Memorandum 22
Submission from Heads of relevant UK Research
Groups[42]
THE IMPACT
OF UK WITHDRAWAL
FROM GROUND-BASED
SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL
PHYSICS
1. We are writing in connection with the
recent announcement by the Science and Technology Facilities Council
to cease support for ground-based Solar-Terrestrial Physics.
2. At present, the UK has an unrivalled
and highly cost-effective Solar-Terrestrial Physics research programme,
which underpins a number of key areas for UK science, technology
and society. This is an outstanding example of marrying top-quality,
world-leading scientific research[43]
with knowledge exchange. Over the past five years, prize-winning
UK research using ground-based STP data has revealed century-scale
changes in the Sun and Earth's "space climate". Allied
to change in Earth's intrinsic magnetic field, which is now faster
than at any time since observations began, these studies show
that we must expect, and plan for, change in many phenomena arid
effects relevant to modern life including:
— the fluxes of solar and cosmic energetic
particles hazardous to satellites and humans operating in space
or in high-altitude aircraft
— the performance of positioning and
navigation systems such as Galileo and GPS
— disruption to oil and mineral exploration
schedules, power distribution networks, broadcast and communications
systems
— electronics malfunction rates on
board aircraft, satellites and ground-based systems.
3. We now know that the cost-effective design,
safe operation and financial insurance of all these systems cannot
depend on out-dated knowledge, because our space environment is
too variable on the timescales of decades to centuries. It is
absolutely essential that we should not lose the national capability
in STP/Space Weather and involvement in key growth areas such
as satellite situational awareness and integrated space applications
which, through highly effective Knowledge Exchange, anderpins
this wide range of commercial, security and military activities
(of which several are classified).
4. Because satellite observations are only
made from a rapidly-moving vantage point, ground-based monitoring
of space weather is a key complement to data from space. Such
observations also make major contributions to a wide range of
other scientific studies including:
— coupling between the upper atmosphere,
the middle atmosphere and the troposphere (an inadequately addressed
interface with NERC science and climate change studies)
— detection of intrinsic magnetic fields
on extrasolar planets and understanding of their role in preventing
atmospheric erosion and allowing habitability
— development of ground-penetrating
exploration radars for the Earth and the Moon
— fundamental mechanisms in plasma
physics
— solar system formation (using an
unique ability to discriminate between extra-solar and solar-system
micrometeorites)
— design and operations for the AURORA
programme
— error correction and calibration
for low frequency radio astronomy satellite orbital decay predictions
— monitoring of potentially lethal
space debris down to 1 cm dimensions.
5. The savings made by cutting ground-based STP
facilities are relatively small, but wholly disproportionate damage
will be done to our national infrastructure. We urge those of
you who are responsible for overseeing the implementation of the
seemingly inevitable reductions in spending on the physical sciences
to safeguard this small but vital area in which the UK plays a
world-leading role.
January 2005
42 See Appendix. Back
43
As rated, for example, by the 2005 International Review supported
by PPARC, RAS, loP and EPSRC:
http:/fwww.ras org.uk!images/stories/ras pdfs/2005review/2005%2OReview.pdf Back
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