To study the behaviour of plasmas is of profound importance to understand phenomena in space and their possible impact on the global environment. Some understanding can be gained by observing the phenomena by radars, rockets and satellites. The improvement of such observational techniques has opened up possibilities to observe small –scale plasma phenomena in space. It has also increased the awareness that the plasma physics underpinning the small-scale phenomena must be understood in order to understand the big picture of the ionosphere and its interaction with the Earth’s atmosphere, the magnetosphere and the solar wind plasma. The improved resolution of space observations and laboratory diagnostics also improve the possibility to more directly compare the observations with controlled laboratory experiments.
The Aurolab facilitates plasma experiments relevant to space phenomena. With the Njord device we focus on acceleration, flows and beams in weakly magnetized, low-temperature plasmas. Under certain conditions, nonlinear potential drops and ion beams may be formed. Recently, energetic electrons associated with the ion beams have been studied in greater detail. These phenomena are of specific relevance to auroral plasmas, which can be created by plasma particles flowing along the magnetic lines into the polar ionosphere.
The research on the Menja device focus on energy distributions in ECR ** plasmas, as well as on instabilities and ion heating in such plasmas. Recently, a new vacuum vessel and ECR plasma source have been installed, in order to facilitate ion propulsion studies.
A space simulation chamber (SSC), originally hosted by the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, has been reassembled and refurbished with a new pump system. A Kaufmann plasma source to create a flowing plasma environment has been installed and investigated. The SSC will offer possibilities to test and develop rocket instrumentation in appropriate vacuum and space plasma parameters in collaboration with scientists working from Andøya Rocket Range. Projects concerning arcing and surface-plasma interactions is also pursued.
** ECR = electron cyclotron resonance, which can be used to heat electrons and create a plasma by propagating a strong wave into a region where electrons gyrate in a magnetic field with the same frequency as the frequency of the wave.