Conveners
Space Science
- Du Toit Strauss (Centre for Space Research, North-West University)
Space Science
- Michael Kosch (SANSA)
Space Science
- John Bosco Habarulema (South African National Space Agency)
Space Science
- Shimul Kumar Maharaj (South African National Space Agency (Space Science) (formerly NRF Hermanus Magnetic Observatory))
Space Science
- Zama Thobeka Katamzi-Joseph (South African National Space Agency)
Space Science
- There are no conveners in this block
Space Science
- There are no conveners in this block
Space Science: Division meeting
- Du Toit Strauss (Centre for Space Research, North-West University)
Space Science
- There are no conveners in this block
Space Science
- There are no conveners in this block
Prof.
Michael Kosch
(SANSA)
26/06/2018, 11:20
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
Using the ion-momentum equation in the F-region ionosphere, simplified for field-perpendicular ion motion only, we derive an expression for the ion-neutral collision frequency that depends primarily on the temporal and spatial variability of the ion velocity. The ion-neutral collision frequency is primarily a function of neutral density in the thermosphere. SuperDARN radars are very suited to...
Mr
Bernad Mmame
(UKZN)
26/06/2018, 11:40
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
Pc5 (1-5mHz) pulsations are global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) events in the magnetosphere. Identification of the causes of Pc5 ULF pulsations has been a challenging problem in the field of MHD physics because of the complex nature of the magnetosphere. Several studies have shown that high speed ionospheric plasma flow in the night side which are mapped to the magnetospheric tail during...
Mr
Njabulo Mbanjwa
(UKZN)
26/06/2018, 12:00
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
Pc5 ULF pulsations are magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) events in the magnetosphere. To identify the causes of Pc5 ULF pulsations has been a challenging matter in the field of MHD through the complexity of the nature of the magnetosphere. Flow bursts in the magnetotail are known as TRINNIs short for ”tail reconnection during IMF northward, non-substorm intervals. In this study we used the SuperDARN...
Mr
Ntlakanipho Ngwane
(SANSA/UKZN)
26/06/2018, 12:20
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
Fabry-Perot Interferometers (FPIs) measure the Doppler shift and broadening of the green-line emission from which neutral velocities and temperatures can be derived respectively. The Scanning Doppler Imager (SDI) which is an all sky version of the FPI measures the neutral winds. SDIs are currently located in Alaska, Antarctica and Svalbard Island. This study investigates the E region neutral...
Ms
Tsige Atilaw
(Rhodes University)
26/06/2018, 12:40
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
Travelling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs) are an ionospheric manifestation of Atmospheric Gravity Waves (AGWs) that occurs in the neutral atmosphere. They are generated by different sources, such as solar terminators (sunrise and sunset), magnetic storms and substorms, tropospheric weather and mountain turbulence. TIDs appear in power spectra of SuperDARN radars as spatially localized...
Mr
Phillip Prinsloo
(Centre for Space Research, North-West University)
27/06/2018, 11:20
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
Propagating shocks are observed to form ahead of the solar material expelled into interplanetary space following coronal mass ejections (CMEs). During the passage of these CME-driven shocks, spacecraft often observe energetic particle enhancements commonly associated with particle acceleration. In this study, the acceleration of energetic particles at halo-CME-driven shocks is investigated,...
Mr
KATLEGO MOLOTO
(NORTH WEST UNIVERSITY)
27/06/2018, 11:40
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
With the advent of commercial space travel and the proposed colonization of Mars and other planets, it has become even more important to study the cosmic ray radiation environment on, and near the surface of these bodies, in order to plan for future manned missions. Galactic cosmic rays, with a well-known 11 year cycle pose the primary radiation risk. Solar energetic particles that are...
Mr
Golekamang Thaganyana
(South Africa National Space Agency)
27/06/2018, 12:00
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
The aviation altitude is continuously bombarded with high-energy ionizing cosmic radiation. The two main sources of ionizing radiation at the aviation altitude are the omnipresent background galactic cosmic rays which originate from outside our solar system and the transient solar energetic particle events which are associated with space weather events such as solar flares and coronal mass...
Mr
Godfrey Moshe Mosotho
(.)
27/06/2018, 12:20
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
The measurement of energy deposition in matter and tissue resulting from the exposure to ionizing radiation can be classified as radiation dosimetry. Since our bodies are incapable of detecting ionizing radiation, the energy deposited by radiation in our bodies could be harmful. Therefore, it is important to measure and monitor the radiation exposure. Since radiation was classified as a health...
Mr
Michael Heyns
(UCT/SANSA)
27/06/2018, 12:40
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
One of the best tools we have in geophysical modelling is the ability to interpolate the horizontal geomagnetic field at the surface of the Earth. This is especially useful in regions, such as southern Africa, where there is a sparse array of absolute magnetometers available for geomagnetic field measurements. In terms of geomagnetic field interpolation, the spherical elementary current...
Mr
Dakalo Mashao
(South Africa National Space Agency)
27/06/2018, 14:00
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
Sprites observations were recorded in South Africa for the first time on the 11th of January 2016 from Sutherland using a night-vision TV camera from SANSA's Optical Space Research laboratory. Sprites are middle atmosphere optical emissions produced by large positive cloud-to-ground lightning discharges which have an average peak value of ~74 kA. Sprites appear in different forms, such as...
Mr
Stanislaus Nnadih
(SpaceLab, Electrical Engineering Department,University of Cape Town)
27/06/2018, 14:20
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
We present a series of simultaneous ground-based observations of sprite events over convective thunderstorms in southern Africa. These observations were made at the South African Astronomical Observatory in Sutherland during the austral summer of 2016/17 and 2017/18, using multiple cameras to record unfiltered images in white light and filtered images at 426-438 nm and 640 – 675 nm, which...
Mr
Sphumelele Ndlovu
(HartRAO)
28/06/2018, 11:20
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
The Lunar Laser Ranger (LLR) system under development at HartRAO in South Africa will be used to measure the Earth-Moon distance through the use of laser pulses, single photon detection system and other system components. The Earth-Moon distance measurements is achieved through accurate measurements of the round trip time-of-flight (TOF) of each returned laser signal, which is weak. At...
Dr
Zama Thobeka Katamzi-Joseph
(South African National Space Agency)
28/06/2018, 11:40
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
Thermospheric winds play an important role in the dynamics of the mean behaviour of the midlatitude ionosphere especially during quiet conditions, which are dominant during low solar activity. This study will present equivalent meridional winds derived from ionospheric F2 peak parameters using the servo and Liu et al. (2003) methods during the solar minimum period of 2007-2009. Midlatitude...
Dr
John Bosco Habarulema
(South African National Space Agency)
28/06/2018, 12:00
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
This work presents the development of a mathematical relationship between ground-based magnetometer and satellite data to estimate long-term values of ionospheric vertical drift during local daytime. The expression is developed based on a relatively long-term data set during 2008-2014 and validated with radar observations. The obtained correlation coefficient values computed using observed and...
Dr
John Bosco Habarulema
(South African National Space Agency & Rhodes University)
28/06/2018, 12:20
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
Based on storm-time ionospheric total electron content (TEC) derived from Global Positioning Systems (GPS) measurements over the African sector and surrounding areas, TEC maps will be developed based on data assimilation technique. The region of interest extends from -40 to 40 and -20 to 60 latitude and longitude degrees, respectively, and the Kalman filtering technique with the International...
Mrs
Tshimangadzo Merline Matamba
(SANSA Space Science)
28/06/2018, 12:40
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
The response of the ionosphere to High-intensity, long-duration, continuous AE activity (HILDCAA) events that occurred during the solar cycle 23 and 24 will be presented. HILDCAA are magnetospheric/ionospheric events that occur during high-speed solar wind streams. During solar minimum, the corotating interaction regions (CIRs) are followed by lengthy (days to weeks) periods of HILDCAA...
Mr
Jabus van den Berg
(North West University)
29/06/2018, 11:20
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
Terms such as pitch-angle scattering and parallel or momentum diffusion are frequently used in plasma physics and transport theory when the propagation of charged particles in turbulent magnetic fields are considered. Regardless of the wide use of these terms, their exact implications or physical descriptions are often not well understood or misunderstood. Would you be able to draw a picture...
Mr
Phillip Heita
(NWU (CSR))
29/06/2018, 11:40
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
Solar energetic particles (SEPs), are particles (mostly electrons, protons and alpha particles) that are generated in a solar flare or at a shock driven by a coronal mass ejection (CME), resulting in super-thermal particles with energies from a few keV up to several GeVs. These high energy particle increases pose a danger to astronauts in space, can lead to the degradation of precious...
Mr
Ruhann Steyn
(Center for Space Research, North-West University)
29/06/2018, 12:00
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
Solar energetic particles are accelerated at the Sun during either short-lived, impulsive events called solar flares or gradual events called coronal mass ejections (CMEs). An injection function is used to model the injection of SEPs from a source region on the Sun. Previously, injection functions were modeled by using arbitrary functions, but it has become increasingly important to base the...
Dr
Shimul Kumar Maharaj
(South African National Space Agency (Space Science))
29/06/2018, 12:20
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
The existence of a stopband in soliton speeds associated with the fast ion-acoustic wave was reported for the very first time by Nsengiyumva et al. (Physics of Plasmas 21, 102301, 2014) in a model which is composed of cold ions, adiabatic ions (both positive) and Boltzmann electrons. The stopband, which, is an intermediate range of speeds for which solitons cannot...
Mr
Mahlomola Cwele
(Wits University)
29/06/2018, 12:40
Track D2 - Space Science
Oral Presentation
A U-Shaped plasma-propelled DC-discharge microthruster has been designed by the school of physics and its various properties are under examination. This study examines the quasi-neutral plasma which constitutes the exhaust plume of the Argon-propelled thruster by means of a mobile Langmuir Probe. The probe and its moving mechanism are designed, constructed and controlled as part of the study...
