Cross-scale plasma coupling – the secrets of cosmic transients and space weather

Rungployphan (Om) Kieokaew (IRAP)

Cosmic plasmas drive dynamical processes throughout the universe, from magnetic field generation to explosive energy conversion. Magnetized plasmas in the solar system are the most accessible environments for in-situ measurements. Unlike theoretical or numerical simulation approaches, where assumptions about plasma behavior must be made a priori (i.e., on large, fluid-like, or kinetic scales), spacecraft measurements offer us a unique opportunity to study the cross-scale nature of plasma coupling. In this seminar, I will briefly showcase my studies on cross-scale plasma coupling, including dynamical processes, transient structure formation, and kinetic evolution of the solar wind, using in-situ measurements from Solar Orbiter and MMS. As space plasma studies also have applications in space weather research, I will also present my developments on space weather prediction with machine learning. Using large spaceborne and ground-based datasets, I will demonstrate how neural networks and foundation models can improve the prediction of geomagnetic field and energetic electron fluxes in the near-Earth space environment. With the perspectives on astrophysical and planetary plasmas and space weather, I will discuss how (explainable) machine learning could be used to drive scientific discovery and development with future space missions, such as HelioSwarm and Plasma Observatory.