PD Dr. Elena Kronberg
Scientist and habilitated lecturer
Junior research group leader
Office hours:
by appointment
Elena Kronberg obtained her PhD from the Technical University of Braunschweig in 2006. In 2019, she earned the highest university qualification in Germany: the Habilitation, which allowed her to become a Privatdozent (PD) and teach at a German university. Since 2020, Dr. Habil. Kronberg has conducted research and delivered lectures at the University of Munich. She currently leads a space plasma physics group and is funded by the Heisenberg programme from the German Research Foundation.
- Associate Editor “Frontiers Space Physics”, topical Editor in "Annales Geophysicae" for Magnetospheric Physics
- 2025 Co-Investigator of the Soft X-ray Imager on SMILE mission (ESA)
- 2023 Heisenberg grant, DFG
- 2010 Co-Investigator of the Cluster/RAPID instrument (ESA)
- Cluster explains spiral dance seen over Norway (ESA Science & Exploration, 25/03/2024)
- Turbulence brings together Germany, Ukraine, and RussiaElena Kronberg from the MPS wins grant to study space plasma in a trilateral cooperation. (MPS News, August 02, 2016)
- Looking at Jupiter to understand Earth (ESA About Science and Technology, 5 December 2008)
Research
My research is focused on the assessment and prediction the dynamics of space plasmas and is based on three pillars: spacecraft observations, modeling and participation in the development of future missions.
Magnetosphere | © NASA
Prediction of the space plasma environment/Space Weather
Space weather affects numerous aspects of our everyday life. It can be hazardous for satellites, navigation systems, avionics, air travel, telecommunications and others. The prediction of space weather is also crucial for manned space exploration and for keeping space observation technology safe. This research engages machine learning, data analysis and processing skills and high performance simulations.
Mischel, S., E. A. Kronberg, and C. P. Escoubet, Evaluating Proton Intensities for the SMILE Mission, Space Weather, 22(12), doi:10.1029/2024SW003934, 2024
Kronberg, E. A., T. Hannan*, J. Huthmacher*, M. M ¨unzer*, F. Peste*, Z. Zhou*, M.Berrendorf, E. Faerman, F. Gastaldello, S. Ghizzardi, P. Escoubet, S. Haaland, A. Smirnov*N. Sivadas, R. Allen, A. Tiengo and R. Ilie, Prediction of Soft Proton Intensities in the Near-Earth Space Using Machine Learning, Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 921, 2, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac1b30, arXiv:2105.15108, 2021
Kronberg, E. A., F. Gastaldello, S. Haaland, A. Smirnov*, M. Berrendorf, S. Ghizzardi, K. Kuntz, N. Sivadas, R. Allen, A. Tiengo, R. Ilie, Y. Huang and L. Kistler, Prediction and understanding of soft proton contamination in XMM-Newton: a machine learning approach, Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 903, 2, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/abbb8f, https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.13156, 2020
Plasma energization | © Elena Kronberg and Herting
Plasma energization
Many plasma objects in space are powerful accelerators of plasma particles capable to increase particle energies by many orders of their initial energies. Important impulsive energetic phenomena in the Universe are: gamma-ray bursts, astrophysical jets, solar flares, coronal mass ejections, magnetic reconnection and the associated high-speed plasma flows and beams. Basic processes of heating and energization in turbulent magnetized plasmas are of fundamental importance for understanding the evolution of the Universe as well as for predicting space weather.
Blöcker, A., E. A. Kronberg, E. E. Grigorenko, R. W. Ebert and G. Clark, Plasmoids and Magnetic Field Dipolarizations During Juno’s First 47 Orbits: Is Ion Acceleration Always Observed in the Dipolarizations?, J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1029/2024JA032853, 2024
Blöcker, A., E. A. Kronberg, E. E. Grigorenko, E. Roussos and G. Clark, Dipolarization Fronts in the Jovian Magnetotail: Statistical Survey of Ion Intensity Variations Using Juno Observations, J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1029/2023JA031312, 2023
Malykhin, A. Yu., E. E. Grigorenko, E. A. Kronberg, R. Koleva, N. Yu. Ganushkina, L. Kozak, P. W. Daly, Contrasting dynamics of electrons and protons in the near-Earth plasma sheet during dipolarization , Ann. Geophys., 36, doi:10.5194/angeo-36-741-2018, 2018
© Elena Kronberg
Influence of internal sources on magnetospheric dynamics
Ionospheric ion outflow changes the magnetospheric dynamics. The presence of ionospheric ions affects the plasma properties by changing the plasma density, temperature and pressure. Modified plasma properties influence the development of plasma instabilities and wave generation. On the large scales, the ionospheric ion outflow changes the shape of the magnetosphere. Outflow affects substorm-like events, magnetic storms, dynamics of radiation belts and magnetosphere-ionosphere-ring current coupling. However, studies on many of these effects are still controversial.
Kronberg, E. A., E. E. Grigorenko, R. Ilie, L. Kistler and D. Welling, Impact of ionospheric ions on magnetospheric dynamics, AGU book “Magnetospheres in the solar system”, doi:10.1002/9781119815624.ch23, 2021
Li, K., Y. Wei, S. Haaland, E. A. Kronberg, Z. J. Rong, L. Maes, R. Maggiolo, M. Andre, H. Nilsson and E. Grigorenko, Estimating the Kinetic Energy Budget of the Polar Wind Outflow, J. Geophys. Res., 123, doi:10.1029/2018JA025819, 2018
Aurora | © Elena Kronberg
Magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling
The solar wind inputs energy through the magnetosphere into the ionosphere and the thermosphere. This is the second energy source after the ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. The mechanisms of this transfer are not well yet understood. Ultimate goal of this project is to test a physical mechanism behind the energy transfer.
Maetschke, K. N., E. A. Kronberg, N. Partamies and E. E. Grigorenko, A possible mechanism for the formation of an eastward moving auroral spiral , vol. 10, doi:10.3389/fspas.2023.1240081, 2023