Ruan, P.; Wiegelmann, T.; Inhester, B.; Neukirch, T.; Solanki, S. K.; Feng, L.: A first step in reconstructing the solar corona self-consistently with a magnetohydrostatic model during solar activity minimum. Astronomy and Astrophysics 481, pp. 827 - 834 (2008)
Wiegelmann, T.; Neukirch, T.; Ruan, P.; Inhester, B.: Optimization approach for the computation of magnetohydrostatic coronal equilibria in spherical geometry. Astronomy and Astrophysics 475, pp. 701 - 706 (2007)
Ruan, P.: Magnetic field extrapolation in the solar corona and observations of a flux rope in the solar wind. Dissertation, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (2009)
Analyzing the high spatial resolution solar Ca II H and K emission data obtained by the SUNRISE mission and building a model of other stars more active than the Sun
The Planetary Plasma Environments group (PPE) has a strong heritage in the exploration of planetary magnetospheres and space plasma interactions throughout the solar system. It has contributed instruments to several past missions that flew-by or orbited Jupiter (Galileo, Cassini, Ulysses). The PPE participates in the JUICE mission by contributing hardware and scientific expertise to the Particle Environment Package (PEP).
The magnetic field in the solar atmosphere exceeds the geomagnetic field strength by four orders of magnitude. It greatly influences the processes of energy transport within the solar atmosphere, and dominates the morphology of the solar chromosphere and corona. Kinetic energy from convective motions in the Sun can be efficiently stored in magnetic fields and subsequently released - to heat the solar corona to several million degrees or to blast off coronal mass ejections.