The Earth's magnetic field is an invisible and mysterious phenomena. It forms deep inside the Earth and extends into space.
We can navigate by it. And it protects us from harmful particle radiation from space by bending it. But we do not yet fully understand all the processes related to this phenomenon.
Therefore, it is important to explore and monitor the Earth's magnetic field.
This is happening with the European Space Agency ESA's satellite mission Swarm, which is in orbit around the Earth. They constantly measures the Earth's magnetic field. DTU Space contributes to the Swarm mission and is its scientific leader.
Still working perfectly after 10 years
On November 22, 2023, the mission completed 10 years in space, and the satellites are still working perfectly. DTU Space and ESA are celebrating this with a series of activities in Copenhagen this week.
There is a scientific conference 8.-12. April. And a public sound and science event in Frederiksberg on April 11.
"10 years ago we held the first science conference in connection with the launch of Swarm. Now we meet once again in Copenhagen, and we in the Swarm group at DTU look forward to celebrating the anniversary with our international partners," says DTU Space professor Nils Olsen, who is scientific manager for the Swarm mission.
A number of startling discoveries have been made using Swarm. For example a jet stream has been discovered in the Earth's core. It is a stream of molten iron and nickel 3,000 km under the North Atlantic, moving west at 40 km/year.
Sound installation and science talk at Frederiksberg
Together with Anja Strømme from ESA, the DTU professor participates in a special live edition of the popular Danish podcast RumSnak, which is recorded live at Frederiksberg Main Library on 11 April.
On the same day, in the square in front of the library, the public can experience a sound installation which, using data from Swarm, illustrates the Earth's magnetic field and its development over the past 100,000 years in various places on the planet.
As a prelude to this sound event, there will be a panel discussion between DTU Space professor Chris Finlay, Claudia Stolle from the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics and project manager Klaus Nielsen, who is also from DTU Space and one of the artists behind the sound work.
I cooperation with Lego, DTU Space has developed a series of space motifs that all guests can build as mosaics with Lego inside the library. The event at Frederiksberg on 11 April will take place from 14:00 to 20:00.
Instruments onboard Swarm are from DTU
The three satellites that together make up the Swarm constellation fly in formation slightly offset from each other. One satellite flies 530 km above Earth, while the other two fly side by side approximately 300 to 420 km above Earth.
Via a GPS antenna on the upper side of the satellite and laser reflectors, the position of the satellites at a given time is determined.
The satellites measure the Earth's magnetic field with high precision using instruments from, among others, DTU Space.
On each satellite are two magnetometers, which provide high-resolution measurements of the strength and direction of the magnetic field, which together provide data for modeling the various sources of the Earth's magnetic field. At the same time, three star tracker camera-systems on board ensure precise data about the orientation of the satellites in space.
These magnetometers and star trackers have been developed and built at DTU.
