Professor Colin Waters

• Use of ultra-low frequency (ULF) wave signatures to remote sense the near-Earth space environment
• Provide near real-time diagnostics of near-Earth space using ground based instrumentation
• Develop computer simulation models to predict disturbances of the ionosphere from incident ULF wave energy that contributes to over-the-horizon HF radar clutter
• Validation of this model using ground magnetic and ionosphere (radar) data
• Develop multi-dimensional computer simulation model of ULF wave propagation in the magnetosphere that incorporates realistic ionosphere boundary conditions
• The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) is a multi-million dollar, international research effort designed to investigate plasma motion in the ionosphere plasma due to space physics processes. Research includes (i) Identifying ULF plasma wave signatures in the radar data (ii) Understanding the physical meaning of the radar spectral width and how this relates to incident particle energy and diffusion (iii) software development for radar data analysis (iv) data base management
• Data manager for the Australian satellite, FedSat-1, a project of the CRC for Satellite Systems
• Determining the location and intensity of Birkeland currents using Iridium satellite data (associated with Aurora)
• Determining the electromagnetic energy input to the high latitude ionosphere from these currents
• Investigating the relationship between energy input from near-Earth space with neutral gas dynamics in the thermosphere
• Geomagnetic induced currents (GICs) adversely affect electricity grid stability and integrity. The research is aimed toward providing information on the spatial/temporal development of GICs during solar storm events.