MIST

Magnetosphere, Ionosphere and Solar-Terrestrial

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2026 MIST Council Election Results

It is our pleasure to announce the results of the latest MIST Council Election.

  • Samuel Wharton (University of Leicester) is elected for a 3 year term as a MIST Councillor
  • Jewel Abbey Relampagos (Lancaster University) is elected for a 1 year term as the MIST Student Representative

In addition, due to concerns from the community regarding the ongoing UKRI/STFC funding situation, MIST Council have also decided to charter Mark Lester (University of Leicester) as an additional councillor to inform and steer the council in matters related to this specific brief, as set out in Article 4.5 of the MIST Charter.

We would like to congratulate everyone on their new roles. The full composition of Council can be found on the MIST website (https://www.mist.ac.uk/community/mist-council). We would like to thank all the candidates for putting themselves forward and everyone who took part in the voting. We received votes from 132 people which represents a turnout of 21.5% of people registered to receive the MIST emailing list.

Finally, MIST Council would like to extend their thanks and gratitude to our outgoing members: Fiona Ball and Georgios Nicolaou. We would also like to say a special thank you to Andy Smith who was co-opted to be on MIST council while Rosie Johnson was on maternity leave, thank you for all of your hard work.

Open Letter Ready For Signatories

Protect MIST Science! Sign the MIST Community Open Letter on the STFC funding cuts!

https://sites.google.com/view/uk-mist-community-open-letter

 

Statement from MIST Council regarding the STFC Funding Situation

Statement from MIST Council regarding the STFC Funding Situation

MIST Council is deeply concerned by the ongoing STFC funding uncertainty and its impact on our community and beyond.

The current combination of prospective delayed and reduced funding, together with already volatile financial situations at universities across the UK, is placing significant strain on research groups. In some cases, institutions may be unable to support researchers through gaps between projects, increasing precarity across the community and adding significant pressure on early-career researchers.

We are concerned that continued uncertainty risks accelerating a brain drain from the UK, as skilled researchers reconsider their future in a system offering limited stability. The loss of expertise at any career stage would have lasting consequences for UK space science.

 

What is going on?

For those that are unaware of the situation, it is complex and evolving. We suggest the following sources to get up to speed on the current developments.

https://www.sciencecampaign.org.uk/analysis-and-publications/detail/what-is-happening-with-ukri-funding-and-the-stfc-cuts/

https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/proposed-budget-cuts-catastrophe-uk-astronomy

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2514481-physicists-warn-of-catastrophic-impact-from-uk-science-cuts/

 

What are we doing about it?

Behind the scenes, MIST Council is actively engaging with relevant parties to understand the scale of the challenge and to identify constructive ways forward.

  • We are seeking seasoned members of the community to join MIST Council on a task force to help develop options and represent the needs of our community. If you would like to be involved, please reach out to us via the MIST Council email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by the end of this week (13th February 2026).
  • In addition to the task force, we want to provide an open forum for discussion and collective input among all members of the wider MIST community. We are exploring options and will be in touch as soon as possible with further details.
  • We believe in working together in the face of the current challenges and we are collaborating with UKSP and others to strive for a fair and positive outcome for all. We are reaching out to members of the SSAP (Solar System Advisory Panel) to explore the hosting of a community town hall meeting, like the one already being organised by the AAP (Astronomy Advisory Panel), to provide an open forum for discussion and collective input.

 

What can you do to help?

There are several open letters representing people in various career stages that have been made available to sign. We encourage you to read the relevant letter(s) and to sign them if you support them:

The Royal Astronomical Society are also urging Fellows to lobby their MPs against the cuts, and have included a template letter that can be used to do so:
https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/ras-fellows-urged-lobby-against-unprecedented-cuts

 

MIST Council will continue to advocate for transparency, stability, and funding structures that recognise both the long-term nature of our science and the people who deliver it.
We thank you for your continued support in this period of uncertainty.

 

Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have further suggestions.
MIST Council

Announcement of New MIST Council 2025

We are very pleased to announce the following members of the community have been elected to MIST Council:

  • Gemma Bower (University of Leicester), MIST Councillor
  • Tom Elsden (University of St Andrews), MIST Councillor
  • Cameron Patterson (Lancaster University), MIST Councillor
  • Fiona Ball (University of Southampton), Student Representative

They will begin their terms in July 2025.

We thank outgoing MIST Council members: Maria Walach, Chiara Lazzeri and Emma Woodfield. Andy Smith will remain on council a little longer as a co-opted member to cover Rosie Johnson's maternity leave.

The current composition of Council can be found on our website (https://www.mist.ac.uk/community/mist-council).

Announcement of New MIST Councillors.

We are very pleased to announce the following members of the community have been elected unopposed to MIST Council:

  • Rosie Johnson (Aberystwyth University), MIST Councillor
  • Matthew Brown (University of Birmingham), MIST Councillor
  • Chiara Lazzeri (MSSL, UCL), Student Representative

Rosie, Matthew, and Chiara will begin their terms in July. This will coincide with Jasmine Kaur Sandhu, Beatriz Sanchez-Cano, and Sophie Maguire outgoing as Councillors.

The current composition of Council can be found on our website, and this will be amended in July to reflect this announcement (https://www.mist.ac.uk/community/mist-council).

Plasma observations in the high-latitude and distant magnetotail associated with cusp-aligned arcs during intervals of northward IMF

By Michaela Mooney and Steve Milan (University of Leicester)

During periods of northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), the magnetospheric structure and dynamics are dramatically different and less understood compared to the southward IMF case.

Under northward IMF magnetic reconnection occurs at higher latitudes tailward of the cusp, known as lobe reconnection (Dungey, 1963). Lobe reconnection can occur on the same IMF field line in both hemispheres, known as dual lobe reconnection. It is thought that dual lobe reconnection can result in either the partial or complete closure of the magnetosphere (Milan et al., 2022). The auroral oval is also contracted to higher latitudes reflecting the reduced open flux content of the magnetosphere. The auroral emission is dimmer and distinct auroral features are observed poleward of the auroral oval such as cusp-aligned arcs, horse collar aurora and transpolar arcs.

Using Cluster and ARTEMIS in-situ data, we examined a period of prolonged northward IMF during which multiple instances of cusp-aligned arcs were observed poleward of the auroral oval. The Cluster observations showed trapped plasma on closed flux in the high latitude magnetotail (|ZGSE| ~ 13 RE) in regions which would typically be expected to be open magnetotail lobe void of plasma under southward IMF. Meanwhile, the ARTEMIS spacecraft observed simultaneous high electron and ion fluxes in the distant magnetotail (XGSE ~ - 60 RE). The plasma in both magnetotail regions was observed coincidently with observations of cusp-aligned arcs in the auroral data. We interpret these observations of trapped plasma on closed field lines as providing the source population for the cusp-aligned arc emission in the polar region.

During this interval we suggest that the magnetosphere was almost entirely closed as a result of dual lobe reconnection. The magnetotail is closed or partially closed but extends at least as far as ∼ 60 RE downtail. The occurrence of plasma in the magnetotail and the closure of the magnetosphere resulted in distinct changes to the magnetotail structure including a reduction in the magnetic field strength and pressure as well as a narrowing of the tail by approximately 20 RE.

Top left: Cluster and Artemis orbits during interval of northward IMF. The blue dashed line shows the average location of the neutral sheet. Lower left: observations of cusp-aligned arcs observed by DMSP SSUSI during the interval which occurred coincident with observations of trapped plasma in the magnetotail. Right: Interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), geomagnetic index data and in-situ observations from Artemis and Cluster. The blue boxes indicate times when cusp-aligned arcs were observed in the polar region. Panels (a) and (b) show in the upstream IMF components and clock angle from OMNI data, (c) shows the modelled magnetic field encountered by the Artemis spacecraft in the magnetotail using the Tsyganenko model, (d) – (g) show the in-situ magnetic field, ion velocity, plasma density and pressure observed by Artemis, (h) – (i) show the in-sity electron and ion fluxes observed by Artemis, (j) shows the in-situ ion flux observed by Cluster, (k) shows the AU/AL index data to provide context of substorm occurrence.
Top left: Cluster and Artemis orbits during interval of northward IMF. The blue dashed line shows the average location of the neutral sheet. Lower left: observations of cusp-aligned arcs observed by DMSP SSUSI during the interval which occurred coincident with observations of trapped plasma in the magnetotail. Right: Interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), geomagnetic index data and in-situ observations from Artemis and Cluster. The blue boxes indicate times when cusp-aligned arcs were observed in the polar region. Panels (a) and (b) show in the upstream IMF components and clock angle from OMNI data, (c) shows the modelled magnetic field encountered by the Artemis spacecraft in the magnetotail using the Tsyganenko model, (d) – (g) show the in-situ magnetic field, ion velocity, plasma density and pressure observed by Artemis, (h) – (i) show the in-sity electron and ion fluxes observed by Artemis, (j) shows the in-situ ion flux observed by Cluster, (k) shows the AU/AL index data to provide context of substorm occurrence.

See the full papers for further details:

Milan, S. E., Mooney, M. K., Bower, G. E., Taylor, M. G. G. T., Paxton, L. J., Dandouras, I., et al. (2023). The association of cusp-aligned arcs with plasma in the magnetotail implies a closed magnetosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 128, e2023JA031419. https://doi. org/10.1029/2023JA031419

Mooney, M. K., Milan, S. E., & Bower, G.E. (2024). Plasma observations in the distant magnetotail during intervals of northward IMF. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 129,e2023JA031999. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JA031999