Interplanetary magnetic fields as a research area encompass the study of the large-scale magnetic field embedded in the solar wind and its role in heliospheric plasma dynamics. This field investigates the origin and structure of the heliospheric magnetic field, its transport from the solar corona, and its evolution via processes such as turbulence, magnetic reconnection, and interaction with planetary magnetospheres. Research emphasizes in-situ spacecraft measurements, modeling of Parker-spiral geometry, coupling to cosmic-ray modulation, and the impact of field topology and fluctuations on space weather, particle acceleration, and propagation throughout the heliosphere.
In recent years, NASA's Parker Solar Probe has given us a close-up look at the sun. Among the probe's revelations was the presence of numerous kinks, or "switchbacks," in magnetic field lines in the sun's outer atmosphere. ...
Planetary Sciences
Oct 8, 2025
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2117
NASA's Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) mission, a collaborative effort led by the University of Iowa (UI) with substantial contributions from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), ...
Planetary Sciences
Jul 21, 2025
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33
Solar flares accelerate energetic electrons that escape into interplanetary space, guided by the Parker spiral magnetic field, and are responsible for the generation of the interplanetary Type III solar radio bursts. With ...
Astronomy
Apr 25, 2025
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92
When two probes orbiting the sun aligned with one another, researchers harnessed the opportunity to track the sun's magnetic field as it traveled into the solar system. They found that the sharply oscillating magnetic field ...
General Physics
Dec 19, 2024
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43
