Dr. Ruth Bamford

STFC/RAL Space

About:

Dr Bamford’s expertise spans diverse plasma physics environments, including nuclear fusion at Culham, space weather, lab-astro experiments with lasers, ionospheric radio propagation, and studies of magnetospheric, interplanetary, lunar, Martian, and solar plasmas. Dr. Bamford has extensive experience in researching active shielding and radiation mitigation for manned space exploration as a plasma physicist. She is particularly interested in plasma energization processes, including cosmic ray acceleration, Space Weather, and their implications for radiation shielding. Notable projects she has led include the ESA-funded AEGIS project on mini-magnetospheres for radiation protection, with the Uni of Oxford and Strathclyde and ongoing collaborations with NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green on terraforming Mars. This feeds off the work on mini-magnetospheres and ‘Lunar Swirls’. Dr. Bamford's work also includes leading the DISCUS project for electromagnetic propulsion with Alan Bond, funded by ESA/UKSA, and the DIGGER project investigating plasma-based drilling techniques for lunar and asteroid applications joint with Uni of Strathclyde and UKAEA Culham.

Abstract:
Bridging Active Space Plasma and Laboratory Studies: Blowing Plasma Bubbles in Space

We stand at the threshold of a new era in space exploration, marked by initiatives such as NASA's ARTEMIS, ESA's TERRA NOVA programs, and the national space programs of Japan, Russia, China, and India, alongside commercial ventures, all aimed towards an unprecedented surge in lunar exploration. ARTEMIS II, scheduled for launch in 2024/25, will see four astronauts orbiting the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. This mission will include the first woman and the first non-white astronaut to embark on such a journey. Over the next decade, there will be a shift from the aging, low Earth orbit International Space Station to the new international Lunar Orbiting Platform-Gateway (LOP-G). Equipped with plasma instrumentation, this space station presents a unique opportunity for fundamental plasma experiments, many of which hold practical benefits for overcoming major challenges in space exploration.

In contrast to Earth, the Moon lacks a global magnetic field that we know works to help shield us against space radiation. Consequently, astronauts will confront the full spectrum of radiation risks posed by interplanetary space over longer periods than during the Apollo missions. This underscores the need to devise innovative protective measures, including the consideration of a portable, artificial magnetosphere onboard spacecraft. The feasibility and effectiveness of such a miniature magnetosphere remain questions of importance, particularly given the kinetic-scale plasma environment in which they operate, as opposed to the 'MHD scale' plasma environment.

AEGIS (Active Electromagnetically Generated Inductive Shield), a UK-led ESA funded collaboration between RAL, Oxford and Strathclyde, aims to develop an innovative electromagnetic shielding mechanism to safeguard spacecraft and astronauts from hazardous space radiation.

Drawing inspiration from natural phenomena such as the mini-magnetospheres that formed the 'lunar swirls' and the artificial comet experiments of Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers (AMPTE), AEGIS will also leverage laboratory knowledge to achieve shielding.

An understanding of finite-Larmor radius effects, inductive and intrinsic diamagnetic cavity formation, plasma diffusion, collisionless shocks, kinetic instabilities, and scattering from 'shock-lets' will be pivotal in realizing effective shielding. In the absence of the expansive dimensions characteristic of planetary-scale magnetospheres for scattering high-energy ions upon impact, the effectiveness of an artificial mini-magnetosphere necessitates innovative approaches, drawing upon concepts from tokamak edge H-mode formation, plasma confinement, and control and ‘inverse wakefield’ processes.