About the project
The aurora has a great variety of shapes and dynamics, indicative of energy transfer into the atmosphere, but the complexity of the system makes it extremely challenging to link these to geomagnetic and solar wind conditions, needed for forecasting. We can solve that problem statistically with a big data set.
The aurora (northern lights) is rich in structure and dynamics on multiple scales, but the mechanisms producing different features are not yet well understood. The University of Southampton operates a high- resolution imaging system on Svalbard, in the high Arctic, called ASK (Auroral Structure & Kinetics), designed for the study of rapid, fine scale (<10 km) aurora.
Case studies of short individual events have advanced our understanding of fine scale aurora, but ASK has been operating throughout the dark winter seasons for several years and has produced hundreds of TB of data, the vast majority of which has not been studied or examined at all. We have therefore developed a citizen science project called Aurora Zoo, where volunteers classify and analyse ASK image sequences, enabling large statistical studies.
In this project you will use output from the Aurora Zoo to investigate the occurrence frequencies and conditions required for different auroral types, to constrain and advance theories for their associated generation mechanisms, and to better characterise and forecast the effects of the aurora on the atmosphere. Comparisons will be made with other data sets, in particular upstream solar wind data and other spacecraft measurements. Machine learning techniques may be applied to output from the Aurora Zoo to train a classifier capable of rapidly expanding the size of the statistical studies and classifying future data, possibly in near real time.
The project may include the opportunity for fieldwork to the Arctic to calibrate the instrumentation and install an automated classification system.
The School of Physics and Astronomy is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break.
The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.