Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti

Research Interests

• Plasma instabilities, leading to the formation of magnetic discontinuities in the solar wind
• 3D characteristics and temporal evolution of mesoscale solar wind structures
• Solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere coupling during geomagnetic storms
• Non-thermal emission by orbital debris

Activities

• Principal Investigator of Space Weather Investigation Frontier (SWIFT)
  • SWIFT was highlighted in the Heliophysics Decadal Survey (2024-2033, Page 223).
  • To learn more, see this slide deck.
• Institutional Principal Investigator of the Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP) instrument aboard NASA’s flagship Parker Solar Probe
• Co-Investigator of the Space Debris Identification and Tracking (SINTRA) project
  • Read the Scientific American Story here.
  • Watch the CBS-Detroit Special Segment here.
  • Listen to the Guy Gordon Radio Show here.
• Team member of the Global Dynamics Constellation (GDC) magnetometer instrument
• Team member of the Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE) mission
• Principal Investigator of SunRISE Ground Radio Lab, engaging 2,500 high school students nationwide in hands-on STEM activities to promote space sciences and engineering

Teaching

• ENG 255/355/455/599: Multidisciplinary Project (MDP): Heliophysics Spacecraft Instrumentation
• SPACE 582 (AEROSP 582): Spacecraft Technology
• SPACE 583 (AEROSP 583): Management of Space Systems Design

Translational R&D

• 3D Photovoltaics for solar and power beaming applications
• On-demand mobile electric vehicle charging service

Latest Publications

• Soni, S. L., Akhavan-Tafti, M., Suen, G. H. H., Kasper, J., Velli, M., De Marco, R., … & Owen, C. J. (2024). Switchback Patches Evolve into Microstreams via Magnetic Relaxation. The Astrophysical Journal, 977(2), 264.
  • Press release on Phys.org
• Akhavan-Tafti, M., & Soni, S. L. (2024). In Situ Mechanisms are Necessary for Switchback Formation. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 970(2), L26, doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad60bc.
  • Press release on Phys.org
• Akhavan-Tafti, M., Johnson, L., Sood, R., Slavin, J. A., Pulkkinen, T., Lepri, S., … & Lario, D. (2023). Space weather investigation Frontier (SWIFT). Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, 10, 1185603, https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2023.1185603.
  • Manchester IV, W., Sachdeva, N., Kilpua, E., Ala-Lahti, M., Soni, S. L., Huang, Z., … & Akhavan-Tafti, M. (2024). High-Resolution Simulation of CME-CIR Interactions: Small-to Mesoscale Solar Wind Structure Formation Observable by the SWIFT Constellation.
  • Sikes, J. D., Pezent, J. B., Sood, R., & Akhavan-Tafti, M. (2024). Application of Signed Distance Fields to Spacecraft Constellation Trajectory Design. Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 1-11.
  • Soni, S. L., Maharana, A., Guerrero, A., Mishra, W., Poedts, S., Thampi, S., & Akhavan-Tafti, M. (2024). CMEs evolve in the interplanetary medium to double their predicted geo-effectiveness. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 686, A23.
  • Ala-Lahti, M., Pulkkinen, T. I., Ruohotie, J., Akhavan-Tafti, M., Good, S. W., & Kilpua, E. K. (2023). Multipoint Observations of the Dynamics at an ICME Sheath–Ejecta Boundary. The Astrophysical Journal, 956(2), 131.
• Akhavan-Tafti, M., Kasper, J., Huang, J., & Thomas, L. (2022). Magnetic switchbacks heat the solar corona. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 937(2), L39, doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ac913d.
  • Press release on Space.com
• Google Scholar: Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti