Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are spectacular eruptions of material from the solar atmosphere and one of the most vivid examples of the Sun's dynamism. These vast structures are a major feature of the space environment, generating shock waves, accelerating particles to high energies and driving 'space weather' at Earth. CMEs are turbulent fluid structures. Turbulence is a fundamental physical process that transfers energy from large to small scales in a fluid, and has been little studied inside CMEs. The research described in this proposal will provide the first comprehensive and dedicated analysis of turbulence in CMEs, with a particular focus on a subset of CMEs called magnetic clouds. The special properties of magnetic clouds create a unique environment for testing the latest theories of turbulence. Extensive use will be made of measurements from the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter spacecraft, which are now ushering in a golden age of solar wind research.

2021

2026