Postdoctoral Associate | Boston University

Jiawei Gao Gao Jiawei | gaojiawei | 高佳维

I am a Postdoctoral Associate at the Center for Space Physics, Boston University. I mainly work on the Martian space environment, and I love uncovering the space physics of other planets.

Jiawei Gao outdoors with mountains in the background
Jiawei Gao

Research

Planetary Space Environments

My work focuses on the electrodynamics of planetary plasma environments, especially how the solar wind couples to unmagnetized planets such as Mars and Venus.

Mars

Martian Space Environment

I am a space enthusiast, hoping to colonize Mars. My current work investigates Martian ionospheric currents, induced magnetospheres, and plasma dynamics.

Venus

Venusian Induced Magnetosphere

Comparative studies of unmagnetized planets help reveal which plasma processes are universal across Mars, Venus, and other bodies.

Earth

Earth and Planetary Physics

Earth provides a natural reference point for understanding magnetic fields, plasma coupling, and the wonders of our planet.

Featured Work

Publications

Selected recent publications. A fuller list is available on Google Scholar.

Nature Communications | 2024

Two distinct current systems in the ionosphere of Mars

First author Corresponding author

This study uses eight years of MAVEN observations to reveal two current systems in the Martian ionosphere, driven by solar wind forcing and atmospheric neutral winds.

2026

Gao, J., Dong, C., Luhmann, J., Bougher, S., & Zhang, C. New insights into the current systems in the Venusian induced magnetosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 131, e2025JE009531. First author; corresponding author. DOI

2026

Gao, J., Dong, C., Zhang, C., Qin, Y., Shekarpaz, S., Li, X., et al. Physics-informed neural networks for modeling the Martian induced magnetosphere. Geophysical Research Letters, 53, e2025GL121532. First author; corresponding author. DOI

2025

Zhang, C., Dong, C., Zhou, H., Halekas, J. S., Li, X., Gao, J., et al. Global energy transport and conversion in the solar wind-Mars interaction: MAVEN observations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 130, e2025JE009295. Co-author. DOI

2025

Tadlock, A., Dong, C., Zhang, C., Fränz, M., Zhou, H., & Gao, J. Magnetic field and plasma asymmetries between the Martian quasi-perpendicular and quasi-parallel magnetosheaths. Geophysical Research Letters, 52, e2025GL118172. Co-author. DOI

2024

Gao, J., Li, S., Mittelholz, A., Rong, Z., Persson, M., Shi, Z., et al. Two distinct current systems in the ionosphere of Mars. Nature Communications, 15, 9704. First author; corresponding author. DOI

2024

Gao, J., Rong, Z., Zhang, Q., Mittelholz, A., Zhang, C., & Wei, Y. Influence of upstream solar wind on magnetic field distribution in the Martian nightside ionosphere. Earth and Planetary Physics, 8(5), 728-741. First author. DOI

2024

Wang, Y., Cui, J., Wei, Y., Wu, Z., Fan, K., Rong, Z., ... & Gao, J. The response of Martian photoelectron boundary to the 2018 global dust storm. Science China Earth Sciences, 67(9), 2772-2782. Co-author.

2024

He, F., Rong, Z., Wu, Z., Gao, J., Fan, K., Zhou, X., ... & Wei, Y. Martian dust storms: reviews and perspective for the Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission. Remote Sensing, 16(14), 2613. Co-author.

2024

Yue, Y., Gao, J., He, F., Wei, Y., Cai, S., Wang, H., ... & Pan, Y. Evolution and disappearance of the paleo-West Pacific anomaly: implications to the future of South Atlantic anomaly. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 353, 107214. Second author. DOI

2023

Panovska, S., Poluianov, S., Gao, J., Korte, M., Mishev, A., Shprits, Y. Y., & Usoskin, I. Effects of global geomagnetic field variations over the past 100,000 years on cosmogenic radionuclide production rates in the Earth's atmosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, e2022JA031158. Co-author.

2023

Li, S., Lu, H., Cao, J., Cui, J., Ge, Y., Zhang, X., Rong, Z., Li, G., Li, Y., Gao, J., & Wang, J. Global electric fields at Mars inferred from multifluid Hall-MHD simulations. The Astrophysical Journal, 949(2), 88. Co-author.

2022

Gao, J., Korte, M., Panovska, S., Rong, Z., & Wei, Y. Geomagnetic field shielding over the last one hundred thousand years. Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate, 12, 31. First author. DOI

2022

Gao, J., Korte, M., Panovska, S., Rong, Z., & Wei, Y. Effects of the Laschamps excursion on geomagnetic cutoff rigidities. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 23, e2021GC010261. First author. DOI

2021

Gao, J., Rong, Z., Klinger, L., Li, X., Liu, D., & Wei, Y. A spherical harmonic Martian crustal magnetic field model combining data sets of MAVEN and MGS. Earth and Space Science, 8, e2021EA001860. First author. DOI

2021

Gao, J., Rong, Z., Persson, M., Stenberg, G., Zhang, Y., Klinger, L., et al. In situ observations of the ion diffusion region in the Venusian magnetotail. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 126, e2020JA028547. First author. DOI

2019

Yan, L., Gao, J., Chai, L., Zhao, L., Rong, Z., & Wei, Y. Revisiting the strongest Martian X-ray halo observed by XMM-Newton on 2003 November 19-21. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 883, L38. Second author. DOI

2018

Gao, J., Rong, Z., Cai, Y., Lui, A. T. Y., Petrukovich, A. A., Shen, C., et al. The distribution of two flapping types of magnetotail current sheet: implication for the flapping mechanism. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 123(9), 7413-7423. First author. DOI

CV

Current Role and Models

Present

Postdoctoral Associate

Center for Space Physics, Boston University.

Media

Research News and Profiles

Research highlights, news posts, and profile links migrated from the original Google Sites media page.

Nature Communications article preview

Focus Paper

Nature Communications Highlight

Two distinct current systems in the ionosphere of Mars.

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Earth from space

Top Downloaded Article

The Prehistory of Geomagnetic Field Shielding

News highlight from the Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate.

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Mars atmosphere

Top Cited Article

Martian Crustal Field Model

A spherical harmonic Martian crustal magnetic field model combining MAVEN and MGS data sets.

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Venus

Profile

Scholar and Research Profiles

Publication metrics, citations, and profile pages.

Google Scholar

Contact Information

Get in Touch

Center for Space Physics
Boston University
725 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
jgao2@bu.edu