26th Australian Institute of Physics Congress and the Australian and New Zealand Conference on Optics and Photonics

Session

AIP STSP: Solar Terrestrial and Space Physics 2

STSP

9 Dec 2026, 16:00

Belinda Hutchinson Building (The University of Sydney )

334. Interfacial Plasma Chemistry: from Origin of Life to Green Synthesis

Haihui Joy Jiang (The University of Sydney)

09/12/2026, 16:00

AIP | Solar Terrestrial and Space Physics (STSP)

Contributed Oral

Inspired by cloud-to-ground lightning strikes on the early Earth, we designed a plasma setup to mimic lightning-induced reactions at gas-liquid-solid interfaces, starting from simple and abundant reagents, such as N2 and CO2 in the air, inorganic minerals commonly found in rocks, and water. Plasma electrochemical reactions at air-water-ground interfaces lead to remarkable yields, with up to 40...

386. A Solar Vacuum Ultraviolet Source for Space Environment Simulations

Josef Richmond (Australian National University)

09/12/2026, 16:15

AIP | Solar Terrestrial and Space Physics (STSP)

Contributed Oral

The Sun emits light in the 100-200 nm wavelength range, known as the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV). Whilst the Solar VUV is absorbed by atmosphere and thus not observed on the Earth's surface, it plays a significant role in physical processes in our Solar system. Molecular dissociation of oxygen by the Solar VUV results in the formation of ozone and photoionization of nitric oxide forms Earth’s...

224. Data-Driven Numerical Modelling of Space Weather Drivers

Dr Axel Raboonik (The University of Newcastle)

09/12/2026, 16:30

AIP | Solar Terrestrial and Space Physics (STSP)

Contributed Oral

​Solar eruptions (flares and coronal mass ejections) play a central role in shaping space weather, making their accurate prediction and modelling an imperative. These violent magnetic explosions release enormous amounts of energy and can drive solar storms travelling at hundreds of kilometres per second, capable of delivering severe geomagnetic disruptions. The source of this energy lies in...

701. Modelling orbital state uncertainty evolution using adaptive multifidelity Gaussian mixture corrected Monte Carlo

Joel Younger (Flinders University)

09/12/2026, 16:45

AIP | Solar Terrestrial and Space Physics (STSP)

Contributed Oral

One of the challenges of orbital prediction calculations is the propagation of uncertainty. A numerical modelling technique is presented that combines the low computational overhead and continuity of a low-fidelity Keplerian Monte Carlo simulation with the accuracy of a high-fidelity orbital dynamics simulation at key points.

Effective decision making in space domain awareness (SDA) relies...

658. A novel pulsed plasma ablative thruster for space applications

Mr Julian Whichello (School of Biomedical Enginering, University of Syney)

09/12/2026, 17:00

AIP | Solar Terrestrial and Space Physics (STSP)

Contributed Oral

Over the past decade, the global space sector has experienced a surge in small satellite deployments, with several thousand entering orbit annually. Propulsion modules are used for attitude control, station keeping and both orbital and de-orbiting manoeuvres, all of which affect the range, capability and lifetime of a mission.
In this paper we report on the development and testing of pulsed...

69. Force Measurements of Electric Sails in Ground Based Plasma Experiments

Lachlan Goulden (University of Sydney)

09/12/2026, 17:15

AIP | Solar Terrestrial and Space Physics (STSP)

Contributed Oral

Electric sails (E-sails) are a spacecraft propulsion method that uses flowing environmental plasma such as the solar wind or the Earth’s ionosphere to move a spacecraft, like how a sail on a boat uses the wind for propulsion. Unlike the sails on a boat, what captures the momentum of the flow is not a physical sail but the electric field around wires held at high voltage. Even though the...