Space Physics at the Edge of the Arctic

General description

This weeklong course will take you to Kiruna, the

northernmost town in Sweden, situated beyond the

Arctic Circle. Kiruna has become the centre of the

space research in Sweden and has significant

international space-related reputation as well. At

this high latitude the magnetic field of the Earth is

open to the interplanetary space and makes it possible

to study the Sun-Earth interaction in a favourable

way. A manifestation of this interaction is the

spectacular aurora (northern lights), which is

particularly frequent during the present maximum of

solar activity. Scientific balloons and sounding

rockets are launched at Esrange launching site near

Kiruna. The plasma environment around the Earth and

the innermost planets as well as the Earth neutral

atmosphere and the physics of the solar wind are all

studied at the Institute of Space Physics, IRF. During

the course we will meet scientists from IRF describing

their projects and a visit to Esrange is also

included. Covered topics comprise the physics of the

Sun and interplanetary space, the members of the solar

system, the Earth magnetic field and neutral

atmosphere.

We will of course not forget about the cultural and

leisure activities that this arctic environment

offers: there will be loads of snow and sauna and we

will also visit the world-famous Ice Hotel in

Jukkasjärvi, just outside Kiruna. You will as well

have the chance for some insight into the culture and

lifestyle of the Laplanders (Sami), the traditionally

reindeer-herding indigenous people in the region.

It is important to point out that winters in the

extreme north of Scandinavia can be very harsh with

temperatures occasionally dropping to –40°C and your

clothing should be adequate.

All of the following are covered by the event fee: