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Journal articleSnodgrass C, Epifani EM, Tubiana C, et al., 2026,
Considerations on the process of target selection for the Comet Interceptor mission
, Icarus, Vol: 447, ISSN: 0019-1035Comet Interceptor is an ESA science mission with payload contributions from ESA Member States and with an international participation by JAXA. It is the first mission that is being designed, built, and potentially launched before its target is known. This approach will enable the spacecraft to perform the first mission to a Long Period Comet from the Oort Cloud, as these comets have fleeting visits to the inner Solar System lasting only months to years from first discovery, too short for the usual process of mission development to be followed. In this paper we describe a number of factors that need to be considered in selecting a target for the mission, including scientific, orbital, spacecraft and instrument constraints, and discussion of different prioritisation strategies. We find that, in the case where we have a choice of targets, our decisions will mostly be driven by orbital information, which we will have relatively early on, with information on the activity level of the comet an important but secondary consideration. As cometary activity levels are notoriously hard to predict based on early observations alone, this prioritisation / decision approach based more on orbits gives us confidence that a good comet that is compatible with the spacecraft constraints will be selectable with sufficient warning time to allow the mission to intercept it.
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Journal articleBianco JS, Tenerani A, Gonzalez C, et al., 2026,
Evolution of an Alfvén Wave–driven Proton Beam in the Expanding Solar Wind
, The Astrophysical Journal, Vol: 998, Pages: 194-194, ISSN: 0004-637X<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>We investigate the self-consistent formation and long-term evolution of proton beams in the expanding solar wind using an ensemble of one-dimensional hybrid expanding box simulations. Initial conditions are chosen to represent a range of plasma states observed by the Helios spacecraft at 0.3 au, including an amplitude-modulated Alfvén wave that nonlinearly drives a proton beam aligned with the magnetic field. We compare simulation results with solar wind data out to 1.5 au and show that our model reproduces key observed features of proton beams on average, such as the radial evolution of the drift and the relative core-to-beam density ratio. These findings support the theory that the observed evolution of the proton beam drift in the solar wind is determined by kinetic instabilities. More broadly, our results indicate that the interplay between nonlinear Alfvén wave dynamics, expansion effects, and kinetic instabilities plays a fundamental role in solar wind dynamics, with implications for interpreting solar wind heating rate estimates.</jats:p>
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Journal articleWilson Kemsley S, Nowack P, Ceppi P, 2026,
Recent Cloud Controlling Factor Analyses Indicate Higher Climate Sensitivity
, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol: 53, ISSN: 0094-8276Cloud feedback is a dominant source of uncertainty in climate model estimates of equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS). Cloud controlling factor analysis can observationally constrain cloud feedback. For the first time, we use separate rather than unified frameworks to assess high- and low-cloud feedbacks and constrain the net cloud feedback and subsequently, the ECS. We find a robustly positive cloud feedback (i.e., a negative feedback is (Formula presented.) % probable), indicating that clouds amplify global warming. We assess the individual and combined impacts of our cloud feedback constraints on ECS using three approaches. Two indicate an upward ECS shift with reduced uncertainty, preserving ECS–feedback correlations but using cloud feedback as a single line of evidence. The third, a Bayesian framework combining multiple lines of evidence, also suggests a higher ECS but with a smaller increase and broader confidence range.
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Journal articleFargette N, Eastwood JP, Phan TD, et al., 2026,
Fluid and Kinetic Properties of the Near-Sun Heliospheric Current Sheet
, The Astrophysical Journal, Vol: 997, Pages: 174-174, ISSN: 0004-637X<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p> The heliospheric current sheet (HCS) is an important large-scale structure of the heliosphere, and, for the first time, the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission enables us to study its properties statistically, close to the Sun. We visually identify the 39 HCS crossings measured by PSP below 50 <jats:italic>R</jats:italic> <jats:sub>⊙</jats:sub> during encounters 6–21, and investigate the occurrence and properties of magnetic reconnection, the behavior of the spectral properties of the turbulent energy cascade, and the occurrence of kinetic instabilities at the HCS. We find that 82% of the HCS crossings present signatures of reconnection jets, showing that the HCS is continuously reconnecting close to the Sun. The proportion of inward and outward jets depends on heliocentric distance, and the main HCS reconnection X-line has a higher probability of being located close to the Alfvén surface. We also observe a radial asymmetry in jet acceleration, where inward jets do not reach the local Alfvén speed, contrary to outward jets. We find that turbulence levels are enhanced in the ion kinetic range, consistent with the triggering of an inverse cascade by magnetic reconnection. Finally, we highlight the ubiquity of magnetic hole trains in the high- <jats:italic>β</jats:italic> environment of the HCS, showing that the mirror mode instability plays a key role in regulating the ion temperature anisotropy in HCS reconnection. Our findings shed new light on the properties of magnetic reconnection in the high- <jats:italic>β</jats:italic> plasma environment of the HCS, its interplay with the turbulent cascade, and the role of the mirror mode instability. </jats
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Journal articleIm U, Samset BH, Nenes A, et al., 2026,
Aerosol‐cloud interactions: overcoming a barrier to projecting near‐term climate evolution and risk
, AGU Advances, Vol: 7, ISSN: 2576-604XAerosol-cloud interactions (ACI) are a major source of uncertainty in climate science, critically affecting our ability to project near-term climate evolution and assess societal risks. These interactions influence effective radiative forcing, cloud dynamics, and precipitation patterns, yet remain insufficiently constrained due to limitations in observations, modeling, and process understanding. This uncertainty hampers robust policy advice across multiple domains—from estimating remaining carbon budgets and climate sensitivity, to anticipating regional extreme events and evaluating climate interventions such as solar radiation modification. In many cases, the influence of ACI is either underappreciated or excluded from decision-making frameworks due to its complexity and lack of quantification. This perspective outlines a path forward to overcome these barriers by leveraging emerging opportunities in satellite remote sensing, ground-based and airborne observations, high-resolution climate modeling, and machine learning. We identify key areas where rapid progress is feasible, including improved retrievals of cloud microphysical properties, better representation of natural aerosols in a warming world, and enhanced integration of observational and modeling communities. Even as anthropogenic aerosol and its impacts on clouds is reducing owing to emissions controls, addressing ACI uncertainties remains essential for refining climate projections, supporting effective mitigation and adaptation strategies, and delivering actionable science to policymakers in a rapidly changing climate system.
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Journal articleClear CP, Uylings P, Raassen T, 2026,
Calculated oscillator strengths and transition probabilities of singly ionised nickel (Ni II)
, Astronomy and Astrophysics (A & A), Vol: 706, ISSN: 0004-6361Aims. This work reports calculated transition probabilities for spectral lines of singly ionised nickel (Ni II) incorporating newly determined experimental energy levels, addressing critical gaps in atomic data required for astrophysical spectroscopy and plasma diagnostics.Methods. Transition probabilities of Ni II were calculated using the semi-empirical orthogonal operator method for both odd and even energy levels. Calculated eigenvalues were fine-tuned to experimental energy levels, determined using Fourier transform spectroscopy, further increasing the accuracy of these calculated transition probabilities.Results. In total, transition probabilities have been calculated for nearly 118 000 electric dipole transitions between 361 even and 735 odd levels. The resulting transition probabilities show strong agreement with existing experimental and semi-empirical data, while offering improved consistency and coverage across a wide range of line strengths. The calculated transitions span the far-infrared to the vacuum ultraviolet spectral regions, providing extensive coverage for astrophysical applications. This dataset significantly enhances the calculated atomic data available for Ni II and represents a critical contribution to the advancement of our understanding of astrophysical phenomena through improved spectroscopic analysis.
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Journal articleTsilimigkras A, Lazaridis M, Voulgarakis A, et al., 2026,
Climate projections for Greece: Defining a regional sub-ensemble from the CMIP6 landscape
, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, Vol: 157, ISSN: 0177-798X<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p> Most climate change impact studies, regardless of scope, traditionally rely on a predefined set of climate model simulations without thoroughly examining representativeness, model skill, and diversity. This approach risks overlooking regional nuances and limits the utility of projections for tailored adaptation strategies. In the Mediterranean—and particularly Greece, where climate risks are high—addressing these limitations is essential for reliable, actionable projections. The CMIP6 ensemble is extensive, but its size and internal variability pose challenges for regional use, leaving users to navigate an “ensemble of opportunity” with interdependent models and diverse historical and future behaviors. Here we evaluate 35 CMIP6 models over Greece against bias-adjusted GSWP3-W5E5 observations, assessing both annual and seasonal historical performance with multiple diagnostics (correlation, standard deviation, CRMSE, bias, RMSE) and summarizing skill via a composite Historical Performance Score (HPS): the harmonic mean of Taylor Skill Score (pattern fidelity) and a variability-aware bias score that penalizes systematic offsets relative to observed interannual variability. Future responses are analyzed for 2081–2100 (high-emission Shared Socioeconomic Pathway SSP5-8.5) using a quadrant framework based on temperature change ( <jats:inline-formula> <jats:tex-math>$$\Delta$$</jats:tex-math> </jats:inline-formula> ) and late-century precipitation (); changes in maximum temperature ( <jats:inline-formula> <jats:tex-math>$$\Delta$$</jats:tex-math> </jats:inline-formula> ) are also incorporated to characterize the amplification of hot conditions. By i
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Journal articleWivell L, Dougherty MK, Masters A, 2026,
Inductive Response of Enceladus' Ice Shell and Potentially Stratified Ocean
, Earth and Space Science, Vol: 13, ISSN: 2333-5084<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Saturn's moon Enceladus harbors a global subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust. Understanding the structure and composition of this ocean and ice is critical to assessing its potential habitability. Modern electromagnetic (EM) sounding techniques, which measure a celestial body's induced response to external electromagnetic fields, offer a powerful tool for probing internal structures. These techniques are well‐established for Earth and the Moon, modeled for Europa, and here evaluated for Enceladus. By modeling higher frequency range (1 mHz−1 kHz), which sound to shallower depths than lower frequencies, this study shows that induction can provide a constraint on ice composition. The induced response also gives insight into other ice‐shell properties, including potential water layers, as well as different stratified ocean conditions. The findings of this study highlight the potential for future missions to use EM sounding to constrain properties of the ice‐shell, including composition, as well as identifying potential ocean stratification.</jats:p>
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Journal articleDi Natale G, Brindley H, Murray J, et al., 2026,
Achieving consistency between in-situ and remotely sensed optical and microphysical properties of Arctic cirrus: the impact of far-infrared radiances
, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP), Vol: 26, Pages: 1373-1394, ISSN: 1680-7316This paper explores whether it is possible to achieve consistency between ground-based infrared radiance measurements made in the presence of cirrus, co-located in-situ aircraft measurements of the cirrus microphysics, and ancillary ground-based remote sensing. Specifically we use spectrally resolved radiances covering the range 400–1500 cm−1, in-situ measurements of cirrus particle sizes and habits, backscatter ceilometer observations of cloud vertical structure and microwave inferred temperature and humidity profiles to investigate whether we can obtain consistency between the derived cloud properties and atmospheric state from these independent sources of data. The primary focus of this study is on the sensitivity of the retrieved cloud particle size to the assumed crystal habit. Excellent consistency between the retrieved cloud parameters is achieved both with the ceilometer derived optical depth and the size distribution measured by the aircraft by assuming the crystal habit to be comprised of bullet rosettes. The averaged values of the effective diameter and optical depth obtained from radiometric measurements are (26.5 ± 1.8) µm and (0.12 ± 0.01) in comparison with the values derived from in-situ and ceilometer measurements equal to (31.5 ± 5.0) µm and (0.13 ± 0.01), respectively. Furthermore, we show that the radiance information contained within the far-infrared (wavenumbers < 650 cm−1) spectrum is critical to achieving this level of agreement with the in-situ aircraft observations. The results emphasize why it is vital to expand the current limited database of measurements encompassing the far-infrared spectrum, particularly in the presence of cirrus, to explore whether this finding holds over a wider range of conditions.
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Journal articleBadman ST, Fargette N, Matteini L, et al., 2026,
Properties of magnetic switchbacks in the near-sun solar wind
, Space Science Reviews, Vol: 222, ISSN: 0038-6308Magnetic switchbacks are fluctuations in the solar wind in which the interplanetary magnetic field sharply deflects away from its background direction so as to create folds in magnetic field lines while remaining of roughly constant magnitude. The magnetic field and velocity fluctuations are extremely well correlated in a way corresponding to Alfvénic fluctuations propagating away from the Sun. For a background field which is nearly radial this causes an outwardly propagating jet to form. Switchbacks and their characteristic velocity jets have recently been observed to be nearly ubiquitous by Parker Solar Probe with in situ measurements in the inner heliosphere within 0.3 AU. Their prevalence, substantial energy content, and potentially fundamental role in the dynamics of the outer corona and solar wind motivate the significant research efforts into their understanding. Here we review the in situ measurements of these structures (primarily by Parker Solar Probe). We discuss how they are identified and measured, and present an overview of the primary observational properties of these structures, both in terms of individual switchbacks and their collective arrangement into “patches”. We identify both properties for which there is a strong consensus and those that have limited or qualified support and require further investigation. We identify and collate several open questions and recommendations for future studies.
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Journal articleSmith C, Kasoar M, Perkins O, et al., 2026,
Small-scale livelihood and cultural fire: global spatiotemporal characteristics, and gaps in data
, PLoS ONE, Vol: 21, ISSN: 1932-6203Human fire use is a key activity and process in many landscapes and ecosystems around the world, varying spatiotemporally depending on social, economic, and ecological factors. Recently, initiatives have begun to synthesise data on global fire use from across multiple disciplines and disparate sources into coherent databases. Here, we draw on information from one of these databases, the Livelihood Fire Database, which collates data on fire use practices worldwide from case studies in the literature. We examine data from 345 case study locations spanning 69 countries regarding return interval, area burned, and seasonality of anthropogenic fires set to meet small-scale rural livelihood objectives and/or for cultural reasons. We distinguish patterns in the spatiotemporal nature of fires associated with different fire-use purposes, such as clearing vegetation for agriculture, maintaining pasture for livestock, promoting certain plant species for gathering, or driving game when hunting. For many fire uses, especially those related to hunting, gathering, human wellbeing, and social signalling, there are very limited quantitative data available, but it is possible to draw qualitative insights from case studies. Case studies demonstrate that environmental and social conditions drive variation in fire use for the same purpose, reiterating that assumptions of uniform drivers of anthropogenic fire may be misleading. Nonetheless where quantitative data are available, we find some correspondence between the spatiotemporal nature of fires and fire-use purpose, suggesting that distinguishing between different fire-use purposes may be useful to understand and to better model their likely timing, size, and frequency relative to climate and other drivers. We recommend examples where the diagnosis of these broad relationships between fire-use purpose and fire properties could enable improved representation of anthropogenic fire in global land surface models, and aid interpretation of
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Journal articleDai AZ, Gregory J, Ceppi P, 2026,
Understanding the Climate Response to Different Vertical Patterns of Radiative Forcing
, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol: 53, ISSN: 0094-8276The dependence of climate response on the vertical structure of radiative forcing is studied using a set of idealized experiments, with horizontally uniform and vertically confined forcings. We find for a given effective forcing magnitude, higher-altitude forcing causes a smaller global warming, owing to more negative cloud feedback. We present novel evidence relating this altitude dependence to sea-surface temperature patterns and tropospheric static stability. The imposed instantaneous forcings are horizontally uniform, but higher-altitude forcings more effectively suppress convection in the tropical warm pool, producing a more positive effective (adjusted) surface forcing in that region. This gives rise, during the subsequent climate change, to greater warming contrast between the warm pool and rest of the globe, and hence to increase in low cloud amount. Our results show that to achieve accurate climate projections under anthropogenic forcings, it is important to correctly represent the vertical structures of the applied radiative forcing.
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Journal articleEastwood JP, Phan TD, Drake JF, et al., 2026,
Magnetic reconnection energy fluxes in the near-sun heliospheric current sheet as observed by parker solar probe
, The Astrophysical Journal, Vol: 996, ISSN: 0004-637XThe Heliospheric Current Sheet (HCS) is a fundamental feature of the heliosphere, playing a key role organizing the magnetic structure of the solar wind. In contrast to observations previously made through the majority of the heliosphere, Parker Solar Probe has recently revealed that the HCS is typically reconnecting in the inner heliosphere. This provides a new opportunity to study reconnection dynamics in large-scale current sheets and assess how this is different from smaller systems such as Earth’s magnetosphere. We use Parker data to explore HCS reconnection energy partition in two case studies from Encounter 07 and 08. In both cases, we find that in the exhaust, the proton enthalpy flux density is largest, with significant contributions from the proton kinetic energy flux density and electron enthalpy flux density. In contrast, the exhaust Poynting flux density is small in both events. The size and stability of the HCS allows for a control volume analysis to be performed, thus allowing us to estimate changes in energy flux during reconnection. This analysis shows that energy is primarily transferred from the magnetic field to the protons, manifested as the kinetic energy of the exhaust and proton heating. Although the exhaust electron enthalpy flux density is significant, the incoming and outgoing electron enthalpy fluxes are found to be similar, and there is minimal electron heating. The small contribution of the Poynting flux in the outflow may be an important feature of HCS reconnection, with implications for reconnection in large-scale solar and astrophysical current sheets more generally.
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Journal articleBerland GD, Hill ME, Kouloumvakos A, et al., 2026,
Parker Solar Probe Observations of Suprathermal and Energetic Particles during Orbits 18 and 19
, ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, Vol: 996, ISSN: 0004-637X -
Journal articleCohen CMS, Alterman BL, Baker DN, et al., 2026,
IMAP's Role in Understanding Particle Injection and Energization Throughout the Heliosphere.
, Space Sci Rev, Vol: 222, ISSN: 0038-6308The payload of the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) includes sophisticated in situ instruments to measure solar wind plasma and magnetic fields, suprathermal and energetic particles at 1 au as well as unprecedented remote sensing instruments to observe the energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) in the outer heliosphere and the ultraviolet glow of the interstellar neutral H interacting with the three-dimensional solar wind. This unique combination of sensors on a single platform allows connections to be made between the inner and outer heliosphere to an extent never before possible. This article focuses on the scientific theme of connecting the physics of particle acceleration and transport throughout the heliosphere. Such studies enabled by IMAP are organized into three broad categories: i) fundamental particle acceleration and transport processes, ii) heliospheric variability that affects those processes, and iii) inner heliospheric science.
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Journal articleBadman ST, Stevens ML, Bale SD, et al., 2025,
Multispacecraft Measurements of the Evolving Geometry of the Solar Alfvén Surface over Half a Solar Cycle
, ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS, Vol: 995, ISSN: 2041-8205 -
Journal articleBowen TA, Ervin T, Mallet A, et al., 2025,
Stochastic Heating in the Sub-Alfvénic Solar Wind.
, Phys Rev Lett, Vol: 135Collisionless dissipation of turbulence is important for heating plasmas in astrophysical, space physics, and laboratory environments, controlling energy, momentum, and particle transport. We analyze Parker Solar Probe observations to understand the collisionless heating of the sub-Alfvénic solar wind, which is connected to the solar corona. Our results show that linear resonant heating through parallel-propagating cyclotron waves cannot account for turbulent dissipation in the sub-Alfvénic region, which observations suggest may dissipate turbulence at distances further from the Sun. Instead, we find that stochastic heating can account for the observed ion energization; however, because the dominant contributions arise from infrequent, large-amplitude events, turbulent intermittency must be explicitly incorporated. These observations directly connect stochastic heating via breaking of the proton magnetic moment with the intermittent and inhomogeneous heating of turbulence reported in many previous studies. Our identification of stochastic heating as a dynamic mechanism responsible for intermittent heating of the solar wind has significant implications for turbulent dissipation in the lower corona, other astrophysical environments, and laboratory plasmas.
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Journal articleSharan S, Pais A, Amit H, et al., 2025,
Fluid flow at the top of Jupiter's dynamo region
, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, ISSN: 2169-9097The magnetic main field (MF) and secular variation (SV) models for Jupiter can be used to gain insights about the internal dynamo and the flow that drives the field. We use two such models computed from Juno observations up to spherical harmonic degrees 16 and 8 for the MF and SV, respectively. We solve the radial magnetic induction equation in the frozen-flux approximation, at the dynamo region outer boundary assuming zero radial velocity for four large-scale physical flow assumptions- unconstrained, toroidal, tangentially geostrophic and columnar. We find flows with root mean square velocity varying between 100 and 400 km/yr (0.3-1.3 cm/s) when the dynamo region spherical boundary is taken at 0.83 Jupiter radius. Equatorially symmetric, toroidal and non-zonal velocity components are larger than the anti-symmetric, poloidal and zonal components, respectively, for almost all cases. Toroidal and tangentially geostrophic flows display similar velocity values and patterns, despite relying on different physical assumptions. The four inverted solutions indicate that the Jovian interior has dominant eastward flows nearthe Great Blue Spot, in agreement with previous studies. In addition, our more complex flow models shed light on some new features such as a large non-zonal component,meridional flows in the southern hemisphere and field-aligned flows in the north. Finally, our unconstrained flow solution suggests upwelling near the south pole, consistent withn thermal wind theory.
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Journal articleRiddell-Young B, Michel SE, Lan X, et al., 2025,
Microbial driver of 2006-2023 CH4 growth indicated by trends in atmospheric δD-CH4 and δ13C-CH4.
, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, Vol: 122Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas and has been rising following a brief period of stabilization from 1999 to 2006. Determining the cause of this rise is critical for reducing emissions and predicting future climate sensitivity. The carbon and hydrogen stable isotopic composition of atmospheric CH4 is controlled by variability in isotopically distinguishable emission categories and fractionating sink processes. While most studies using atmospheric δ13C-CH4 data suggest a dominantly microbial source for recent CH4 growth, this understanding is not uniform, and uncertainties remain [S. Schwietzke et al., Nature 538, 88-91 (2016), S. Basu et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys. 22, 15351-15377 (2022), J. Thanwerdas, M. Saunois, A. Berchet, I. Pison, P. Bousquet, Atmos. Chem. Phys. 24, 2129-2167 (2024)]. Here, we present a harmonized global measurement record of atmospheric δD-CH4 and estimate emissions from 1999 to 2022 with global isotope mass balance calculations using both carbon and hydrogen isotopic ratios. We conduct thorough uncertainty analyses to separate absolute magnitude and emission trend uncertainties and find with high confidence that trends in δ13C-CH4 and δD-CH4 observations are both consistent with an entirely microbial emission driver of the post-2006 CH4 rise, while fossil fuel emissions have remained relatively stable.
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Journal articleNakamura R, Dudok de wit T, Jones GH, et al., 2025,
Establishing a European Heliophysics Community (EHC)
, Annales Geophysicae, Vol: 43, Pages: 855-879, ISSN: 0992-7689Europe hosts a large and highly active community of scientists working in the broad domain of Heliophysics. This broad discipline addresses plasmas in the regions of space and atmosphere influenced by the Sun and solar wind. However, this community has historically been fragmented, both geographically and thematically, which has limited the potential for strategic coordination, collaboration, and growth. This has recently prompted a grass-roots community-building effort to foster communication and interactions within the European Heliophysics Community (EHC). This white paper outlines the motivation, priorities, and initial steps towards establishing the EHC, and presents a vision for the future of Heliophysics in Europe. As a crucial first step of this endeavour, a dedicated EHC website is now available: https://www.heliophysics.eu/ (last access: November 2025).
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Journal articleWong HL, Palacios R, Gryspeerdt E, 2025,
rojak: A Python library and tool for aviation turbulence diagnostics
, Journal of Open Source Software, Vol: 10, ISSN: 2475-9066Aviation turbulence is atmospheric turbulence occurring at length scales large enough (ap proximately 100m to 1km) to affect an aircraft (Sharman, 2016). According to the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB), turbulence experienced whilst onboard an aircraft was theleading cause of accidents from 2009 to 2018 (NTSB, 2021). Clear air turbulence (CAT) is a form of aviation turbulence which cannot be detected by the onboard weather radar. Thus, pilots are unable to preemptively avoid such regions. In order to mitigate this safety risk, CAT diagnostics are used to forecast turbulent regions such that pilots are able to tactically avoidthem.rojak is a parallelised Python library and command-line tool for using meteorological data to forecast CAT and evaluating the effectiveness of CAT diagnostics against turbulence observations. Currently, it supports,1. Computing turbulence diagnostics on meteorological data from the European Centrefor Medium-Range Weather Forecasts’s (ECMWF) ERA5 reanalysis on pressure levels(Hersbach, 2023). Moreover, it is easily extendable through a software update to supportother types of meteorological data.2. Retrieving and processing turbulence observations from Aircraft Meteorological DataRelay (AMDAR) data archived at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA)(NCEP Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System (MADIS), 2024) andAMDAR data collected via the Met Office MetDB system (Met Office, 2008)3. Computing 27 different turbulence diagnostics, such as the three-dimensional fronto genesis equation (Bluestein, 1993), turbulence index 1 and 2 (Ellrod & Knapp, 1992),negative vorticity advection (Sharman et al., 2006), and Brown’s Richardson tendencyequation (Brown, 1973).4. Converting turbulence diagnostic values into the eddy dissipation rate (EDR) — the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) official metric for reporting turbulence (Meteorological Service for International Air Navigati
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Journal articleWarwick L, Oetjen H, Murray J, et al., 2025,
In situ measurements of ice and snow emissivity in the far-infrared
, Earth and Space Science, Vol: 12, ISSN: 2333-5084This paper describes the first field deployment of the Far INfrarEd Spectrometer for Surface Emissivity far-infrared Fourier transform spectrometer to an Arctic environment and shows retrievals of the emissivity of ice and snow in the wavenumber range 400–1,200 cm−1 at viewing angles of 35° and 50°. The retrieved ice emissivity shows a variation of 0.05 between the peak value at around 950 cm−1 and the minimum value at around 750 cm−1. The emissivity is also between 0.01 and 0.02 lower for the higher viewing angle. The emissivity of snow is higher and shows less variation with both viewing angle and wavenumber but it is 0.01 less than one below 900 cm−1. This has implications for remote sensing and climate modeling in this wavenumber range as it implies that both the spectral and angular variation of emissivity must be taken into account. The retrieved ice emissivity agrees well with the emissivity modeled using Fresnel equations. The retrieved snow emissivity agrees well with modeled snow emissivity but further independent measurements of the snow physical properties are needed to test the performance of the model in the far infrared.
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Journal articleStedman M, Hunt SE, De Vis P, et al., 2025,
Impact of characterization on cross-calibration performance for multispectral sensors with SI-traceable satellite mission TRUTHS
, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Vol: 63, ISSN: 0196-2892A new generation of satellites designed for low-uncertainty, SI-traceable measurements—termed“SITSats”—marks a major advancement in Earth observation (EO) capability. These missions aim to enhance the performance and interoperability of the EO “system of systems.” Among them, the ESA Earth Watch Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial- and Helio-Studies (TRUTHS) mission is designedto serve as a “gold-standard” radiometric reference for cross-calibrating EO sensors in the solar reflective domain. In this work, uncertainties in cross-calibration comparisons arising from sensor characterization and design are investigated. A processing chain to prepare collocated data for uncertainty-quantified comparison is presented. This includes steps to perform spectral band adjustment and spatial resampling. Using the TRUTHS hyperspectral imaging spectrometer (HIS)as the reference and Sentinel-2 multispectral imager (MSI) as the target, a simulation study based on high-resolution imagery assesses achievable comparison performance. A subset of uncertainty effects driven by sensor characterization is propagated through the spectral and spatial processing using a Monte Carlo approach. Sentinel-2 data are assumed at 10-m resolution, which is most sensitive to the errors considered. The results highlight the importance of sensor characterization, particularly inherent in-flight wavelength knowledge for target sensors, in such comparisons. Results from the simulation analysis give uncertainty estimates (k = 1) of 0.31% (blue), 0.50% (green), and 0.23% (red) for the combined error effectsarising from sensor characterization and geolocation uncertainty for comparisons over the Libya-4 desert pseudo-invariant calibration sites (PICS) using an instantaneous 205-m square comparison region. Results for more heterogeneous scenes, such as rainforest, still achieve uncertainties of 0.6%–1.2% for the red–green–blue (RGB) ban
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Journal article,
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Journal articleBreul P, Ceppi P, Simpson IR, et al., 2025,
Seasonal and regional jet stream changes and drivers
, NATURE REVIEWS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT, Vol: 6, Pages: 824-842 -
Journal articleFarahat A, Oliveros JCM, Bale SD, 2025,
Simulation and Design of a CubeSat-Compatible X-Ray Photovoltaic Payload Using Timepix3 Sensors
, AEROSPACE, Vol: 12 -
Journal articleKang H, Choi Y, 2025,
Estimating Tropical Upper‐Level Cloud Feedback Based on Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium Framework
, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol: 52, ISSN: 0094-8276<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p> Tropical upper‐level cloud (TUC) feedback remains highly uncertain because TUC fraction and its radiative effect respond in complex ways to sea surface temperature (SST) warming. Using a radiative–convective equilibrium (RCE) model, we isolate the radiative impact of TUC changes by adjusting the relative occurrence of clouds and water vapor across the tropics. The resulting TUC feedback parameter, estimated from RCE experiments with observationally constrained versus CMIP6‐derived TUC fractions, is more negative for observational inputs (−1.66 to −1.24 W m <jats:sup>−2</jats:sup> K <jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> ) and spans a much broader range for CMIP6 inputs (−1.34 to +1.78 W m <jats:sup>−2</jats:sup> K <jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> ). The stronger negative feedback with observational inputs likely reflects a larger reduction in TUCs with SST warming. In contrast, CMIP6‐based parameters indicate weaker radiative effects of SST‐driven TUC reductions, suggesting that climate models may underestimate this negative feedback. </jats:p>
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Journal articleLivadiotis G, Cuesta ME, Khoo LY, et al., 2025,
Entropy transfer from solar radio bursts to energetic particles
, SCIENCE ADVANCES, Vol: 11 -
Conference paperLin J, Gryspeerdt E, Clark R, 2025,
Cloud-stereo: a dataset and benchmark for reconstructing atmospheric clouds from stereo images
, BMVC 2025, Publisher: The British Machine Vision Association and Society for Pattern RecognitionObtaining accurate measurements of clouds is a critical problem in atmospheric physics, as accurate modeling of cloud properties allows us to better understand and predict climate change. Stereo camera networks have shown promise in obtaining such measurements, being able to reconstruct detailed cloud fields over multi-km$^2$ domains. However, previous studies on cloud stereo depth estimation have been limited to using traditional (non-learned) matching techniques, due to the absence of suitable training datasets for this challenging domain. In this work, we present a novel dataset (Cloud-Stereo) specifically tailored for cloud depth estimation. The Cloud-Stereo dataset includes: 1) a synthetic dataset for training, comprising 3000 stereo pairs and simulated dense LiDAR depth data, and 2) a high-accuracy real-world dataset consisting of $\approx 120k$ frames acquired from a stereo camera and Doppler Aerosol LiDAR for testing. Using our dataset we benchmark existing learning and non-learning based stereo depth estimation approaches, and demonstrate that fine-tuning on our dataset can lead to significant accuracy improvement for learned methods. We believe this dataset will enable the training of future, more accurate, methods for cloud field reconstruction, enhancing a unique measurement capability for developing and evaluating atmospheric models. The dataset is available at https://cloud-stereo.jacob-lin.com/.
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Journal articleLee CO, Christian ER, Sandoval L, et al., 2025,
Space Weather Science to Enhance Forecasting with the NASA IMAP Active Link for Real-Time (I-ALiRT) System
, SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS, Vol: 221, ISSN: 0038-6308- Cite
- Citations: 1
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