Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
Encyclopedia
The Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB) (Dutch: Belgisch Instituut voor Ruimte-Aëronomie - BIRA, French: Institut d'Aéronomie Spatiale de Belgique - IASB) is a Belgian federal scientific research institute. Created in 1964, its main tasks are research and public service in space aeronomy, which is the physics and chemistry of the atmosphere
of the Earth and other planets, and of outer space
. The scientists rely on ground-based, balloon-, air- or space-borne instruments and computer models.
and extraterrestrial space
. The first director is M. Nicolet.
by looking at ozone depletion
and related key parameters like volcanic aerosols, polar stratospheric clouds and halogenated compounds. Long-term changes are evaluated and forecasting capabilities have been developed. The research supports the Montreal Protocol
on the protection of the ozone layer
.
BIRA-IASB also studies Earth tropospheric chemistry, with a focus on natural and manmade emissions, like SO2
and NO2
, tropospheric ozone
precursors, the relationship to air quality and the evolution of greenhouse gases in support of the Kyoto Protocol
. Forecasting of chemical weather is being developed.
BIRA-IASB examines the solar radiation and its penetration to the surfaces of the Earth
. It monitors the long-term changes of the UV radiation. BIRA-IASB also contributes to research on planetary atmospheres, in particular Mars
and Venus
.
fills interplanetary space with plasma
, a gas of charged particles, in the form of a constant solar wind
. Also the Earth’s outer atmosphere, the magnetosphere
, is filled with plasma, just like the environments of many other Solar System
objects. The Institute has built a strong theory and modeling programme, deeply rooted in observations provided by ESA’s space missions, Ulysses, Cluster
and Rosetta
spacecraft.
BIRA-IASB has extensive expertise in:
These modeling efforts help to mitigate the empiricism still prevailing in present-day space weather
forecasting.
Services related to the Earth’s atmosphere include stratospheric ozone forecasting, air quality global analysis and prediction, volcanic emission warnings, satellite data validation and tropospheric emission monitoring. These services will be integrated in international initiatives like the European led GMES
(Global Monitoring for Environment and Security).
In the domain of Space Weather
BIRA-IASB focuses on ionising space radiation and its effects. These services are exploited in the context of the Belgian Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence. Tools, methods and procedures are set up to deliver these services to the user community (European Space Weather portal).
BIRA-IASB, through the Belgian User Support and Operation Centre (BUSOC), provides support and infrastructure to scientific teams to prepare, develop and operate space experiments. BUSOC is the operations center for the Solar Monitoring Observatory on board the International Space Station
and the scientific mission center for the CNES
solar observation satellite PICARD.
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
of the Earth and other planets, and of outer space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
. The scientists rely on ground-based, balloon-, air- or space-borne instruments and computer models.
History
On the 25th of November 1964 the Aeronomical Service is separated from the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) and lives on as a scientific institution of the state with the name: Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB). The institute has as main competence, tasks of public service and research in the domain of Space Aeronomy. The BIRA-IASB mostly works with data acquired via rockets and artificial satellites for research to the physical and chemical structure of the higher atmosphereAtmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
and extraterrestrial space
Space
Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
. The first director is M. Nicolet.
Activities
BIRA-IASB- focuses on Chemistry & Physics of AtmospheresAtmosphèresAtmosphères is a piece for full orchestra, composed by György Ligeti in 1961. It is noted for eschewing conventional melody and metre in favor of dense sound textures...
and Space Plasma Physics - designs and builds instruments to monitor atmospheres and the space environmentSpace environmentSpace environment is a branch of astronautics, aerospace engineering and space physics that seeks to understand and address conditions existing in space that affect the operation of spacecraft...
- operates Belgian experiments on board the International Space StationInternational Space StationThe International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
and other satellites - participates in international measurement programmes
- compares observations with numerical simulations to validate and improve our knowledge
- turns scientific know-how into services to the benefit of society
- disseminates this knowledge through publications, web services and public outreach.
Chemistry & Physics of Atmospheres
BIRA-IASB studies the Earth’s stratosphereStratosphere
The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. It is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down. This is in contrast to the troposphere near the Earth's surface, which is cooler...
by looking at ozone depletion
Ozone depletion
Ozone depletion describes two distinct but related phenomena observed since the late 1970s: a steady decline of about 4% per decade in the total volume of ozone in Earth's stratosphere , and a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's polar regions. The latter phenomenon...
and related key parameters like volcanic aerosols, polar stratospheric clouds and halogenated compounds. Long-term changes are evaluated and forecasting capabilities have been developed. The research supports the Montreal Protocol
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion...
on the protection of the ozone layer
Ozone layer
The ozone layer is a layer in Earth's atmosphere which contains relatively high concentrations of ozone . This layer absorbs 97–99% of the Sun's high frequency ultraviolet light, which is potentially damaging to the life forms on Earth...
.
BIRA-IASB also studies Earth tropospheric chemistry, with a focus on natural and manmade emissions, like SO2
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...
and NO2
Nitrogen dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula it is one of several nitrogen oxides. is an intermediate in the industrial synthesis of nitric acid, millions of tons of which are produced each year. This reddish-brown toxic gas has a characteristic sharp, biting odor and is a prominent...
, tropospheric ozone
Tropospheric ozone
Ozone is a constituent of the troposphere . Photochemical and chemical reactions involving it drive many of the chemical processes that occur in the atmosphere by day and by night...
precursors, the relationship to air quality and the evolution of greenhouse gases in support of the Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
. Forecasting of chemical weather is being developed.
BIRA-IASB examines the solar radiation and its penetration to the surfaces of the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. It monitors the long-term changes of the UV radiation. BIRA-IASB also contributes to research on planetary atmospheres, in particular Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
.
Space plasma physics
The SunSun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
fills interplanetary space with plasma
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
, a gas of charged particles, in the form of a constant solar wind
Solar wind
The solar wind is a stream of charged particles ejected from the upper atmosphere of the Sun. It mostly consists of electrons and protons with energies usually between 1.5 and 10 keV. The stream of particles varies in temperature and speed over time...
. Also the Earth’s outer atmosphere, the magnetosphere
Magnetosphere
A magnetosphere is formed when a stream of charged particles, such as the solar wind, interacts with and is deflected by the intrinsic magnetic field of a planet or similar body. Earth is surrounded by a magnetosphere, as are the other planets with intrinsic magnetic fields: Mercury, Jupiter,...
, is filled with plasma, just like the environments of many other Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
objects. The Institute has built a strong theory and modeling programme, deeply rooted in observations provided by ESA’s space missions, Ulysses, Cluster
Cluster mission
Cluster II is a space mission of the European Space Agency, with NASA participation, to study the Earth's magnetosphere over the course of an entire solar cycle. The mission is composed of four identical spacecraft flying in a tetrahedral formation...
and Rosetta
Rosetta
Rosetta is a port city on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. It is located east of Alexandria, in Beheira governorate. It was founded around AD 800....
spacecraft.
BIRA-IASB has extensive expertise in:
- The dynamic behavior of the outer magnetospheric boundary in response to the variable solar wind, which controls the energy input from the solar wind into the magnetosphere.
- The interaction between the outer magnetosphere and the corotating plasma in the inner magnetosphere.
- The coupling between the magnetosphere and the ionosphereIonosphereThe ionosphere is a part of the upper atmosphere, comprising portions of the mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere, distinguished because it is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an important part in atmospheric electricity and forms the inner edge of the magnetosphere...
as manifested by the auroraAurora (astronomy)An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
or polar lights
These modeling efforts help to mitigate the empiricism still prevailing in present-day space weather
Space weather
Space weather is the concept of changing environmental conditions in near-Earth space or thespace from the Sun's atmosphere to the Earth's atmosphere. It is distinct from the concept ofweather within the Earth's planetary atmosphere...
forecasting.
Services
BIRA-IASB provides products and services that fulfill needs of the user community.- Solar UV indexUV indexThe ultraviolet index or UV Index is an international standard measurement of the strength of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun at a particular place on a particular day...
for the public - Assessments of the state of the atmosphere to support policy makers
- Accumulated ionising radiation dose predictions for the space industry
Services related to the Earth’s atmosphere include stratospheric ozone forecasting, air quality global analysis and prediction, volcanic emission warnings, satellite data validation and tropospheric emission monitoring. These services will be integrated in international initiatives like the European led GMES
GMES
Global Monitoring for Environment and Security is a joint initiative of the European Commission and European Space Agency, which aims at achieving an autonomous and operational Earth observation capacity....
(Global Monitoring for Environment and Security).
In the domain of Space Weather
Space weather
Space weather is the concept of changing environmental conditions in near-Earth space or thespace from the Sun's atmosphere to the Earth's atmosphere. It is distinct from the concept ofweather within the Earth's planetary atmosphere...
BIRA-IASB focuses on ionising space radiation and its effects. These services are exploited in the context of the Belgian Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence. Tools, methods and procedures are set up to deliver these services to the user community (European Space Weather portal).
BIRA-IASB, through the Belgian User Support and Operation Centre (BUSOC), provides support and infrastructure to scientific teams to prepare, develop and operate space experiments. BUSOC is the operations center for the Solar Monitoring Observatory on board the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
and the scientific mission center for the CNES
CNES
The is the French government space agency . Established under President Charles de Gaulle in 1961, its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is under the supervision of the French Ministries of Defence and Research...
solar observation satellite PICARD.
See also
- Belgian Federal Science Policy OfficeBelgian Federal Science Policy OfficeThe Belgian Federal Science Policy Office or BELSPO is a Belgian government institution responsible for coordinating science policy at a federal level. It designs and implements research programmes and networks and manages the participation of Belgium in European and international organisations...
- European Space Technology PlatformEuropean Space Technology PlatformThe European Space Technology Platform is a European Seventh Framework Programme initiative to improve the competitive situation of the European Union in the field of space technology....
- Royal Meteorological InstituteRoyal Meteorological InstituteThe Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium is a Belgian federal institute of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office . It is located in Uccle and in Dourbes...
- PlanetariumPlanetarium (Belgium)The Planetarium of the Royal Observatory of Belgium is a Belgian planetarium and part of the institutions of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office....
- Netherlands Institute for Space ResearchNetherlands Institute for Space ResearchSRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research is the Dutch expertise institute for space research. The Institute develops and uses innovative technology for groundbreaking research in space, focusing on astrophysical research, Earth science and planetary research...