of our solar system is being radically changed since the beginning of operations of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in mid 2022. JWST’s extraordinary sensitivity and instrumentation allow for sensitive searches for the building blocks of life and to test for habitability, also enabling new discoveries on small bodies to giant planets across our solar system and beyond.

    • G. L. Villanueva
    •  & S. N. Milam

  • Article
    | Open Access

    How solar wind and ionosphere contribution to the plasma in the magnetosphere during the development of geomagnetic storms changes is an open question. Here, the authors show a dynamic source change during a storm from solar wind to the ionosphere as the storm develops.

    • L. M. Kistler
    • , K. Asamura
    •  & I. Shinohara

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mars lacks a global intrinsic magnetic field. Here, the authors show wedge-like dispersion structures of Hydrogen ions exhibiting butterfly-shaped distributions, which was previously found only in intrinsic magnetospheres.

    • Chi Zhang
    • , Hans Nilsson
    •  & Stas Barabash

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polarization of decayless kink oscillations of solar coronal loops provide unique information about involved excitation mechanisms and energy supply, but its detection remains elusive. Here, the authors show horizontal and weakly oblique linear polarization of such oscillations, which favors the energy supply by quasi-steady flows.

    • Sihui Zhong
    • , Valery M. Nakariakov
    •  & David Berghmans

  • Article
    | Open Access

    BepiColombo mission had its first Mercury flyby on 1 October 2021. Here, the authors show plasma measurements taken during this flyby, which reveals that electron injections and subsequent energy-dependent drift is a universal mechanism generating aurorae in the planetary magnetospheres.

    • Sae Aizawa
    • , Yuki Harada
    •  & Go Murakami

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Although whistler-mode chorus waves are common in the Earth’s and other planetary magnetospheres, the mechanism behind fast frequency chirping is debated. Here, the authors show the presence of chorus emissions at Mars, with fundamentally the same nonlinear nature as those at Earth, despite vastly different magnetic and plasma conditions.

    • Shangchun Teng
    • , Yifan Wu
    •  & Xin Tao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Long-term space missions to the Moon and Mars rely on sunlight as an energy source. Here, authors assess the performance of monolithic photoelectrochemical devices for light-assisted O2 and fuel production on the Moon and Mars as potential complementary technologies to existing life support systems.

    • Byron Ross
    • , Sophia Haussener
    •  & Katharina Brinkert

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability (KHI) has been suggested as a significant source of geomagnetic activity during northward Interplanetary Magnetic Fields (IMF). Here, the authors show seasonal and diurnal variations of KHI at Earth’s magnetopause, highlighting the importance of Sun-earth geometry for space weather.

    • S. Kavosi
    • , J. Raeder
    •  & C. J. Farrugia

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Kinetic Alfven Waves (KAWs) are ubiquitous in space plasmas. Here, the authors show that application of particle sounding technique to Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission data enables measuring perpendicular wavelength of KAWs.

    • Z.-Y. Liu
    • , Q.-G. Zong
    •  & G. Le

  • Comment
    | Open Access

    NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission intentionally impacted the asteroid Dimorphos on September 26, 2022, and this kinetic impact changed Dimorphos’ orbit around its binary companion Didymos. This first planetary defense test explored technological readiness for this method of asteroid deflection.

    • Andrew S. Rivkin
    •  & Andrew F. Cheng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Scattering by the upper- and lower-band chorus waves are the dominant cause of diffuse auroral precipitation. Here, the authors show that the lower-band chorus alone satisfies the preferred condition for the generation of second harmonics to trigger the diffuse auroral electron precipitation.

    • Xiongdong Yu
    • , Zhigang Yuan
    •  & H. O. Funsten

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Magnetized plasmas display continuous spectra of current-sheet equilibria. How they select a particular equilibrium is not well understood. Now, equilibrium selection in magnetized plasmas is studied by analytical theory, particle-in-cell simulations and spacecraft observations, highlighting the role of current-sheet relaxation processes.

    • Young Dae Yoon
    • , Deirdre E. Wendel
    •  & Gunsu S. Yun

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) are frequently detected in solar and stellar flares, but the underlying physical mechanisms are still to be ascertained. Here, the authors show microwave QPPs during a solar flare originating from quasi-periodic magnetic reconnection at the flare current sheet.

    • Yuankun Kou
    • , Xin Cheng
    •  & Mingde Ding

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Metastable helium is a promising target for remote-sensing observations of Earth’s thermosphere. This paper reports on the development of a resonance lidar capable of resolving metastable helium density profiles and presents initial results

    • Bernd Kaifler
    • , Christopher Geach
    •  & Markus Rapp

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cross-scale energy transfers in collisionless plasmas help understanding involved mechanisms. Here, the authors show simultaneous macro- and micro-scale wave-ion interactions provide an efficient mechanism for cross-scale energy transfer and plasma energization in astrophysical and space plasmas.

    • Z.-Y. Liu
    • , Q.-G. Zong
    •  & G. Le

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is suggested that waves can provide both diffusion and resistivity that can potentially support the reconnection electric field in low-density astrophysical plasmas. Here, the authors show, using direct spacecraft measurements, that the waves contribute to anomalous diffusion but do not contribute to the reconnection electric field.

    • D. B. Graham
    • , Yu. V. Khotyaintsev
    •  & K. Dokgo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Energetic electron densities in the radiation belt increases during geomagnetic storms. Here, the authors show oblique whistler mode waves enhance electron losses and create strong fluxes of about 100 keV electrons precipitating into the atmosphere, that should be considered in radiation belt models.

    • Xiao-Jia Zhang
    • , Anton Artemyev
    •  & Ayako Matsuoka

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Two extreme solar energetic particle events have been found by carbon isotopes measured in ancient tree rings in 7176 and 5259 BCE. The recorded ~2% increases of atmospheric 14 C for both events exceeds in amplitude of all previously observed events.

    • Nicolas Brehm
    • , Marcus Christl
    •  & Lukas Wacker

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