Welcome

The UK has a vibrant community that leads internationally-leading research into solar system plasmas, from the Sun to the outer planets, spread over more than 40 research groups, including groups in higher education, two UKRI-supported laboratories (British Antarctic Survey and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory), and industry. The community plays an important role in studying the fundamental physics that underpins space weather predictions from the Met Office. There are also important links with 13 research groups working in related areas of planetary science. The community is supported by two RAS-sponsored bodies: MIST (Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Solar Terrestrial) and UKSP (UK Solar Physics) who jointly set out the guidelines for the content of the summer school. The STFC Advanced Summer School plays a vital role in providing specialist training to PhD students in the second or third year of study, consolidating understanding gained in the STFC Introductory Summer School and placing research in a broader thematic context. It is also an opportunity for PhD students to network with their peers and share experiences. In recent years, the Advanced Summer School has focused on using one summer school to serve both MIST and UKSP communities, boosting attendance and facilitating inter-disciplinary learning objectives.

The next Advanced Summer School will be hosted by the Space and Planetary Physics Group in the Department of Physics at Lancaster University. The group conducts research into the fundamental physics that underpins the space environment of the Solar System, from Earth to the giant planets. We use in situ and remote sensing data from spacecraft, ground-based magnetometers and ionospheric radars, and numerical models. Lancaster is located in the North West, an hour from Manchester, 90 minutes from Liverpool, and less than an hour from the Lake District, and has excellent transport links with the rest of the UK, e.g., London (2.5 hours, direct train), Edinburgh/Glasgow (<2 hours, direct train) and Manchester Airport (1 hour direct train, direct flights to Northern Ireland).

The summer school will consist of a set of core lectures along with more specific content, including sessions on career planning, wellbeing, and public engagement. More details are available on the programme page. Registration is now open.

Course Director: Chris Arridge
Local Organising Committee: Licia Ray, Maria Walach, Joe Kinrade

Contact us by email at stfcadvsummerschool2019@lancaster.ac.uk. Join the Facebook event at
https://www.facebook.com/events/2208042325884303/