Science Study Team Working Groups of the ESA M7 Mission candidate Plasma Observatory

We know that plasma energization and energy transport occur in large volumes of space and across large boundaries in space. However, in situ observations, theory and simulations indicate that the key physical processes driving energization and energy transport occur where plasma on fluid scales couple to the smaller kinetic scales, at which the largest amount of electromagnetic energy is converted into energized particles. Energization and energy transport involve non-planar and non-stationary plasma structures at these scales that have to be resolved experimentally. Remote observations currently cannot access these scales, and existing multi-point in situ observations do not have a sufficient number of observations points. 

The Plasma Observatory (PO) multi-scale mission concept is a candidate for the ESA Directorate of Science M7 mission call, currently in a Phase A study, with potential down selection to Phase B in Summer 2026. Plasma Observatory will be the first mission to have the capability to resolve scale coupling and non-planarity/non-stationarity in plasma energization and energy transport.

During the Phase A study, Scientific guidance of the mission is provided by the ESA nominated Science Study Team (SST). In support of this group is the Cross Disciplinary working group, who provide close support to the SST and study activities. To ensure a broad input and wide community involvement the SST has organised several working groups in order to expand the community and citizen science involvement. These working groups cover Ground-based coordination, Public outreach and Numerical Simulation, multipoint and advanced data analysis methods, plasma astrophysics and scientific synergies. In addition an Early Career Researcher network has been set up.

This paper provides an overview of these entites and how you can get involved in Plasma Observatory.